“Is that healthy?”

It’s a question I hear all the time from clients, customers, and well-meaning friends and family as their go-to Registered Holistic Nutrition Practitioner and Health Coach.

Regardless of the product or practice in question, my answer is almost always (much to their frustration): “Well, it depends…”

The thing is, everything – whether it’s a certain food, diet plan, exercise regimen, supplement or medication – has its uses. It largely depends what you are hoping to achieve by incorporating it; What are your goals? What potential benefits/outcomes are you hoping to see? Is there another alternative to which you are comparing it? For how long are you intending to use it?

And, as I’ve said many times before, every body is different. What is “healthy” for one person may not be “healthy” for another. It’s very rare that we ever see a food, product or practice with the blanket label of “healthy” that’s applicable to every single person on the planet. Depending on your unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, personal history, gender, goals and health conditions, your “healthiest” life could look very different from that coworker or influencer who told you the Keto diet changed their life.

Let’s take intermittent fasting as an example of a practice that can result in healthy weight reduction, increased mental clarity, reduced inflammation, and even (allegedly) better longevity for some. When we delve further into the research, however, we find that most of the clinical studies on intermittent fasting have been done on cisgender men, because the hormone fluctuations that occur at different points during the female cycle make it difficult (but not impossible) to obtain results.

But women are not just small men, and we now know that, for someone who struggles with Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome, for example, or blood sugar imbalances, intermittent fasting can wreak havoc on hormone regulation.

Even a concept as widely-sold as eating less and moving more will not necessarily benefit everyone indiscriminately. Someone with a history of disordered eating behaviors or overexercising may find themselves triggered by a conversation with a well-meaning friend who is trying to “get healthy” on a new workout regimen. For the former, eating less and moving more may not be a “healthy” practice at all, and may even result in a relapse, severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies, Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (loss of the menstrual cycle), infertility, or osteoporosis.

And setting aside for a moment the matter of bio-individuality, it’s worthwhile to question what we really mean when we use the word “healthy”? Are we discussing weight? Nutrient status? Mental Health? Hormone regulation? Or perhaps simply a balanced and happy life?

The question it ultimately boils down to, is: what do you value most in a healthy life?

Wellness Culture and social media (certain platforms in particular, which shall remain unnamed) have made it easy for unqualified individuals to champion blanket “health” advice that is purely based on their own experience rather than clinical studies or meta analyses (which are not perfect either), or, even worse, a brand that is paying them to promote their product.

While the easy access to information that social media provides is an inarguable blessing to our modern world, it’s always in our best interest to pay close attention to the source of the information we are seeking, whether that’s an individual and their education/qualifications, or a brand sponsor or other vested interest.

It’s also important to maintain a clear view of the specific goals we are looking to achieve. We may come across an ad or sponsored video touting the benefits of moringa powder (of which there are, unarguably, many), but are they conducive to the results we as individuals are looking for? Moringa may be an excellent antioxidant, but it won’t necessarily help you lose weight, if that’s your goal.

It would do us all a service to ask the necessary questions to unearth for ourselves our own unique definition of “healthy”; What does your healthiest life look like? Do you want more energy? A stronger body? Better relationships? More food freedom? Maybe for you, a “healthy” life involves buying organic produce and preparing most of your meals at home, but still having the flexibility to accept a spontaneous invitation to a girls’ night out.

There is enough color, space, and plasticity in this world for us each to find our own unique version of “healthy”. I would love to get a conversation going about what “healthy” means for you! Let me know in the comments below, and we can share in inspiring one another and celebrating the many routes that exist to a “healthy” life.

One of the most common questions I get from customers in the health food store where I sometimes work is “Which supplements should I be taking?”, which, when they learn I’m also a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, is almost always followed by, “What do you take?”

Here’s the thing: the choice to supplement is a deeply personal one. Although there is a core group of supplements that virtually everyone will benefit from (more on these at the end of this post), the supplements you choose to take will depend on a wide range of factors, including your unique goals, age, health conditions, diet, activity level, and even the time of year.

For instance, my personal daily supplement regimen (this is by no means a prescriptive list, as every body is different, and my needs will undoubtedly be different from yours), includes:

• Berberine, for blood sugar regulation, which helps to keep my hormones balanced and my skin clear,
• N.A.C, which helps to detoxify excess estrogen from the liver,
• Probiotics, for gut health,
• Evening Primrose Oil,
• B Complex,
• Vitamin D,
• and Magnesium.

And then there are the as-needed supplements that I keep on-hand, but don’t necessarily take every day, such as Ashwagandha for stress/sleep support, Vitamin C, for an extra immune boost, rhodiola, for those mornings when I just need a little extra energy and stamina, and occasionally a greens or protein powder, for the days (or seasons) when my diet isn’t as on-point as I’d like it to be.

Are all of these really necessary? For you, maybe not. Or perhaps you require a completely different curation of herbal and nutritional support.

In an ideal world, I’d love to tell you that we can get everything we need from a natural, whole-foods diet. Unfortunately, in today’s world of ultra-processed foods, GMO’s, soils that have been so over-tilled that they are completely depleted of minerals, and produce that is picked long before it ripens and then shipped in the back of cargo trailers before it sits in a supermarket display, sometimes for weeks, that is simply no longer a realistic option. Even if you ate perfectly at every meal, every day of your life – which, let’s be real, even the best of us don’t – it still wouldn’t be feasible to get all of the nutrition we need, the way that our food is produced in North America today.

We can, however, do our best by eating a colourful variety of unprocessed, nutritionally-dense foods (ideally local), including organic or frozen fruits and veggies (which are picked when ripe and immediately frozen, so their nutritional content remains high), grass-fed meat (particularly organ meats), pasture-raised eggs (including the yolk), wild-caught fish, and plenty of sprouts, seeds, and even seaweed. This will help ensure that any gaps in our intake are few and far between, thus minimizing the need for nutritional support via supplementation.

There is, in fact, one supplement worth noting that can actually boost the bioavailability of the nutrients that are present in the foods we eat, meaning we are able to absorb more vitamins and minerals from our diet.  

Shilajit is an Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) remedy that consists of the dark, mineral-rich extract of high-mountain rocks in the heat of Summer. Sound woo-woo? Despite its somewhat dubious host of aliases including names like “Blood of the Mountain”, and “Juice of Rock”, Shilajit has been used successfully for over 3000 years to promote gentle detoxification, strengthen the immune system (particularly the lungs and respiratory tract), support the kidneys and urinary tract, help maintain balanced blood sugar, fortify the bones, and promote energy and healthy aging, all alongside its aforementioned benefit of enhancing the absorption of nutrients, even magnifying the potency of other herbs and supplements.  

It does this by providing a rare combination of beneficial trace minerals, including silica, iron, calcium, copper, lithium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, and zinc, as well as fulvic acid, humic acid, amino acids, and plant-based antioxidants. Shilajit is created from the slow decomposition of plant material over many centuries, deep in the rocks of high mountainous regions across the world. As it develops, it becomes a sticky, mineral-infused substance. Stimulated by the intense heat of Summer, it eventually seeps out of the rocks and is available for harvest.

If you’re still on the fence about supplements, or are unsure where to start, it’s important to know that quality and sourcing does matter, and if you’re shopping at a reputable health food store (and not in the pharmacy section at Costco), a well-trained sales rep should be able to assess your needs and recommend some well-formulated products that will get you the results you want.

Having worked closely with brand reps, and attended seminars on the research, manufacturing, and comparative mechanisms of many supplements, I can assure you that natural health products are regulated, despite what you may have heard from TikTok or That Guy on YouTube, and many are also sourced and extracted with the utmost care, as well as being clinically studied and third-party tested for safety and efficacy.

As with anything, a balanced and informed approach is always well-advised. Although I’m a passionate advocate for the benefits of supplementation alongside (not instead-of) a health-promoting diet and lifestyle, you can have too much of a good thing. We don’t need to be taking every latest and greatest “superfood” or extract we read about in the headlines, just because it’s purportedly “good for us”. The list of foods and practices that are “good for us” is so long and wide-reaching that to try and incorporate every single one on a daily basis would be insanity. And there comes a time (usually when you find yourself taking handfuls of softgels multiple times a day) that you may reach a point of diminishing returns. The body cannot, after all, process, absorb and utilize unlimited chemical compounds.

Instead, it’s best to select a few supplements that are going to provide the most benefit in the areas where you personally need the most support. If you aren’t sure what those are, a good place to start would be a marine- or plant-based Omega-3 supplement (which is particularly hard to come by in the Standard American Diet, and is important for healthy aging and preventing inflammation, the root of all disease), a Probiotic (because gut health equals total-body health), and a high-quality Multivitamin.

And maybe even Shilajit, if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck from your lovingly-planned, nutrient-dense dinners.

The ancient science of Ayurveda (and its sister science, Yoga) recognizes a number of different “bodies” or “anatomies” that make up our being, chief among them being the physical, mental, and energy bodies.

We can think of the physical body as a kind of “hardware” – the equipment that allows us to function – while the mental body is more like the “software”, and the energy body is the power that makes it all run. Needless to say, we need all three bodies to be performing optimally (and in alignment with one another) if we are to function at our highest potential.

We all know those genetically blessed individuals who always seem to perform at a high frequency regardless of how little food or sleep they get, who are always annoyingly full of energy even before their morning coffee (and before yours), who exercise and/or party to the extreme, or are always on the go and never seem to burn out. Ayurvedic tradition would say this is because they have very high “Prana” (or a strong energy body).

Also referred to as “Chi” or “Qi” in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or “Ki” in the Reiki tradition of Japanese healing, “Prana”, simply put, is the energy that drives life, the power that animates the body and the mind, and the natural urge toward healing and vitality that is present in every cell of every living organism from its inception. When our Prana is in a healthy state of flow, we experience high energy levels, a thriving physical body, mental stability and acuity, and a healthy sense of optimism and creativity.

Because of their unique elemental makeup (or “constitution”), a lucky few are born with a high level of Prana. The rest of us, however, must learn to cultivate Prana if we are going to perform to our highest potential. There are a number of ways we can do this, either through specific yoga poses or sequences, breath-work (also called “Pranayama”), the types of foods we consume and even the way we prepare them.

Raw plant foods are said to contain very high levels of Prana, because when we eat them, we are literally ingesting “life”. And when we are cooking, we can incorporate practices that add more Prana to the food, increasing both its digestibility and its nutrition.

Right-hand energy, for example, is designated for giving, while the left hand is for receiving. Ayurvedic tradition would encourage us to give money or gifts with the right hand in daily life, and to receive with the left. Considering that cooking is a very “giving” practice, we would want to cook mostly with our right hand, when we can, and to always stir ingredients in a pot or pan in a clockwise direction to increase Prana.

There are also mantras we can speak over the food as we prepare it. Or, if you prefer a more mainstream approach (and you’re not afraid of concerned looks from your dinner guests), you can talk to your food in a loving and encouraging way. I personally love to wish my food well or “best of luck” as I put a pan in the oven to roast, or tell it how beautiful it is or how well it did when it’s done. (I should add that this is a totally involuntary practice that I performed even before any formal training in Ayurveda, and one which has always elicited many, many concerned looks).

Playing calm or upbeat music in the kitchen is another way we can increase Prana while cooking, as well as avoiding cooking when we are stressed or in a bad mood, preparing food (and eating it) slowly and mindfully, and allowing some natural sunshine in the kitchen (as a literal and measurable example of this, there are studies that have shown the nutrition of harvested Shiitake mushrooms to increase after they have been left in the sun).

However off-beat some of these practices may sound, I believe many of us already know on an instinctive or intuitive level that our food is that much more delicious and nourishing for our bodies when it is “made with love”, just as studies have shown house plants to be more responsive and likely to thrive when they are talked to, played music, or in an energetically positive environment.

As a personal aside, during my Ayurvedic training, I experienced first-hand the difference it made to prepare food in a Pranic way; Knowing that I’d be eating an exclusively vegan diet during those three weeks (a diet rich in the fibre, starchy carbohydrates, grains and legumes that normally caused me a great deal of digestive upset), I had diligently packed a stock of digestive enzymes, probiotics, and bitters to help get me through it, only to be pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t need any of these supplements, as our food was prepared by an Ayurvedic expert using all of the aforementioned Pranic practices and more. During that time period, I enjoyed better digestion and more energy than I had in years, despite the fact that I was eating the same diet that had caused me so much distress in the past.   

Whatever tradition of energy healing you ascribe to, virtually all ancient cultures and schools of medicine maintain that the type of energy we put into our nourishment is what it will give back to us. And whoever you are, regardless of whether you believe the benefits of Ayurvedic cooking are the result of Universal Life Force Energies or a state of mind, over 5000 years of healing are tough to argue with. 

*Special thanks to Matea Zajec of Hari Om Yoga & Wellness for filling in the gaps in my Ayurvedic expertise (and to her beautiful mother, Ada – Ayurvedic master and healer extraordinaire – for all of her restorative treatments and delicious meals that I enjoyed in Costa Rica.