What About Vitamins?

The question of whether or not to supplement no longer exists.

Various studies have proved that no matter how well one eats, human cells cannot receive enough of the nutrition they need to regenerate healthy without supplementation. Oxidative stress alone needs to be arrested in the body through taking much more plant nutrition than one could possibly eat daily. Overfarming, busy lifestyles, and our poor North American diet are only a few contributing factors. Degenerative deseases are being diagnosed years before our grandparents, despite many advancements in symptom treatment and surgical technique.

The question becomes, "What is the best way to supplement?"

Many people have begun using very tasty and beautiful bottled antioxidant drinks. While these are usually very good for arresting oxidative stress, and are sometimes fortified with a few other nutrients, they lack the essential minerals and trace minerals that cells need in an absorbable form.

Cells need minerals, trace minerals, antioxidants and a balance of good fats.  

The good news is that the science of cellular nutrition has advanced to include a dynamic optimum of what cells need. The "Blended Standard for Nutrituional Supplimentation" is the bar set for all multivitamin producers to reach. There are also a few great books out there that we can use when choosing a multivitamin. One of the best is "The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Suppliments" Consumer Edition.

Do you want to have a much better chance of beating the degeneration that has already begun in you body? Find the BEST cellular nutrition and take it every day. You will feel good!

Just Add Water

We've discussed how fat free eating has made many of us put on weight. We mentioned the fact that a carb only breakfast or skipping breakfast increases cravings. Now lets add water.

"Eight glasses a day. Yeah, I've heard that for years." you may be saying to yourself.

Here are some points that may help you to appreciate that tall cool bottle of clear stuff.

• Albert Einstein Award recipient and human cell expert Dr. Myron Wendtz tells us that drinking pure water is the most important action you can take to help your cells absorb nutrients function well.
• If you feel like eating. Just stop and slowly drink about six ounces of water. See if your urge goes away.
• Spark creativity and mental clarity by beginning to drink water (with your coffee!) first thing in the morning.
• Improve digestion, regularity, eyesight, skin health; the list goes on.

Some of us do better setting a schedule to pattern our water intake. If this is you, try drinking at least six ounces after using the restroom or when you leave your work station, or walk by your water source. Some of us do better watching the clock. Six ounces every two hours is a great pattern. Others don't like straight water. Teas, with low glycemic natural sweetners like Xylitol or Stevia are best. Add a little natural dark cherry or bluberry syrup to seltzer water for the feeling of a soft drink.

Reward yourself for accomplishing small tasks by giving your body this life source. Be thankful for it. Be proud of yourself for choosing it and feel good about water!

Prioritize your "to do" list.

"Healthy eating is just too complicated. As soon as I think I'm doing something right, I find out it could be done better."

When I give Nutrition Seminars, I see this common frustration in many people. My heart goes out to these people who get snippets of some new health information here and there and try to make sense of it all. I want to help you to make reasonable changes that you can live with here in the real world.

Living an anti-Inflamitory lifestyle has many components and can be comlicated. The good news is there are priorities. Like anything, focussing on the top priorities will will give you a sense of control and most of all create better overall health. This mantra will be repeated throughout the blogs and in several different ways:

Keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day.

I know some of you are already saying "What about controling cholesterol?"

The fact is that our cholesterol levels are primarily related to the amount of saturated fat and processed carbohydrates that we consume. Therefore stabolizing our blood sugar by avoiding these foods, as the priority will resolve both problems.

The best way to start is including protein in your breakfast. If you are one of those who doesn't eat breakfast, start doing it. Your body will thank you. Stabolizing your blood sugar at the beginning of the day improves mental clarity, stamina, and makes you feel good!

Shameless Eating

The next several entries will fall under everyone's ongoing challenge, eating to feel good.

We've all been there; pulling into a certain fast food restaurant, buying that candy, or that fashionable coffee, with the little voice of shame going through our mind. "I know I shouldn't eat this but it tastes so good."

I am here today to give you a break. You've been feeling bad about your cravings for too long. It's not that you don't have self control. It's not that you are made differently. Its what has happenned over the past 35 years in our North American diet.

Since colesteral problems began to surface back in the seventies, people have been recommended to eat less fat. We have been programed to believe that fat free is healthier. Attempting to remove this entire food group from our diet has caused many of us to replace it with high glycemic carbohydrates (white flour, potatoes, rice). This general replacement has caused us to spike (rapidly raise) our blood sugar several times a day, leading to often uncontrolable cravings that can make you feel very bad about yourself.

There is a way out! You don't have to keep repeating the same pattern and try to block out the shame.

During the next several weeks we will be addressing something called "anti-inflamitory  lifestyle". This is part of the new science of eating and is taught by my favorite health writers along with many others. I am not a doctor but have learned basic practical ways to quiet the cravings and live in the real world. And yes, move toward your perfect weight in a steady way and keep it off.

So lets upgrade our diet imperfectly day by day and feel good about it.