News — #nourishment

You may not realise it, but every day we are exposed to different toxins and pollutants, all products of the modernized world we now live in. From pollutants in our air, water and soil, to synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, heavily processed foods and food additives.

Normally, the body does an amazing job at facilitating toxin elimination to help keep us healthy and thriving. Each system in our body is involved in a complex process named “detoxification”, involving highly sophisticated mechanisms for the removal of toxins and unwanted substances from the body.

However, if the body’s natural detoxification process is compromised (for example, due to stress, or an overworked liver from a high intake of processed foods, refined sugars, alcohol, smoking or the exposure to too many environmental toxins), this causes significant consequences on our health.

Our liver, or otherwise our “detox manager” has the busy job of filtering out toxins from the foods we eat and the things we are exposed to in our environment. When our liver gets overloaded (just like for example, if you get overworked in your job), it starts to have trouble processing the toxins efficiently and fast enough. This causes toxins to build-up in the body, which causes inflammation, and this creates a vicious cycle which is difficult to break.

The build-up of toxins in the body is linked to autoimmune conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and numerous other illnesses and diseases.

Here are 10 signs that you may need to detox:

1. Persisting fatigue
2. Unexplainable weight gain
3. Brain fog
4. Headaches
5. Stubborn belly fat
6. Skin problems (acne, rashes)
7. Achy muscles and joints
8. Digestive distress (bloating, gas, diarrhoea)
9. Irregular sleep patterns
10. Feeling anxious or depressed

We don’t believe in detoxes that are aimed to starve you or drive you insane. That’s why we created our 4-week Wholesomeness Detox, specially put together by our nutritionist and cooked by our qualified chef’s.

Our detox plan focuses on clean whole foods, we use seasonal and fresh ingredients with the aim of giving your body a little break to restore itself and catch up on the detoxification workload. With everything included that you need per week (including premium supplements to support and balance your gut health), our program is aimed to cleanse and reset your body, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalised.

Check out our 4 week detox plan here!

Author:
Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness and Wholesomeness-on-Roma

The beneficial live microorganisms that are present in some fermented foods are called “probiotics” (derived from the Greek word meaning “for life”, and for good reason).

Probiotics have long been studied for the beneficial health effects they produce when consumed. For example, probiotics have been linked to the prevention of colon cancer, cholesterol and blood pressure management, immune function improvements, the prevention of infections, reducing inflammation, and supporting gut health while under stress.

In recent years, a growing body of evidence has also been investigating whether probiotics have the potential to promote a different aspect of health – namely brain health.

The interest in the field of probiotics and mental health was first sparked when a ground-breaking study was conducted in Japan in 2004. When two groups of mice (one group being germ-free, without bacteria in their guts) were placed under stress, the researchers were able to reverse the exaggerated stress response of the germ-free mice by introducing beneficial bacteria into their guts. The experiment highlighted the connection between microbes in the gut and stress responses in the brain, and suggested that altering the gut microbiome (e.g. with probiotics), could influence brain function.

Since then, many studies have focussed on the positive connection between probiotics and brain health, particularly on mood, behaviour and depressive symptoms. 

A recent 2019 large-population based study found an association between probiotic food consumption and lower rates of depression among men. These findings were in line with previous conclusions by Benton et al. who found that probiotics improved mood in healthy individuals who reported having poor mood at the beginning of the experiment.

When our gut is healthy and balanced, our “good” bacteria can do what they’re supposed to do, like produce critical neurotransmitters that effect the biochemistry of our brain, and thus effect mood, behaviour and depression.

These findings reiterate the significant role that diet and nutrition have on regulating and promoting mental health.

Boost your good bacteria for a healthy brain with some of our probiotic-rich dishes:

• Our Herbed Pine nut & Goji Quinoa Salad, with Beetroot Hummus, Broad beans and Sauerkraut (containing sauerkraut for immune-boosting probiotic benefits)
• Our Miso Salmon with Asian Vegetables and Brown Rice (containing miso paste, another non-dairy probiotic that we love)

References:

Benton, C. Williams, A. Brown. Impact of consuming a milk drink containing a probiotic on mood and cognition. Eur J Clin Nutr, 61 (2007), p. 355

Kim, Chong-Su, and Dong-Mi Shin. “Probiotic Food Consumption Is Associated with Lower Severity and Prevalence of Depression: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.” Nutrition, vol. 63-64, 2019, pp. 169–174., doi:10.1016/j.nut.2019.02.007.

Sudo N, Chida Y, Aiba Y, et al. Postnatal microbial colonization programs the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system for stress response in mice. J Physiology. 2004;558(Pt 1):263-275.

When it comes to making decisions about what’s best for your health, and for your lifestyle, it can be a little overwhelming. That’s why we created our gourmet home delivered meals, because we know (from firsthand experience!) that people are busier than ever, often juggling multiple balls at once.

Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to plan healthy meals, go out to buy the ingredients (and not forget anything!), then spend the time cooking and doing the dishes each night.  Perhaps you are doing all of the above, and are feeling a little rundown. Well we’re here to let you know exactly why our meals are better for you, for your health and for your lifestyle…

SUPERFOOD PACKED MEALS DESIGNED BY CHEF’S & NUTRITIONISTS

We know that food tastes better when it’s cooked from scratch, that’s why all of our dishes are cooked on site in our small kitchen in Brisbane. Our team of chef’s and nutritionists personally plan each meal (ensuring that it’s nutritionally dense and calorie controlled), shop locally for fresh quality produce, and cook each meal with extreme love, care and attention. Our nutritionist is onsite to ensure that every single meal is packed with superfood benefits, looks beautiful and tastes just as good as it looks!

OUR FOOD IS FRESHER THAN FRESH

Did you know that food starts to deteriorate right after it has been cooked? That’s why we use the benchmark method of blast-chilling and freezing which basically snap freezes the meals before they have any chance of spoilage or growth of microorganisms. Freezing also helps to maintain top nutritional quality of the food, by retaining the vitamins and minerals present in the food. In some ways, frozen food is actually nutritionally better than fresh, because fresh food loses micronutrients over time (that’s why we say fresher than fresh!).

GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY

Fact: 2.5 million tonnes of edible food is thrown out by Australian households every year (that’s 300kgs per person!).

At some point, we’ve all opened our fridge to find soggy lettuce that we just didn’t get around to using that week. If you find yourself throwing out lots of unused produce each week, we can help. Our meals are only around $13-14 each, including delivery. With this price comes lots of time saving (no long grocery shops, meal planning, cooking, cleaning up), plus no wasted ingredients and no wasted money spent on those ingredients! We full support the idea that healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  

WE SUPPORT YOU

We’re here to answer any question you might have, and to support you on your health journey. Whether you want to free up time, lose weight or simply just start eating healthier, as soon as you join us you become a part of the friendly and supporting community that is Wholesomeness!

Click here to check out our nutritious, healthy, delivered meals. 

Author:

Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness and Wholesomeness-on-Roma

Post-Easter Healthy Tips:

Easter – chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate! Did staying at home during Easter mean you had easy access to the chocolate-filled fridge and pantry? Or maybe your kids received too much chocolate so you had to eat most of it? Maybe you have a sugar hangover, and feel tired and cranky? Or maybe you ate too much chocolate that you have a sore stomach?

Trust us, we are complete advocates for a little indulgence every now and again.  But sometimes it’s nice to have a few tips up your sleeve for getting back on track and for feeling energized, motivated and healthy again.

Tip one:

Adopt a Guilt-Free Mindset: If you indulged in some sweets over the Easter break and you enjoyed it without any regrets then that’s great! Your thoughts are very important, especially the way that you think about yourself and the food that you eat/have eaten. If you enjoyed the Easter holiday, had a few treats and are now ready to get back to your usual routine, without any negative feelings, then you are already on the right track.

Tip two:

Start with one: It’s about having a start point, or set point for getting back on track after a period of over-indulgence. For nutrition, focus on that first meal. When you wake up in the morning, think “I’m going to have a great breakfast this morning”, whatever that looks like to you – porridge, toast with avocado, a fruit salad with coconut yoghurt and granola.

For exercise, start with just one walk, or one run, or one home CrossFit session.

For mental health (feeling stressed), start with one thing also, like a home yoga session, meditation session or mindfulness session.

As soon as you start with one small step, the next steps become easier. One small step will set the tone for the rest of the day, and for the rest of the week. This also helps if you’re feeling some decision fatigue about how to get back on track, or your feeling overwhelmed about what steps you have to take. Take one step at a time and it will help you get back to your normal routines (although our “normal” routines might have changed a lot over the last few weeks!).

Tip three:

Try a 4-week Wholesomeness detox: Gluten and dairy free meals, no added additives or nasties, no refined sugars, and made with love from our kitchen in Brisbane. Every week you will receive 14 vegan or low fodmap meals (your choice), snack packs, breakfast packs and a premium protein powder blend. You also receive gut health supplements to support your gut during the detox, detox tea to support and help your body expel toxins, and a detox welcome pack in the first week. We believe in still being satisfied during a detox, that’s why we make our meals healthy and delicious at the same time. Find more info about our detox plan on our website under '4 WEEK DETOX'. 

Nourish Your Body with Wholefoods

In our kitchen we love our whole foods – local and seasonal fruits and veggies, whole, unprocessed grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, local meats and fish. We love the way that mother nature packages our food for us, without the nasty chemicals, salt and refined sugars that are present in lots of food products now. We cook from scratch with foods in their natural state, because we believe this is the key to excellent health, for feeling better, looking better and for the optimal nourishment of our bodies. Yes, food can be very, very powerful!  

Here are a few ways that whole, natural foods supply our body with nutrition, fuel, medicinal and protective benefits, healing and growth.

Magnesium: supports healthy digestion and strong muscles, promotes relaxation and calms the mind by supporting the release of serotonin (the happy hormone!). 

Find magnesium naturally in dark leafy greens (choose raw or cooked magnesium greens like spinach, kale or swiss chard), avocados, yellow corn and bananas.

Alkaline Formers: our bodies don’t like acid very much, and today’s foods are very high in acid formers (meats, dairy, processed foods, refined sugars). Regular intake of alkaline foods will help to balance out the acid-alkaline ratio in your body. Balancing the acidity of our body helps to support a healthy digestion and immune system. Alkaline foods are also known for their disease and cancer-busting properties.

Add alkaline formers like lemons, limes, kale and cucumbers to your diet (lemons and limes are acidic but once they are metabolised they actually become alkaline – cool right?).  

Antioxidants: help to protect against the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are basically unstable atoms that can damage the growth and survival of cells in the body, causing illness and ageing.

Antioxidants are super easy to add to your diet, as they are present in lots of yummy foods! (even dark chocolate). Find high quantities of antioxidants in beets, carrots, berries, kale and beans.