Whole Foods, Plant-based Nutrition – WFPB
Whole foods, plant-based nutrition (WFPB) is about eating food that is minimally processed, to retain maximum nutrients and beneficial phyto-chemicals, so that your body has what it needs for optimal health.
The main WFPB food groups are:
- vegetables, pulses and legumes,
- whole grains, nuts and seeds,
- fruits, herbs and spices.
Whole foods emphasise foods that have been minimally processed. So instead of white rice opt for brown rice, wholemeal flour instead of white flour, as the less refined the food the higher the nutrient content. Plant-based means foods made from plants, as opposed to foods derived from animals. The main sources of animal foods are meat (includes fish and poultry), dairy, and eggs.
If you have been diagnosed with a chronic diet related health condition, trying out a WFPB diet for 90 days is worth considering. You don’t need to go 100% plant based, but you do need to emphasise WHOLE foods, the best QUALITY foods you can afford, and SIMPLE cooking methods.
Restore and maintain pH balance
Excess acid in the body can reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood and increase inflammation. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices, especially leafy greens, are an ideal way to restore and maintain pH balance. Most fruits and vegetables are higher in nutrients, more cleansing and retain more of their healing properties when eaten raw rather than cooked.
The 19th-century biologist Antoine Béchamp argued that sickness was not caused by germs, but by the state of the internal environment of the body. He proposed that germs and unwanted bacteria cannot survive in a healthy body with a healthy immune system. In contrast, germs can thrive in a body laden with toxic waste to feed off. Therefore, to restore health the body needs to be both cleansed and nourished.
The physical body is a constant work in progress, cells die and are replaced, nutrients are assimilated and waste is eliminated. The food you eat provides the raw materials for all this activity.
Cleanse, nourish and heal
The first step is to cut back on the foods that slow you down and start eating more nutrient dense, whole foods that are easier to digest. When your body has what it needs to maintain a healthy inner terrain healing can occur naturally.
Your body is your most intimate space on Earth. What you choose to put into it directly impacts your health, your thoughts and your emotions.
All physical symptoms have emotional and mental counterparts. Negative stress, emotions, thoughts, behaviours and lifestyle also need to be addressed. We need to process (digest) our life experiences. That which is suppressed will seek expression, often as symptoms of dis-ease within. Just as we have nutritional needs we also need to express ourselves, to be creative and to have a sense of purpose in our life. Improving our diet is a good place to start.
Reading:
Richter CK, Skulas-Ray AC, Champagne CM, Kris-Etherton PM. Plant protein and animal proteins: do they differentially affect cardiovascular disease risk? Adv Nutr. 2015 Nov 13;6(6):712-28. doi: 10.3945/an.115.009654. PMID: 26567196; PMCID: PMC4642426.