START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT WITH GUIDANCE FROM LOCAL FOOD & NUTRITION EXPERT, FREYA OOSTINGH.

As part of our New Year’s Resolutions program, we reached out to respected voices within our community when it comes to nutrition, healthy eating and wellness. In addition to offering nourishing prepared meals, butcher box meal kits and vegetarian, gluten-free sides, we’re hoping that insights from local health and wellness advocates could help all of us make some lasting changes in the New Year. One of those respected voices is Freya Oostingh, a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and owner of BioLogic Nutrition in Wyomissing. Freya offered the following insights when it comes to starting off the New Year right...

FREYA OOSTINGH
FUNCTIONAL NUTRITIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONER, OWNER

BioLogic Nutrition in Wyomissing

When I was younger my approach to health was to exercise, eat low fat and hope I didn’t get sick. Many years and a catastrophic health crisis later, I now understand that health comes from a much wider net of choices we make daily. Fortunately, revolutionary advances in the understanding of the human body have given us the tools to make better decisions.

Let’s begin with a more current understanding of who we humans are. We now know that each of us is a unique and unfathomably complex ecosystem, including over 40,000 species of hardworking microbes (microbiome) that outnumber our human cells. These bacteria, fungi and yeasts coat our skin, fill our mouth and reside almost everywhere in our body, including our gut and brain. They are in constant communication with each other, as well as our nervous and immune systems. They produce vitamins, neurotransmitters and help with digestion, detox and much more. They are essential to our health. Seen in this light, we are each the caretaker of our personal ecosystem, just as we are stewards for nature that surrounds us.

HEALTH SUGGESTIONS FOR 2022

Diversity of species is the key to balance and health within us, as in nature. Loss of diversity creates an opportunity for invasive or less beneficial species to step in and create dysfunction. Support your ecosystem diversity by eating a wide variety of organic vegetables, fermented foods, and taking a spore probiotic. Intermittent fasting (eating only within an 8-to-10-hour window per day) turns out to be one of the best ways to create microbial diversity. It also supports gut healing, detox, cellular repair and contributes to weight management and longevity.

NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION

More than ever, we are recognizing the importance of nervous system regulation, i.e., stress management. Your autonomic nervous system has two branches: sympathetic “fight or flight” emergency mode or parasympathetic “rest and digest” healing mode. Perceived stress puts us into “fight or flight” which impairs our bodies’ ability to digest food, detox and regenerate. Stress also has an immediate impact on the microbes in our gut, increasing detrimental species. Yoga, breathwork, meditation, a brief period of contemplation and reset before the day, Reiki, etc. help us switch into parasympathetic state. Find practices that work for you. They are a requirement for health in 2022!

EAT ORGANIC, NON-GMO WHOLE FOODS

Eat organic, non-GMO whole foods and support the farmers who provide them. Glyphosate is sprayed on GMO crops and nonorganic foods. It has found its way into an alarming number of products in the grocery store. It kills our gut bacteria, contributes to leaky gut and is linked to a number of diseases, including autism. It is destructive to our health and the web of life around us.

AVOID SUGAR & PROCESSED FOODS

Avoid sugar and processed foods. We are creatures of nature. Our bodies don’t recognize many of these toxic, chemical laden substances as food. Sugar is one driver of the epidemic of chronic disease. It is possibly the worst food for overall health.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF FAT

Don’t be afraid of fat. Healthy, organic fats are essential for cellular health, absorption of vitamins, brain, heart, hormonal and gall bladder health. Fat is a less inflammatory source of energy than sugar. Different fats have different nutrient profiles, so variety is good. Avoid processed fats such as corn, soy and canola oils. These are toxic to health.

LOVE, GRATITUDE AND COMPASSION

In addition to food, love, gratitude and compassion are some of the most powerful medicines. They are an antidote to stress and switch our bodies and those of the recipients into healing state. What energy are you putting out into the world? It has a powerful ripple effect.

* Disclaimer *
These tips are general advice. For a more personalized plan, seek professional advice. There is NO one-size-fits-all diet.

Like what Freya shared? If you’d like to learn more about her and what BioLogic Nutrition has to offer, click on the link below for more information.

https://www.bio-logicnutrition.com/what-i-do-1