Here are 13 holistic nutrition tips for maximum health and beauty.
Contributed by Elizabeth Kleiman, Medical Aesthetics Nutritionist, SpaMedica in Toronto
- Do not skip meals especially breakfast.
- Never go more than 3-4 hours without a meal or a snack. This will help keep blood sugar stable and eliminate cravings.
- Always try to eat at least one meal a day that consists of strictly raw foods (i.e. a big salad with a variety of vegetables, seeds, sprouts, avocado etc…)
- Caffeine and sugar should be completely eliminated with the exceptions of Green tea and if a sweetener is absolutely necessary – use Stevia. Chemical sweeteners can trigger a blood sugar fluctuation in the body the way regular sugar does and may hinder weight loss efforts. In moments of weakness indulge in some dark organic chocolate(55-70% cocoa) high in antioxidants.
- Juicing vegetables on a daily basis is a great way to get the abundance of vegetables we regularly require thereby boosting minerals and alkalizing the body for radiant health.
- Sea vegetables and seaweeds (such as kelp, nori, wakame) are also very mineral rich thereby enhancing your hair skin and nails. The iodine content will safely stimulate the metabolism and boost the thyroid.
- Consume organic whole and unprocessed foods diet whenever possible. Food additives, pesticides, refined and chemically foods are foreign to the body and put unnecessary stress on the liver’s detoxification processes
- Make a conscious effort to eliminate most if not all cereal grains from the diet other than sprouted grains and breads (i.e. Essene /Manna bread). Grains and especially flour products are difficult for most people to properly digest unless sprouted as they contain anti-nutrients called phytates that bind minerals and prevent absorption. If they cannot be avoided then only non-wheat grains should be consumed such as Brown Rice, Quinoa, Amaranth, Teff, Spelt and Buckwheat (not actually a wheat grain but from the rhubarb family).
- Dairy should also be cut out completely with the exception of plain organic yogurt and /or kefir. Light cottage cheese and raw milk cheeses may be used if there is no apparent dairy sensitivity. Pasteurized milk products are not the ideal source of calcium that we have been led to believe. Foods such as sesame seeds, almonds and leafy greens are far more bio-available to the body.
- Make sure that there is a high portion of healthy fats (such olive oil or unrefined coconut oil for sautéing and stir-frying) in your diet to help fight inflammation, balance the hormones and speed up the metabolism.
- Eat uncontaminated cold water fish (herring, sardines, and wild pacific salmon, cod, haddock) at least a couple of times a week. They are ideal sources of Omega 3 fatty acids which our bodies need for hormone balance, good cholesterol, to speed up metabolism, help skin stay smooth and a whole lot of other good things.
- Snack on freshly ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. They are optimal sources of both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids as well as other beneficial nutrients.
- Make sure to take supplements. The right supplement program will help enhance your health by ‘supplementing’ the diet where it’s needed. We live in a polluted world and endure a high stress life style. The right antioxidants, phytonutrients and nutraceuticals will go a long way to improving health and preventing accelerated aging.