GEMMA BES
WE LOVE WOMEN
PHOTOS BY CLAIRE O'KEEFE
Gemma Bes is a nutritionist based in Mallorca, specialising in Ayurvedic nutrition, energetic cooking, naturopathy, sports nutrition and psychoneuroimmunoendocinology.
She directs the department of nutrition at the Rafa Nadal Academy and the Master's Degree in Nutrition and Sport at the Alfonso X University. Here, she tells us a bit about her greatest inspirations in life: Ayurveda, the wisdom of the ancestors and Mediterranean life.
I have always been interested in learning new things related to human nature. I love observing people and listening to their stories. I have drawn great inspiration from those around me, they've helped me grow as a person. I am really lucky to be surrounded by great people around me.
As a child I loved cooking with my grandmother, playing sports in nature, painting with my grandfather, dancing, having fun with my friends and inventing imaginary dishes.
Memory plays a crucial role in my work as a nutritionist. The advantage of being 50 years old and having more than 25 years of experience is that you accumulate knowledge and experience. For me, this is linked to family memory, the wonderful example I have experienced at home and the good fortune of having long-living grandparents. It has helped me to remember and sustain knowledge by being in contact with patients, simply repeating information and researching constantly. Though it's also essential to keep up to date with the latest research and publications.
We can learn their wisdom and experience of our ancestors in areas such as sustainability and connection to nature, traditional medicine and medicinal plants, values and community (one of the most important keys to living longer and better), culture and traditions, resilience and adaptation. These are very important concepts today, especially in sport, as the ability to adapt and overcome adversity can teach us to be more resilient and face difficulties with strength.
The culinary wisdom of our ancestors, where traditional diets were often based on natural and nutritious foods, can teach us to eat more healthily by incorporating principles of ancestral nutrition, such as whole food consumption and home cooking. We can also learn from their spirituality and philosophy of life; the spiritual beliefs and practices of our ancestors can offer insights into the purpose of life.
In short, learning from our ancestors provides us with a rich source of knowledge and wisdom that can improve our quality of life, foster a greater sense of community and help us live more in tune with the natural environment.
The Mediterranean is a source of inspiration for culture, landscape, lifestyle and of course, one of the most studied diets around the world - the Mediterranean diet. Known for its flavour and health benefits. It inspires me in how to create recipes and the many different ways of cooking the same food. The abundance of fresh and local ingredients, such as olive oil. If I were allowed to choose 3 foods to take with me to a desert island, olive oil would be one of them. Spain is one of the longest-living countries in the world, partly thanks to the Mediterranean diet.
The act of eating goes much further. If we want to digest properly, for example, one of the most important
things would be to be grateful, thankful and consider where everything we have on our plate comes from.
Ayurveda tells us that any food in its natural state, season and local proximity is a carrier of energy. The best foods are things we can pick directly from the garden or tree and eat immediately, this is the best medicine. There are many more reasons to consider eating local food: for environmental sustainability, local economy, to support farmers, food safety, tradition and culture, biodiversity and connecting to the community. Community connection strengthens the connection to the place where we live, as it allows us to get to know the producers and better understand where our food comes from.
Ayurveda has a deep and fundamental connection to nature. It considers natural cycles such as daily rhythms and seasons. This includes guidelines on when to wake up, eat and sleep to align with the rhythms of the sun and the seasons.
Ayurvedic medicine, which is over 5000 years old, means "Science of Life". It takes body, mind and spirit into account and understands health as something deeper. It also approaches nutrition from another paradigm, not placing so much importance on macro or micronutrients, but rather the qualities of the food are what matter: flavours, energetic power... before eating a certain food a baby awakens its senses: smell, touch, observes it. This gives us more information about how we will feel and prepares our digestive system because we give it time.
Ayurveda considers each of us to be unique, knowing our doshas helps us to see the imbalances and qualities in each and every one of us.
Ayurvedic nutrition has been a path of personal development but also outward discovery towards other people creating many links, including with neuroscience. Thanks to my friend Nazareth Castellanos I have been able to observe and realise what I am like and how to transmit my knowledge to others.
Travelling has allowed me to see the world from multiple angles and to understand that, despite our differences, we all share a common desire for happiness and wellbeing. However, I have not only learned from travelling.
Staying in a fixed place has also provided me with profound lessons. Stability has allowed me to develop lasting relationships, build a career and establish a home. In a familiar and constant environment, I have learned the importance of patience, routine and consistency. I have seen how small daily actions can have a significant long-term impact and how nurturing personal relationships is fundamental to a fulfilling life.
The most transformative experience of my life, however, was facing serious illness. At the age of 35, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. This experience taught me more about myself and about life than any other. Fighting cancer made me appreciate the fragility and beauty of life. I learned to cherish every moment, to live with greater intention and to take nothing for granted. The disease showed me the importance of mental and emotional strength, as well as the power of support from friends and family.
My desire is to live in the present, fully aware, enjoying every moment of life. One of my hobbies is ceramics, an art that I consider a true philosophy of life. Through ceramics, I learn the importance of patience, transformation and connection with nature. I also learn to accept imperfections, and to be able to express myself freely.
Nutrition and fashion, although they seem like different areas, have an interesting relationship when you examine the importance and duration of their impact on our lives. Cortana has a strong link and commitment to nature:
sustainability, colours, materials, and also timeless and transformable garments that last over time. Wrapping the body in natural materials is beneficial to our health – our skin is health, and it is important to remember that it is permeable.
True beauty is found in simplicity and living in harmony with nature. Living in a more conscious and sustainable way.
WORDS BY VICTORIA MACARTE