Today’s society is fast paced, fast cars, fast jobs, fast electronics, fast childhoods and fast foods. Everything is convenient, accessible all year round and disposable. The impact this lifestyle has on us as humans shows through the health epidemic we are in. But what if we slowed it all down? What if we took inspiration from our ancestors? What if we connected deeply to the earth and our bodies? What if we tapped into the body’s innate wisdom? I wonder what would happen? Functional Nutritional Therapy has the key to unlock the answers.

Guided by six foundations of health; a nutrient dense diet, digestion, blood sugar regulation, mineral balance, fatty acids and hydration, Functional Nutritional Therapy (FNT) can support proper function and overall health in the body. But how?

Let’s start way back in the beginning of time.

Our ancestors ate seasonal, nutrient dense whole foods and moved their bodies naturally as they went about their day. They were at one with the cycles of nature and the natural rhythms of the earth. As humans, our need for this connection hasn’t changed, it’s just somehow become fuzzy along the way, caught in a tangle of electrical cords, take away coffee cups and comfortable computer chairs. This balance that our ancestors had allowed them to not only connect deeply with the earth, but with their own bodies too- their body’s innate wisdom. This ability to connect deeply within yourself, is the key to optimal wellbeing. It allows us to understand our body, notice changes and tune in to what it needs. We need balance in the body for proper function and overall health, if we just pause for a moment in this busy world, we will be able to tune into what our bodies are telling us.

So how do we achieve this?

Our bodies are amazing as our brain works to guide our organs to absorb and convert nutrients as needed for energy. By providing our bodies with the right balance, at the right times we can support this process and experience sustained energy and wellbeing. It is important to eat a properly prepared, nutrient dense, wholefood diet to provide our body with the fuel and nutrients it needs to function properly. In addition to this we must develop stress management rituals, get adequate sleep, stay hydrated and move our bodies daily.

Internally our whole body is interconnected and subsequently each system relies on other parts to function properly. For example, if your body is in a constant state of chronic stress, things such as digestion, the ability to absorb nutrients, energy levels, and our blood sugar will be affected.

This constant stress state is our sympathetic state and referred to as our ‘fight or flight’ state. It serves a purpose if say, you are being chased by a tiger, as your body pumps you full of adrenaline and shuts down systems it doesn’t need (such as digestion) for you to survive. But in today’s world, we aren’t being chase by tigers, we are being chased in circles by overscheduled lives, financial burdens, demanding jobs or academic pressures. Not exactly life threatening, but our bodies react the same. The problem is, this fight or flight mode wasn’t designed to be activated all the time, a tiger will eventually leave, and our body will return to our parasympathetic state, our ‘rest & digest’ state. But in our circular speedy life, it just keeps going around and around with no respite. Our bodies are suffering the consequences. Chronic stress can lead to chronic dysregulation. Along with external stressors, our body can develop internal stressors from the fast processed foods we eat.

“It is important to eat a properly prepared nutrient dense, wholefood diet to provide our body with the fuel and nutrients it needs to function properly. In addition to this we must develop stress management rituals, get adequate sleep, stay hydrated and move our bodies daily”

So, what foods should we be eating?

While fast foods provide people with instant time saving options during busy times and can be very tempting to reach for, they unfortunately lack nutrients and are often carbohydrate heavy. Additionally, they can’t sustain our body with the balance it needs in the longer term and can cause stress internally. Furthermore, when our diet is heavy in carbs, it often leads to energy crashes, low moods and keeps us hungry, needing to eat more often. The word ‘hangry’ comes to mind, a feeling I’m sure we have all experienced at some stage! Fast foods are not only easily accessible but often cheap and affordable, providing great relief to the family budget, but sadly no relief to our ‘hangry-ness’.

The key is to eat the freshest wholefoods within your budget. Wholefoods are foods as nature intended, e.g. fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grass fed and finished meat, pasture raise poultry and eggs. These provide the body with nutrients needed to maintain health and balance. Locally grown and organic foods are optimal but not always an option for all. Four key methods to sourcing foods are to think variety, think locally, think seasonally and think quality. Farmers markets, food co-ops or delivery services in your local area are a good place to start. Additionally getting to know the dirty dozen and clean fifteen can really help guide you to better choices while keeping costs lower. You can learn more about them here.

“Nutrients can be broken down into macronutrients, micronutrients & water”

Nutrients can be broken down into three main categories, macronutrients, micronutrients and water. Meals with balanced macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbs) allow you to feel full and more satisfied, restore your energy and allow you to experience a strong sense of wellbeing. They can also help with clarity of mind and uplift emotions, goodbye hangry-ness! Great protein sources are, seafood, grass fed beef, pasture raised poultry and eggs. Fats are found in wild caught fish, pasture raised eggs, nuts & seeds and avocados, grass fed meats, organic coconut oil and olive oil. Good carb sources are vegetables, fruit, tubers, squash, grains & legumes. Micronutrients provide us with the minerals and vitamins our body needs to thrive, they primarily serve as co-factors for proper function and structural building blocks of our cells. Minerals and vitamins are found in foods such as fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, grass fed meats, herbs and sea salt. See the pattern here? All these nutrient dense whole foods have exactly what our body needs. Water is often the forgotten nutrient, but the most important and vital one for all living things- humans included. Our bodies are 60% water, every single cell in our body requires water to function.

Digestion is Key.

But it’s not just about eating nutrient dense whole foods and balanced macros, without proper digestion we are unable to absorb the food itself and the nutrients within the food. This leads to digestive discomfort such as gas, bloating and malabsorption. Subsequently it also can lead to mineral, vitamin and fatty acid deficiencies within the body. These are all extremely important for our organs to function effectively as many are cofactors for the activity of enzymes, the spark plugs to make things go!

“Without optimal digestion our body simply cannot thrive, even if we ate all the salads in the world!”

Our body can’t produce minerals and therefore we need to consume them in our diet. Minerals help to regulate the PH of our blood, facilitate the transfer of nutrients, support tissue growth and maintain proper nerve function, among other roles. Vitamins are crucial for health and growth and like minerals, also support tissue growth as well as digestion and immune function. Fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E & K all require fats for the body to be able to utilise and convert them within the body. Fats are crucial for numerous body functions such as building cell membranes, helping to regulate the speed at which we digest food, serve as protective lining for organs and increases the satiety of foods. Fats must not be feared, consider them your new BFF. This is why our digestion is so essential to our wellbeing; without optimal digestion our body simply cannot thrive, even if we ate all the salads in the world!

The role of water within the body is also essential. Water has many roles within the body. It cushions bones and joints, regulates body temperature, flushes toxins and removes waste. Hydration is essential for effective digestion. Early signs of dehydration are thirst, fatigue, dry mouth, dark urine, cravings, headaches and degrading in memory and concentration, with fatigue being the most common symptom. Diuretic beverages such as soda, juice and coffee can affect our hydration levels. Yes, believe it or not, water is more important than coffee! Most people are busy and don’t have water on them as they are rushing around, leading to dehydration.

So, what is affecting our digestion and how can we support it?

We have come in full circle here, back to discussing busy lives. Eating on the go, rushing, dehydration, stress and processed foods are all factors in digestive dysfunction. A 10% drop in hydration levels can cause significant health problems such as digestive issues. As mentioned above, water is essential for flushing toxins and waste out of the body, it also aids in transporting nutrients. At times due to busy lifestyles, the thirst signals our body sends out can be supressed. Another role of water in the body is to improve oxygen, without adequate hydration, low oxygen levels can lead to fatigue, headaches, tiredness and irritability. Constipation can be a chronic sign of dehydration, without adequate water intake, the digestive process can slow down. Processed foods and sugar can also impact the bodies digestive processes and they can also impact and affect our bodies requirements of water. In addition, a lifestyle with low movement/exercise and high stress levels may be directly impacting the digestive process and ability to absorb water, nutrients and the overall homeostasis of the body.

Stress is a major factor in affecting digestion, remember the tiger scenario and our body’s unique ability to shut down systems during times of stress? By slowing down, taking three big breaths before eating, sitting down for meals, eating unprocessed foods without preservatives and additives we can help minimise stress in and out of the body. A simple act of sitting, showing gratitude and controlled breathing can be enough to trigger it and allow our body to do its thing with all those wonderful nutrients we are feeding it. As we find a balance within our foods and manage our stress, we can support the foundations of health to work in synergy. We will feel fuller for longer, experience prolonged energy and achieve complete balance within the body. Those 3pm crashes? They will be a thing of the past! Cue sustained energy throughout the day.

A Balancing Act

I mentioned before that our whole body is interconnected and subsequently each system relies on other parts to function properly. Our brain is the primary organ of our blood sugar regulation as it directs other organs to converts sugars to store or use within the body. Our blood sugar levels, or our glucose levels are closely monitored by our brain, this keeps our levels balanced and our energy sustained. When we consume too much sugar (or too many carbs that are converted to sugars), our blood sugar rises rapidly and our body releases insulin to try to bring it down. But sometimes the body can over correct, and we then experience low blood sugar. Often this is when we eat more carbs or have another coffee and the cycle continues. Dysregulated blood sugar can leave us experiencing fatigue or low energy and it can even lead to metabolic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Again, to maintain healthy function, we must eat a balanced nutrient dense, properly prepared whole foods diet. Macronutrients can be adjusted for each unique individual as needed to reduce these spikes and crashes. This will provide the body with consistent energy and reduce cravings.

Not to be overlooked, our sleep and movement is also vital to our wellbeing and stress management. Reflecting on how we move and how much we sleep throughout each day can really help to manage stress levels and support our body holistically. Remember our ancestors were at one with the earth and moved daily to go about their ways? When we sleep, our brains shrink to allow us to detox and heal. With the addition of financial pressure to work more, bright lights, screens and busy lifestyles, sleep can often be disrupted or lack the hours needed to recharge properly. Incorporating some strategies around sleep routines, sleep hygiene and practices we can support the whole body to achieve homeostasis. Channelling our ancestors wisdom and rising with the sun or using orange or red lights at night is a good place to start.

Nutritional Therapy isn’t a quick fix diet. It’s not an overhaul either, its small supportive approaches guided by the six foundations of health to help guide you on a journey of optimal balance, proper function and overall homeostasis in the body.

It’s a whole balancing act of whole foods, whole lifestyle for a whole balanced self.

“Whole foods, Whole lifestyle, Whole Balanced Self.”

Whole Foods Whole Self

TONIC FIELDS

Whole Foods Whole Self

What is Functional Nutritional Therapy?

TONIC FIELDS