Another Blog, Another “Here’s How You Should Eat & Live” Sermon

photo credit: notyourstandard via photopin cc

It’s hard to go a day without getting a lecture from someone on what you should or shouldn’t eat; if you should take this supplement or not or how much of it and how often you should have it. It really is to the point that a lot of average, fairly well educated people really don’t know what to put into their mouths anymore. Partly to blame is the ever advancing science that refines itself continually. Just today I saw a study that is finally now saying Vitamin E has no connection with prostate cancer – a topic I covered on a previous blog about the nature of vitamin E and how only one form of it is sold in most pharmacies instead of the full spectrum of vitamin E molecules. The Internet is also to blame as it is a soapbox of thousands of opinions that causes a phenomenon that most people experience where if it is in print, then it must be true. A part of our brain turns off and allows itself to be spoon fed like a child when we read something that someone else has written (even stronger than if we are told something – we seem to be ok to discount something right away then).

So knowing this, why would I bother to throw this short brainstorm on the heap with the rest? Why would you believe this one and not another? I sometimes get messages back requesting references on my blogs to backup what I am saying. So that is what I’ll do, and perhaps the sheer volume of like minded individuals, books, papers, articles and studies will cause your brain to allow itself to not be spoon fed, but to use the part of your brain that reasons something to be true because a randomized, placebo controlled, double crossover blinded study (the standard in what we call good science) has shown something to be true.

So here is a blog post with a long winded introduction and a reference section that backs up a middle part that is merely points with no explanation:

1. If you are eating fats in your diet eat less monounsaturated oil and saturated fat and more polyunsaturated fat and less hydrogenated or trans fat
- Eat less vegetable oils, and more olive, coconut, and avocado oil (especially for cooking) and butter all in moderation.

2. Consume omega-3 fats over omega 6 (in fact supplement with omega-3)

3. Consume more fibre (both soluble and insoluble)

4. Drink more water

5. Eat less refined carbohydrates

6. Avoid Soda pop and added sugar beverages

7. Control stress

8. Get your sleep

9. Eat whole foods, organic, locally grown or free range when possible (See Grocery Shopping for Better Health at stonespharmasave.com)

10. Learn about Phytonutrients and eat foods that contain them, like those in #9 with lots of colour.

11. Get enough vitamin D and stay within an optimal blood level.

12. Exercise – every day

13. Take a good quality multistrain probiotic

14. Avoid Cereals with more than 5 g of sugar per serving.

15. Supplements and Vitamins do more than produce (expensive urine). If you think you’re getting it in the food you’re getting it in the food that you are eating, you are mistaken, even if you are eating healthy.

16. Caloric restriction often leads to longer healthier lives.

17. Be mindful that pretty much everyone has inflammation of some kind and although inflammation has a use in biologic systems, chronic inflammation where the immune system is always on high alert is counterproductive to long term health. Find your personal triggers of inflammation and try to eliminate them. This could be a food sensitivity (and yes that might be a non-celiac gluten sensitivity among hundreds of other potential food causes), a sensitivity to an external agent that is in that food (especially non organic food) or a sensitivity to anything you come in contact with daily.

18. Keep in mind that losing weight needs to be considered if your BMI or body fat percent are in an unhealthy range (over 25 for both) and that a body composition analyzer is needed to accurately determine your body fat. Fat loss is not natural and only unhealthy if it continues indefinitely and without proper nutrients. Carbohydrate restriction with a protein intake of 0.5 g per pound of lean body weight to prevent lean body mass loss during your diet.

19. Be mindful of decreasing levels of stomach acid as you age and the effect is has on overall digestion. And absorption of nutrients. Increasing your acid content with a meal or taking a supplement to lower pH in your stomach for a meal can help with this, as will taking digestive enzymes to break up the food to an absorbable form.

20. Processed food or food with refined sugar can be detrimental to GI health, which is the key to your overall health of every organ system in your body as well as your mental health, sleep and immune system.

References

• The Disease Dilusion, Jeff Bland, Harper Wave 2014
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, John R. Lee MD, Virginia Hopkins, Wellness Central 1996
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause, John R. Lee MD, Jessee Hanley, MD, Virginia Hopkins, Grand Central Publishing 2005
• Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making You Fat, Rudy Rivera, MD and Roger Davis Deutsch, Three Rivers Press, 2002
• The Hormone Handbook, Thierry Hertoghe, MD, SA International Books, 2010
• Hormone Optimization, Ron Rothenberg, MD, Kris Hart, Roger Rothenberg, Panda Press
• Adrenal Fatigue, James L. Wilson, Smart Publications, 2001
• The Carb Sensitivity Program, Dr. Natasha Turner, Randaom House Canada 2012
• Demystifying Weight Loss, Pamela Wartian Smith, Healthy Living Books, Inc2007
• Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, David Brownstein, MD, 2008
• The Cortisol Connection, Shawn Talbott, Hunter House Publishers, 2007
• Adrenalogic, Lena D. Edwards MD, Ultimate Publishing House, 2011
• Wellness Against All Odds, , Sherry A. Rogers MD, Prestige Publishing, 1994
• The Hormone Makeover, Donna White, Xulonpress 2010
• Safe Uses of Cortisol, William McK.Jefferies, Charles C Thomas Ltd, 2004
• Nutritional Medicine, Alan R. Gaby, MD, Fritz Perlberg Publishing 2011
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, John R.Lee MD, David Zava Ph.D, Wellness Central, 2005
• The Menopause Thyroid Solution, Mary J. Shamon, Harper, 2009
• Detox and Revitalize, Susana Belen, SquareOne Publishers, 2006
• Hormone Balance Mad Simple, John R. Lee MD and Virginia Hopkins, Wellness Central, 2006
• Natural Hormone Replacement for Women over 45, Johnathan V. Wright, MD & John Morgenthaler, Smart Publications, 1997
• Biomarkers: The 10 Keys to Prolonging Vitality, William Evans
• Thousands of Hours of Self Education, Graham MacKenzie, 1967-2014