The amount and type of food you eat drastically impacts the body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients and incorporate these nutrients into the body’s cells. Nutrition, digestion, and absorption play crucial roles in overall health and wellness. One of the best health investments you can make is a thorough nutritional assessment by a naturopathic physician or other qualified nutritional consultant.
Diet Vs. Lifestyle
I believe that good nutrition is a lifestyle: not a diet. It is very important to implement nutritional choices that you can sustain over the long-term, as opposed to following a trendy diet for a few months and then falling off the wagon. It is very hard on the body to adjust through yo-yo dieting and major gains and losses in body fat. I never ask my patients to diet – because dieting doesn’t work. I always teach and encourage a nutritional lifestyle that helps my patients achieve their health goals while thoroughly enjoying their food.
I am not a proponent of fad diets that focus on extremes. Many weight loss diets recommend extremely low levels of carbohydrates, fat, or protein. Others focus on artificial food and utilize points programs to keep people on track. These diets may help people lose weight but, for many, the loss is short term. These diets often do more harm than good. Good nutrition shouldn’t be a game or a test of will. Good nutrition should be enjoyable and healthful. These are the principles I help my patients discover and implement in my daily practice.