What comes to mind when we speak about good nutrition?

Diets …. paleo, raw, vegan, vegetarian, GAPS, FODMAPS and so on. Which one is the right one for you? Is there such a thing as the single best diet anyway?

Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids are the vital ingredients we extract from proteins, plants and fats. From these we make energy … lots of it to fuel our brain and bodies. We make building blocks for hormones, blood and tissues.

What we eat sends signals to cells in our body and brain; which dictate how we act and feel and how healthy we can be. Research is uncovering the many ways our bodies are affected by our nutrition; microbiome; stress; inflammation; genetics; and lifestyle.

The new food pyramid has exercise and vegetables squarely placed at the bottom. Sweets and treats sit like the proverbial cherry on top. While this is the best guide for a long, healthy life, old habits can be hard to change. This is especially true when people are trying to lose weight.

Weight loss isn’t as simple as calories in and calories out – there’s a whole raft of things to consider, which include gut health, hormones, environment, emotions, thoughts, habits and beliefs.

So nutrition, is more than food and teaching people how to eat. It involves coaching to change behaviour, correcting nutrient deficiencies and imbalances, guidance in using special diets for food intolerances, gut repair, diabetes, weight loss and to support detoxification.

If you feel you need help in these areas please use this booking form to make an appointment with Michelle. Just select the date/day and time.

TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING

Having healthy foods prepped in the fridge or snacks ready to go can be a great way to engage the family in trying healthy foods.

One of the biggest hurdles with meal preparation is convenience and time. We’re all juggling busy schedules, and driving children to various events. So, preparing in advance is a true life saver because it helps you keep healthy foods available for meals, snacking, and whenever the cravings hit.

It also helps to have a few healthy recipes that are quick to put together. Print some recipes from your favourite cook books or Pinterest links and keep them in a handy file in the kitchen.

To encourage children to make healthy choices, involve them in choosing fruit and vegetables to buy, try, prepare and cook.