More than Food: Have You Tried the Holistic Diet?

A holistic diet is so much more than the food you have on your plate. This approach looks at you as a total person and gives you a healthy lifestyle in a package. Not only do you need to nourish your body, prevent chronic health concerns and increase your levels of energy, but these things can help you to create an overall sense of wellbeing. So how do you adopt a holistic diet?

Firstly, make sure your diet has a healthy balance of macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats. According to Neda Smith, the Co-Editor of Holistic Nutrition, not all carbohydrates are bad and you shouldn’t eliminate them from your diet. However, it is important to eat natural food in a holistic diet and to avoid processed foods. This means opting for fish, whole grains, vegetables, meats, fresh juices, herbal teas and coffee substitutes.

You also need to balance the macronutrients in your diet with the micronutrients, such as fibre, minerals and vitamins. This will help you to keep you body in optimising energy so that you reach high levels of physical and emotional wellness. The fibre will help you to digest your food, which is a vital component in the holistic diet. Experts in this complementary approach advise against cold foods and beverages – which are slow to digest – and instead recommend foods that contain probiotics or friendly bacteria, and chewing well before swallowing.

Emotional health is extremely important in a holistic approach to wellbeing. Sandra Caton, Editor for the American Holistic Health Association, explains that you need to be consciously aware of your thoughts, behaviour and feelings towards your family, friends and the people you interact with. You also should build up your respect for the planet in which you live. Go green and participate in community and neighbourhood “clean up” projects.

However, it’s not just your nutritional, emotional and environmental wellness that the holistic diet encourages; it’s your mental and spiritual health too. You can achieve spiritual wellness through various modes of attaining mental peace, such as yoga, simple meditation and relaxing recreational activities like reading or listening to music. If you incorporate all these things, you’’’ wake up with enough enthusiasm for the day ahead.

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