There are many misconceptions about eating and health. One of the most common assertions is the emphasis on the quantity of food people consume. Although, this may be a valid consideration, it is more precise to be concerned about the quality of foods that we consume. The body has a homeostatic, or balancing mechanism that will affect hunger and satiety centers of the brain if nourished properly. When consuming the appropriate foods, the bodies innate intelligence will tell you to stop eating when it has the correct nutrients. Enclosed is a list of general guidelines one can follow to get a good foundation.

The foods we ingest eventually affect every cell in our body. You truly are what you eat. When shopping, don’t put anything in your basket that wasn’t around 10,000 years ago! i.e. fruits, grains, vegetables and seeds. As a general rule, only buy items that are on the outside of the store. These are your basic foods groups. Foods that are eye level are foods that the manufacturer wants you to purchase, not necessarily healthy for you. The same thing goes for your children; foods at their eye level are usually of low quality nutritional value. Stick to the basics. Buy foods that are fresh. Try to stay away from junk foods or food that is highly processed.

Look at the labels. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you probably shouldn’t purchase it. Foods that say hydrogenated should be shelved. They compete for sites in the brain where good fats are used and may cause neurodegenerative diseases. Purchase foods that are full of nutrients. Vegetables and Fruits, preferably organically grown, are the best choice. Stay away from vegetable and fruits that have been sprayed with pesticides or grown in soils that have all the minerals taken out. A good place to obtain these is a good health food store or the natural food section of your grocery store. I prefer to steam or saute my vegetables and then add some spices, this assures that the vitamin and minerals don’t get compromised like the other cooking methods. Whole grain cereals, breads and crackers, eggs and poultry, and cold-water fish are foods that one should eat on a daily basis.

For snacking, I would like to see you eat raw nuts and seeds, yogurt and other natural dairy sources.

Eliminate most foods that are white. White bread and flour, sugar and all foods made with them. These foods are full of “empty calories”. Cakes, cookies, pastries, crackers, pies, doughnuts, hamburger buns have virtually no nutritional value. These foods can actually rob your body of essential nutrients. Replace these foods with brown or basmati rice, whole grain breads or bean sprout breads, whole grain pasta and whole grain cereals. Avoid “enriched” flour some whole grain labels read, as it may actually be white flour.

Use natural sweeteners such as honey or concentrated fruit juices. Avoid synthetic sweeteners and sugar.

It is important to purchase good sources of proteins, which are the building blocks for all the enzymes, hormones, antibodies and neurotransmitters in the body. I recommend eggs, nuts and seeds, cold-water fish, beans, peanuts, lentils, sunflower seeds, shellfish and some cheeses (cheddar, Swiss).

Eat natural fats, such as clarified butter instead of margarine. Nuts are also a good source of fats, like almonds. Olive oil may be used on salads, but avoid heating it as it becomes rancid at high temperature. Try to stick to oils that are liquid at room temperature as a rule. There are some excellent new studies on Virgin Coconut Oil recently. It has been shown to help you loose weight. It is healthy for you and it tastes great! I like to add a spoonful to my shakes. It brings a nice flavor to it. Healthy shakes are a good snack either mid morning or mid afternoon, especially for those with hypoglycemia.

We should take a page from our European friends that our meals should take place in a calm surrounding and it is an event that should be enjoyed and savored. Take the time to chew your food thoroughly and take breaks throughout your meal. Our society is becoming more fast paced and meals are “gobbled” down.

If you stick with these basic concepts you will be on your way towards good nutritional habits.

Get well versed in the secrets to a healthy eating plan and Do it the smart way.

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Digestive difficulties, especially constipation is widespread! Look around at your supermarket or pharmacy to view aisles of non-prescription laxatives.

Most people, who believe they suffer from constipation, really have a delayed transit time.

Some people have difficulties, and don’t even realize, because they were told “whatever is normal for you is correct.”

This is false! Bowel movement frequency problems will cause to diseases such as cancer, hypertension, gall bladder disease, hemorrhoids, etc.

The ideal food transit time is 36-42 hours, which is considered normal. From 42-48 hours is the high normal and over 54 hours is excessive.

Conversely, less than 36 hours is the low normal. I use a simple test in my clinic that the patient can do at home to determine food transit time if they are not positive what it is.

Transit time is a measure of how much time food material spends in your intestinal tract. Excessive time in the intestinal tract, as in constipation and infrequent bowel movement, allow toxic buildup and the absorption of these toxins into the body’s circulatory system. Cholesterol that was dumped out of the body now stands a good chance of being reabsorbed and reaching pathological high levels.

Diminished time in the intestinal tract, as in diarrhea or frequent bowel movements, is usually an indication of protein or fat malabsorption syndromes. These persons are frequently underweight and have poorly functioning immune systems.

The normal diet should contain at least 25 grams of dietary fiber daily, which can be supplied by ample amounts of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Water consumption should increase to 60 ounces every 24 hours.

Many people don’t realize what a “normal” digestive tract is. If you follow these suggestions, you will be well on your way to a healthy nutrition diet.

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Unfortunately, this is an insidious process. Getting healthy quick is not a simple process. There are subtle changes over a long period of time before one can recognize the effects of poor nutritional status. An innate intelligence is there in all of our bodies that allow us to adapt to outside stressors. For example, a well-nourished individual may feel weak (due to protein depletion), but only for a short time. The body “knows” it has other fuel reserves until a regular balance is once again maintained. However, if nutritional status is not re-established continual compensatory mechanisms will result in further adaptation. Adaptation will continue, on a much worse level.

There is an “organ hierarchy” in most of us. We are made to preserve our most vital systems at the expense of the other organs. Our body will continue to break down until dis-ease and then death occurs. Sounds bad, but true and inevitable unless recognition and intervention is found early enough to reverse the process. If you or someone you know someone who falls in the following categories, you may want to help them regain optimum health and get healthy quick:

One of the biggest of these groups is the elderly. South Florida has one of the largest concentrations of elderly compared to other parts of the country. And unfortunately they are often ignored as if getting old is a disease in itself! I think of it as another rite of passage and should be welcomed and celebrated! Yes, the body changes, but it should not deteriorate as some of us let it. I see patients who are 80 years old flying their private plane, or are out playing tennis: biological age unmatched by their chronological age. Why are other individuals not experiencing the similar things as with their same aged counterparts? They are suffering with depression (which may be due to an amino acid imbalance), lack of teeth (and therefore cannot chew their food), or medication (causing adverse side effects). As a result, anorexia may result and lack of nutrients is available, thus decreasing the availability of the body to do its proper job.

Obsessive dieters also are reaping the effects of micro-nutrient deficiencies. Diet fads that stress one type of food that’s predominant will offset the body’s systems. Some people have a higher food demand for a particular type of food, such as athletes who exercise too hard. These individuals need more protein and complex carbohydrates, and supplements. They will find themselves subject to lowered immunity and resistance when their body make up is changed with accompanying chemical imbalances.

Chronic alcoholics suffer from serious gastritis, impaired absorption of the stomach and intestine, and because of this eat empty calories with no nutritional content. They also have a low thiamine status, which is needed for the body’s energy intake

Adolescents are victims of media drilling. Unrealistic expectations of ideal body image are template into their psyche. Normal weight girls are brain washed into thinking that they are fat. Well-developed boys think they are too thin or lacking in muscular development. Strange rituals and eating pattern then start such as bulimia (throwing up food), diuretic use, anorexia, food faddisms, etc. This can cause a lack of growth, impaired energy levels, moodiness, and irritability.

Infants of low birth-weight or those with birth defects often have feeding difficulties and inadequate stores of nutrients. Lack of vital nutrients will affect them later in life if not intervened.

Young adults with fast growth spurts have a larger nutrient demand. Without the necessary nutrition, poor growth and development will ensue. This also includes mental function and capacity.

Optimum health is hard work. It is not an inevitable right. We do have the ability to change and reverse the direction of our health. However, holistic changes take longer than drugs. However, my thought is such that natural is more advantageous when given a choice and if reasonably possible. For one, you do not suffer bad drug side effects. Another reason is that you are merely putting a temporary patch on the problem, rather than to find the cause. This thought is crucial however, for every week of a specific nutrient deficiency, it will require approximately four weeks for re-establishment of normal levels in the body

Gary Gendron, DC

BS,DC,CCSP,CCN,DACBN

Now is the time to start getting healthy quick. Check out this great site, http://www.docofthefuture.com, for cutting edge health news now!

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