Choosing Nutrition over Dieting

The countdown to healthy New Year’s resolutions has begun, and it’s that time of year when we resolve to eat healthier and maybe even try to lose some weight.

While making the promise to eat healthier is easy enough, following through is often much more difficult. Instead of turning to Google to find tips to eating healthy, Lisa Jones, culinary nutrition educator (CNE) at Visionary Healing Center for Wellness, suggests investing in learning about how food and nutrition can be therapeutic and help with overall health.

According to Jones, making healthier eating choices and deciding to focus on your nutrition requires a total shift in mindset. After indulging in decadent holiday foods, many people decide to return to the gyms and to start some popular diet of the day in an effort to get in shape and attempt to be healthier.

In an interview with Georgia Voice, Jones suggests a “food and lifestyle change. Don’t default to cold and raw foods.” During January, a cold winter month when the resolutions are made, Jones said eating a diet of salads and/or raw vegetables isn’t advised. “You end up feeling cold and your energy could be affected,” she added. She suggests eating warm foods like soups and stews instead.

When it comes to preparing your plate, Jones said vegetables should be the foundation, and animal products like chicken, fish, and steak should make up about half the plate.

Unlike most nutritionists who design meal plans, Jones said she and her husband, David, a licensed acupuncturist, work as a team to identify foods that are therapeutic to a person’s condition.

David performs the acupuncture, a form of Chinese medicine where thin needles are stuck into the body. After the procedure, he is able to diagnose different issues. He shares the diagnosis with Lisa, and from there she advises the client on food and nutrition best suited for their particular condition.

According to Jones, people can have pain in their bodies, like lower back pain, and not realize that it’s to do with something in their diet. She suggests paying attention to how you feel after eating certain foods, and while turning to the internet for nutrition tips can provide good information, she also suggests coming and speaking to a nutritionist for a comprehensive wellness assessment.

Changing one’s diet, and learning and understanding the role food plays in the body and overall health, is a benefit of working with a nutritionist. They can help you understand the symptoms of low energy, fatigue, body pains, inflammation, mood swings, concentration problems, digestive issues and weight gain. “You want to work with someone who knows that food is our first line of defense against illness and understanding that food is a gateway of deep healing,” Jones added.

A nutritionist can help you learn which foods to eat for your unique needs. Eating right can help you get back to feeling your best, having more energy and feeling clear and strong.

At Visionary Healing Center for Wellness, initial half-hour consultations are free. Anyone interested in acupuncture and/or nutrition can learn more at visionaryhealing.org.

Visionary Healing Center for Wellness is located at 659 Auburn Avenue, Unit 130, Atlanta, GA 30312 and can be reached by phone at 678-820-8403.