Food as Fuel
by Ginger Carter, Nutritionist
Northern Pima County Women's Journal
October 2011
It is always amazing to me that so any people are “re-active” in their health as opposed to being “pro-active”. I have calls almost every day from someone who has found out they have a health concern and of course now they want the “fast fix”. Some will opt for meds. Medicine certainly has its place and we are blessed to have many good compassionate doctors who can prescribe them, BUT that is being “re-active” to your symptoms. Wouldn’t it be great to not have “symptoms”, thus you would not have to go to the doctor, go on the meds, have a treatment or go to the hospital. As a “pro-active” practitioner I want to help repair you on a cellular level with whole foods that would help you slow the progression of health concerns/disease, give you a better quality of life and even minimize the aging of your skin! All of these things can be done with lifestyle choices that YOU can make.
There are many things you can do daily to improve your health: more exercise, more sleep, de-stressing activities, eliminating environmental problems, increasing your water and the MOST important change would be to add a diet rich in colorful “phytonutrients”. The word “phyto” is Greek for plant. This means adding lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds etc.
Not only do you want to have a variety of color, but you want to eat as much as you can in a whole raw, organic, non GMO’d and vine ripened state. (The best place to get vine ripened is through a local grower). These plant based “good carbohydrate” foods will fuel your food with an abundance of energy and change the trillions of cells in your body inside out.
An adult should be eating 9-13 a day and a child 5-7. A serving size is ½ chopped or a medium apple. Less than 9% of American adults and 5% of our children eat this daily recommendation. Less than 1% eats them in their most nutritious form: fresh and raw. This is not only sad, BUT will lead to illness/disease and a poor quality of life sooner than you want.
If your family cannot get this recommended amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, I highly recommend a nutritional product called Juice Plus.
There are also “protein and fat” foods that are important for good health. “Wild” fish (not farm raised) would be at the top of the list. A great source would be Alaskan salmon. Slow down on all red meats and dairy. Plant based proteins such as nuts (primarily chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts and almonds) and beans are also a great source or protein. Wild fish, raw nuts and beans will also have another important nutrient: Omega 3s. If you cannot eat enough of these whole foods, I recommend adding an additional 3,000 milligrams of Omega 3s to your diet. Be sure the label says the Omega 3s are from wild fish, Krill or a mercury free source.
Sunshine is very important with its very beneficial Vitamin D3. You can also get Vitamin D from salmon and tuna, but you probably cannot get enough fish or sunshine to give you what you need. You might have to supplement that with about 3,000 units a day. Because Omega 3s and Vitamin D are “oils” (that come in capsules) there is a possibility they have become rancid, if they are shipped to too many “holding” places. Do not buy these from a “big box” store. Buy them directly from a healthcare practitioner who had them shipped directly to their office.
There are thousands of scientific medical studies that prove the addition of plant based foods, Omega 3 foods and Vitamin D will benefit your quality of health for a long, long time. These whole foods will keep your brain active, give you lots of energy and repair you on a cellular level. Food really is the body’s fuel.
Happy Healthy Life
Ginger Carter, Nutritionist
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