Four Pillars of Wellness – Nutrition and Nurture

 

My approach as a health coach combines four key pillars of wellness – the physical, nutrition and food, sleep and rest, and the management of emotions.

 

In this blog, we will focus on the nutrition pillar. Our food’s nutrients can help us function well and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Nutrition can support us to stay healthy because when the body is well nourished from a balanced diet, it can benefit the immune system, muscles, bones, joints, skin and digestive system, to name just a few areas.

 

Supporting the gut is an essential and impactful part of the nourishment pillar.

 

Did you know 70% of the immune system is in the gut? Nourishing the gut has many benefits, including improving digestion and the absorption of nutrients. Stronger immunity is arguably one of the most underrated benefits of better gut health.

 

By making healthier food choices to support gut health, we can help to heal and nourish the gut. Adding more fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, and kimchi creates more friendly bacteria, and the probiotic benefits of consuming them can be much more valuable to the body than probiotic supplements.

 

How you eat is just as important as what you eat, and the order in which you eat your food is more significant than you might think. We can have all of the ‘right’ foods on our plates, but many of us eat in a way that can spike blood sugar. I recommend veggies first, followed by protein, fats and carbs to keep blood sugar stable and prevent the health effects of blood sugar fluctuations.

 

Your mindset matters too. When we crave certain foods, it can be linked to emotions and stress levels. Only when we can get to the root causes of the thoughts, beliefs and behaviours driving emotional eating can we introduce healthier habits and create a more positive mindset around food and nutrition.

 

When we think about nutrition, we often focus solely on what’s on our plate. But everything we nurture and nourish is considered nutrition, including spiritual practice, fulfilling and honest relationships, inspiring careers, and enjoyable physical exercise. When these levels are high, actual food stays secondary. Think of it as nourishing the whole self, not just the physical self, since food can impact more than just physical health. It can also affect emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.

 

By nourishing the mind and body with nutritious choices that help to heal and restore balance, we can promote better physical health and support other aspects of well-being too.