It is one thing to tell someone how to eat, but to teach them how to eat is more complex. Changing our relationship with food and building a more profound connection is what we call holistic nutrition. We are built with an innate sense of what foods are healthy and what is considered detrimental to our health. And as obvious as this may be for some, many people don’t understand the relationship between foods and health. Nutrition affects every facet of our health, from skin health to emotional health.
When we feel run down, sluggish or even face a difficult health scare, we often reevaluate our current regimen. Such an event may involve reviewing your exercise routine and sifting through your diet to see what you can change to create a healthier version of yourself.
Like many other holistic nutritionists, my goal is to not only assist in the healing of the individual’s primary concern but to address the whole person. This involves diving deeper into their current routine by analyzing everything that goes into their mouth, as well as sleep patterns and their emotional connection with their food.
Our mental, and physical health can affect the choices we make in the kitchen. Habits can be difficult to break. That is why addressing every aspect that made us less healthy can help embed the instinct of long term change.
Everyone has their own unique makeup, and nutrition is not one size fits all. I like to approach each of my clients individually. I do not use cookie-cutter plans because nutrition is just as complex as our DNA makeup. To treat and heal requires possibly eliminating and making dramatic changes to meet the needs of each client.
I met Jacob several years back as a mutual friend. He was curious about nutrition and how it could help some of his skin ailments. Jacob decided to work with me since he wanted to overcome skin conditions and adverse effects to foods he ate. Jacob was asked to complete a two-week diet diary where he wrote down everything he put in his mouth. This included the amount, who he ate with, the time, and how he felt before and after the meal.
After evaluating his diet diary and health history, it was apparent Jacob’s eating pattern was sporadic, and he had a high intake of sugary foods. The foods often caused skin issues such as redness and breakouts. I also learned he had heartburn, headaches, and random fatigue issues as we worked together. These issues became apparent when looking at the hour, he consumed his meals versus the time he was going to bed and waking. Another factor was the amount of proteins he consumed and how they affected his GI issues.
The plan was to try a “this to that” method. I recommended that Jacob try sugar alternatives and replace his meat options with more lean cuts. He was given a detailed meal plan to follow for two weeks. After week one, Jacob still had some adverse effects and wanted to try more plant-based as this was a topic of interest. We adjusted the meal plan to 3 meat-free days. After the first week on the plant-based diet, Jacob felt so good that on his own, he found himself wanting more plant-based foods over the meat options he once consumed.
Over the next couple of months, Jacob found that a more plant-based diet corrected many of his issues. Within the first month on the plant-based nutrition, Jacob had already seen an improvement in his skin and energy levels and, most notably, found that the timing in which he ate affected his sleeping pattern, making him more aware of the timing of his meals.
With his improved quality of sleep, it made him less likely to consume sugar when in need of energy. Staying on a plant based diet he also saw how his bowel movements were more regular. He also saw increased energy at the gym, ease in building lean muscle as well as cognitive clarity.
I still check in with Jacob; he is living a healthy, clear-skinned life. He does have times of weakness when it comes to sugar, but he can pinpoint what adverse effects he is having on certain foods, and he is more aware of his food labels.
We have also adjusted the plan to a more bodybuilding phase as he is now on his journey to becoming more lean and fit. His relationship with food has changed dramatically, and he is currently pursuing his fitness career to help others struggling on their journey.
Amber Arevalos
Holistic Nutritionist
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