Best Tips To Follow A [Healthy Diet & Proper Nutrition]

Nutrition Overview

One of the best ways to get well and stay well is through good nutrition. Proper nutrition is essential in the prevention and the successful treatment of disease. Ideally we should get the majority of the vitamins and minerals we need from our food but we don't. The United States is one of the richest countries on the planet but unfortunately, our food and diet in North America leaves a lot to be desired.

Everyone has heard the expression “you are what you eat”. A good diet can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. A bad diet will increase the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi making any therapy be it natural or pharmaceutical, less effective. Nutrition may very well be one of the most complicated and controversial areas of health. As consumers we are constantly bombarded with messages about what we should eat, what is good for us and what is bad for us. Gluten Free. Organic. No Preservatives. The multi-billion dollar consumer goods industry wants to tell us what to eat and what is good for our bodies. You must always read labels and think for yourself and question any claims that you see on packaging.

Good Foods

Whole Grains

Lightly cooked vegetables

Beans. Lentils, Peas

Fresh, Whole Fruit

Rice, Almond Milk

Green or black tea

5 Good Rules to Follow

1. Whole Grains instead of White flour products: The high fiber content in whole grains helps sweep the intestines clean. Also white flour products have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammation in the body is the precursor to chronic disease.

2. Minimal or No Dairy: Cows milk has been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

3.Low sugar intake: Bacterial and yeast overgrowth from excess sugar can create inflammation. One or two servings of fruit each day, not fruit juice.  Juice ALONE does Not have the fruit fiber that slows the absorption of sugar. Apples are good for the intestines, can help prevent acid reflex, and blueberries benefit the brain.

4. Cook your vegetables: Raw vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria, even E.coli and mold. Steaming your veggies for at least 3 minutes makes them safer to eat and more digestible.

5. No Coffee: Despite the many studies that the media covers which state coffee is good for you, coffee has been linked to artherosclerosis, arthritis, cancer, and heart attacks. Coffee can irritate the intestines, cause joint pain and trigger skin conditions.

An excellent resource for nutritional information and guidance can be found through the Weston A. Price Foundation. The Weston Price Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to disseminate the research findings of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated non-industrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price's research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats. The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. The Weston Price website also covers dietary recommendations in connection to various health issues.

SOME Good Educational ResourceS

Links:

• www.nutritionfacts.org
• www.westonaprice.org
• www.notmilk.com
• www.fourfoldhealing.com
• www.gapsdiet.com
• www.nutritionmd.org
• www.drugdangers.com

If you or a loved one is battling cancer, nutrition is vitally important to helping support the body during chemo and radiation treatments and has been instrumental in improving survival rates.

Recommended books on diet and nutrition can be found in the resource center of our website. One that is particularly educational is the book "Nourishing Traditions". This book provides general dietary recommendations, so keep in mind that you need to take any health issues that you have into consideration and when in doubt, consult a nutritionist or other alternative healthcare practitioner who is trained or certified to provide nutritional counseling. A complementary resource that provides information for dealing with specific health issues within these dietary recommendations is the book "The Fourfold Path to Healing" which is also available for purchase through our resource section.

FOODS TO EAT AND FOODS TO AVOID

FATS AND OILS

It is very important to get lots of nourishing fats into your daily diet. Use raw butter and ghee from pastured cows, coconut oil, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil (preferably unfiltered). Other healthy fats include palm oil, and cold pressed flax oil.  Cod liver oil is an important source of vitamin A and D as well as essential fatty acids. Fermented cod liver oil is the best source and is available via the resources section of this website. Consume one teaspoon of fermented cod liver oil a day. Other acceptable brands of regular cod liver oil include Twin Labs, Sonne’s, "Now "double strength cod liver oil capsules, and Carlson’s soft gel cod liver oil 1,000 mg capsules. Look for cod liver with at least 2,500 IU’s of vitamin A and 250 IU’s of vitamin D per teaspoon.

Avoid other vegetable oils, they are unstable, and mostly rancid causing inflammation and the formation of disease causing free radicals. These include cotton seed oil, soy oil, canola oil, hemp oil and grapeseed oil; all margarines, spreads and partially hydrogenated vegetable shortenings. Most restaurants and fast food establishments use vegetable oils and shortenings for cooking and frying so avoid eating "fast food" as much as possible.

PROBIOTIC FOODS

Have some probiotic foods with every meal or at least once every day. Our bodies naturally contain many beneficial microorganisms. They can be found on our skin, in our mouth, stomach, intestines and genital tract. In our gastrointestinal tracts they help us digest our foods so we absorb nutrients better. They also synthesize some vitamins for us such as some of the B vitamins and vitamin K. Keeping our beneficial microorganisms numerous and strong is a very important step toward optimal health. Over growth of harmful microorganisms, especially certain yeast (see Candidiasis), causes many health problems. To ensure an abundance of beneficial microorganisms avoid refined foods which encourage the harmful microorganisms, and eat probiotic foods daily. Probiotic foods are foods that supply us with the healthy microorganisms. They include: cultured dairy such as home made yogurt, kefir, cultured butter and pima, fermented and pickled vegetables and fruits such as pickled beets, sauerkraut, relishes and fruit chutney, fermented beverages such as beet kvass, kambucha and fermented sodas, raw honey and raw dairy. These foods balance stomach acid and heal the intestines, skin and genital tract. Sauerkraut juice is a great remedy for heart burn or acid reflux. In addition, the process of fermentation increases the availability of many of the nutrients naturally found in the foods. Recipes can be found in the book Nourishing Traditions. Most fermented and pickled foods are pasteurized to extend their shelf life. unfortunately, the pasteurization process kills the beneficial bacteria which are considered probiotic. Commercial yogurts and kefirs are generally not cultured long enough, contain sugar and offer only a weak supply of probiotic microorganisms. 

Bad Foods

White Flour

Charred or barbecued meats

White sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup (remember cancer cells and other pathogens eat sugar)

Unwashed vegetables and fruit (better to wash thoroughly and peel before eating) also lightly steam your vegetables before eating to kill any bacteria acquired from the soil and in transit. Eating raw can be risky due to contamination and some vegetables like carrots and broccoli are better for you slightly cooked.

Coffee