You would have heard us harp on about the benefits of a wholefood diet plenty of times before. A diet rich in wholefoods is disease-preventative, supports the body for weight loss, improves cognition, reduces headaches, balances hormones, clears skin, and decreases stress. Wholefoods have the proper balance of vitamins and minerals for optimal human health. Need more convincing?
Wholefood Is….
Brain Food
When you consider that the majority of our food is used to fuel the brain, a whole new meaning is placed on what we eat. This means that what we eat changes how we think and feel. Eating a diet rich in wholefoods supports increased cognition and balanced moods. In comparison, research shows that women who eat processed foods are 60% more likely to suffer from depression than those consuming a wholefood diet.
Disease Preventative
Colourful vegetables are filled with flavonols. Flavonols are wonderful anti-oxidants with pathogenic properties equipped to fight free-radicle damage to our cells, and thus inhibit the onset of disease and aging. Flavonols are also anti-inflammatory, which again help to decrease our risk of certain illnesses. This also suggests that wholefoods can change how our genes are expressed; meaning that just because a certain disease is heredity, it doesn’t mean it has to be your future.
Digestion-Supportive
Vegetables are filled with indigestible fibre that keeps you full for longer and aids the movement of food through the bowel. Bowel evacuation is crucial for avoiding toxic build-up in the intestinal tract, which can then be absorbed into the body causing a plethora of health issues. For optimal health, eat loads of green leafy and colourful vegetables.
Energy Producing
Wholefoods are full of essential vitamins and minerals that support the body to properly use our food for energy, and ensure we have optimal fuel levels. For example, mushrooms are a natural source of vitamin B3 – a coenzyme in energy production. Seafood consists of vitamin B12, which is an important player in the redevelopment of our cells and growth.
Hormone Balancing
A nutrient-rich diet, excluding refined and processed foods, supports optimal liver function, which helps to balance our hormones. A healthy liver converts unwanted oestrogen into a harmless substance to be excreted from the body. However, a congested liver recycles old oestrogen (and other hormones), causing an excess of oestrogen in the body (a.k.a. oestrogen dominance), and leads to hormone imbalance.
Weight-Loss Inducing
A wholefood diet is the key to weight loss. As mentioned above, a healthy liver depends on the elimination of processed foods and the welcoming introduction of wholefoods. The alternative, a congested liver, actually inhibits weight loss because the body’s focus goes to eradicating toxins instead of getting rid of excess adipose tissue.
What does a wholefood diet look like?
Plants should make up the bulk of your plate, followed by a small portion of meat, fish or eggs (if you’re that way inclined), and some good natural fat, i.e. avocado, nuts, seeds, quality olive oil, butter.
Wholefood is food found in its most natural form. If you can see it grow, you can eat it!
Danielle Heyhoe
Nutritional Health Coach
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