Dr Libby Weaver - Dr Libby

December 2016

June 18, 2019December 20, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Christmas time. Do you love it or loathe it? Cherish it or dread it, or some combination of both? For just a brief moment, the outside world mostly shuts down and fortunate people everywhere tend to come together with others to enjoy a precious meal – and it’s often home cooked! Each family/group has their own traditions that flavour the day but the essence remains the same. It can be a special celebration.

It can also be a time of great stress for people. Some experience an immense ‘pressure’ to buy gifts and this can be tough financially. It’s also challenging to organise groups of people, particularly when families merge and there are multiple connections that need to be honoured.

Sometimes we can feel pushed and pulled around or frustrated that we have to race around on Christmas Day to multiple family members’ houses. Sometimes one or two people can bear the brunt of the organisational load and feel the weight of it heavily. Other times there can be family members who don’t get along so well or there has been recent loss and there are moments of tension or worrying about how things might play out.

These are real challenges that many have or will come across at some stage in their lives. It’s undeniable for most that no one knows how to push their buttons better than those they love and cherish most in this world! And yet, in each moment we are presented with an opportunity to choose how we perceive and respond to the experiences we have.

We are so very fortunate to live in a part of the world where we have this opportunity to celebrate together. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks and our “to-do” list that we lose sight of the bigger picture and the gifts.

We can look at our upcoming holiday and see all the potential things that could go wrong, how much we have to do for one measly day, how little time we have to prepare, how crazy the traffic is, how busy the shops are, and how impatient everyone becomes as they rush around.

Or we can choose to see it as a unique opportunity to spend special, quality time with those we love most in this world, to transform past emotional pain, to witness the delight and excitement in children’s faces, to create beautiful wholesome food from scratch to nourish our family and friends, to stop for a moment and just be with our families.

This year, as you prepare for Christmas, consider how you can do things slightly differently. From opting for more nourishing food choices, remembering to have compassion for those people in your life that push your buttons so well, being kind to yourself and your body, to being mindful of those who are less fortunate. There is a gift in Christmas, beyond gift giving and receiving – I hope you cherish this special opportunity to celebrate with those you love. When you wake up each morning in the lead up to Christmas, instead of thinking “I have to do so much today” try shifting that to “wow, I get to do so much today”.

Wishing you all a wonderfully nourishing and restorative Christmas!

With warmth,

Dr Libby x

Feeding Fussy Children

June 18, 2019December 7, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Children who refuse to eat certain things (or in some cases, most things) can cause concern for parents who want to ensure their little ones are getting the nutrition they need in their growing bodies. Some version of the words “I don’t like that,” before even tasting a mouthful, are echoed New Zealand-wide by fussy children who won’t be swayed by even the sneakiest vegetable inclusion to a meal. Research has suggested it can take children up to seven interactions with a food before they accept it; many parents are exhausted after the first attempt.

So how do we get our little humans to be open to consuming the whole, real foods that fuel their bodies with the nutrients they require and foster a positive relationship with food from a young age? It can require patience, consistency and a whole lot of resilience. Here are some strategies that can help you get your children over this nourishment hurdle.

Explain the nutritional value to them.
Children are curious creatures, always wanting to know how things work and the “why” behind them. Instead of suggesting that they eat something because it is “healthy” (a word that has no connotation to most three-year-olds), explain the benefit of eating a particular thing. Even from a young age, when children start to hear the “so what” – the reason the orange is a good choice for them – they are more likely to eat the food. Link the nutritious food choice to something that they care about, for example, being a good rugby player or dancer.
Involve them in the preparation and cooking process.
Children who are included in food preparation and the cooking of meals are more likely to get excited about eating what you’ve created together. It also provides an excellent opportunity to explain to them the nutritional benefit of each ingredient. This may not work as an “every day” strategy since it may not be a quick process but involve them as often as it works for you. For older children, give them specific tasks (such as washing the vegetables) or assign a night of the week where they plan the menu (with guidance of course) and you cook together.
Change your language around food
We’ve been conditioned to perceive foods as either “healthy” or “unhealthy”. Foods aren’t healthy—they are nutritious. Or not. Humans are healthy. Or we are not. It is more accurate and more beneficial to describe a food as nutritious or nourishing rather than healthy or unhealthy. The more nutritious food we choose, the healthier we are. The older children become, the more they will have created their own perception about what is “healthy”. For some children, healthy and food in the same sentence is a win and something they want to partake in. While for others, they link “healthy” to “yuck”. Through food language and explanations that are meaningful to them, help children to establish a pattern of making nutritious food choices that they perceive as beneficial for their bodies throughout their lives.
Are they zinc or iron deficient?
Zinc is responsible for the taste and texture of food and unfortunately zinc deficiencies are common in children. It can be a vicious cycle as foods rich in zinc may not be readily chosen by children who particularly need it, which include oysters, beef and lamb. Iron is essential for a good appetite and this too, is a common nutritional deficiency in childhood, and one that can lead to fussy eating.

How to support hay fever naturally

June 18, 2019December 7, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

For some, spring brings an inner rejoicing—the onset of warmer weather that allows us to pack away our winter woollies and step out into the sunshine again. For others, the onset of hay fever means that spring is a difficult season — full of itchy, watery eyes and sneezing fits. This truly irritating immune response occurs when a type of immune cell called a mast cell releases histamine – it can be debilitating for sufferers. Caused by reactions to substances in the air that we inhale or foods we consume, it can be set off specifically in spring when the grasses and plants begin to pollinate more heavily in response to the warmer weather.

Reducing your exposure to these substances isn’t always possible, without relocating! So here are seven natural anti-histamines and anti-inflammatory agents that can help you to keep your hay fever symptoms at bay.

Local honey
If we slowly and surely build up our body’s resilience to an allergen, it can reduce our reactivity to it. The bee pollen in honey can assist in desensitising your body to the pollens in the air. The bees from your local area will be pollinating the plants around you that are specifically causing you grief, so always make sure that you choose a local honey. Continue to eat small amounts of it throughout the year rather than just around hay fever season for the best results.

Vitamin C
Research has shown the combination of vitamin C and bioflavonoids to help reduce the inflammation caused by histamines. In order for these nutrients to do their work, the recommended daily dose is 2g of vitamin C and 1500mg of bioflavonoids. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids can be found in broccoli, capsicum, kiwifruit and citrus fruits or you may like to supplement. For optimum effect, take half a dose in the morning and half in the evening.

Turmeric
A known anti-inflammatory, turmeric, or specifically the active agent curcumin, supports a healthy immune system. It has been found to prevent the release of histamine from mast cells. Try grating this whole root into a stir-fry or juicing a 4-5cm piece with carrot and lemon. If you’re struggling to find it fresh, it is also readily available as a dried powder. Add a teaspoon to a smoothie or make your very own turmeric latte by combining it with milk of your choice, a teaspoon of coconut oil and a sprinkle of pepper, which assists your body to absorb the curcumin.

Eat more quercetin rich foods
Studies have established that this flavonol can help to reduce the immune system’s reactivity to histamine. High amounts of quercetin can be found in sweet potato, watercress, broccoli, kale and green tea. You can also find it as a supplement. To reduce inflammation and histamine in your system, take a therapeutic dose of 600mg of quercetin three times daily.

Omega-3 fatty acids
While there is no evidence to support omega-3 fatty acids as a direct allergy remedies, studies have proven that it may assist through association by dampening down the production of prostaglandin E2 and inflammatory cytokines—two inflammatory chemicals in the body. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are oily fish, such as sardines or salmon, walnuts and flaxseed oil.

Vitamin A and zinc
Both of these integral nutrients help to stabilise the structure of the membrane. This helps it to become less reactive to histamine, reducing production of mucous and overall irritation. Including some foods that are rich in these two substances every day can be very beneficial. Beef, lamb, oysters and seeds (such as sunflower and pumpkin) are food sources of zinc. Vitamin A (or beta-carotene which can be converted into vitamin A) can be found in dark leafy greens, apricots, carrots, sweet potato and liver.

Do you feed your feelings?

June 18, 2019November 14, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Every day I meet people who eat too much. They know they do but they can’t seem to stop. Sometimes it is nutritious food, more often it’s not. Whatever the case, they know they would be much better off if they ate less.

These people are precious, intelligent humans who don’t understand why they do what they do. These people know that they need to cut down their portions and the amount of processed foods in their week yet, they don’t do it – even though they truly have a desperate desire to lose weight.

There is a big difference between eating two squares of chocolate and the whole block, between a sweet biscuit with a cup of tea in the evening and half the packet. We all know that eating too much makes us feel full and uncomfortable, but worse, it often also drives us to say very unkind things to ourselves (such as “I’m so useless, I have no willpower”) and we go to bed feeling guilty and sad, thinking we will never be strong enough to change. That belief that things will never change is very destructive.

The psychology of eating is a fascinating area. Let’s explore several ways you can address emotional eating:

BEING MINDFUL
Think about WHY you’re eating. Are you actually hungry? Or, are you eating because you’re feeling sad, anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, happy, or all of the above? Many of us eat to numb ourselves from feelings we’d prefer not to feel. Ask yourself what you really want? What emotion are you seeking to calm if you’re not eating out of hunger? If you’re unable to determine this, the type of food you desire is normally a good indication – put it this way, you don’t normally crave a big bowl of broccoli for dinner if you’re eating emotionally. Typically, it’s chocolate, lollies, biscuits or potato chips – things that we perceive to provide some comfort.

CHANGE HOW YOU ‘REWARD’ YOURSELF
It is really important to disconnect food from your reward system, and start rewarding yourself with other fulfilling activities. When you’re not hungry but find yourself peering into the fridge looking for something, try to find comfort in non-food related ways, for example: go for a walk, read a book, observe nature, watch your children sleep, treat yourself to a relaxing bath or massage.

LET YOUR EMOTIONS FLOW
All emotions and feelings come and go, much like waves gently washing over you. Knowing that all feelings – both the enjoyable ones and the painful ones – subside is important because learning to deal with these more painful feelings without eating involves developing the ability to recognise this. Just feel the emotion in its entirety without doing anything to prevent it, let these feelings literally wash over you.

By eating while you’re experiencing emotions that you find challenging, you are giving food a new significance, beyond just meeting your nutritional needs. Food becomes a coping strategy, making your desire for it intensify. You begin to believe that you need this food to get through these emotions you are experiencing. Research indicates that eating high-fat (poor quality) and/or high-sugar foods can affect activity in the parts of your brain that manage stress, further reinforcing a reliance on this as a coping strategy.

TREAT YOURSELF WITH KINDNESS
We wouldn’t dream of speaking to a stranger, friend, colleague or family member, as harshly as we speak to ourselves sometimes. Have you ever berated yourself over something really silly? Said unkind things to yourself inside your head that made you feel worthless – such as “you’re a failure”, “you’re weak” and so on? If a child came to you feeling upset would you say those things to them? Make it your mission to catch these thoughts as they arise. Thoughts only have power when we give them our attention. Choose not to engage with them, and instead treat yourself as you would an adored child.

Daily habits to help keep your gut healthy

June 18, 2019November 14, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

The health of the gut is central to every aspect of health.

It is through our digestive system that we absorb all of the goodness from our food, a process that is essential for life.

Yet today, many people suffer with an array of gut-based illnesses or dysfunction, which can have broad-reaching impacts on many other areas of our health – here are some gut friendly tips to incorporate into your daily life.

USE LEMON JUICE/APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TO STIMULATE DIGESTION
Due to numerous components in lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, they help to stimulate stomach acid and bile production. The digestive qualities of lemon juice/apple cider vinegar can also help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, heartburn and bloating. Begin your day with the juice from half a lemon in warm water or apple cider vinegar for digestive support.

BITTER FOODS
One of the most detrimental changes to our diet over the last century has been the continual sweetening of our foods, the result being that many people are now particularly sensitive or averse to bitter foods. Bitter foods stimulate the liver to produce bile, which is an important part of optimal digestion. Bile emulsifies fats and renders nutrients — especially fat-soluble ones such as vitamins A, D, E and K. A great way to eat more bitter foods is to include leafy greens, turmeric – and even a couple of squares of good quality dark chocolate.

MOVE REGULARLY
Healthy (as opposed to excessive or inadequate) movement such as walking, increases blood flow to our organs. Bringing more blood to the gastrointestinal tract results in stronger intestinal contractions and increase in digestive enzymes.

The stronger the contractions and the more those digestive juices flow, the more quickly and easily food waste will move through the colon and be excreted out of the body. A brisk 10 to 20 minute walk, can be incredibly helpful to promote a bowel movement and is a great option if you suffer from constipation. Strengthening your core muscles through exercises such as yoga and Pilates are also great for healthy gut function.

FIBRE
Dietary fibre is incredibly helpful for our gut. Soluble fibre essentially acts like a sponge, absorbing fluid and making the bowel contents softer. It also binds to toxic waste products, allowing them to be eliminated efficiently. Insoluble fibre acts as like a “bulking agent” which, with soluble fibre, helps to keep our bowel regular (although bowel regularity is often more complex than just dietary fibre consumption, movement and water).

Research indicates that animals that eat a fibre-rich diet tend to have a lower body weight and be less likely to develop type-2 diabetes, than animals fed a fibreless diet. Fibre is of particular benefit for our gut bacteria; both insoluble and soluble fibres have been shown to positively alter our gut bacteria in as little as two weeks. Obtain your dietary fibre from whole food plant sources.

EAT IN A CALM STATE
Most of us know it’s better to eat dinner at the dinner table away from the television, but what we often don’t consider is what sort of “state” we’re in. It’s always best to eat in a calm state. If you’ve just rushed through the door and are still thinking about the last task you were working on at work, it’s better to wait until you’re calm. Adrenaline, one of our stress hormones, interferes with our ability to effectively digest our food which can lead to indigestion, bloating and even aggravate an irritable bowel.

CHEW YOUR FOOD
As a consequence of often eating in a hurry many of us have forgotten that we actually need to chew our food. There are no teeth in your oesophagus – if you know you’re prone to food inhaling, put your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls. Chewing your food properly sounds obvious, but it can make a huge difference to your gut health!

10 foods that help sugar cravings

January 17, 2023October 20, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Sugar has been a topic of much debate over the past few years.

Countless people make great food choices for breakfast and lunch and then at 3 o’clock in the afternoon or after dinner, they feel like someone else has taken over their body. The desire for and subsequent consumption of sweet food can take hold without you really knowing why or what to do about it.

Too many people reach for sweet food that doesn’t serve their health; in fact, it may contain substances that actually have the potential to take away from their health, yet they feel powerless to live any differently, having tried to change their sweet food habits many times.

There are several ways you can reduce cravings for sugar; many start with dietary changes.

If you have a strong sweet tooth, or if you just want to work at removing refined sugar from your diet, there are a number of foods that are of benefit. Here are 10 foods that help manage sugar cravings.

LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

Leafy greens tend to be bitter, which helps reduce cravings for sugar. If you eat sugar when you’re feeling stressed and depressed, experiment with adding more leafy greens like silverbeet, kale, spinach and mustard greens to your meals every day.

SAUERKRAUT

Bacteria in the gut thrive on sugars and could be a contributing factor to your cravings. Fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut and kimchi, help the gut microbiome by introducing more good bacteria into your gut. You can buy beautiful sauerkraut or kimchi, or better still make your own.

COCONUT OIL

When you reduce or remove sugar from your diet, try bringing out flavour in your food with nourishing fats. Coconut oil has a slightly sweet taste and is composed predominantly of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Coconut oil, more specifically, contains lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid, which have antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral properties to support the immune system and healthy gut bacteria. It also slows the release of glucose into the blood meaning you feel satiated for longer.

HERBAL TEA

Keep some strongly flavoured teas like ginger or peppermint, or a naturally sweet one like liquorice, in your drawer at work. Liquorice tea is a great after-dinner tea, especially if this is when you tend to experience cravings. Try this for a week and notice if your cravings for chocolate or something sweet reduce.

BANANAS

Although fruit contains fructose (also known as fruit sugar), small amounts go a long way! Starchy bananas are great, especially paired with low-fructose berries. Use them to naturally sweeten smoothies or baking or make an alternative to ice cream by blending frozen berries and frozen bananas in a food processor. Bananas also combine well with nuts so try half a chopped banana with a handful of your favourite raw nuts as a snack.

KUMARA/SWEET POTATO

This sweet and starchy root vegetable is a great addition when you’re craving sugar. Try roasting kumara with a small amount of coconut or olive oil plus a pinch of cinnamon to enhance its natural sweetness.

AVOCADOS

These delicious fruits are filled with nourishing fats and are a great addition to a whole food way of eating, helping you feel satisfied for longer. Add them to smoothies to create a creamy blend with serious staying power. Half an avocado, with sauerkraut, a glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt is a delicious afternoon snack to help you keep you sustained through what is typically the time you crave sugar the most.

DATES

Dates are great to have on hand, especially for an afternoon snack. Dates are intensely sweet and rich, a little goes a long way! Plus ground dates can be swapped for sugar in baked goods. A neat snack idea is to remove the seed from two fresh dates, add two raw almonds to each date (from where you removed the seed) and you have a sweet, crunchy snack, full of nutrients.

DARK CHOCOLATE

I’m talking about 70 per cent cacao content and upwards! A little goes a long way and it’s full of antioxidants. The more bitter varieties of dark chocolate mean you are satisfied with one or two squares.

How stress impacts your food choices

July 25, 2023October 20, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

I have never believed that weight-loss or weight management is as simple as calories in versus calories out. Our bodies are not inert and what contributes to how we nourish ourselves includes what can be complex cultural, psychological and environmental factors. What, and how much you eat, as well as moving your body regularly aren’t the only things that impact your weight. Emotional and physical stress can also tip the balance of the nervous system and subsequently the scales. But it’s not always about weight gain, stress can also result in people losing weight – or changing their eating habits.

Driving the stress response

When you go through a period of prolonged stress your body is constantly producing adrenalin, as a result your energy tends to be inconsistent. You fire up and then you crash, and the choices you make when you crash can set you up to fire up again and quite often they are nutritionally of a poor quality. They will typically involve caffeine, sugars or starches, or all three. Let’s face it. You don’t polish off a packet of chocolate biscuits thinking you are going to feel amazing afterwards. You don’t do that from a lack of knowledge. You do it for biochemical or emotional reasons, or both. Consuming too much caffeine is a sure fire way to feel stressed/rushed as it results in the release of adrenalin, one of our body’s stress hormones. Many people feel tired, yet often describe themselves as being wired – yet they continue to consume coffee (which stimulates adrenalin production!) This is of particular importance if you feel jittery when you consume it. Swap coffee for green tea or if that’s just unbearable to you, ask for a single shot coffee, notice if you feel calmer and more energised after a week of doing this.

Stress and weight gain

Continual overproduction of cortisol (our long-term stress hormone) can lead to visceral fat gain, the type located inside our abdomen that is strongly linked to inflammation and an increased risk of many diseases. Stress has a tendency to make food feel more rewarding or comforting, and subsequently we can rely on food to ease our stress. Be mindful of when you’re eating to alleviate stress or when you’re eating because you’re hungry. Typically, the types of food you want will be the clue here! Not many people who are stressed crave a big bowl of kale.

Stress and weight loss

Many people describe that the mere thought of eating makes them feel nauseous in the midst of chronic stress and anxiety. There is a biochemical reason behind this. When our bodies produce stress hormones part of this ‘fight or flight’ response suppresses what it considers non-essential processes such as our digestion, therefore, digestive processes are compromised. Liquids are often beneficial for these people as they’re much easier to digest, try soups, smoothies and slow-cooked foods, such as casseroles.

It’s not all about food

The most effective strategy for modulating or even eliminating stress is to identify where the stress in your life is coming from, or if you are driving this physical response through your thoughts and perceptions of pressure and urgency. This is not often as obvious as it may seem. While there are obvious triggers such as work deadlines, financial pressure, relationship pressures and so on – there will also be situations in your life you may never have considered for example your daily commute, or people in your life that may cause you to feel stressed due to their very nature or your response to them. It may help to do an experiment where you monitor your state of mind regularly; when you start to feel stressed write down the cause, your thoughts and subsequently your mood. Once you can identify your source/s of stress you can develop your own plan for addressing these factors.

The most underrated nutritional powerhouse

June 18, 2019August 23, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

Cabbage is a member of the prestigious brassica family, albeit an underrated one.

The brassica family have many health-promoting properties, namely the compound sulforaphane, which studies indicate is protective against many cancers. If you are trying to improve the nutrient density of your diet, cruciferous vegetables need to be at the very top of your shopping list. Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been associated with a reduced risk of many adverse health conditions and research shows that New Zealanders just don’t eat enough vegetables, in particular.

Many studies have suggested that increasing our consumption of plant foods, such as cabbage, can decrease the risk of overall mortality while promoting improved health outcomes such as better energy, assisting with weight management and of course providing many key vitamins and minerals.

Cabbage is a good source of sulphur which is important for our body’s own antioxidant production (glutathione), it also plays important roles in the health of our cardiovascular system, central nervous system and also assists muscle function. Cabbage contains vitamin C and is a very good source of manganese. In terms of antioxidants in the phytonutrient category, cabbage is impressive, even among cruciferous vegetables. Polyphenols are at the top of the list for phytonutrient antioxidants in cabbage, which evidence suggests play a role preventative role in various diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

One group of researchers has described polyphenols as the primary factor in cabbage’s overall antioxidant capacity. Brassica vegetables such as cabbage, when eaten in conjunction with animal protein, have been shown to help reduce the formation of carcinogens that can form with meat through high temperature cooking.

Cabbage is wonderfully versatile and can be used raw or cooked in a number of ways. Cabbage can be cut into slices of varying thickness, grated by hand or shredded in a food processor. Cabbage can vary in colour from green to red and purple, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled. It is suitable to combine with many flavours from a delicious zesty coleslaw to being stir-fried with garlic, ginger and chilli (if tolerated), or with raw carrots, toasted nuts, currants dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Or make sauerkraut, a tangy fermented dish that goes with just about everything and is wonderfully nourishing for your gut health.

Feeling tired? Top tips to reignite your energy

June 18, 2019August 22, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

In all my years working with people on an individual level or in a group, regardless of their age, sex or current health status there is often one thing that unifies people’s health and wellness goals – energy and the desire for more.

When you ask someone how he or she is these days the most common response I tend to hear is “tired, so tired”. And hence our reliance on caffeine and refined sugars or anything that gives us more energy increases.

So how can we get more energy?

Eat more green vegetables

Eating green vegetables, particularly those with green leaves, is like eating sunshine. Green vegetables are a good source of antioxidants and contain a number of different vitamins and minerals needed for efficient intrinsic energy production. They’re also a good source of non-haem (vegetarian) iron, a critical mineral for effective oxygenation.

Drink green tea

Green tea is a wonderfully uplifting beverage to consume. It contains an amino acid called l-theanine which boosts energy levels but also helps to keep us calm, packed full of antioxidants it’s a health promoting alternative to coffee.

Check your iron levels

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common dietary deficiency in the world. Without healthy red blood cells, your body can’t get enough oxygen; the consequence of not having sufficient oxygen in the body is constant fatigue. Ask your GP to check your iron.

Incorporate muscle-building exercise

Incorporate more resistance training or muscle building exercise. This helps to build lean muscle mass. More muscle means more energy-producing mitochondria in our cells – resulting in a higher metabolic rate, which assists with body fat management as well as energy production.

Close open tabs

Work on closing what I call “open tabs”- these are tasks, emails or jobs that haven’t been resolved. It’s as if we walk around each day with so many tabs open – like websites sitting open on your computer screen, that it’s no wonder we feel drained or flattened. Schedule tasks instead of just listing them.

Explore your perception

Be conscious of how your perceptions influence your mood and energy state. Write a list of what makes you feel alive and energised, and what saps your energy – your “energy vampires.” Actively work on doing more of the things that make you feel energised whilst simultaneously reducing your energy vampires.

Look at the whole picture

Remember how you eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe and perceive all impact how you show up each day. Your biochemistry, the nutrients you consume, as well as your beliefs impact whether you experience energy or not. We must give our body what it needs to create the conditions inside of us that allow us to feel energised.

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Nutrition

June 18, 2019July 4, 2016 by Dr Libby Weaver

It’s what you do everyday that impacts your health, not what you do sometimes. When it comes to improving your nutrition, small changes can result in large impacts to your overall health, particularly overtime. Let’s explore a few easy tweaks you can make to improve your diet.

Buy local produce
Locally grown food is not only better for you – it generally tastes better too. It’s more likely to be picked at or closer to its peak, for the best nutritional value and flavour. Also it’s less likely to have had a long journey, which results in nutritional degradation and a reduction in flavour. The shorter the journey between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food. Food imported from overseas is older, has travelled and also sat in warehouses before it gets to your plate. Buying local produce is also a great way to support our local producers and reward their hard work.

Grow your own herbs and greens
Adding more greens and herbs is not only a wonderful way to boost the nutritive value of your meals, it can be made that much easier by having them on your balcony, or in your backyard. You can grow spray-free greens such as silverbeet, spinach and kale and herbs so easily, it’s also a fantastic way to teach children about where food comes from.

Use a food processor
You can easily increase your consumption of vegetables by using your food processor – they’re also a great way to speed up your vegetables preparation. You can make coleslaws, and quickly grate or chop any vegetables using this machine. Another great food waste tip is to save your broccoli stalks and process them in the food processor, add them to you salads, stews, or soups for additional nutrition.