Nutrition – The Foundation of Good Health
“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food” – Hippocrates
Hippocrates, who lived more than 2400 years ago, realised the importance of food. He is still considered the father of modern medicine and wrote more than 70 books in which he scientifically described many diseases and their treatments. But just because your doctor does not understand nutrition or has the time or interest in advising you does not make food less important in the 21st century.
Nutrition – the third cornerstone of good health
Food is a critical component of a healthful life. Just like you will not put a poor quality fuel or parts in your car and expect optimum performance from the engine, the same principal applies to your body. How can you consume poor quality food and expect a clear mind, healthy joints, and optimal energy? It does not make sense, does it? Unfortunately, it is so that we are often misled by media, advertising, and the latest trends based on or backed by companies producing such foods.
Back to basics
We have 4 basic nutrients – Water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats and everyone needs these four basic nutrients. Foods that do not carry a label are inherently healthier than packaged food, this include grains, vegetables, fruits, and meats. These foods are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium.
It is well established that certain dietary practices can either cause or prevent chronic degenerative disease conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and many others. There are also more and more research indicating the immediate therapeutic effects of certain diets and foods.
According to Murray and Pizzorno there are two basic truths about diet and disease:
1) a diet rich in plant foods (whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, and vegetables) is protective against many diseases, and
2) a diet low in plant foods is a causative factor in the development of these diseases.
Reference between disease and diet is not new as seen in Hippocrates’ quote. In the early 1900’s, Dr Price, a dentist also documented the onset of degenerative disease as diets changed. He found that a cultures consuming a diet consisting of whole, unprocessed food had a very low incidence of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer and as diets change to a western diet, these conditions as well as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis became extremely common.
The following diseases have a convincing link to diets poor in plant foods.
a) Metabolic disease: Obesity, gout, diabetes, kidney stones, gallstones.
b) Cardiovascular disease: High blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism.
c) Colonic diseases: Constipation, appendicitis, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, haemorrhoids, colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease.
d) Other diseases: Dental caries, autoimmune disorders, pernicious anaemia, multiple sclerosis, thyrotoxicosis, psoriasis, acne, etc.
The Optimal Food Pyramid
Currently more than half of the carbohydrates being consumed are in the form of sugars being added to foods. High consumption of refined sugar is directly linked to many chronic disease conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Do you still remember the food pyramid? If you remember the one where bread, cereal and grains formed the base of the pyramid, do not say that out loud. The Optimal Food Pyramid has since been created and looks slightly different.
The Optimal Food pyramid incorporates the best of the two most healthful diets ever studied – the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Asian diet. The Optimal Food Pyramid stresses the importance of vegetable oils and regular fish consumption.
9 principles of a healthful diet
1. Eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables.
A diet high in coloured fruit and vegetables is the best for preventing almost every chronic disease condition.
Phytochemicals, the colour pigments in fruit and vegetables, such as carotenes, chlorophyll and flavonoids, dietary fibre, enzymes, and vitamins are powerful anti-oxidants and is needed for optimal function and protection against disease. Print the Phyto Nutrient Food list from The Institute of Functional Medicine, stick it on your fridge and see how many colours you eat. Here are some tips on how to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
2. Reduce exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and food additives
Toxins (hormones, pesticides and fertilizers used in the feed) are lipophilic meaning they bind to fat molecules. Therefore, you should avoid overconsumption of animal products high in fat, meat, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, milk. Phytochemicals are natural biologically active compounds that plants produce to protect themselves. If plants are treated with herbicides and pesticides, they produce less phytochemicals as they will not need to protect themselves. Therefore, it is best to buy organic produce where possible, not only for your health but also for the environment.
Here are some organic food websites I can recommend:
3. Eat to support blood sugar levels.
Avoid simple sugars, refined carbohydrates and junk food, these foods increase the blood sugar levels rapidly and boost secretion of insulin by the pancreas, this places stress on the body and may lead to insulin resistance, Type II diabetes and obesity. You want to eat foods low on the Glycaemic Index food list, < 55. If you are looking at Glycaemic Load, you want to eat foods that are rated 10 or less. Below a link to the Glycaemic Index Food List.
4. Do not over consume animal foods.
A high intake of red- and processed meat increases risk for certain disease conditions, including heart disease, cancers, digestive problems, etc. Certain diets high in meat claim that we should eat like our “caveman” ancestors did, but that argument is invalid as wild game meat contained less than 4% fat of which most of that was polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats. Today red meat contains 25-30% fat, with virtually no omega-3 fats and mostly unsaturated fats. What is particularly harmful to humans are the processed meats, such as ham, bacon, etc. as these contain sodium nitrate – one of the 5 top contributors to cancer.
I do not have enough space in this article to share the evidence, but you are welcome to ask me.
I am not saying we should all become vegans here are 3 tips on how to be more sensible!
a) Eat lean cuts of meat from grass fed animals,
b) reduce your portions size
c) replace 2 meals with fish
d) try some of the delicious vegetarian dishes available, there are plenty recipes, just think of Melanzane parmigiana, and other easy vegetarian recipes for beginners.
I am fully aware of diets out there advocating differently. If you are not convinced, I would like to encourage you to take a genetic test and see if that diet is suitable for you, you may regret it in 10 years-time.
5. Eat the right types of fats - unsaturated fats and plant fats.
The evidence is clear – diets high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids and cholesterol is linked to heart disease, cancers, and obesity. Fats are classified as “good” or “bad” depending on their function in the body. Bad fats results in an unhealthy cell membrane which loses its ability to hold water, vital nutrients, and electrolytes. They will also lose their ability to communicate with other cells and their ability to respond to certain hormones such as insulin. Unhealthy cells make unhealthy organs and unhealthy systems. The bad fats are generally saturated fats, trans fatty acids and hydrogenated vegetable oils. An easy way to remember – if it is in a solid state at room temperature, it is saturated. Healthy fats are poly-unsaturated fats but ideally you want to use the following fats: olive oil (never for cooking but can be added after and used over salads etc.), canola oil, and seed oils.
6. Keep salt intake low, potassium intake high.
Electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium are able to conduct electricity when dissolved in water. This is important, for your health’s biochemistry relies on this principle. A disturbance in this fine balance may lead to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, cramping, and even increase your risk for cancer.
If you have to eat packaged food, read the label, and avoid food with a high sodium content: salt, brine, baking soda, sodium, monosodium glutamate – these are all names you will find on the labels of products.
Fresh fruit and vegetables have a naturally high ratio of potassium to sodium, another reason to eat fresh fruit and vegetables instead of tinned and packaged foods.
7. Avoid food additives
Food additives add colour, prevent spoiling, and enhance the flavour of food, sounds all good. Do not be fooled, although many artificial additives have been banned there are still a great number of food additives that has been linked to depression, learning disabilities in children, migraines, and gut issues.
8. Take measure to reduce food borne illness.
Although this sounds a little old fashioned to warn people about food borne illnesses, there are still 76 million people in America that get sick every year from food borne illnesses of which about 5000 of them die.
There are more than 250 different organisms that are capable of causing food borne illnesses which include a variety of viruses, bacteria, and parasites as well as toxins from these organisms. The most common infections are caused by Campylobacter Salmonella and Escherichia coli species. The common sources of these organisms are undercooked meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurised milk, and raw shellfish.
To avoid contamination:
a) Wash your hands and the utensils and cutting board after they have been in contact with raw meat and poultry before working with other food.
b) Serve cooked meat on a clean platter, rather than the same one that held the raw meat.
c) Wash fruit and vegetables in clean water with a little vinegar added to it, then rinse in clean water before use.
9. Drink sufficient amounts of water.
Water is absolutely essential. Your body is about two-thirds water. Water is involved in every function of your body, including fat burning – one great reason to drink plenty water. However, I must warn you that too much is also not good as you can flush out all those essential electrolytes.
Water transports nutrients and waste products in and out of cells. It is involved in all digestive, absorptive, circulatory, and excretory functions. Without water your body can not utilise water soluble vitamins. Water also regulates your body’s temperature.
You lose about 946 ml of water through your kidneys and skin, about 250 ml from your lungs, 125 ml from feces. These amounts increase when you exercise or sweat a lot on a hot day. You need to replace the water loss every day. You do so by drinking enough clean water, herbal teas and eating fresh fruit and vegetables. To easily calculate how much water you need, take your body weight, and divide it by 10, e.g. you weigh 82 kg / 10 = 8.2. you need to drink 8 glasses of water each day. Add more water should you exercise or sweat a lot, especially on extremely hot days.
Not sure where to begin? I am available for nutritional consultations.