5.1 Nutrition & Lifestyle Flashcards
What are the basic principles of the Naturopathic Diet?
Naturopathic nutritionists tailor food and lifestyle recommendation to the individual’s needs discovered during the consultation.
- Provide a balance of all nutrients the body requires to function optimally
- Support optimal digestion to ensure good absorption
- Avoid toxic and damaging substances
- Detoxify the body periodically
- Ensure regular exercise and time in nature
- Promote health and longevity
Why should vegetables and fruits be eaten in a range of colours?
Different colours reflect different plant
pigments with varying beneficial properties.
What is
Beta-carotene?
- Type: A carotenoid
- Colour: orange
- Sources: Carrot, winter squash, sweet potatoes, orange
- Properties: Antioxidant and pre-curser to vitamin A in the body
What is
Lycopene?
- Type: Carotenoid
- Colour: Red
- Sources: Tomatoes, watermelon
- Properties: Antioxidant and anti-cancer properties
- Cooking makes lycopene more bioavailable
- Affinity with prostate
What is
Lutein?
- Type: Carotenoid
- Colour: Yellow
- Sources: Green leafy veg, green peas, broccoli
- Properties: Antioxidant that is particularly beneficial for eye and skin health
What is Anthocyanin?
- Type: Flavonoid
- Colour: Red, purple
- Sources: Blueberries, blackberries
- Properties: Powerful antioxidant properties
What is Quercetin?
- Type: Flavonoid
- Colour: Yellow
- Sources: Onions, broccoli, apples, grapes, citrus, berries
- Properties: Anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties
What are dark leafy greens?
Spinach, rocket, kale, watercress, swiss chard, bok choy, dandelion greens
Why are Dark leafy greens good for overall health?
- Chlorophyll-rich,
- Minerals: Magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese
- Vitamins: A, C, E, K, B6, folate (B9);
- Phytochemicals: carotenoids, quercetin; Fibre
- Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
- High phytonutrient content protects against chronic diseases.
- Bone health – excellent source of vitamin K (bone mineralisation)
- Blood–building – iron and folate used for red blood cell synthesis
What are the energetics of vegetables?
- Alliums: Warm (garlic is hot)
- Roots: Warm, sweet, nourishing
- Veg. fruits: Cool, hydrating, (orange coloured are warming)
- Cruciferous: Cool to warm (contain sulphur)
- Dark leafy greens: Cool, hydrating, detoxifying
- Salad: Cool, hydrating, detoxifying
- Legumes: Cool, hydrating, nourishing, detoxifying
What are some of the benefits of fruits?
- Antioxidant-rich (most are found in fruit skins – opt for blue / purple skinned fruit (high in anthocyanins & resveratrol).
- Flavonoids support cardiovascular health by promoting vasodilation, lowering LDLs and protecting against vascular endothelial damage.
- Eat the fruit - juice delivers too much fructose without fibre to the liver too quickly*
- Avoid commercial juices as they are highly processed
- Eat fruit away from other food so it can be easily absorbed.
- Also avoid in cases of yeast infections / candida
*converts to fat - contributes to fatty liver
What are the energetics of fruit?
- Cherries: warm
- Peaches: apricots: neutral to warm
- Grapes: neutral
- Apples, pears: cool, nourishing, hydrating
- Berries: cool, hydrating, support digestion (if sour)
- Citrus: cool, refreshing, hydrating, support digestion and liver
- Bananas: cool, unripe (drying), ripe (damp)
What are the benefits of beans and lentils (legumes)?
Excellent source of:
* Plant protein and complex carbohydrates
* Soluble and insoluble fibre: This supports bowel elimination, healthy gut microflora and SCFA. High fibre content also slows down the absorption of sugars*
*Helps stabilize blood glucose levels
What are the cautions of beans and lentils (legumes)?
- Many legumes must be cooked to inactivate ‘lectins’ – chemicals involved in plant defence can cause severe gastrointestinal problems
What are the benefits of Nuts in the naturopathic diet?
- Easy to transport
- Good source of protein, unsaturated fats, vitamin E, various minerals and fibre
- Support cardiovascular health (rich in vitamins E and arginine), healthy weight management and blood sugar regulation
- Ideally soak organic nuts (and seeds) before eating to reduce enzyme inhibitors, and to make them easier to digest late
- Healthy nuts include: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, brazil, macadamia, cashew, chestnuts, pine nuts
- Walnuts – support brain health (due to the phospholipids)
- Brazil nuts – abundant in selenium which is a potent antioxidant, but also supports thyroid hormone function (T4 to T3 conversion)
What are the benefits of Seeds in the naturopathic diet?
- Highly nutritious – a rich source of protein, healthy fats and fibre. Most seeds are higher in Omega-6 (except chia and flax).
- High fibre slows the release of sugar in the blood (preventing a sugar spike); important for bowel transit time
- Chia and flaxseeds are an excellent source of soluble fibre. The polysaccharides form a mucilage which helps to sooth irritated mucosal membranes
- Ensure seeds (e.g. flax) are freshly ground as they oxidize quickly
- Healthy seeds include: pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, hemp, poppy, sesame, safflower
What are the benefits of Coldwater fish?
- An excellent source of easily digested protein and the essential omega-3 fatty acids
- Think SMASH – salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring (High in omega-3, vitamin D; lower in mercury due to small size)
- The nutrients in fish are more available when steamed or baked at moderate temperatures
- Avoid BBQ or fried fish. The high temperatures destroy some nutrients and generate undesirable compounds linked with cancer
- Always opt for wild caught fish (not farmed), and avoid canned fish which compromises the nutritional content (esp. vitamin C)
What are the benefits of Raw foods?
- Highest nutrients profile (i.e. more vitamins, minerals, probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes)
- Enzymes in food are diminished/destroyed when heated above 42°C/ 107°F
- The longer food is exposed to heat and the higher the temperature, the greater the nutrient losses – especially water-soluble compounds such as vitamin C which leach into water (e.g. boiling)
What are the benefits of cooked foods?
- Beta-carotene and lycopene more available with heating as they are released from plant cell walls
- Goitrogens* in brassicas are inactivated by the cooking process
Goitrogenic foods disrupt the uptake of iodine in the thyroid
How should the balance raw / cooked food be considered?
- On the person’s constitution and current state of health.
- A convalescing/elderly person requires more ‘warming up’ (cooked foods)
- An overstressed/stimulated person needs cooling raw foods.
- Cooked foods are easier to extract nutrients - use for weak digestion (include juices if dry constitution)
- Cooked foods and warming spices also promote the ‘digestive fire’, which supports the production/flow of digestive juices
- Cooling foods (e.g. fruit) in the warmer months
- Warming foods (e.g. stews) in the cooler months
What should be considered with individual requirements?
- Age (children, adults, the elderly)
- Illness (allergies, digestive issues, diabetes)
- Physical activity (active or not)
- Treatment (thyroid, chemotherapy, drugs)
- Environment/season (cold, hot or damp climate)
- Constitution (dry, damp, toxic)
- Ethical, spiritual, religious beliefs
- The body requests food as needed – learn to listen to the body’s needs
What are the approximate plate proportions?
- 50% complex carbohydrates
- 25% healthy fats
- 25% protein
Plate proportion
What can constitute the 50% complex carbohydrates
- Mainly non-starchy vegetables
- Small amount of high-fibre, low-GI carbohydrates
Plate proportion
What can constitute 25% healthy fats?
Mainly omega-3 fats
Smaller amounts of other healthy fats
Plate proportion
What can constitute 25% protein?
Mainly from fish and vegetarian sources
Occasional animal products
What is the Glycaemic index (GI)?
The rate at which different foods elevate blood glucose levels
What are the effects of low GI foods?
- Slowly digested and absorbed leading to lower and slower increases in blood glucose
- Helps to keep blood glucose in balance and increases satiety
What are the effects of High GI foods?
- High GI foods are rapidly digested and absorbed causing blood glucose levels to spike or fluctuate.
- Promotes ‘overcorrection’ : a drop in blood glucose below normal levels, prompting hunger signals and the desire to eat more
- Increase the risk of developing insulin resistance – associated with conditions such as Type II diabetes and PCOS
What is the GI scale?
GI scale: 0-100
- Low GI = 55 or less
- Medium GI = 56 – 69
- High GI = 70 or more
What are the non-starchy vegetables (complex carbohydrates)?
Most vegetables!
* Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage
* Lettuce, Rocket
* Kale, Spinach, Chard
* Courgettes, Green beans, Asparagus
* Carrots
* Cucumber
* Beansprouts
* Sweet peppers
