It's the new year and we often try to set goals or make resolutions for ourselves around this time. Some of us try focusing on our diet so I'm briefly looking at food and how improving our diet can help us feel better.
There are many health benefits of eating a diet containing as many natural foods as possible. Think less processed foods and more fresh foods (organic or pesticide-free if possible) , fruit and vegetables, whole-wheat breads, pasta etc. I know it's not always easy to cook from scratch, some people batch cook a few meals when they get a chance and then freeze them for when they're stuck for time. There are also loads of quick, healthy recipes out there both in books and online. Putting time and effort into our diet has huge health benefits, not only physically but also mentally.
Research has shown that our gut health can affect our mental health so by having a healthy digestive system we are helping to take care of our mental health too. Which makes total sense, everything is linked! We are not just a digestive system or a reproductive system or an immune system! If one part of us is out of kilter it can often have a knock on effect on the rest of our body.
By bringing things back to basics and looking at our diet and how we fuel our body can be an important first step in making us feel better all round. It's also a good idea to look at not only WHAT we eat but HOW we eat! Too fast? On the go? Only picking? It's so important to take the time to eat slowly so it's easier for our bodies to digest our food more efficiently.
Of course I can't talk about diet without mentioning water! Keeping well hydrated is vitally important but so is the quality of the water we drink. Not all of us have clean spring water on tap but there are some good filters that we can get to remove chemicals from mains water and are definitely worth looking into. It's also a good idea to sip water regularly rather than gulping it down in large amounts! By sipping throughout the day, your body can absorb more of the water and stays hydrated for longer.
So after all the Christmas feasting it's nice to be focusing on eating more regular meals again, I'm definitely feeling all the better for it!
Happy New Year!
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