Most of us take the time to listen to our body’s cues when it comes to feeling hungry or tired, but how many people actually stop to listen to their bodies when they are getting sick or have a headache? It's easy enough to take a pain killer when our head is throbbing, or take heartburn medicine when we feel indigestion coming on, but did you ever think that these may be signs that your body is trying to tell you something?

• How often are you getting these headaches?
• How long has it been since you ate?
• Are you drinking enough fluids? (ones that aren’t full of sugar and caffeine!)
• What was the last thing you ate? (it could be something that you have a sensitivity to)
• Have you been getting enough sleep?

Food affects our health in many ways. A lot of people have food sensitivities that they are unaware of, but if you take the time to centre yourself, and pay attention to symptoms (instead of just masking them with OTC drugs), you may find some common denominators to these problems.

Do you have a patch of eczema that flares up often? Are you used to just putting some lotion on it to make it disappear? Often eczema is caused by stress, allergies or food/environmental sensitivities. It's our body’s way of telling us that something is not right on the inside. Holistic nutrition treats the body as a whole. Holistic nutritionists believe that when you are experiencing symptoms of an illness, there is always an underlying cause. So while it’s easy to rid yourself of most symptoms, the real challenge is to get to the bottom of what’s really causing the problem.

Do you sometimes have trouble with your joints or soreness in your muscles, but haven't done any physical activity to have caused it? Again, chances are that you have eaten something that does not agree with you. Food sensitivities actually cause inflammation in the body...they can also cause bloating, gas, rashes, fatigue, mood swings and runny noses!

I’m sure that most people have heard the term, “you are what you eat”; while this doesn’t mean that if you eat a hot dog, you will become a hot dog, it does mean that good food equals good health. The term “good health” has different meanings for different people; to some it means being fit or thin, to others it means never getting sick.

For me, as a Holistic Nutritionist, being healthy has a broader meaning. It’s not just about having a healthy body, but also a healthy mind and spirit. Most people don’t recognize the connection between mind, body and spirit, but being healthy is about eating good, whole foods, getting enough sleep, exercise, rest and relaxation.

So, the next time you find yourself feeling not so great take a moment to think about what you've ingested that day. Keep a diary, pay attention to the foods you consume and the mood you were in while eating them. Your body is actually trying to tell you something. Once you start listening, you'll find yourself one step closer to being a healthy, happier you!