It's Never Too Late - Eating for Vitality
Angelina Stevens
We are a nation of obesity and weight management problems. We have been duped by the convienance of taste and so-called comfort foods full of sugar and trans-fats. In fact, recently "trans-fat free" labeled foods are permitted to contain up to 0.5g of partially hydrgenated oil which is itself a trans fat!
To maintain optimal health, whole foods and whole food concentrates (as needed) can be consumed on a daily basis. Examples of typical whole foods close to nature include organic, vine-ripened produce, lean free-range organic poultry and meats, clean fish and seafood, organic eggs, organic oils, and clean water. Organic usually means much more nutrition without the presence of dangerous pesticides or hormones.
To ease the confusion and help transition to a healthier whole food-based diet we've provided you with the Eating for Vitality dietary framework. If you can follow these suggestions and avoid may of the common pitfalls, then you may continue to improve your diet and health.
Protein
Suggestion: eat protein 3 times a day. A portion should be about the size of the palm of your hand. This includes: organic eggs, free range meats, poultry, and fish.
Vegetables and Fruits
Suggestion: eat 10-12 servings of organic fruits and veggies daily. Fruits should not be eaten with other foods.
Eat fruits between meals at least one hour away from other foods. Whole fruits are the best….avoid large amounts of fruit juices and dried fruit.
Good Fats
Suggestion: add an organic high lignan EFA oil blend to meet your daily essential fatty acid requirement. Such oils support the immune system, help normalize hormones, stabilize blood sugar levels, and enhance one’s overall energy. Use: organic butter and olive oil.
Avoid: margarine, vegetable oils, Crisco, Pam, Trans Fatty Acids, Partially Hydrogenated Fats
Water
Suggestion: Drink clean water such as spring, reverse osmosis, or distilled. Drink enough water every day to suit your body frame…at least 8 to 10 eight ounce glasses a day. Sip throughout the day…try getting your first 4 glasses in before lunch. Don’t drink too much at your main meals, as it may interfere with your digestion.
Snacks
Eat every 2 hours. This will help to keep your energy level stable. Eat nuts, fruits and veggies…high quality snacks, not vending machine snacks that rob you of nutrition. Avoid the starvation mode when your body feels desperately hungry because you have not given it the proper fuel it requires.
Food Allergens
Have your doctor check you for common food allergens, especially in the top four foods: wheat, corn, dairy, soy.
Foods to Limit
Brown or wild rice, potatoes, beans, and whole grains, including pasta, cereal, and bread
Foods to Avoid
Ironically, the better you eat the fewer cravings you will have for the sugary or "bad fat" foods. Your body will be able to tolerate them less and less. The occassional exposure to white sugar or white flour may set off alarms in your body telling you to stay away. Gastrointestinal stress, foul mood, and lethargy may be evident as you body tries to digest and assimilate these toxic ingredients. This acts as a good feedback tool to encourage you to stay away.
So what about nutritional or dietary supplements? We believe dietary change is always the best first step in improving one's health. In addition to dietary changes, one may include nutrtional supplements to not only augment one's diet, but also include many vitamins and minerals that are depleted or vacant in today's food supply. We recommend whole food containing suppplements to aid in your body's exposure to the best nutrients possible. Examples of typical whole food concentrates are natural supplements actually made from food sources through low heat flash drying with only the fiber, sugar, and water removed. The ingredients on such whole food supplements list the food sources such as: beets, broccoli, kale, pineapple, cherries, and blueberries.
It is not common knowledge that it can actually be dangerous to consume synthetic or even some so-called "natural" vitamin supplements, which can cause deficiencies and toxicity in the body. For example, Vitamin C or ascorbic acid has been popularized as a cure-all. But, interestingly enough, ascorbic acid is only one part of the Vitamin C complex. The other vital parts of the C complex include enzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, and other yet undiscovered nutrients. The body will try to balance the ingested ascorbic acid with its own Vitamin C cofactors, but if already C depleted, ultimately could end up with a worse C deficiency, imbalance, or toxicity.
Patients often ask about the potencies of natural, whole food concentrates. It has been our experience that nutritionally such whole food concentrates are superior to "mega-dosing" on synthetic, fractionated vitamins that often stimulate one’s nervous system but do not heal. Often we require very little of the Vitamin C whole food complex daily (20-50mg) as compared to the mega-dosed ascorbic acid that is available (500-1000mg). And yes, synthetic vitamin concoctions can be much cheaper to purchase in the short-term; however, such concoctions in reality can serve as dangerous false fuel to one’s body in the long-term.
The bottom line is eating foods and consuming nutritional supplements that are as close to what is found in nature is the best policy. Convenience, laziness, and ignorance often drive our bad choices. Knowledge, motivation, and conciousness are or best allies in creating lasting good habits with our food and supplement choices. Seek literature that my further this endeavor and health care practicioners that can help you get the full picture.
Good luck and eat well!
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