Savour

Let’s recap the six pillars of lifestyle medicine or the 6 S’s as we like to call them. 

Savour (Nutrition)

Start moving (Physical Activity)

Sleep

Stress management

Social connectivity

Substance cessation

Now, let’s dive into the first S; Savour. “We are what we eat.” The food we eat should bring us both health and happiness.That is why fad diets rarely are sustainable. In lifestyle medicine, we consider it crucial to think beyond a single nutrient and take the whole ‘food package' into account when assessing the relative healthfulness of a food or meal. Any movement towards a whole food plant based eating pattern is positive but the key is to make sustainable changes that you can incorporate in your daily lives and I believe that the tips below will be helpful:

SAVOUR: For many of us food is associated with joy.  Food should be a source of pleasure just as much as it should nourish you and that is why our first S is ‘Savour.’ Include favourite whole food plant based meals that you actually like eating and this varies based on our upbringing and culture. Keep these meals in your weekly rotation.

ADAPT: Developing healthy eating habits is not all or nothing. If you begin your journey at a level that is appropriate for you and proceed at your own pace, you will be most successful. Whether you want to start small with one recipe or you want to change every meal, you can make tweaks in a way that is right for you!

DISCOVER: Explore and incorporate new recipes. This can be fun, especially when including the whole family. Pick one suitable meal of the day—breakfast, lunch, or dinner—that you believe will be the simplest for you to modify, then pick two to three meals from that category to attempt. When you feel confident, continue building on your success. 

References

Tools and resources. American College of Lifestyle Medicine. (2023, July 10). https://lifestylemedicine.org/tools-and-resources/