Do you want to supercharge your health all while eating delicious and nutritious food?
With the right functional diet, you can. You can source carbohydrates, proteins, fats and sugars from most foods on the supermarket shelves. But there are a whole range of ‘functional foods’, or ‘super foods’, out there which can provide you with all your standard dietary requirements, plus more. Functional diets are growing in popularity – and with good reason. People around the world are discovering the power of eating these functional foods and the enormous array of benefits they can provide to one’s health. After all, you are what you eat.
Who are functional diets for?
The simple answer is: everyone.
A functional diet can be tailored to you and what health benefits you are looking to achieve.
For example, if you suffer from inflammation you could try a functional diet that specifically targets inflammation. Functional foods that can regulate inflammation include things like pomegranate, strawberries, low-fat yogurt, green tea and chia seeds. If you suffer high blood pressure or high cholesterol, there are other types of foods that can help address these. Functional diets can help find and fix the root cause of certain health problems like these. However, functional diets can also be helpful for fit and healthy Australians to simply improve their immune systems or energy levels. They can also help ensure proper growth and development of infants and children.
Benefits of a functional diet
With the right functional diet, you could experience a range of health benefits. Certain functional foods contain antioxidants which can fight free radical damage of cells.
Other functional foods can reduce inflammation and aid in disease prevention including cardiovascular disease. Have you, like many Australians, got high cholesterol or high blood pressure? You may be able to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure and eventually wane yourself off your regular medication with the right functional diet, in consultation with your doctor. A functional diet could even help lower your risk of cancer and reduce your chances of suffering depression. The correct functional diet could also help your immune system by improving gut health and providing your body with ‘prebiotics’ that help feed your probiotics. Other benefits of a functional diet may include improving your digestive health and managing your blood sugar levels. Sounds great, right?
How to get started on a functional diet
You can easily incorporate some functional foods into your regular daily diet. However, a tailored functional diet will unquestionably deliver the best results. As with any diet, you should always consult an expert to ensure it meets your requirements.
Luke Clarke is a highly-experienced naturopath and functional medicine practitioner located in Melbourne who can tailor a functional diet specifically for you. Luke Clarke has decades of clinical experience and uses science and historic wisdom of naturopathic philosophies to treat, improve and heal your health. Get in contact with Luke Clarke today for a free 10-minute consultation by phoning (03) 8820 0010