Episode Transcript:

The Nourished Mama - Ep 6

Welcome back to the Nourish Mama podcast. Today, I'm speaking to you about one of my favorite topics and that is nutrition and using food as medicine. Food is powerful and when we use it to heal and support our health, we don't really need to rely on so many synthetic supplements. Because reality is, of the supplements on the supermarket shelves are only a band aid approach.

They aren't actually dealing with the root cause of our deficiency or health problem. Whereas food, on the other hand, is nature's medicine. Our biology is designed to recognise food and use it as medicine to heal and support bodily functions. Our bodies are naturally designed to use food this way, but unfortunately most things on the supermarket shelves these days are not real food.

But this is a topic for another day, so I'll leave that at that. Today we are going to focus on simple ways you can begin to use food as medicine to support your [00:02:00] health and even your family's health. Number one is make Whole Foods the main event. 80 to 90 percent of your grocery shop Should be simple whole foods.

So what are whole foods? Whole foods are foods in their natural state. Things like veggies, fruits, legumes, beans, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts and seeds. They haven't been stripped of any nutrients or had any additives, preservatives or sugars added to them. They are simple, real foods. And when we prioritise these foods, we set our bodies up to thrive.

When we talk about making whole foods the main event, we're really discussing a fundamental shift in how we approach nutrition. Whole foods are essentially nature's original superfoods. Foods that come to us exactly as they are found in nature. [00:03:00] Completely unprocessed or minimally processed. Think about an apple, for example, picked straight from the tree.

Or a piece of wild caught salmon. Or even a handful of raw almonds. These foods are nutritional powerhouses in their most pure and natural form. So let's break down why whole foods are so crucial. When a food is in its whole state, it contains all of its original nutrients working together in perfect harmony.

Nature has designed these foods with an incredible synergy, vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytonutrients. These are meant to be consumed together. For example, an orange isn't just about its vitamin C content. It's a complex package of vitamin C, fiber, and other micronutrients, as well as plant compounds that all work together to support your body in a way that a synthetic [00:04:00] vitamin supplement simply cannot replicate.

The 80 90 percent guideline is really such a powerful approach to transforming your diet. This means when you're grocery shopping, the majority of your cart should really be filled with single ingredient foods. For example, imagine walking through the produce section, filling your basket with vibrant vegetables, fresh fruits, selecting eggs raised chickens choosing cuts of grass fed meat, picking up raw nuts and seeds.

These are the foods that give your body real, recognisable nutrition. What's particularly important is understanding the difference between whole foods and processed foods. Processed foods are typically stripped of their natural nutrients. They're pumped full of preservatives, artificial flavors, and added sugars.

designed for shelf life and convenience. and generally have [00:05:00] no nutritional benefits towards them at all. Whole foods, on the other hand, are alive with nutrients. They're exactly as nature intended. They're complete, unrefined, and packed with nutritional intelligence that supports your body's natural healing.

They really are the most incredible way to, again, use food as medicine. For mamas especially, this approach to nutrition is absolutely transformative. You're not just feeding yourself, you're providing the building blocks for cellular health, supporting your immune system, balancing hormones, and creating optimal conditions for your body to really function at its best.

Whole foods provide sustainable energy, they support mental clarity, and they give your body the real nutrition it actually craves to thrive. Now my second most powerful tip when it comes to using food as medicine is embrace the [00:06:00] rainbow of fruits and vegetables. One of the biggest mistakes I see mamas make is getting stuck in a food rut, buying the same fruits and vegetables week after week.

And I get it. This can happen a lot, especially when you've got little ones in the house that finally pick a fruit or a veggie they absolutely love. So you buy that on repeat, which tends to be bananas. But the thing is, while any vegetables are better than none, the real magic happens when we diversify our plant intake and eat more variety.

Each different coloured fruit and vegetable contains its own unique set of nutrients and healing compounds that support different aspects of our health. Think of it this way, when you eat a variety of colourful produce, you're essentially giving your body a broader spectrum of nutrition. Those deep purple beetroots, they're packed with compounds that support liver health and blood flow.

[00:07:00] Those bright orange carrots and sweet potatoes. They're loaded with better carotene for immune health and skin vitality. Those dark leafy greens, they're rich in folate and iron, which are absolutely crucial for energy and cellular health. Research suggests that we should really be aiming to eat. 30 different plant foods each week.

Now I know that number might sound overwhelming at first, but it's more achievable than you might think. It's not just about different vegetables. It also includes fruits, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Every different plant food counts towards this diversity goal. Here's a particular tip I give all my clients.

Try to add just one new vegetable or fruit to your shopping cart. Maybe this week you pick up some purple cauliflower. Next week you try some dragon fruit. The following week you experiment with different varieties of mushrooms. [00:08:00] Small steps lead to big changes when it comes to using these foods as medicine.

For those mommas with picky eaters at home, introducing this variety gradually and making it like a fun game is absolutely game changing for your kid's diet. Maybe you can challenge your kids to eat a rainbow each day, or let them pick out a new vegetable at the farmer's market. Remember, our children learn their eating habits from us.

So when they see us enjoying a variety of foods, they're more likely to follow suit. Now, last but not least, embrace seasonal eating and local produce. This is something our ancestors naturally did, but we've lost touch with it in our modern world where we can get any fruit or vegetable at Any time of the year, which doesn't really seem right.

There's a profound wisdom in eating seasonally that directly impacts our health and our [00:09:00] nutrition. When we eat produce that's in season, we're consuming foods in their peak nutritional value. Think about a tomato grown locally in summer versus one that's been shipped halfway across the world in winter.

That seasonal tomato not only tastes better, but it's also packed with so much more nutrients. because it's been allowed to naturally ripen and hasn't spent weeks or even months in transit. Here is an amazing study that looked at the vitamin C content in broccoli across different growing seasons. The researchers found that broccoli harvested in its natural peak season, which is autumn, contained nearly twice the amount of vitamin C compared to the same variety grown out of season.

Think about that for a moment. The same vegetable, the same variety, but with dramatically different nutritional profiles, simply based on when it was grown. [00:10:00] Nature has an incredible intelligence in providing exactly what our bodies need in each season. In summer, we get cooling, hydrating foods like cucumbers, watermelon, and berries,

exactly what our bodies need in warmer weather.

In winter we get grounding root vegetables, hardy greens, and citrus fruits. Rich in immune supporting vitamin C. Perfect for supporting our health during the cold and flu season. Eating seasonally also supports our gut health in a fascinating way. Our gut microbiome actually shifts and adapts throughout the year in response to seasonal foods.

When we eat with the seasons, we're supporting this natural rhythm and diversity in our gut bacteria, which is crucial for our overall health and immunity. There are so many practical benefits too. Seasonal produce is typically more affordable because it's abundant during its natural [00:11:00] growing season.

It's also more likely to be locally grown, which means it's fresher and has a lower environmental impact. Plus, when you buy seasonal produce from local farmers, markets or growers, you're supporting your local food economy. For busy mamas, one of my favorite tips is to create a seasonal food calendar.

Each season, take your family to the local farmer's market and let everyone pick out something that's in season. This not only helps you learn what's naturally growing in your area, but also gets your children excited about seasonal eating. You can even start a small herb garden or grow some seasonal vegetables.

There's nothing more seasonal than walking outside and picking your own produce. For example, my kids absolutely love knowing that we're coming into the summer season and peaches and berries are going to be available. Remember, eating seasonally doesn't mean you can never enjoy out of season produce.[00:12:00]

It's about making seasonal foods the foundation of your diet and learning to flow with nature's cycles. When we align our eating with the seasons, we're not just nourishing our bodies, we're connecting with the natural rhythm of the earth and teaching our children this valuable connection too. So, just by using these three powerful strategies for eating, you can start to use food as medicine.

Make Whole Foods the main event, eat the rainbow and eat seasonally grown local food. So simple, yet so powerful for our health and our children's health. I hope this episode has inspired you. Thank you for tuning in. I'll catch you soon.