September 4 2019
Hello there! Its been two months since the last blog but I have been having a break and focussing on other aspects of my businesses. I have also been doing weekly podcasts which you can see on my Lisa Hodgson Naturopath facebook page. Podcasts are such a wonderful way to blog I feel and so I find speaking a good way to convey information. This blog, however, is still special to me and I will continue to write here.
Today I just want to touch on diets and food as fuel. There are so many diets out there that people try. A lot of people use Dr Google and figure things out themselves. This is fine and is a good thing in that at least they are trying to educate themselves. However, this does not take care of underlying causes of the need to diet in some cases.
Diets that are popular at the moment are the Keto diet which in reality has many different variations, low fodmap diet which is for people with intestinal complaints such as IBS, and Mediterranean diet.
Now keto diet is a diet where eating certain foods that encourage the use of our fat stores for energy. The liver creates ketones for fuel and this can have benefits. It is important to know, though that if you are going on a low carb diet that our body still needs carbohydrates for fuel. The brain uses glucose as fuel and this mainly derives from carbs. Now healthy carbs are best from wholegrains, fruit and vegetables such as root vegetables. Brown rice and so on. However the ratio can shift and as long as you are balanced the body manages well. Research the type of keto you think you need but please see a professional or at least your GP.
FODMAPS stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are sugars that some people have issues absorbing. IBS can mean your bowel is super sensitive and is aggravated by the fermentation of these unabsorbed sugars which produce gas and this triggers spasms and discomfort. The low FODMAPs diet reduces these sugars. However the foods that trigger are still important due to their nutritional values. The intention is to soothe the gut and help it to recover.
Mediterranean diet is very popular and is grain, vegetables and meat and fish based. This is a good way to lose weight and to feel better in oneself. However there is a great deal of diversity in the original home of the Mediterranean diet. Places like Greece have many different plants and foods that are local to the country that really provide benefits in people’s diets. In the Western world we are limited to the basics due to not having all the diversity. Olives and olive oils are readily available though and are high in beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.
I could go on, but this is a brief overview. If you are wanting to try a diet then best way is to see a professional. It is unwise to try a diet if you have serious conditions such as diabetes, heart issues and other conditions without a professional overseeing you. Please think wisely as your health is too important.
See you next time.
Lisa
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