Eating traditional foods for longevity and overall wellness

Tuesday, September 17, 2013 by: Katherine Leonard, MS, NC
Tags: traditional foods, logevity, wellness

(NaturalNews) In traditional cultures, balancing health with a balanced lifestyle was a core belief. They live in harmony with the environment. The diseases of modern civilization were rare. Food and medicine were interwoven. All cultures used special or functional foods to prevent disease. Food could be used at different times and different situations and used as either food or medicine. Foods, cultivation, and cooking methods maximized community health and well-being. With methods passed down through generations, cooking processes were utilized that enhanced mineral and nutrient bioavailability.

Indigenous people have patterns of illness very different from Western civilization; yet, once exposed to Western foods and lifestyles, they rapidly develop common Western diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This is the result of epigenetic changes in the expression of their genes that enabled these diseases to emerge. The Western diet and lifestyle promoted the growth of cancers, tooth decay, allergies and asthma. Babies conceived and raised on a westernized diet had more asymmetrical and thinner facial structures and a whole range of health conditions that children raised on traditional diets did not have.

Food is information: what do you want to tell your body? Eating traditional, whole foods can change the expression of your genes to promote wellness. You can change the internal terrain of your body, making it inhospitable to cancer and disease. Moreover, you can lose weight, balance your hormones, reverse insulin resistance and diabetes, reverse heart disease, enhance fertility and prepare for a healthy pregnancy, improve digestion and detoxification, and much more.

10 Ways to give your cells the RIGHT information

1. Eat more organic foods (including grass-fed, free-range meats)
2. Eat a variety of foods
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables
4. Eat more nuts and seeds
5. Use soaked or sprouted whole grains
6. Eat fermented foods, made at home
7. Eat fresh, local foods in season (and support your local farmers at their markets)
8. Cooking is self-love: learn how to nourish your body and spirit
9. Use more herbs and spices when you cook
10. Supplement your diet with high-quality nutrients specific to your body's needs to correct imbalances and support areas of weakness.

Sources for this article include
Lipski, L. (2010). Nutr Clin Pract. 25:585-593.
http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=117
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcao7LASoP0

About the author:
Katherine Leonard is a Holistic Nutritionist and naturopathic medical student with a passion for supporting people regain their health by reducing exposure to environmental toxins and transitioning to a nourishing and health-promoting lifestyle. Katherine has particular interest in helping women prepare their bodies for pregnancy. She has a master's degree in Holistic Nutrition and is currently enrolled in a 4-year doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University.

Katherine believes that optimal health is achieved through organic whole foods, a toxin-free environment, stress management, and physical activity. Her passion is to design personalized programs to help others live nourishing lifestyles.

For more information and to sign up for a complimentary 15-minute consultation,
visit www.holistic-nourishment.com.
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