What is the Bodhi Workshop?
First and foremost it is a nutritional therapy practice. You will encounter all of the usual Nutritionist things. Meetings, usually via zoom (with the obligatory bowl of fruit in the background). I will ask you to complete a food & lifestyle journal. We will discuss your health and goals. I will provide you with nutritional recommendations. I really love those bits. But they are also only the beginning!
What you eat matters; how your body works it matters more
Where I do see food as an essential piece of the puzzle, I do only see it as one piece; the initial input for the many systems and processes that power you. It’s after that - when the wheels of digestion, detoxification and metabolism start turning - that holds the real power to determine your energy and health. When we use food to engage these moving parts harmoniously and efficiently, we can unlock new gears - to nourish, build and renew your body, fuel your next level of performance, and find your inner strength.
It is quite simply a waste of time striving for that ‘perfect’ diet if you are not able to extract nutrients from it; use those nutrients to produce energy where you need it; or eliminate the waste products effectively.
A bespoke approach; with fuel as a tool - not the end goal
That is why there is no single ‘best’ diet….We each have different issues and goals - whether to lose weight, get stronger, feel more energetic, rebalance hormones, or manage a chronic health condition. We also have different health histories, systemic strengths and weaknesses, microbiomes, and metabolisms - all of which significantly alter the way in which our bodies interact with food, movement, as well as other factors such as stress etc.
A spirit of abundance; a philosophy of work
For all of the above reasons, I do not follow any one dogma when it comes to nutritional advice; but do draw on a number of well-researched approaches; as well as some general over-riding principles (I like to call them ACE, because we all like a three letter acronym, right?)
Attention - this is an overlooked but valuable first step in the process. Learning to pay more attention to our food choices and our bodies response is key to making changes that work for you.
Challenge body and brain - we need to flex our digestive and metabolic muscles, just as we do any other muscles (I use the scientific concept of hormesis
EAT - good quality, whole foods as much as possible, not too much, mostly plants
Depending on your own health status , routines, goals and needs, we may work with any combination of specific nutritional protocols, herbs and supplements, broader dietary patterns, exercise & lifestyle strategies.
Principles of transformation
Providing an overall framework, there are also some guiding principles that inform my approach, which I believe help to make change powerful, aligned with your life - and therefore sustainable:
Individuality
We all have times of the day, month or even seasons in which we are in a different ‘change state’. Times when we feel the need to look inwards, rest, and repair. Times when we feel more inclined to reach outwards, ready for challenge, and growth.
By leaning in to your natural cycles and rhythms, we can reinforce and strengthen your body’s own regulatory systems (by a combination of purposefully resting and activating them) - such that when we make changes to your nutrition or exercise, we are working with, rather than against your natural circadian rhythms and hormonal cycles.
It really is all about you. I invite you to participate as an active experimenter in the process - testing and challenging your own systems, and being the chief observer of your response.
Hormesis
The scientific word for the principle that progressive ‘micro stresses’ promote adaptation and resilience in biological systems. This is a well-established idea in exercise science - and is now emerging as an exciting field in nutrition, as we are learning more about the precise mechanisms of how food works in the body to create health (not only fix deficiencies and symptoms). The concept can multiply the value of our nutritional efforts by making our foundational health systems - digestion, metabolism, circulation stronger, more efficient, ready to support the new you.
Spiral progression
The principle that, rather than following a linear path of transformation, the natural rhythm of life means that more commonly (and arguably more desirably) we return to issues a number of times. Each time we have the opportunity to approach them from different angles, gaining more insight about ourselves; thereby finding the ideal path that leads us to the greatest and most sustainable positive change.
By applying these ways of working together with science based nutrition principles that address your specific needs, we can build the strongest foundation for good health by giving our bodies the strength to heal themselves - and the ability to adapt to and live in harmony with our modern lives, with full vitality.
So that makes ACE-ISH. because we are all a work in progress ;)
Are you ready to work your Bodhi?
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