Healthy diet for a Balanced Body, Mind, Spirit.
Stress or nutritional deficiencies can both cause an Imbalance in the body, mind , spirit . We experience mental or physical fatigue, which can severely affect all parts of your health. It’s more important to eat a healthy diet than ever when learning to bring balance back to the body.
The fight against ill-health and many diseases starts with eating a healthy diet. So many modern medical cures are really attempts to undo the damage caused by poor dietary choices.
Of course there are people who can’t eat healthy foods due to their circumstances, either environmental or financial. Too often though, lack of finance is the excuse for not eating healthy foods. Way too often the real culprits are:
- Not taking the time to educate one’s self about real nutrient requirements.
- Letting taste buds define food choices.
- Taking the easy, convenient, processed option.
This is mainly because processed foods are readily accessible and just as prevalent, or more so, as healthy food choices. The trouble lies in trying to resist the ease and convenience that fast foods provide and this is the root cause of so many health problems.
A healthy diet should be the number one priority in a person’s life so that a balanced mind and body happens automatically!
-If the mind is healthy, happy relationships can form.
-If the body is healthy, disease has a harder time to set in.
-If the mind and body are both healthy and balanced all good things are possible, and certainly far more likely.
Weight Management
This is self-evident. A healthy balanced diet makes managing your weight easy. For people wanting to win against the battle of obesity, a good start is to cut back on high carbohydrate content food.
Make good dietary choices a lifestyle, not a short-term fix. Go for a diet that is lower in calories but high in nutrients. Eat some fruit and increase vegetable consumption. Animal meat and poultry products provide excellent protein, but eat them as close to natural as possible, don’t lather them with sauces and crumb coatings. Stay away from foods that contain simple carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries, cakes and candies.
More Energy
Our diet must provide the right amount and type of nutrients containing good calories for us to have enough energy. This energy will be used by the body so that thought, healing and growth processes will be able to function properly. Healthy foods greatly improve performance, alertness and brain health.
Prevent Diseases
Failure to observe a healthy diet puts anyone at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other serious illnesses. Your diet should not contain too many foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, as these are known to be linked to an increased incidence of stroke and heart attack.
Saturated and trans fats can be found in cookies, vegetable shortenings, some margarines and any other foods that are fried using partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats increase your risk of coronary heart diseases. Use olive oil when cooking and if using margarine choose one made from olive oil too.
Healthy Food Improve the Mood
The right foods can do wonders in improving your mood. However, do not succumb to emotional eating. Emotion-driven food binges will almost certainly be poor dietary choices and the effects will be very temporary – leading to repeated bad patterns of behavior.
Foods that contain important nutrients such as vitamin B folate help in combating anxiety and depression. Foods that are rich in B vitamins help in the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect behavior and moods.
Improve Mental Performance
Studies have shown that people who eat foods that are rich in vitamins B, C, D and E, plus omega-3 fatty acids have better performance in several cognitive tests compared to those who did not eat fruits, vegetables and fish.
Researchers are providing more and more evidence that having a healthy diet will help prevent diseases related to brain-shrinkage.
Take Control of Your Food Choices
Make a lifelong habit of basing your daily food intake on mindful healthy choices. This will help avoid developing many of the lifestyle illnesses that will cause ongoing health problems in your life.
There are far more food choices on offer than most of us need. In most cases, mindful eating comes down to what we don’t eat – that is, avoiding foods that we know aren’t good for us. There are plenty of foods that are both tasty and healthy.
In Ayurveda, different types of food an herbs are used to bring this crucial balance back, depending on how your body needs it the most. Though each of our bodies are different, there are some foods that work well for us all.
These balancing foods nourish us physically, providing vitamins, minerals and some provide amino acids to give us energy and nourish our cells. Others help calm the mind to bring balance mentally. Eating too many of the same foods, processed foods, or a simple lack of variety in the diet can all lead to dietary imbalance. Stimulating foods like sugar, caffeine, and animal foods also can lead to this imbalance. Overall, be sure you avoid nutritional deficiencies and mental or physical fatigue so you can keep the body balanced and ultimately, feeling your best.
Which Healthy Food bring balance ?
- Fermented food are great. Miso, coconut kefir , coconut yogurt (if you like the taste) are well recommended as they provide probiotics to keep the gut working well and are some of the healthiest options in the plant-based kingdom. Kimchi ( a Korean dish) and sauerkraut are also good options A healthy gut leads to a healthy mind, as they say , the gut is like a second brain.!
- Grains like oats, black rice, and pseudo-grains like quinoa, teff, buckwheat, … all provide amino acids and protein that the body needs to stay healthy. They also contain B vitamins, fiber, and magnesium which helps calm you down and also provides a natural, steady energy.Enjoy them hot, soaked overnight, or bake them.
- Greens are good for so many health issues, balance included and provide quality minerals that can help curb sugar cravings. Also greens provide iron for energy, B vitamins for brain and metabolic health, and physically chewing them or drinking them in a smoothie provide a calming and cooling effect on the body.
- Avocados, olives, raw coconut, and raw nuts and seeds will give your body the healthy fats it needs for balance, as it provide B vitamins and fats that bring a sense of calm to the brain. Healthy fats go a long way, so add just a tablespoon or two to each meal to reap the benefits. Or you can always enjoy them as a snack !
But do avoid all dairy,caffeine, sugar, processed foods and meat or eggs .
Have you experienced feeling more balanced and grounded after being more mindful of your choice of food ? Share with me your experience.