6 March, 2024
By Victoria Ostinelli, Health & Wellness Explorer, Founding Member at Holon
Our relationship with food & nutrition can be a complex ‘love/hate’ relationship. Some of us love food all too much, while others hate food due to the various challenges it presents us. But the truth of the matter is - all of us fall somewhere along the spectrum which can change depending on our environmental situation, lifestyle and/or habits.
In this interview article, we will discuss:
And if you just want to cut straight to the point, Jump to the Summary of 5 Key Take-Aways.
Personally, I've been searching to improve my understanding of food and how it can help me live better longer.
How can I find better methods to support a healthy lifestyle rather than always having to turn to medical treatments when somethings is failing or sick? What more can I do in a preventative approach?
In my search to these questions, I came across the term, ‘Holistic Nutrition’ and thought I must learn more about that if I want to increase my longevity, meaning living a longer life with less chance of chronic illness & disease. But to my surprise, this approach is far from new. It dates back 5,000 years!
Holistic nutrition is a vast field, from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to Ayurveda (which are the most well-documented ancient holistic health traditions that exist). And since I haven’t the time to catch up on 5,000 years of study in this field, I decided to turn to an expert to help guide me and get me up to speed with what I’ve missed.
Alex Ginsburg, a certified nutritional therapist at Nutrition Therapy in Zug and Geneva, has a specialisation in functional nutrition and micronutrition. She is also a member of the Holon Expert Practitioners Team. Her education started at Ecole Suisse de Santé – MCO, continued in Anatomie physiologie, pathologies, and Stanford Center for Health Education – Nutrition Science. She is a member of multiple alliances – CFNC, FNLP. She is fervent about empowering people to make healthy lifestyles through prevention and recovery health tools.
Holon sits down in an interview with Alex to understand what makes Holistic Nutrition more qualified than conventional approaches. Through her experience, we hope that this will not only bring light to improving your relationship with food, but more so, insights to ignite your life with informed healthy eating habits.
Q: What do people need to know about Holistic Nutrition - what is the approach? How does it vary from a conventional diet?
Alex: A conventional diet is based on medical advice from general principals – move, eat more vegetables, etc. Typically, this can be applied to anyone.
A Holistic approach looks deep into the person's reality – body, mind and spirit. In other words, it considers a person’s lifestyle, eating habits, mental and emotional health, in connection with their family genetics and environment. I apply functional testing which is not just a standard blood test, but the extensive tool kit* to get a broader understanding of the person; for example, the individual’s genes, lifestyle, habits around eating, do they get enough sun during the days, how are they sleeping, how do they manage stress, etc.
All of this is getting to the source – the root cause. And getting to the root cause is understanding the soil where the person lives. A blood test gives good biomarkers, but it’s just a photograph of the current moment.
*Example of functional tests that provide more in-depth information about the individual e.g. hair mineral test, stool test, DNA test.
Q: A holistic nutrition also takes into account the mind-body-spirit connection? Why is this so important?
Alex: Holistic nutrition acknowledges the emotional and mental factors that influence our nutritional choices and digestion. We cannot dissociate the mind from the digestive system. The body mind connection means acknowledging the influence of mental and emotional factors on our health. The body, mind and emotions are all interconnected.
The connection is already formed and we must be mindful of these factors that can have an impact on our eating habits. For example, stress eating, the nervous system affects the bodily organs such as hormonal secretion that in turn influences appetite; or the vagus nerve (VNS) being associated with weight loss and loss of appetite.
It’s all connected.
Q: This is interesting. So what are the benefits of adopting a holistic nutritional diet? And how can this promote longevity and prevent disease?
Alex: First, one must reflect and listen to the messages the body is sending (in which I will explain in more detail ‘how’ to listen to the body). Learn from that and start building a habit. Second, third and fourth, stress, sleep and poop. These must be addressed and managed. They are what I call non-negotiables. Change can only happen when we adopt the necessary lifestyle measures to manage these situations. As a practitioner, I see the resistance. For example, the patient acknowledging that a colleague at work is a stress trigger but refusing to act on it. “One needs to find an actionable way to deal with that stress.”
Q: Could you offer a few simple but crucial steps our readers could adopt now to start building positive change?
Alex:
Apps
Journaling with a pen & paper
Breathing techniques
Meditation – even just 10 mins can help a lot
Go outside, walk in nature
Sleep well in the evening
Q: And can you also offer some simple tips for seamlessly integrating holistic nutrition into busy daily routines?
Alex:
Eat mindfully – to stimulate the rest and digest, or parasympathetic system. Think about the food you are eating, accept the food we eat, and don’t eat under stress because the food will not be absorbed properly. Eat, salivate, chew, make peace with the food, accept it is nutrient rich. Only then can the body understand when you are full, and then to allow for the food to be fully digested and absorbed into the body. Nowadays, we are depleted of basic fundamental nutrients also because of our habits – Habits like eating while being distracted, surfing the net or social media, rather than focusing on the food.
Chew, digest and be calm (blessing and accepting the food) – Don’t be in conflict with the food. Some of us follow restrictive diets that hurt us more that nurture us because of the conflict we have with our food.
Also, in the evening, analyse what surrounds you at home in your room where you sleep. I have helped many reorganise the things in their bedroom to support sleep through a more calming and nurturing environment.
Q: Are there specific foods or dietary patterns in holistic nutrition that are particularly beneficial for a lifestyle that can diminish chronic illness & disease?
Alex: Foods and dietary patterns would be:
Whole foods, plant-based
No sugars
No processed foods
Moderate alcohol
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. We underestimate the importance of water. For example, when we drink a cup of coffee, we would need to drink 1 to 2 glasses of water to compensate for the diuretic effects of coffee.
I’ve already mentioned this before, but one must appreciate the food (mindful eating) for its nutritional factors, and that’s it. Many people have negative emotions around food for weight loss reasons. Let’s get back to the simple reality that food is there to nourish us.
How to listen to your body – like what is happening before and after I eat? Are we tired after eating? Do we have bowel movements? What is our mood after eating? Do I want something more? Pay attention to the bodily reactions when you eat. Are you having cramps when you eat, difficulties eating, nausea, cravings? Is there bloating, pain in the stomach, skin rash, heat or sweating after, congestion, nervousness?
We also need to feel hunger - not just eat to eat because it’s 12:00 noon. It’s important to feel the hunger.
It’s important to keep a regular clock (don’t completely skip a meal), but be mindful because the microbiomes in our body function like a clock. Microbiomes are a huge group of diverse microorganisms. The 1st group of microbiomes feeds itself on fibres and plant-based foods we eat and produce compounds. Then, there is a 2nd class of microbiomes that live and eat the compounds produced by the 1st group of microbiomes. If we don’t allow for the 1st microbiomes to eat and pause for digestion, then we don’t allow for the 2nd microbiomes to be fed and sustained. We have more microbes than cells in our body, and they need to be cared for.
I’m in favour of pausing – fasting for periods of rest – for our liver, microbiomes and digestive system, but we must also find the balance to maintain the clock.
Clinical studies show longevity is positively impacted when we manage the calorie intake. Chronic disease – diabetes, IBD, Rheumatoid Arthritis– are chronic conditions that build up over time and stem from prolonged gut inflammation. We need to address our gut health first and foremost.
Modern medicine often fails because we only put a plaster (band-aid) on the issue, meaning only the symptoms are addressed. Rather with holistic nutrition we start understanding the root cause, by addressing the gut health and the microbiome diversity to reduce the inflammation. It’s really a question of understanding the root cause of inflammation.
Q: Could you give some examples of inflammatory foods and anti-inflammatory foods?
Alex: There are numerous studies undergone that divide the food groups into lots of categories and subcategories. Let’s take a simple approach and divide foods into 2 categories: inflammatory and non-inflammatory . The idea is when you compose your plate, try and balance out one group with the other group so you end up always eating a plate that is not inflammatory. This is an easy approach to understand when choosing how to combine foods.
Some of the most inflammatory foods, among others, include:
Dairy
Gluten
Processed meats / red meat
Added sugar
Grains
Some of the non-inflammatory foods are:
Fruits and vegetables
Nuts
Legumes
Whole grains
Organically raised meat
Spices & herbs such as curcumin, cinnamon, garlic, onion, ginger, etc.
It’s also important to increase the diversity of our gut microbiome through probiotic foods such as fermented foods, kefir, yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, etc.
Thank you, Alex, for taking the time to share your experience in what you call a ‘healing journey from inside out.’
Here are “5 key take-aways:”
Holistic Approach to Nutrition: Unlike conventional diets that focus on general principles, holistic nutrition delves deep into an individual's lifestyle, eating habits, and mental and emotional health, considering the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit.
Functional Testing for Personalised Insights: Holistic nutrition utilises a wide array of functional tests, such as hair mineral tests, stool tests, and DNA tests, to gain a comprehensive understanding of an individual's unique health needs, going beyond standard blood tests to identify root causes of health issues.
Mind-Body-Spirit Connection: Acknowledging the significant impact of emotional and mental factors on our nutritional choices and digestion, holistic nutrition emphasises the importance of addressing stress, sleep, and emotional well-being as part of a comprehensive approach to health.
Simple Steps for Positive Change: This interview provides practical advice for integrating holistic nutrition into daily life, including mindful eating, journaling, meditation, and creating a supportive sleep environment, highlighting the importance of making peace with food and listening to one's body.
Foods to Support Overall Well-being: Emphasising whole foods, plant-based diets, and the avoidance of processed foods and sugars, holistic nutrition advocates for dietary patterns that support gut health and reduce inflammation, underpinning the philosophy that food is a fundamental tool for preventing disease and promoting longevity.
If you’re reading this, searching for ways to incorporate a Holistic Diet into your lifestyle or looking for inspiration to adopt new eating habits, Holon can help guide you to start that journey. Get connected and learn more at HolonLife.com
Disclaimer:
The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.