Nutrition Information We Can't Live Without

Anne Rhody, PA-C
The Wellspring Center LLC

There are universal concepts to ideal nutrition that we can generalize across populations. However, the science of nutrition is highly individualized, which means certain foods which make you feel great may make another person feel awful, and vice versa. We have individual differences in our digestive functions, including liver, pancreas, stomach and small intestine functioning, due to environmental and genetic factors which help explain the need to individualize our dietary intakes.

Nutrition goes far beyond percentages of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in our diets. In fact, the science of nutrition has advanced so far in just the past thirty years, we can essentially rebuild a person at the cellular level. Wow! In understanding nutrition at this level, however, we bring into play concepts which encompass quantum physics, biochemistry, and many other natural sciences. The concepts behind true healthy eating go far beyond the "Food Pyramid" and actually have a sound, scientific basis to back them up, not political pandering.

Once this information is applied to real people, and amazing results are achieved, the question usually comes about, "Why don't more people know about this?" The answer to that question is as complex as the science is. For one, there is no profession out there which has claimed this body of knowledge. Health care providers of all types who consider themselves as practicing "Functional Medicine" often get into something they call Orthomolecular Nutrition, which primarily involves high tech supplementation. It has good results, but is limited. For one thing, a person has often accumulated enough cellular damage that when the nutritional components are isolated out of food and into pills, it requires a substantial number of pills to maintain this level of health, sometimes in excess of fifty per day. The alternative protocol which is in popular use with Autism is called the DAN! Protocol (Defeat Autism Now!) and many of these children take at least 20-30 pills per day. This form of "space age nutrition" can be very hard for the body to assimilate and puts stress on our organs of elimination, especially the kidneys. Without a lot of care and attention, toxic levels of nutrients can be reached as all these supplements may interact with each other, not to mention with prescription and over-the-counter medications being taken concurrently.

To practice this type of nutritional healing requires a fundamental knowledge of the sciences which encompass nutritional knowledge, as well as some type of medical education to understand the cellular processes involved in each type of disease. The education provided to dietitians is inconsistent. The basic sciences are required, but the nutrition courses offered can't relate the basic science to the government nutrition guidelines, and the result is a fragmented education where students often simply follow directions from the American Dietetics Association and do not seek their own knowledge.

Chiropractors have heard the same complaints about their nutritional approach that doctors have heard about their pharmaceutical approach: the majority of practice information is obtained through the companies sponsoring it rather than the true science underlying it all. In the end, chiropractors are often handing out a pill, which is "more natural" than the pharmaceuticals many doctors offer. Chiropractic education varies widely by institution and often does not provide the necessary foundation to understand nutrition and apply it to individuals.

Medical and nursing schools provide a cursory education in vitamins and minerals in addition to the government guidelines to provide them with a basis to care for post-surgical patients and others who are critically ill or convalescing. The information is often incomplete and not wholly scientifically based. Very little time is spent on this knowledge at all, and no time is spent helping these health care providers integrate this knowledge into a functional treatment model for the care and prevention of disease in the population as a whole.

Finally, naturopathic medical schools are trying to incorporate nutritional knowledge into their curricula, and a substantial amount of time is spent on this material. However, it is often subject to the bias of the instructor, because of the individual nature of the subject matter and the lack of formal training in the science. It tends to become more esoteric, with questionable application.

Recently, however, small groups of health care providers have come together and formed foundations to help bring this body of knowledge together in a more understandable fashion. Individuals have discovered the truth behind real nutrition and the healing power it can have, and have started coming together to share research and perspectives on its application and find a common, scientific ground. There are many organizations and publications beginning to surface and are too numerous to mention. Contributions are coming from medical providers, dietitians, nurses, chiropractors and other researchers. The science of nutrition is emerging as a young, new body of knowledge with roots in ancient wisdom and folk traditions. Until a single profession claims this body of knowledge and excels at its application, the nutrition knowledge needed by the general public to maintain health and triumph over disease will remain obscure and difficult to obtain.

Since there are nutritional concepts which can be generalized, below is a list. More detailed information can be found in other, related articles on this website. You will notice no references to calorie counting or specific percentages of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This is because, first of all, calorie counting is unnecessary for most people. Once essential nutritional needs are met, cravings cease and the amount of food eaten dramatically declines. Once this occurs, it's up to the individual then to use physical activity as tolerated to achieve weight loss. It is the rare individual who has been so injured by overeating that the metabolic indicators of satiety are not restored. Secondly, nutrition measured in terms of percentages of macronutrients is not reliable nor scientific. Because this varies widely by individual cellular needs, it does not provide useful information to try to impose this type of guideline on a population.

Remember, if you have a disease or health problem, consult your nutrition-knowledgeable health care provider before beginning a new dietary regimen. Individualized guidelines and careful monitoring are essential for people with serious chronic disease.

Essential Nutrition Knowledge

1. Eat the Right Fats, and eat enough of them.
   • People who are deficient in essential fats eat, on average, six times as much as people who have adequate essential fats in their diet. In societies where Omega 3 fats are consumed in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio with Omega 6 fats, there is a startling absence of chronic disease. In our society, we average 1:33 (in the wrong direction). When the fats in our diets are balanced, over time, we regain the ability to manufacture our own Omega 3 fats from dark green vegetables and grasses.
   • Low fat is incorrect, even our brains need enough fat to function correctly. In fact, it is often necessary to supplement large amounts of Omega 3 fats in our society, where our dietary imbalance causes such a deficiency.
2. Aim for an intake of 0 Trans Fats.
   • Thanks to a heavy political movement on the part of the researchers, we have finally publicized that there is no safe dietary level of trans fats. Other countries have outlawed them! As of January 2006, the FDA requires labeling them if they are in quantities greater than 0.5 g per serving. This intervention is not enough.
   • Simply put, the body doesn't know the difference between trans fats and cholesterol, and where the cell membrane should be made of cholesterol, it instead is made from trans fats. These cells are then weak and subject to all forms of disease, including heart disease and cancer.
3. Avoid MSG and Artificial Sweeteners.
   • In the 1970's when researchers wanted to induce Parkinson's Disease or Alzheimer's in a laboratory rat, they fed them MSG. Now we know we can also use aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal are common brand names). Our use of these chemicals has dramatically increased over the past 30 years, and still MSG shows up in baby foods. All artificial sweeteners and MSG are taste enhancers which need to be avoided due to their negative health effects.
   • What these chemicals do is literally excite cells to death, in both the brain and the pancreas. When brain cells die, we see neurologic diseases. When pancreatic cells die, we see Diabetes and digestive disturbances.
4. Choose Low Glycemic Index Foods.
   • Avoid white sugar (sucrose - this includes brown sugar), white (processed) flour, white rice and white potatoes. This general "no whites" rule will keep foods in the low glycemic range. These highly processed foods are detrimental to our health, and actually require us to use nutrients to digest them properly. Processed sugar, for example, contains formalin, which the body often converts to formaldehyde. Also, cancer ferments sugar in an anaerobic (no oxygen present) atmosphere. Simply put, sugar feeds cancer. Honey and maple syrup in small amounts, or the herb Stevia are excellent sweeteners.
   • Sharp peaks and valleys in our blood sugar and blood insulin levels have a very strong correlation to chronic and serious disease. In the coming years, we will see more about this in the research. Also, when insulin levels are high, so are cortisol levels, which strongly influences our mental and physical abilities to handle stress. Our resistance to disease drops dramatically as a result.
5. Eat Live Foods.
   • Raw foods contain thousands of enzymes which help us digest our food and support our metabolic processes (this includes raw fruits and vegetables and dairy products from a safe source). These foods can help heal us from disease. We need to eat organic whenever possible because of the pesticides and lack of nutrients in water-filled, tasteless regular produce. It is not enough to simply wash the produce, because the pesticides are integrated into the structure of the produce as it grows. For example, grapes treated with fungicide are 70% lower in resveratrol than organic grapes. Resveratrol is the most potent cancer fighting compound we have found, and is being researched for its use as a potent chemotherapy agent. This is only one example, there are many others.
   • Eat locally grown foods in season. Fruits and vegetables which are vine-ripened contain essential sugars, essential building blocks of each of our cells. Produce imported from other countries is irradiated, which destroys many fragile nutrients. Produce not locally grown is picked underripe and ripened using carbon dioxide gas. This produce then does not provide us with the essential sugars and is missing many other nutrients which are present in locally grown, plant-ripened produce. These essential sugars are also destroyed with anything more than lightly steaming the produce. Microwaving definitely destroys most of the nutrient content.
   • Homemade y
   ogurt which has completely fermented away the lactose and is sugar free, has billions of live, healthy bacteria which is essential for good health. These bacteria help maintain a balance in our bodies and out-populate the harmful microorganisms. These beneficial bacteria help us manufacture and maintain levels of B-vitamins, as well as Vitamin K. The lactic acid in yogurt also helps maintain intestinal health. Yogurt has been studied and has preventative effect against colon cancer and more recently against HIV.
6. Eat Grassfed Meats, Eggs and Dairy Products.
   • Grassfed animal products are high in Omega 3 essential fats. Combined with the sulfured proteins and high quality saturated fats, they become very potent, healing foods. Grassfed butter is high in alpha lipoic acid, which many diabetics are being supplemented with to maintain retinal (eye) integrity.
   • Simply put, when an animal (or plant) resists disease on its own (without hormones or antibiotics) when it's alive, it will pass this trait on to you when you eat it properly prepared. There is a lot of science behind this concept at the cellular level, but it all leads to this general statement which is much easier to comprehend.
7. Eat Whole Grains and Beans Properly Prepared.
   • To neutralize phytates found in all whole grains, the grains must be soaked in an acidic solution before they are cooked (a sourdough whole grain bread is an excellent choice). Every plant (and animal) has its way of protecting itself from being eaten. In grains, phytates inhibit important enzymes and make digestion of grains difficult and irritating for us. Soaking neutralizes these compounds, and also the mycotoxins present due to our current storage conditions. Digestive diseases involving the consumption of grains are becoming more common.
   • Beans also have phytates, enzyme inhibitors, and proteins which are difficult for us to digest and give us intestinal gas as a result. When properly soaked, beans are an excellent source of nutrients and do not irritate our digestion. Soybeans should be eaten rarely if at all, and only in a fermented form.
8. Eat Uncontaminated, Wild Caught Fish.
   • Due to the commonality of mercury and PCB contamination in our worldwide fish supply, fish consumption should be limited. When eaten, choose wild caught fish, not farm raised, and choose varieties known to be lower in contaminants. Follow local DNR guidelines for your consumption.
9. Eat Seeds and Nuts, and their Oils.
   • Seeds and nuts, raw and roasted are high in Omega 3 fats and should be included in the diet wherever possible. Those who are gluten intolerant should bake with nut flours whenever a baked good is desired. Common gluten-free diets use nutrient poor, high glycemic index substitutes and should be avoided. Nuts contain compounds which irritate some people, and in these cases the nuts can be soaked then roasted and should no longer pose a problem. It is preferable to roast your own rather than purchased highly salted varieties which often contain trans fats because of their processing.
   • Seed and nut oils spoil rapidly, and should be cold-pressed, unrefined and stored in dark bottles (though many aren't). Store unopened in the refrigerator, and once opened, store in the refrigerator or freezer.
10. Cook with Grassfed Butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Unrefined Nut/Seed Oils and Unrefined Coconut Oil
    • Most vegetable oils are highly processed and contain inflammatory compounds which should be avoided (especially corn, soybean and canola oils).
    • If you need to deep-fry, do so only on rare occasions, and then in peanut oil or high quality lard from grassfed animals.
11. When using Salt and other Spices, choose carefully.
    • Unprocessed natural salt is brownish in color due to the presence of natural iodine and other minerals. This salt does not cause water retention or associated hypertension (high blood pressure) because it has the correct mineral balance. Salt shouldn't be avoided, rather a high quality salt should be used moderately.
    • Spices coming from other countries are often irradiated which destroys their nutrient content. Choose high quality, fresh herbs and spices whenever possible, and non-irradiated herbs and spices when dried is required.
12. If you want to lose weight, Coconut can help.
    • A teaspoon up to a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil in warm liquid 30 minutes before meals dramatically increases satiety from small amounts of food.
    • Coconut has a variety of healing properties, including antimicrobial effects. Unsweetened varieties should be used. Coconut milk is an excellent baking substitute for milk for the lactose intolerant. Coconut has healing effects on a low thyroid function, as well as many other health conditions.

Simply put, when food quality is at its highest, food quantity is needed at its lowest. Nutrient dense foods work to heal and maintain health in our bodies throughout the life span. When following these basic eating principles, eating out becomes nearly impossible (primarily because of trans fats used for cooking), and it's extremely rare to find any premade foods which are healthy (anything in a box or can is likely unhealthy). Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible, prepared to preserve nutrient content and availability as much as possible. Though good nutrition is simple, it often isn't easy for us to incorporate into our hectic lifestyles. You will get out of it as much as you put into it.

Finally, drink enough pure, high quality water. How much is enough? Divide your total body weight by 2. This is the number of ounces of water you should drink daily. This number divided by 8 will tell you the number of 8 oz. glasses of water you need daily. For instance, if I weigh 160 lbs., divided by 2 is 80. I need 80 ounces of water per day. This number, divided by 8, means 10 8 oz. glasses of water per day. The body doesn't absorb more than 4 oz. of water per 30 minutes, so don't try to drink all your water at once.

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