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PART
2 - These Seven Changes to Your Diet Will Revolutionize Your Health and
Well-Being For Years to Come
Think of
the term 'supplement'. Supplements are not meant to replace nutrient-rich
food in your diet, but rather they supplement the diet with nutrients not
otherwise present in the amounts needed for optimal health. This is why
the first step in regaining your health is to change our thinking about why
we eat. Today, many in the Western world have actually forgotten the
primary reason why we eat: to feed our cells and not 'our faces'. It
is astounding how many food products are offered to us in the grocery store
which not only have negligible nutritional value, but are also harmful to our
health! So we start with a change in our mind with a goal of consuming
only those foods that provide nutrients for our body to function the way it was
designed to.
Most
people are unaware of the fact that modern 'fad' diets can be very damaging to
one's health, especially when the diet is adhered to over an extended
period. For instance, the current craze of the 'low-carb' diet may sound
good, but over time this type of diet starves cells of hydrating foods. Carbohydrates are
a key food group which play a critical role in hydrating the body. If
carbohydrates are left out of the diet over
long periods of time, this actually promotes aggregation of blood cells,
irregularities to cell walls, and decreased blood flow. All of these
things can lead to serious health problems.
Poor nutrition is
seriously affecting the overall health of the American people. In fact, eight
out of the ten top causes of death today are directly related to our diet.
Though we live in an age of advanced technology and affluence, individuals
continue to die sooner than they should and to live less productive lives simply
because of poor nutritional habits.
Understanding that the
purpose of eating is to feed the cells helps us select foods that are beneficial
to that process, rather than those that interfere. Just what kinds of food
supply the body with what it needs for health? What kinds of food truly nourish
the cells?
The OHS Seven Basics of
Sound Nutrition outline the basic principles that should be underlying every
food selection choice. These simple guidelines offer a starting point for anyone
beginning a program of improved nutrition. These OHS Nutrition Plan guidelines
also offer a standard for an on-going program of optimum nutrition.
So instead
of altering your diet by omitting critical food groups, try making these 7
simple changes that will give you great rewards in terms of your health:
The
OHS Seven Basics of Sound Nutrition
Excerpted from
"Optimal F.I.T.N.E.S.S - Your System to Reach Optimal Health, Doug Grant,
Optimal Health Systems, 1999.
1. Eliminate
carbonated beverages
Individuals who drink a
lot of soda pop or other carbonated beverages can see dramatic health
improvements if they will change this habit. Carbonated beverages have no place
in the diet. They are often high in sugar and many include caffeine, which is
extremely hazardous to health. However, even more harmful that sugar and
caffeine is the acid in carbonated drinks. The acid changes the pH in the
digestive system, and thus significantly interferes with digestion.
Carbonated
beverages contain carbonic acid which change the pH in the stomach and interfere
significantly with digestion and the breakdown of food into nutrients.
Digestion can take at least four times longer when carbonated drinks are
consumed with meals. Partially undigested food can remain in the colon and
build up as a toxin, leading to many different GI tract conditions and other
health problems. The
high sugar content is also bad for the body, and many deleterious symptoms have
been observed in the overuse of aspartame and other synthetic sweeteners.
Recall from earlier in
this section that the purpose of food is to fuel the body. Carbonated drinks
actually do the opposite. They drain the body of potential energy since they
interfere with the very process that allows food to be broken down and delivered
where it is needed. By drinking a soda, even a balanced, healthy meal can be
sabotaged.
Some people think they
are safe drinking Perrier water. This is a false assumption. Perrier or
sparkling water is carbonated, just like soda pop. Understanding
that carbonated beverages interfere with digestion may shed some light on
another issue. Often people who drink diet sodas still seem to have trouble
losing weight. Could this be because they are not properly digesting their food
due to the acid they are getting from these drinks? In addition, studies
also show that the acids in carbonated drinks increase calcium loss.
2. Drink more water
Some experts say that
water is the most important nutrient. Ninety percent of the body is water, and
it needs to be constantly rehydrated. The performance of the individual cells
and the tissues of the body depend on the quality and quantity of the water you
drink. Studies show that hydration is particularly important in warding off
autoimmune disease and that aging, in many cases, is actually a process of
dehydration.
Water is lost in urine,
sweat and even when we breathe. Athletes and others who train heavily use over
two gallons of water a day. Even light exercise requires half a gallon of water.
Proper hydration helps
the body to eliminate toxins and shed unwanted body fat. While body water can be
replaced with any beverage, anything that is added to water actually slows
absorption. Water passes easily through the semi-permeable membranes of the
intestine, but other particles may not.
So, we suggest you
drink water, and plenty of it. We’re not talking about tap water, however. Tap
water, depending on where you live, may be contaminated with parasites,
pesticides and other environmental toxins. There is no such thing as clean water
out of a tap. Avoid tap water. And, as mentioned earlier, don’t think Perrier
or sparkling water is a healthy way to rehydrate.
Beyond those two
don’ts, the key is simply to take in more water. Some people recommend spring
water, others insist that you have to drink distilled water. Countless reverse
osmosis and home distillers are on the market. Although the controversy over
which kind of water is cleanest and safest rages on, until further research is
available, we recommend using any purified or distilled water.
There is a
difference between purified water and filtered water. Purified water is by
far the cleanest with all chemicals and unwanted organic compounds removed to
below detectable limits. This is not the case with filtered water.
We recommend a very economical option for purified water, with no installation
or electricity required! The Berkey
Light Water Purification System is gravity-fed, and the filters last at
least a year, usually longer.
3. Eat More Raw Food
The benefits of natural
foods have been well-documented, and new findings are constantly being
published. For example, in recent years, scientists have identified nutrients
known as phytochemicals in raw foods and have found them to extremely
beneficial.
Though we don’t fully
understand all the benefits of raw food, we do know that they supply life-giving
enzymes that are not available in foods that have been cooked or processed.
Enzymes are minute, highly complex protein molecules. Their role is to break
food down and make it useable in the body.
When food is cooked or
processed, these vital nutrients are destroyed. The full burden of digestion
then falls on the body. Although the body can supply some digestive enzymes to
help with this process, its enzyme stores are limited. Once digestive enzyme
supplies are depleted, the body next has to rely on metabolic enzymes to
accomplish digestion. This robs enzymes that are intended for other important
processes in the body. Over-taxing the body by eating foods that are enzyme
deficient can lead to numerous diseases, lowered immune function and premature
aging. In other words, cooked and processed foods, because they are
enzyme-deficient, cause sickness and even early death!
The key is to
constantly replenish the body’s enzyme supply by eating foods as close to
their natural state as possible. At each meal, include
as many raw foods as possible.
If getting raw foods
into your diet seems difficult, consider green
food juice powders mixed in juice as one option for one meal such as
breakfast. If the taste is a concern to you, Green
Kamut by Organic By Nature is one of the least 'green' or 'grassy' tasting
green juice powders available and is actually quite pleasant. It is a
whole food, and there are no added sugars or other fillers in this or any of the
Organic By Nature powders. The green juice powders contain many of the
basic nutrients including vitamins, trace minerals, amino acids, and
enzymes. These come with a convenient shaker cup, making preparation and
cleanup extremely easy and convenient.
4. Add good fat to
your diet
In recent years, fat
has been looked at as an enemy to be eliminated at all cost. Unfortunately, the
cost has not been considered. Trimming fat to less than 20 percent of the total
food intake causes numerous health concerns.
Fat is essential for
energy and for healthy skin and hair. Fat is also necessary for absorption of
some vitamins and for proper functioning of all the body’s system. Without
optimum levels of fat, hormone function can be dramatically impaired. And,
without fat, calorie burning significantly shuts down. (Contrary to what most
people have been led to believe, trimming fat could make you fat! Could this be
why the general population is 54% fatter, even though we have significantly
reduced our overall caloric intake?)
This doesn’t mean you
should run out and order the greasiest French fries you can find. While fat is
good for you, all fat is not the same. Fats that are highly processed cannot be
easily digested and used by the body and are, therefore, stored. Thus,
over-consumption of highly processed fat leads to heart disease and other
conditions associated with obesity.
As a good rule of
thumb, 20 percent of your total food intake for the day should come from fat.
Read labels carefully, and use the following calculation to determine whether
the food you buy is 20 percent fat or less:
EXAMPLE: 97% Fat Free
Frozen Dinner
Nutrition Information
1 serving = 200
calories
Carbohydrates 10 grams
Protein 13 grams
Fat 10 grams
Multiply the total fat
grams by 10 to get the total fat calories in one serving. In the case of this
example, the total fat grams are 10, so the total fat calories are 100. Divide
the result by the total number of calories in one serving. One hundred calories
fat calories divided by 200 total calories, equals 5. Multiply the result by the
result by 100 to get the percent of fat. In this example, .5 x 100 = 50, meaning
this food is 50 percent fat (even though it is labeled as 97% fat free!)
It’s obvious from the
above example that labels claiming that a food is 97% fat free or has 50% less
fat are misleading. These claims are based on volume only. To understand how
this works, think about a bottle of water. If you were to add one drop of oil to
that water, it may be 99 percent fat free by volume. In reality, 100 percent of
the calories in that water—every one of the calories—are from fat.
Even if you are able to
find some truly low-fat prepared foods, much of the fat in those foods is
unhealthy. We recommend that you avoid the highly processed, pre-packaged meals,
even if they are low fat. Obviously, you should also stay away from French Fries
and from other deep-fat fried foods; and you will want to eliminate the
unhealthy oils you currently use for cooking and in salads.
Get to Know the Good
Fats
The goal is to become
Fat-wise, rather than Fat-free. At OHS, one of our primary goals is to help
change the common thinking by providing education about the difference between
good fats and bad fats.
The following
information about good fats will prove invaluable if you will use it in your
quest for optimal health.
There are two fatty
acids, LA and LNA, that our bodies cannot produce, and we must therefore obtain
from our foods. They are called essential fatty acids because our bodies must
have them. These fatty acids are crucial in our body’s process of deriving
energy from our food. They are mandatory for proper growth, mental state, skin
condition, learning ability, liver and hormone function, vitality, and even
behavioral patterns.
LA and LNA contain 9
calories per gram but rather than using them for energy, our bodies use them for
hormonal, electrical, and structural functions (as long as they have not been
formed into a trans-fatty acid by heating them at too high of a temperature).
When one’s intake of these EFAs is high, this metabolic rate and fat burn-off
is increased. This means an increase in vitality and a decrease in weight.
The explanation
provided in the two previous paragraphs offers a brief overview of the benefits
of these essential fats. We strongly recommend that you take this information to
heart. Rather than simply reading through this section, take time to discover
just how to incorporate healthy fats into your cooking and eating habits, in
order to derive the available benefits.
Some of the richest
sources of LA are cold-pressed safflower oil, sunflower oil and grape seed oils.
The best readily available sources of LNA are RAW flaxseeds*, raw walnuts and
raw wheat germ. (We strongly encourage you to eat ground flax seeds daily. They
are by far the richest source of LNA.)
Most oils on the market
today are processed with heat and chemicals. They are bleached and deodorized.
Most of their natural antioxidant taste, oil-soluble vitamins, and enzymes are
removed and destroyed.
The healthiest oils
with these properties still in tact are cold-pressed, then stored in dark
bottles and refrigerated. No heat and no chemicals are used in the processing of
these oils. Because the taste is not diminished by processing, so these are
full-flavored oils; and it may take time to adjust to their flavor.
Cold-processed oils are very unstable and should not be used for cooking.
Cooking with these oils will easily form trans-fatty acids. The only exception
to this rule is extra virgin olive oil, which is still cold-pressed but is much
more stable. This is the reason that we recommend using extra virgin olive oil
in Cooking Spray.
The next best oils are
those that are often termed expeller-pressed on the label. These oils are
heat-processed, but by lower temperatures to ensure that trans-fatty acids are
not produced. These oils have a milder taste. Therefore, you may want to mix
expeller-pressed oils with cold-pressed varieties until a taste for the
cold-pressed oils is acquired. Cold-pressed and expeller-pressed oils are found,
almost exclusively, in health food stores.
Healthy Sources of Fat
The following is a list
of some healthy fat sources. This list can help you in designing your daily
intake to include the recommended 20 percent from fats. Each of the listed items
provides approximately 20 calories from fat (2 g.):
2 Tbsp. grated raw
cheese (not packed)
2 Tbsp. mashed avocado
½ tsp. oil from the
following list: expeller-pressed safflower oil, extra virgin olive oil or
(particularly for salads) cold-pressed oils; i.e. walnut, soybean, safflower,
sesame-untoasted
½ tsp. butter (raw, if
available)
½ tsp. mayonnaise
(made from expeller-pressed oil)
1 tsp. peanut butter
(non-hydrogenated only)
1½ tsp. raw nuts
(i.e., walnuts, pecans, almonds)
Foods high in fat such
as nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. should always be eaten raw, as should dairy
products where available.
To get more good fat
in your diet, we recommend Udo's
Oil Blend and other Flora products. Flora is the authority on the good
oils, and has established a reputation as a leader in the market for the 'good
fats'.
5. Avoid white flour
and highly processed foods
The recommendation to
stay away from white flour products, may be the single most important nutrition
tip in this book. White flour should be avoided like poison, because in many
ways, it is poison. During refining, wheat goes through up to two dozen
processes. The low-nutrient dense starchy material is extracted from the wheat
and the nutritious seed at the center, the wheat germ, is discarded, as is the
mineral-rich wheat bran that makes up the high-fiber shell. Twenty-five
different nutrients are lost during refining.
When white flour was
first introduced in the marketplace, it caused a great deal of sickness and even
some deaths. The government pulled it off the market and required that, it had
to be enriched or fortified, meaning nutrients had to be added back in before
any white flour could be sold. However, the government required that only four
of the 25 be replaced.
White flour is
extremely dangerous as far as health is concerned. Studies show that white flour
balls up in the system, much like rolling a piece of white bread forms a gummy
ball when you roll between the palms. It actually draws minerals out of the
body, depleting important nutrients the body needs. Recent studies also show
that white flour (along with sugar) caramelizes in the system, leading to
premature aging, clogging of the arteries and other health concerns.
One authority calls
refining a nutrient-devastating series of industrial procedures. White flour is
just one of the many examples of food that is stripped of its value through the
process of refining, heat-processing or other preservation methods.
As you select foods,
remember that those closest to their natural state are much more nutrient-rich
and more health promoting than foods that are significantly altered by refining
and processing.
Remember to avoid white
flour as if it were poison. Rather than white flour, select whole grain bread,
rolls, pancakes, tortillas and other baked goods. Try whole wheat, spinach or
other vegetable pastas. Choose brown rice over white rice.
6. Avoid white sugar
and other high glycemic foods
Like white flour, white
sugar is highly refined. Essentially, refining makes sugar a non-food. It has no
nutrient value left. Since even the trace elements that are necessary for
metabolism of the sugar are gone, it is actually a negative nutrient. In order
for the body to metabolize sugar, it must consume nutrients from the system. The
more sugar you eat, the less nourished you become.
Sugar-rich,
nutrient-poor foods take up a disproportionate share of many Americans diets.
One study shows that sugars (both refined and natural) make up over one fourth
of the average Americans daily caloric intake. These nutrient-impoverished foods
crowd out the foods that are high in nutrients, leaving individuals with excess
calories and malnourished. We have become a nation of sugar-holics. Many of us
are literally addicted to sugar and high-sugar foods.
Studies show that the
average person consumes 170 pounds of sugar a year. Much of this comes not from
common table sugar use, but sugar that added to foods during processing. The
food industry routinely adds sugar to virtually every processed food. Ketchup
has long been recognized as a food high in sugar. Other foods like mayonnaise
and sauerkraut, once made without sugar, now contain added sugars.
In a way, the food
industry has tricked the general public with the introduction of the many foods
labeled low fat or non-fat. Consumers think they are buying a better, healthier
product, when in actuality most of these foods are extremely high in sugar
content.
The impact of this
over-consumption of sugar is enormous. Sugar has been linked to diabetes, high
blood pressure, atherosclerosis, behavioral disorders, and even cancer. Some
researchers believe that sugar can also be responsible for learning
disabilities, aggressive behavior and depression.
Also, sugar is a major
cause of obesity. Contrary to what most people think, fat consumption is not the
problem. Instead, the consumption of sugars and high-sugar foods play a major
role. Foods high in sugar content are rated high glycemic. High glycemic foods
cause insulin surges and sudden, unstable swings in blood sugar. Eating high
glycemic foods increases irritability. It also increases the appetite and the
body’s tendency to convert food calories into body fat is also increased. The
over-stimulation of insulin from eating high glycemic foods can cause people to
eat 60 to 70 percent more at the next meal.
Low glycemic foods, on
the other hand, promote a slow, moderate rise in blood sugar. This keeps hunger
in check. Low glycemic foods also encourage the body to convert stored body fat
to energy.
Don’t think you are
safe by using artificial sweeteners, either. Aspartame, saccharin and other
sweeteners have been shown to cause the same, or even greater, insulin surges as
sugar. In many ways they are even more damaging to health. Remember, they are
artificial, and, therefore, are even more foreign to the body than natural
sugars.
Glycemic Guidelines
The following general
guidelines can help you determine which foods are most desirable in terms of
sugar content and which foods should be avoided because they will significantly
raise blood sugar. Notice that these guidelines do not consider nutrient value.
Some foods that are nutrient-rich may be high glycemic. These foods need to be
balanced with low-glycemic foods rather than being avoided all together.
Breads: Coarse, whole
grain breads, including cracked or sprouted whole wheat bread or any whole grain
bread are the best. Select breads that feel heavy and avoid the light, airy
white or commercial whole wheat breads. Most English muffins, bagels and Matzoh
are high glycemic, and, so, are less desirable.
Cereal/Grains: Again,
select coarse, compact varieties of cereal, such as high-bran types (All-Bran)
or other whole grain cereals. Coarse, rolled oatmeal is best, the finer 5-minute
variety is medium glycemic, and the instant Quick type is high glycemic.
Similarly, brown rice or regular white rice is low while instant rice has a high
glycemic content.
Pasta: Almost all pasta
is low glycemic. However, beware of the added sauces and cheeses.
Legumes and Starchy
Vegetables: Most beans and peas fall into the low glycemic category. Sweet
potato and yam are also low glycemic. However, baked potatoes, lima beans and
winter squash fall into the less desirable category.
Vegetables: Almost all
vegetables are low glycemic. Note the exceptions in the Starchy Vegetable
category (above). Carrots are also an exception. They are high in sugar content
and should always be balanced with a low-glycemic food.
Fruits: Like
vegetables, almost all fruits and natural fruit juices are in the low-glycemic
range. Bananas and canned fruits are in the mid-range. Fruits to avoid or use in
combination with another food are pineapple, raisins, watermelon and
sugar-sweetened fruit juices.
Milk Products: Low-fat
milk and milk products are the most desirable in terms of their glycemic rating.
(That’s why low-fat frozen yogurt sweetened with fructose makes a great
treat.) Whole milk, ice milk, ice cream, sugar-sweetened yogurt are on the high-glycemic
end.
Soups: Low fat, low
sugar versions are available, e.g., Health Valley, Nile Spice, Pritikin, certain
Progresso varieties, and Campbell’s Healthy Request. Most other commercial
soups have high-starch content, making them less desirable; and the powdered,
Cup of Soup instant soups often contain corn syrup, making them high glycemic.
Sugars: The best sugars
are fructose and lactose, but even these should be taken in limited amounts.
Sucrose is medium glycemic, and is better than the extremely high glycemic
glucose, corn syrup, honey and molasses.
Bottom line, as far as
sugary foods are concerned, do whatever you can to eat low or medium glycemic
foods and to eliminate refined sugars from your diet. Such sugars are often
listed on the label using other terms, including corn syrup, sucrose, glucose or
dextrose. Don’t be fooled by the term, high fructose corn syrup. This is also
a highly processed and unhealthy form of sugar.
These various types of
sugar should be eliminated. Replace the harmful, highly refined forms of syrup
with fructose, since fructose can be more readily metabolized. Fructose looks
and smells like the table sugar you are familiar with. It can be found at health
food stores and some grocery stores.
7. Balance your diet
using the 60-20-20 ratio
For years, school
children and others were taught to select foods from the Four Basic Food Groups.
Recently, after ten years of research, this recommendation was changed. The
Eating Right Pyramid was released and has now become the standard for creating
balance when it comes to nutrition.
The Eating Right
Pyramid is an illustration of how to maintain a healthy ratio of carbohydrates,
protein and fat. The base of the pyramid shows grains, which means that the
majority of foods eaten each day should be from rice, whole grain breads, pastas
and other cereal. Bread and cereal companies have used this to their advantage,
and have even gone so far as to include a picture of the Eating Right Pyramid on
their label. From previous reading in this section, you are aware that merely
printing an Eating Right Pyramid on a white bread sack does not make the
contents of that sack any healthier. Stick to whole grains and include six to 11
servings a day as the foundation of your eating plan.
Moving up the Eating
Right Pyramid, fruits and vegetables are next. Two to four servings of fruits
should be eaten daily and three to five serving of vegetables. Eat these
important foods raw, if possible.
Near the top in a
smaller section of the Pyramid, are proteins and dairy products. Our diets
should include a small amount of these types of food. Select dairy products that
are as close to their natural state as possible, meaning raw milk, raw cheese,
etc., if available. When selecting protein, steer clear of bacon, sausage, ham
and other high-fat meats.
At the top, in the
smallest portion of the Eating Right Pyramid, are foods that should be consumed
in limited amounts each day, namely oils, fats and sugars. Refer to the
information provided previously to understand how to select healthy fats and
sugars.
Using the Eating Right
Pyramid as a guide will help you eat foods in the proper ratio of carbohydrates,
protein and fats. Research shows the healthiest ratio is 60 percent
carbohydrates, 20 percent protein, and 20 percent (good) fats daily.
The 5 Essential Nutrients That
We are Depleting Daily Must be Replenished
Studies indicate that 70% of the American
population take supplements at least occasionally. However, the vast
majority of people today are deficient in some of the most essential vitamins
and minerals. So far we have talked about the critical role of the diet in
your health. The suggestions on dietary changes we've presented will take
you a long way down the road to optimal health. However, there are 5
essential nutrients that are continuously depleted on a daily basis, and we
often do not get sufficient quantities of these nutrients in the foods we eat.
The mineral content in our food has significantly decreased
over the years since these minerals assimilated by plants
have to come from the soil they are grown in, and our nation's agricultural soils have been
steadily depleted of minerals over the years from overuse. Likewise,
vitamin potency in produce is affected by many factors including growing
conditions and when fruits and vegetables are picked or harvested.
The 5 essential classes
of nutrients that need to be
continuously replenished include:
-
Vitamins
-
Minerals
-
Enzymes
-
Probiotics (Flora)
-
Antioxidants
& EFAs
We will tell you
more later about two products made by Optimal Health Systems which together will
provide with all five of these key nutrients, with the exception of the
EFAs (essential fatty acids) which can be obtained through adding good fats to
the diet and other supplementation. These 2 OHS products are called Optimal
1 Digestion Formula & Optimal 2 Vitamin/Mineral/Antioxidant.
1. Vitamins and
Minerals
Where do we get
these? As discussed above, to a certain extent we can get some of what we
need through our diet. But we usually do not get enough of our daily
vitamins and minerals through food, either because it is processed or refined,
or in the case of fresh produce, it is far less potent nutritionally today than
in past years. For this reason, more and more packaged foods claim to be
"fortified with essential vitamins and minerals". However,
vitamins which are added rather than being an intrinsic part of the food source
are almost always synthetic, lacking the co-factors required for proper
utilization that would otherwise be present with the same vitamins in natural
foods. Likewise, the minerals added to "fortified" packaged food
products are almost always inorganic, so they are poorly absorbed and not
recognized by your body as being equivalent to organically-bound minerals.
Optimal
2 Vitamin/Mineral/Antioxidant
OsteoPlus
Calcium Supplement
2. Enzymes
Enzymes taken from an
external source should be plant-based enzymes, since research on pancreatic
enzymes or enzymes of animal origin remains inconclusive as to their nutritional
benefit. Raw fruits and vegetables are therefore the best source of
enzymes in one's diet, but additional enzymes are often needed by most Americans
because of the abuse and depletion our enzyme "banks" have suffered
over many years of consuming too much cooked and processed food which is devoid
of enzymes.
Animal enzymes, such
as pepsin, are no better than incomplete plant enzymes. While animal
enzymes, indeed, may promote digestion, they have a limited pH range, which
means that they work in only one of the three stages of digestion (ingestion
& mastication, breakdown, and absorption). In addition, rather than
restoring the body's enzyme supply, animal enzymes supplant this supply,
causing the body to stop producing its own enzymes.
Optimal
1 Digestion Formula
3. Probiotics
It is difficult to find
a lot of food choices available in the US which are probiotic-rich. Some
examples of foods which contain probiotics, or flora, are miso soup and certain
types of sauerkraut. Probiotics, or the "good" bacteria which
plays a critical role in the assimilation of nutrients to the cellular level,
must largely be replenished through dietary supplements. It is important
to get all of the major strains in a stabilized form. If the probiotic
supplement requires refrigeration, then it is not stabilized.
Optimal
Flora Plus
4. Antioxidants/EFAs
Antioxidants include a
specific group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes which help to protect the
body's cells from free radical damage due to oxidation. Therefore, it is a
good idea to incorporate antioxidant-rich foods such as spinach, raisins,
blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries into your diet. As with the
vitamin and mineral essential nutrient category, more people are beginning to
supplement their diet with antioxidant formulas since the amount of antioxidants
consumed through foods varies widely based on diet and the availability of the
right kinds of fresh produce.
Opti-Force
Total Antioxidant
EFAs, or essential
fatty acids, are a component of the 'good' fats as discussed above. Food
sources of good fats include certain types of fish and fish oil, as well as
flax, raw nuts, avocado, and borage oil.
Optimal
E.F.A.
Tips on
Healthy Eating
Check out "Quick
Reference for Healthy Choices - Protein, Fats, and Carbs " and "Best
Food Choices for Vitamins and Minerals" - these handy 1-page guides
give many good ideas on nutrient-rich foods to introduce into your diet.
Conclusion
Even with
improvements made to your diet, it can still be difficult to systematically get
enough of the five critical
nutrients from your diet alone, which are depleted daily through lifestyle and
stress. According to a June 2002 article in JAMA by Fletcher and Fairfield
entitled "Vitamins for Chronic Disease Prevention in Adults",
most people do not get the necessary amount of all vitamins needed through diet
alone.
In the next segment, or
Part 3
of this Health and Nutrition seminar, we will
teach you about seven things to look for when shopping for supplements so that
you can be sure you are getting what you need on the road to optimal
health.
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