Hello Reader

How are you? (Do reply to this email and let me know!) It has been quite some time since I have written and sent out a Thursday newsletter. It is a bit of a long one today, but it is worth the read!

Following my announcement of starting my PhD, I took a bit of "break" from sending newsletters. I am now back with a lot more to offer!

Beyond my years of work within the clinical setting, I am also now involved academically, from teaching and supervising to doing research.

As it stands, Illuminated Health continues to operate and I will continue to see 1:1 clients. If you want to book in a a nutrition consultation, please simply reach out and we can have a chat. All you have to do is send me an email. As a part of my consultations, I will continue to offer discounts to supplements where possible and offer private medical testing ranging from food allergies and intolerances to stool tests and comprehensive nutrient analysis. Even the nutrigenomics testing is available to anyone who is interested.

You may be wondering, where is the change?

For starters, my research for my PhD is focused around women's health through Ayurvedic nutrition. Will share more details in due course. However, if you have specific questions, please feel free to reach out.

This means that my newsletters are largely going to revolve around my phd journey, which includes teachings and learnings, and how it ties into work (business and NHS), my personal life, family, hobbies, and so much more.

I will continue to talk about gut health, diabetes, and prevention of disease, but the primary focus will in time turn to women's health, especially as I get deeper into my research and trial of the protocol that I will be testing.

Today, I wanted to bring to your attention the recent headlines and "posts" you may have seen in regards to the new American Dietary Guidelines. It is for the first time in decades, that we are seeing a massive shift toward "Real Food."

The guidelines are essentially calling out the dangers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and recognising the value of real food including high-quality proteins and healthy fats. We are also seeing the rise of the Planetary Health Diet, which is an attempt to align our plates with the health of the earth, emphasising plant-forward, minimally processed eating.

As a nutritionist, it is wonderful to see this sort of progress on the conversations around real food. As a PhD student, I’m encouraged by the evidence. However, as an Ayurveda specialist I know there is more to the story.

While modern guidelines look at what is on the plate such as calories, macronutrients, and sustainability, they often miss the who and the how.

Modern science is catching up to what Ayurveda has taught for thousands of years: that food is not just fuel; it is Prana or the life force. While the Planetary Health Diet is a wonderful "one-size-fits-most" framework, Ayurveda supersedes it by being truly individual.

In my clinical practice, I look at nutrition through the lens of the Doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and when it comes to food, the tastes matter more than you may consider.

• Beyond Macros: We do not just need "fibre"; we need the Bitter and Astringent tastes to scrape away toxins (Ama) and manage the insulin resistance often found in PCOS.
• The Elements: We do not just eat "seasonal"; we eat to balance the Internal Weather of your body.
• Prana: A meal can be scientifically "perfect" but energetically "dead" if it is processed or eaten in a state of stress.

All these factors really do matter when it comes to your health and wellbeing. Join my inside my members only newsletters, where I am diving deep into the Planetary Health Diet and its correlation to Ayurveda. If you sign up before Monday 8am (UK time), let me know and I will personally forward to you the newsletter that went out earlier this week that introduces Ayurveda and the Planetary Health Diet. My newsletter is the only place to get this information.

£13.00 / month Holistically Healthy Membership This is the simplest healthy living membership on the planet. Once a week (Every Monday), you will receive an exclusive... Read more Get it now!

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Let me know if you have any questions.

Health & Happiness,

Varsha