A Wellness Journey by Navneeta Gough.
This week we're handing over the journalling reins to friend of the brand, Navneeta Gough, who you may know as, Let's Eat Better Together. Navneeta's honest account of her own wellness journey through inflammation and insulin resistance really resonates with us here at Nourish, health struggles like these are what inspired Ineke to start Nourish while nursing patients with similar issues.
Navneeta's beautiful recipes are inspiring and often leave us feeling very hungry and wishing she'd deliver her gorgeous meals to us! Take a look at her grid and get inspired today.
Hi, I’m Navneeta, and I am on a wellness journey following insulin resistance and inflammation within the gut.
I truly believe in the power of food as medicine to nourish my body and heal. I now lead an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and utilise, whole foods, as a low inflammation recipe developer and wellness advocate. Health encompasses more than the food you consume, of course, but I have found simple steps that have improved my symptoms that I would love to share with you, in the hope that it may also offer hope to anyone going through the same.
Let me tell you a little more about my story…I was on route to becoming prediabetic after my second pregnancy in 2018, where I had gestational diabetes. In 2016 I was diagnosed with IBS after blood tests revealed high ESR blood inflammation markers and a colonoscopy revealed ulcers in my small bowel. It 2016 my HBA1c (glucose 3 month blood average) was showing I was becoming insulin resistant but no one told me as I wasn’t clawed as pre-diabetic or diabetic. Following gestational diabetes, I learned that inflammation within the gut can be a sign of insulin resistance and so it was all linked!
My father had type 2 diabetes had an autoimmune disease and towards the end of his life, had kidney failure. He passed away two months before I had my second child. This grief helped spur me to learn more about ways I can improve my own health. There is so much stigma surrounding diabetes, being overweight and IBS can be difficult to talk about. I’m so proud to be able to offer my followers hope and simple support that has helped me personally!
I learned that I was five times more likely, to develop diabetes, five years after gestational diabetes. This was shocking to me given that I was very aware what a slow and progressive disease diabetes can be. I was insulin resistant and wanted to improve my insulin sensitivity so that I didn’t become type 2 diabetic.
So, what steps can you take to improve your health today? Here are a few simple things that have helped me:
- I moved away from counting calories! It did not consider my microbiome and its ability to absorb those nutrients and calories. By upping my healthy fats, my body can release satiety hormones to help me feel fuller for longer and enough fat burning. Nourish- grow cook enjoy use a beautiful base of desiccated coconut, extra virgin coconut oil as well as raw cocoa butter! Coconut contains MCTs which are a quick, powerful energy source! Fats allow your body to take up fat soluble vitamins, such as, vitamin D, E, A and K. Omega 3 fatty acids can drive down inflammation whilst omega 6 (stay away from processed food with vegetable/seed oils) can drive up inflammation.
- Support gut health by offering your gut a great diversity of whole foods. I take probiotics to introduce plenty of ‘good guys’ into my gut and nurture and feed them with prebiotics (fibre). I love that Nourish- grow cook enjoy, contain maple syrup which is a prebiotic as well as containing magnesium which helps support blood sugar balance.
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Plant based fibre will naturally support your detox pathways/liver which will naturally support your hormone balance. I love that Nourish- grow cook enjoy use beetroot in the red velvet macaroons. Beetroot contain nitrates called betalains, an antioxidant, which can help reduce inflammation in the liver as well as increase natural detoxification enzymes. I enjoy an abundance of plant-based foods and eat the rainbow as they are rich in phytonutrients like flavonoids and polyphenols.
I love a mix of animal and plant protein to get a full spectrum of amino acids- the building blocks of the body.
I have lost 3 stone in weight, lowered my blood pressure, I no longer have high inflammation blood markers and improved my skin. Insulin resistance can cause pigmentation and I have alleviated this through hormone balance. Vitamin A rich foods, like liver, have also eased my keratosis pilaris.
I do not define my health through weight. It’s important to check-in with yourself and see how you are feeling.
Every day I aim to take small steps to improve my gut health, incorporate greater microbiome diversity and lower inflammation by leading a nourishing diet to improve my metabolic flexibility!