Page 30 - Real Style May 2018

healthy Living
With AndreA hArdy
RegiSteRed dietitian & owneR of calgaRy-BaSed ignite nutRition inc andRea haRdy, anSweRS youR health and wellneSS queStionS.
What can I do to improve my overall health?
Andrea Hardy: Funny enough – as a dietitian – I often say why we eat is much more important than what we eat. That may come as a shock – but at the core of every healthy diet is a good relationship with food. Understanding your motivators, and honouring your true hunger
and fullness signals—and never putting foods into the ‘good and bad’ categories—can transform how you fuel your body in a much more positive way than any diet ever would!
How can I support my immune system so I’m not as vulnerable to an autoimmune disease?
an autoimmune disease is complicated – likely related
to being pre-disposed (having the genes), and then having
the genes ‘turned on’ through epi-genetics—likely influenced by environment. Taking care
of your microbiome is one promising way to potentially reduce your risk of auto-immune diseases, but given how complex and multifactorial it is, we still don’t know how to best do that. Regardless, eating a variety
of foods and including plant- based foods is likely to fuel your microbiome in a positive way.
30 Real Style May 2018
AH: That’s a tough question. There isn’t a lot of evidence around reducing autoimmune conditions through diet. I
know there’s a ton of promises out there about being able to
do it, but we now know that
the majority of your immune system develops as an infant/ toddler, and our ability to shape it after that can be quite limited. Unfortunately, developing
photos, left: anDrea harDy, riGht: istock