Trend Spotlight: Holistic Nutrition
Holistic Nutrition
Over the last decade, the health and wellness industry has witnessed a move away from diet culture in favour of an approach that looks at the wider importance of food, its health benefits, and how food integrates with overall lifestyle choices. On the back of this, customers are becoming more curious about the emerging trend of holistic nutrition. Shoppers are looking to buy products based on these principles, so let’s take a closer look at what this means and how you can tap into this market.
So, What is Holistic Nutrition?
The British Heart Foundation describe holistic nutrition as ‘reconnecting with the body's natural signals’. The movement encourages advocates to gain a wider understanding of the links between physical, mental, emotional, and environmental aspects of life and look at how food plays a part in this. Supporters are encouraged to look at food on an individual level seeing how nutrition impacts overall health and well-being and develop a diet that promotes optimal health, supports mental well-being and contributes to a positive lifestyle.
Mind and Body Approach
Champions take a view of the wider purpose of food on the mind, emotions and the external community. Holistic nutrition is a lifestyle approach where food becomes nourishment in every sense of the word. Food choices become as much about the nutritional content as they do about the product origins and raw materials used. Those looking to practice a holistic approach will opt for items that align with natural sources and brands that foster positive relationships with the world we live in; eating for both the mind and body.
Listen To Your Intuition
After a stressful meeting or even cosying up on the sofa at a weekend, it is easy to reach for the share bag of sweets and unexpectedly gorge; before you know it, the contents are gone. This is eating without intuition, the very opposite of mindful nourishment. When snacking, the key is to literally listen to your gut and recognise your body’s cues for hunger and fullness. Holistic nutrition is not about controlling portion size, but instead, it is about knowing when you have eaten enough. The approach also recognises the importance of listening to your body and its own health needs, taking dietary requirements into account and building a lifestyle around conscious nutrition.
Eating Without Restrictions
Holistic nutrition rejects diet culture and promotes food as pleasure and nourishment, encouraging positive messaging around snacking and food consumption. Rather than snack and meal choices being driven purely by portion size, holistic principles promote opting to select food and drinks that make you feel positive and healthy. The aim is to move away from the view that foods are ‘bad’ and ‘good’ and instead empower individuals to recognise what to eat and when in order to feel the best they can.
Why Bother?
Such an approach to eating allows you to build a positive relationship with food, this is why it is fascinating to customers. As the ethos is based on lifestyle as opposed to a strict diet plan, the flexibility and intuitive nature put the onus on the individual, to opt for meals and snack choices that align more fully with the body’s needs. Advocates suggest that this approach provides better fuel for the body resulting in more energy and supports improved sleep. It has also been linked to increased satisfaction when eating.
Getting Started
As with any new habit, customers will be looking to start with small incremental goals which are vital to success. To champion this trend, promote brands that focus on natural ingredients whilst also delivering flavour. Try opting for snacks that are created by brands that have a focus on the greater environmental agenda as well as offering tasty snacks and stock items that play into the senses, allowing customers to experience new smells, tastes and textures.
Learn More About What We Offer at Epicurium
To work with our expert team and curate a tailored product range designed to help you grow your business
click here to request an account