It’s interesting to note that when it comes to our wellness, or at least ways of ensuring it, there is reluctance to invest in our health. It’s not until we have a real health emergency or illness and we are forced to spend money on doctor’s bills, diagnostic imaging and pharmaceuticals that we think twice. It would be fair to say that we spend more on entertainment and holidays than we do on the very thing that ensures our happiness and quality of life – our health.

From a nutrition perspective, eating and understanding the right foods for you is an investment in your future happiness and health. Quality does usually cost more, but it’s worth it when you look at it as an investment. There is no doubt that our diet habits changed drastically in the 20th century with the introduction of processed and convenience foods, and those foods have continued to become even more processed and morph into food-like products with very little, or no, nutritional value. Their impact is more far-reaching now as we see the physical impacts of chronic disease in our community such as the rise and rise of cancer and diabetes. The problem with packaged and take-away food is that we no longer have any control over what goes into them. We do know, however, that one of the ingredients that has been integrated into them at alarming rates is sugar. Worldwide sugar consumption has increased in the past 30 years by a whopping 46 per cent. Much of that additional sugar consumption is hidden in processed foods and drinks.

If you want to look after your new car, you put premium fuel in it. Consuming a highly processed food diet will not steer you in the direction of wellness because it is not premium fuel for your body. So set aside those processed products and put your money where your mouth is by choosing real, healthy food. Choose fresh ingredients, spend a little more to get organic fruit and vegetables. Don’t feel guilty about buying good quality grass-fed meat or real free-range eggs, and quality cold-pressed extra virgin oils. View it as an investment in your health and vitality.

I invite you to educate yourself to become the healthiest version of you, thriving and enjoying life’s challenges. If you don’t sleep, you get tired. Similarly, if you don’t eat, you get hungry. It’s a simple case of cause and effect. If we get sick we all wonder why, but have we optimised our food and nutrition and used the premium product? Could working on your own bio individual personalised plan with a nutritional therapist help you to achieve this?

Would it help steer you in the direction of wellness? Sourcing and eating a nutrient-dense whole food diet could be viewed as a preventative measure or an investment in your future. Eating a poor diet is the same as expecting a car to run with poor fuel and wondering why it doesn’t work properly!