Vogue spoke with Federica Amati, a health and nutrition expert, about homeostasis.
In the vast ocean of health information, it’s easy to get lost. Should we have breakfast? Or practice intermittent fasting? Is it better to train in the morning or in the evening? And should we really monitor our blood sugar? Experts often have different opinions, so understanding how to lead a healthy lifestyle in the modern era becomes a real challenge. But don’t panic: in his new book Every Body Should Know This (“Everyone should know this”), Dr. Federica Amatichief nutritionist at ZOEexplores the science-backed nutritional rules we should know at every stage of life, and they’re less complicated than you might think.
Every Body Should Know This – Dr. Federica Amati
Few people know it, but our nutritional needs change depending on our age. Dr.’s book Frederica Amati aims to bring together the essential concepts of nutrition across the lifespan, so that we are all ready to anticipate, understand and accept the natural changes that occur over time, whether in our 20s or during menopause. “When you have this knowledge, it’s easier to adapt and work with these changes, rather than resist them,” she tells me over the phone.
The title of the book actually came from a conversation with one of her clients, who was experiencing fertility issues. When Dr. Frederica Amati told her some simple nutritional rules to follow when trying to conceive, the client admitted that she didn’t know any of this. “She said, ‘Everyone should know this,’ and that became the title of my book.”
What is homeostasis and why is it so important?
The book is an informative journey through the ages of life (be prepared to learn a lot), and one of the fundamental principles of health, which Dr. Frederica Amati explores, is homeostasis. “Understanding fundamental biological mechanisms, like homeostasis, is essential because we need to understand the body’s systems to be healthy,” she explains. “Homeostasis comes from the Greek and essentially means ‘staying the same’.”
The “almighty” process of homeostasis involves constant calibration of our systems to keep our health stable and return things to normal to ensure we stay alive. We all have different homeostatic balances, so the process is different for everyone, but if you are alive and healthy, then your body always maintains homeostasis. “For example, we may be exposed to toxins all day long, or other harmful elements, and our body manages to balance them with homeostasis,” explains Dr. Federica Amati. “Or, when we lie down and get up, homeostasis ensures that the right blood vessels contract, while others widen, and our blood pressure and heart rate increase to prevent us from losing awareness.”
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