Wellbeing Essentials: Nutrition

Welcome to Part 4 of SAWT’s 6-part special “What Everybody Should Know About Wellbeing”. Today, we bring you a guest article from our colleague Rachel Martino, who is a registered nutritional therapist.

Simple secrets of good nutrition: small changes, better habits, healthy body

“You are what you eat” couldn’t be more true. Nutrition is at the heart of everything that happens to our bodies.

Good nutrition makes it function well; poor nutrition is a major factor in health problems, such as obesity and many chronic diseases.

We have become a bit obsessed with improving our nutrition. The mistake that people make is that they overthink it, making dramatic changes to their diet, only to find the changes are unsustainable.

Boosting your nutrition doesn’t have to be extreme, just mindful.

The key is to focus on nutrients as the body’s fuel rather than calories that need to be counted and to make some small changes that can have a big impact.

Hydrate your body – find the hidden water in your food

Water is vital for keeping every organ and system in our body in tip-top condition, but the fact is, most of us don’t drink enough of it.

A simple solution for those who struggle to drink enough of it is to eat more water-rich foods.

There are plenty of vegetables that are rich in water: celery, radish, cucumbers, lettuce – in fact, all leafy greens are great sources of water.

And don’t forget about the fruit. Watermelon, for example, is 90% water. Eating citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, as well as edible berries of any kind, will keep your body hydrated and healthy.

Tea and coffee count, as do soups and smoothies, and the best thing about eating more water-rich foods is that you are increasing your intake of essential vitamins and minerals as well.

Eat the rainbow – add some colour to your plate

No, I’m not talking about Skittles, those multi-coloured candies, I’m talking about food that not only tastes delicious, but also looks beautiful on your plate, and provides a nutritional power boost.

The truth is, we have got into a bit of a rut, eating food that is very monochromatic: green salads and brown stews, but there’s a very simple way of changing this – just add one single new colour every time you eat.

Check out the fresh produce shelves in any supermarket, and you’ll find carrots, tomatoes, and broccoli displayed in a rainbow of reds, oranges, greens, purples, and even blacks.

Remind yourself of just how tasty coloured food looks. Instead of keeping a written food diary, use your phone to take pictures of what you are eating and create a visual record that will look stunning with the addition of some colour to your dishes.

Nutrition – eating colourful foods

Bring some culture to your diet – fermented food is fab for your body

Cultured or fermented foods are recognised as nature’s superpowers, and you probably have some of them sitting in your kitchen cupboard.

We’re all familiar with things like cultured yoghurt, but as food from across the world becomes increasingly available, experiment with delicacies like kimchi, a traditional dish from Korea made of fermented vegetables and salt, and an absolute staple for Koreans. You can also try kefir, which can be made from any type of milk, such as cow, goat, or sheep, and also from water or coconut water.

In ancient times, people had to preserve food like this in order to survive. Today, we can enjoy cultured food that is tasty and versatile. It’s also really good for you, as it creates ideal conditions in the gut for the friendly bacteria we need for a strong immune system.

Try making these three small changes to the way that you eat, and you’ll see a massive difference in the way that you feel.

About Rachel Martino

What you eat determines how you feel and what you accomplish. Registered nutritional therapist, change management expert, and author Rachel Martino works to help you discover optimum health and performance.

Rachel’s approach combines naturopathic nutrition and functional medicine, which integrates Western and complementary therapies for total body wellness. As a manager at University College London, she has a unique insight into the challenge of enhancing individual and organisational wellbeing.

“A lot of people know that eating better could help their performance,” she says. “But they don’t know why or how.”

Her engaging, inspiring workshops offer practical, science-based answers to those questions, empowering you to eat better for a better life.

Rachel is one of our Expert Partners. We work together to deliver value to SAWT’s clients.

See Rachel’s profile for more information. And here’s Rachel’s website, “By Rachel Martino”.

A big thank you to Rachel for writing this guest blog for us!

Tomorrow, we will be discussing Wellbeing Essential number 5: hydration. Drop by and hear about the importance of keeping yourself hydrated – and we’ll dispel some myths about sports drinks, too!

Of course, there are other major areas of wellbeing, and we’ve already discussed sleep and exercise, so follow their links to learn more about those Wellbeing Essentials.

If you’d like advice or support from SAWT or our expert partners, email sarah@safeandwelltogether.com or phone Sarah on +44 7791 97 82 44. We’d love to help!