The importance of nutrition

At the beginning of a new year many of us make resolutions, such as to lose weight, drink less alcohol and eat more healthily etc. All admirable resolves and made with good intentions, but often we can find ourselves wavering after a few days or weeks. This in turn all too frequently may lead to feelings of guilt and shame, or perhaps a sense of failure. In turn these feelings do nothing to help our sense of esteem, nor create a positive relationship with food.

Our relationship with food is complicated, especially where ‘dieting’ is concerned. This is perhaps because ‘dieting’ typically involves restriction and denial, whereas our primal need for food is about nurture and nourishment. We need this nourishment from food to sustain us and to thrive. Essentially, we need food to survive, it’s as fundamental to life as breathing, and the notion of a diet is in part a denial of that basic need.

The mixed messages we receive about what’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for us seems to change as quickly as the weather. We’re bombarded with an array of different food fads, and every week there appears to be another new ‘superfood hero’ added to the list! In equal measure it seems something else is then food-shamed as a ‘baddie’. And just in case we’re not bamboozled enough, there’s always the ‘hero’ which turns out to be a ‘baddie’ and vice versa …or so it would seem! It’s no surprise then that confusion reigns. But the simple truth is that no food can be singled out as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and it’s not a ‘one size fits all’. As human beings our optimum diet is determined by our age, constitution, level of activity and climate. This adapts depending on our state of health at any given time, and with the change of seasons. What we eat in the winter when the weather is cold and nature is in hibernation, should differ from the height of summer when it’s hot and everything is in full bloom.

Chinese philosophy is firmly rooted in how the human body reflects the cycles of nature. This includes eating according to the seasons of the year, but also in line with the cycles of the day. Between the times of dawn and midday our body reaches its peak for digestion, whereas during the evening our bodies are primed for rest. This means that for optimum digestive health, eating hearty breakfasts and lunches are recommended. With a focus on light meals during the evening and taken at least three hours before retiring to bed to allow ample time for digestion.

The general principle in Chinese nutritional wisdom is to base our diet around relatively bland and neutral foods, such as vegetables and simple grains. Flavour should be added in small amounts, and the same applies to rich or greasy foods. Enjoy a good variety of foods, of different colours, tastes and flavours. Portions should be appropriate to age and level of activity.