A 20 Point Nutritional Guide
There is so much more that goes into maintaining health than counting calories and nutrients. Our food choices impact us on emotional and mental levels and a holistic view of health understands that all of parts of us are interconnected. Therefore the quality (and quantity) of our food influences our inner terrain - either feeding or depleting us.
Here are 20 nutritional points I come across frequently with clients that you may find interesting.
1) Farmers can do more for your nutrition and health than your doctor.
There is a saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. That apple is a healthy food produced by farmers. Medicine is produced by a pharmaceutical industry that attacks the effect of eating junk foods. If everyone ate healthy, whole foods, this would dramatically reduce the need to go to the doctor. Trust the (organic) farmer, not the doctor.
2) Fruit juices lack fiber and impact your body similarly to pop.
What happens to fiber when juicing? When you juice, you don't get the fiber that's in whole fruits and vegetables. Notably, up to 90% of fiber is removed during the juicing process, depending on the juicer. Some soluble fiber will remain, but the majority of insoluble fiber is removed.
While juices are more nutritious than sodas, they often contain just as much sugar. For example, a 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains nearly the same amount of sugar as a can of Coke, around 10 teaspoons of sugar. Similarly, cranberry juice contains almost as much sugar as the average root beer.
3) Processed foods cause blood sugar spikes, insulin resistance, inflammation and chronic disease.
Rapid effect on blood sugar levels: Highly processed foods that are high in calories and low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber break down quickly in the body and can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Sugary drinks are notorious for this, as are processed and junk foods. You also have to watch out for packaged “health foods” which often are just disguised junk as well. If it’s not a whole food, it’s probably going to cause bodily disruption.
4) The gut-brain connection does more for your health than you think
Another reason why taking care of your gut is so important is because of the “gut-brain connection.” This describes the relationship between your microbiome and central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord), which are in constant communication. There are many millions of neurons located in your gastrointestinal tract, and these send signals back and forth to your brain regulating mood, concentration, capacity to handle stress, learning and the ability to get good sleep.
5) Keep foods simple.
Even 50 years ago, we didn't eat something new every night. All these new foods can’t be good for you because you’re ingesting so many strange ingredients. Microplastics, PCBs, chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, antibiotics or bacteria destroying medications, mean the cumulative effects on gut health is one of constant deterioration.
6) Eat sourdough, not processed bread.
The prebiotics in sourdough help to keep your gut bacteria happy, and it may be less likely to spike blood sugar levels. Sourdough bread contains higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than most commercial breads. It also contains lower levels of phytate and therefore allows your body to absorb the nutrients it contains more easily than those in regular bread.
7) Cooking at home is good for your health.
Why? First, you won’t ingest as many GMO’s, chemicals, unhealthy fats, sugars and salts, agricultural chemicals, additives, antibiotics and so on. Second, it costs less to cook at home and third, eating with your family is priceless.
8) Eggs and red meat are nutritional powerhouses
Anyone telling you otherwise isn't interested in your health. We only hear of high cholesterol in relation to these foods but in truth, the cholesterol theory has to be put to rest because it’s been beaten to death with credible studies. Try eliminating junk food and their inherent unhealthy ingredients and your body will produce less excess cholesterol in defense on that garbage.
Eggs can also be a stellar way to get protein and nutrients. For just 140 calories, two large eggs give you 8 percent of the daily value for zinc, iron and B6, plus choline, vitamin D and many other nutrients.
Meat also is a good source of niacin, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and the mineral nutrients iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. Liver is the storage organ for, and is very rich in, vitamin A, riboflavin, and folic acid.
9) Declining soil quality means declining health from fruits and vegetables.
Mounting evidence from multiple studies show that many fruits, vegetables, and grains grown today carry less protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin C than those that were grown decades ago. A US study found important nutrients in some garden crops are up to 38 percent lower than there were at the middle of the 20th Century.
Why is there a decrease in levels of minerals in the soil? The main culprit in this disturbing nutritional trend is soil depletion: Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil through the “mining” of soil fertility by industrial agriculture.
10) Poor soil quality results in a lack magnesium in most diets
Soil quality impacts our overall health: sleep, recovery, and mental health. Magnesium deficiency mostly occurs when soils are old, sandy in texture and acid in pH. Over-use of high-potassium fertilizers (such as tomato feed) can cause magnesium deficiency, as plants take up potassium in preference to magnesium. Acidity is a key factor for nutrition and health of both plants and animals.
Magnesium may also improve your sleep. It plays an important role in your nervous system, helping to activate mechanisms that quiet and calm you. It may also help relieve anxiety and depression, which can interfere with sleep.
Magnesium helps with over 700 functions in the human body. I recommend 400-600 mg daily for everyone. Older people are at risk for magnesium deficiency because they not only tend to consume less of it than younger adults but also may absorb less from what they eat, and their kidneys may excrete more of it.
11) A high protein diet slows down digestion
A slower digestion due to protein intake helps manage sugar levels, improves satiation (fullness), and burns up to an extra 25 percent of calories through the thermic effect of food.
12) Winter is coming - you need Vitamin D3
Your ability to get adequate vitamin D from the sun alone will be a challenge this winter. So how do you get adequate vitamin D at this time? Foods such as fatty fish wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, mushrooms and eggs are fair (but not good) sources. Vitamin D fortified foods such as milk may help, but this is the wrong type of vitamin D.
I find the easiest way is to get 4000-7000 IU liquid vitamin D3 combined with 200 mcg vitamin K2. Long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe.
Current research shows the important synergistic relationship between Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3. Taking both together helps to ensure the calcium transported by the Vitamin D is absorbed by your bones where it's needed, rather than accumulating in deposits in your arteries. Separately, K2 also regulates normal blood clotting.
Perhaps you don’t like supplementation? That doesn’t negate the fact that you still need these nutrients and if you can’t get them from dietary sources, make sure to supplement. The implications of not getting enough for bone loss and overall health are huge.
13) Commit to water
Drin some water first thing in the morning for these reasons:
Increases your energy levels.
Increases your red blood cell counts, and the oxygen we receive to the brain.
Boosts the metabolism.
Help ease aches and pains.
Clearer complexion and more radiant skin.
Fights toxins.
14) Fermented foods and bone broth improve gut health
Fermented vegetables such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles — can naturally improve your stomach acid levels. Fermented vegetables and foods have probiotic effects that can improve digestion, fight harmful bacteria and reduce inflammation from low stomach acid.
If your esophagus has been damaged by acid reflux, bone broth could help restore its lining. Bone broth is rich in gelatin and cartilage, which are essential in rebuilding tissue. It also carries amino acids, minerals, electrolytes, and antioxidants that help heal the GI tract.
15) Is your hunger simply thirst?
Mild dehydration is often masked as feelings of hunger, when really your body just needs fluids. The confusion happens in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates both appetite and thirst.
Prolonged or repeated bouts of dehydration can cause health conditions such as nausea, headaches, dizziness, and muscle cramping. It can also eventually lead to urinary tract infections, kidney stones and even kidney failure. Drink more water!
16) Restaurants love profits from carbs!
It’s clear that carbohydrates are typically less expensive than proteins and vegetables. For example - one kg of pasta, which is a pure source of carbohydrates, costs less than one kg of chicken, on average. If we move further up to the seafood category which has better levels of protein, they would cost much more than compared to chicken.
For an ideal customer, the quantity of food as a whole matters rather than the individual quantity of ingredients used in it. That’s too bad because this approach weakens the body nutritionally. For people who expect larger quantities for comparatively lower prices, using more carbohydrates is the key to keep them happy, a fact which restaurants owners understand well. Try ordering ingredients on a singular basis and making your own meals. I don’t eat out much, but my favorite meal is to order a huge salad and pile on the chicken.
17) Your gut needs to rest.
Stop filling yourself up for 14-16 hours a day. Chronic overeating promotes obesity and insulin resistance, two major risk factors for metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Try an 8-10 hour eating window through intermittent fasting, cutting food off at least 2 hours before bed.
18) A high carb breakfast makes you sluggish for the day
Examples of foods that could increase fatigue throughout the day include: sugary foods such as syrup and honey, white bread, baked goods, cereals, and other heavily processed foods. Eat more protein, more veggies and more healthy fats. Limit carbs to 20 percent of your meal if not overly busy during the day.
19) Whole foods make you feel better.
Giving your body whole food sources of nutrients like calcium, fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, protein, Vitamin D, essential fatty acids, and potassium to keep your cells functioning properly. They recognize whole foods as sources of energy to break down.
Clean foods fill your body with plentiful vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein and healthy fats, which improve heart and brain health, assist with weight management, build a stronger immune system and increase energy levels, among other benefits.
Your body will also become regular. This can come with a lower amount of bloating and discomfort along with looking slimmer. You'll notice your moods are more stable. You have less ups and downs throughout the day and may even start to feel more empowered in your daily life.
20) Long term nutritional success is built on a sustainable plan, not a weight loss diet
There are several signs that a weight loss diet is unlikely to be sustainable or lead to long-term success: (1) It cuts out entire food groups. (2) Eliminating whole groups of foods is incredibly restrictive, making it tough to sustain. (3) According to the latest weight-loss research, 95 percent of dieters end up regaining the weight they lost within two years. So if you had a 40 pound weight loss due to a restrictive diet, you may gain it all back. The most successful long term diet is simply eating foods that are whole and unrefined.