Here is something I can’t figure out.

As a wound care consultant nurse, the first principle of wound management is to eliminate the cause. For example, if a wound is a pressure ulcer (bed sore) the cause is pressure, and the wound won’t heal unless the pressure is removed. If a wound is caused by lack of circulation, the wound won’t heal unless adequate circulation is restored. Makes sense, right?

Well, what happened to the rest of medicine? Wouldn’t you think that the same rules should apply? For example, high blood pressure is caused by a lifestyle of inactivity and eating the standard American diet which is rich in animal products, fat, processed grains, and low in high micronutrient foods — veggies and fruits. What do doctors do? They prescribe medications.

Medications do nothing to reverse the body processes that caused the high blood pressure, so even though the blood pressure readings might be better, the person has not healed of anything! The same processes that caused the high blood pressure are still going on.

Same thing with type 2 diabetes. Medications don’t reverse or heal the person of diabetes, it just eliminates the symptom of high blood sugar.

If other illnesses were approached the way wound care is approached by eliminating the cause of the illness, people could actually be healed and be healthy.

Wishing you a healthy new year full of nutrient dense, health promoting fruits and veggies.

Sue

Nutrition Can Save America!

Welcome! This is the place where you can get Kevin Gianni’s FREE ebook.  Simply put your first name and email address in the spaces below, click on “Submit,” and you will immediately be taken to the site where you can get the book. It is that simple!

Kevin says, in the book, “High Raw honors the fact that we all want easy to follow information that we can use to suit our unique situations. And of course, we want to enjoy the journey, so it should be fun!”

The fun begins here!

It has been hypothesized that levels of triglycerides, glucose, and insulin are associated with increased risk of colon cancer and that diets high in simple sugars and white flour increase risk of colon cancer because of their impact on these factors.  There are interesting similarities in the epidemiology of colorectal cancer and adult onset diabetes.  In a number of studies, diabetic patients have been shown to have an elevated risk of colorectal cancer[ and non-diabetics with elevated postprandial glucose levels also have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than individuals with normal glucose tolerance.⁴

One explanation for these associations is that both diseases are linked to becoming overweight and the resultant metabolic effects and heightened inflammation that results, but it is interesting to note the evidence supporting the possibility that chronic exposure to diets rich in rapidly assimilated carbohydrates may act directly as a promoter of colorectal carcinogenesis.  Considering that both animal products and processed foods supply us with a rich caloric load, but not with antioxidants and phytochemicals necessary for the normal function of cells and the immune system, it may also be the lack of these nutritional elements that are important (as low-nutrient carbohydrates make up a higher percentage of total caloric intake). Free radical production increases and chronic disease develops as the level of produce decreases in the diet and the combined consumption of animal products and processed foods increases.

Epidemiological evidence supports the direct association between simple carbohydrates and risk of colon cancer.    A population study reveals a particularly heightened risk when a diet high in refined carbohydrates is associated with a sedentary lifestyle.⁵

Vegetables and cancer

Even though the key dietary strategy for preventing cancer of the large bowel is to increase your intake of fresh vegetables and fruits (especially vegetables) while lowering the amount of animal products and meat eaten, the evidence that eating more green vegetables is protective for  cancers of the colon and rectum, lung and prostate — is building into an avalanche.  Cruciferous vegetables (the cabbage and broccoli family) are simply the most powerful weapon against all forms of cancer and especially colorectal cancer.⁶

Cruciferous vegetables have been studied extensively for their chemo protective effects. Although they contain many bioactive compounds, the anti-carcinogenic actions of cruciferous vegetables are commonly attributed to their content of glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are relatively biologically inert but can be hydrolysed to a range of bioactive compounds such as isothiocyanates (ITC) and indoles by the plant-based enzyme myrosinase.  A number of mechanisms whereby ITC and indoles may protect against colo-rectal cancer have been identified. In experimental animals, cruciferous vegetables have been shown to inhibit chemically-induced colon cancer.  Human studies show a huge protective effect; people who were regular consumers of these foods had approximately 60 percent less cancer.⁷

Cruciferous vegetables act by altering the metabolism of carcinogens present in cooked food, such as the heterocyclic amines.  They help the body eliminate carcinogens and also keep free radicals in check, but even more fascinating is the body’s ability (when fueled with a sufficient amount of these greens) to repair broken DNA cross-links and modify the expression of genes that influence the risk of colon cancer.⁸

Vitamin D and cancer.

Studies in recent years have added more support to the idea that higher levels of vitamin D may decrease risk of colorectal cancer. Further, typical dietary intakes such as 200-400 IU/day may be too low to exert appreciable benefits, and protection may occur with higher levels of vitamin D.   Recent studies also suggest a potential benefit of vitamin D on other digestive-tract cancers, and that vitamin D status at the time of diagnosis and treatment may influence cancer survival.⁹ For most Americans not living in and working outdoors in southern states,  supplementation with 800 to 2000 IU’s optimizes serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D levels for protection against cancer and osteoporosis.

Eat For Health  –   effective for all health conditions

The foundation of nutritional science  can be explained by  my  simple formula: H = N / C  or  Health = Nutrients / Calories.

This is a concept I call the nutrient density of your diet.  The key to both longevity and healthful weight loss is to eat predominantly those foods that have a high proportion of nutrients (non-caloric food factors) compared to calories (carbohydrates, fats and proteins).  Maintaining a favorable body weight is an important component of an anti-cancer lifestyle.

If you had a hundred dollars to spend, would you want to purchase a pencil or a laptop computer? You would want to receive the most value for your money, right?  Likewise, if you were to consume 1000 calories per day, would you want to spend those caloric bucks on empty calorie, low nutrient foods, like pasta, oil and sugar, or would it make more sense to eat foods that are rich in micronutrients such as fruits, vegetables and legumes?

A food is healthy or not-so-healthy based on how much fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, minerals., omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and other unnamed (or yet to be discovered) nutrients it contains in proportion to its calories.    Based on this N/C criterion, you can grade food quality, construct menus, and make food choices to support excellent health.   Once you know which foods have the highest nutrient density, you will become an expert in nutrition and weight loss. It is that simple.

Eating large quantities of high-nutrient foods is the secret to optimal health, disease prevention and maintaining a healthy slim waistline.  The health equation describes a way of eating that is truly a longevity diet, yet it effortlessly has you achieve an ideal weight and it is an anti-cancer and anti-heart disease diet-style.

A person who Eats For Health is called a nutritarian. You already may be a nutritarian if youunderstand that food has powerful disease-protecting and therapeutic effects and you seek to consume a broad array of both discovered and undiscovered micronutrients via your food choices.   It is not sufficient to merely avoid fat, trans fat or saturated fat.  It is not sufficient for the diet to have a low glycemic index.  It is not sufficient  for the diet to be low in animal products.  A truly healthy diet must be micro-nutrient rich and the micro-nutrient richness must be adjusted to meet individual needs.  Since the foods with the highest micro-nutrient per calorie scores are green vegetables, colorful vegetables, and fresh fruits, consumption of enough of these foods are required to meet our micronutrient needs for optimal health.  It helps if the produce-rich diet is designed to be delicious.  There is no reason why healthy foods can’t taste great.

A typical anti-cancer diet should contain at least 3 fresh fruits daily, at least one large raw green salad, as well as a two other cooked (steamed) vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and peas, squash or other colorful vegetables.  A huge pot of soup ladened with vegetables, herbs and beans can be made once a week and conveniently taken for lunch.  Raw nuts and seeds are another important, but often overlooked food with documented health benefits contributing to longevity .

Many individuals are choosing to modify their lifestyle to improve their health or reverse diseases.  Unrefined plant foods and phytochemical support is the foundation of an anti-aging lifestyle.   Most diseases are effectively treated and in many cases completely reversed through aggressive nutritional intervention.  Uncovering the cause, and fueling the miraculous natural repair systems that are built into your body is always a better choice that results in a more favorable outcome, rather than covering up symptoms with medications. I urge you to learn more about healthful eating, and try some great tasting high-nutrient recipes in your regular diet, the effort is worth it and it may even save your life. Remember, the prescription is nutrition.

Don’t Make Food a War Zone

Joel and I have four children, ages 8, 15, 18 and 22. So, we’ve had a lot of experience in dealing with childrens’ food issues, particularly socially. In my house, my children love the way we eat, yet when they are in the Standard American Diet (SAD) world, they become different human beings. Depending on their age, they have reacted very similarly. Here is a recounting of what we’ve experienced:
Basically, when the kids are 6 and younger, they know of only what you feed them. They are dependent on their family, not friends and like and do what their parents and siblings do. This makes it very easy for all. One interesting example was when our son was 3 years old and he and I attended my daughter’s school fair.  I was talking to my girlfriend (who knows how we eat) when my son started looking at a tray of chocolate chip cookies. If you can picture it, the tray is on a table that is the same height as my son’s eyes. It is a huge tray and a huge amount of really big, soft chocolate chip cookies. It really caught my son’s attention and just as quickly he grabbed a cookie and took a bite. I stopped talking, watching him and said to my girlfriend, “He’s never had a cookie!”. Well, as soon as he took the bite, he spit it out of his mouth and said, “Yuk!” Both my girlfriend and I were astounded, as we certainly did not expect that response.

The above event let me see how much children’s preferences are dictated by what they are used to. My son never had a cookie, ice cream or processed sweet food in his life and once he tried it, he didn’t like it.

As I’ve watched my girls grow up, particularly after the age of 6, I have not had such luck with them disliking such foods. They all did not like chocolate for the very longest time, but they enjoyed ice cream and certainly pizza once it was offered to them. The social events at school were the way my children were introduced to the many unhealthy foods we never had in our home. This has always infuriated me and I was looked at like a leper whenever I brought up the idea of no candy being allowed in school. I can now happily state that our school district has implemented a policy where no foods with sugar as the first ingredient can be brought in. However, when my daughters were younger this was not the case and is probably not the case where many of our nation’s children go to school.

With the hope of keeping my children as psychologically healthy as possible, my philosophy has always been not to make my children feel guilty by the food choices they make. I recognize that food can become a big psychological issue if you let it. I also knew of people whose children rebelled and I certainly didn’t want that. So, I rarely ask them about what they ate during their time in school or with their friends. I do know of instances where they have had candy and I know that they may eat what is offered at a friend’s house that we many not approve of. I accept these times, with the knowledge that whatever they eat in our house is healthy and that has got to be at least 80% of what they take in that day. One of my daughters orders a “salad” pizzas (where it’s only the pizza dough with lettuce, tomato, onion, garlic and italian dressing) when her friends are ordering regular pizza. It’s her way of compromising both worlds. To be honest, I tried it and it was good.

This attitude has enabled my children to talk freely to me about their day and to acknowledge that while they have their SAD foods once in a while, they love our food at home. They also chose restaurants that offer salads and veggie dishes when they go out with their friends. All of my children prefer the food we serve at home and whenever they are away, they can’t wait to get back to our house to get good tasting, healthy food. I have even overheard Joel speaking to one of my daughters telling her, “Don’t worry about it, it is no big deal. Your overall excellent diet keeps you healthy and there is no reason your healthy body cannot tolerate an occasional stress. Just have a fun time.”

We feel good that our children know how to take care of their bodies. They have the knowledge that what they eat has a large effect on their health. And that puts them way ahead of the game!

TAGS: Healthy Parenting, Healthy eating, parenting

I like salt. I admit it. A little salt seems to make everything taste better, but I know that if I quit eating all added salt for a month or two, it would take much less salt to make things taste good to me, and in fact, some things would end up tasting too salty.

But the question is, does it matter? Well, it is a very important issue. Salt does eventually raise blood pressure. When you ate the standard American diet (SAD), you were constantly adding plaque to your vessel walls, which made you at higher risk for strokes caused by traveling blood clots (emboli). But there is another kind of stroke, and that is the kind caused by a vessel in your brain rupturing, causing you to bleed into your brain. Not fun.

So, if you clean up your diet, thereby cleaning up your blood vessels, you won’t have that extra reinforcement of your vessels caused by plaque (which you don’t want). You don’t need that if your blood pressure stays nice and low, as it should be, no matter how old you get. But, if you eat salt and high blood pressure weakens the vessel walls, then you risk the rupture of those nice clean vessels in your brain, causing a hemorrhagic stroke — bleeding into the brain. These are serious strokes.

The first step to lowering salt intake is to not add salt when cooking food. Add it at the table. Also, look for low or no salt versions of canned beans, tomatoes, etc.

Yup. It’s always something. Enjoy great health!

This is a video that will teach you all about making green smoothies.

To see more from the Raw Family, click here.

And for Vita-Mix information, click here.

This is a video of Dr. Fuhrman talking about how we feel when we start eathing high nutrient density food (not good!) and how our taste preferences change, followed by how he cooks healthy soups.

Here are more recipes from Dr. Fuhrman: Recipes

The foods with the highest micronutrient density are leafy greens. Unfortunately, Most Americans have not developed a taste for greens, especially raw ones. In other words, most of us just don’t like them.

What’s an unhealthy, person in pain who wants to be healthy to do? Answer: Start with green smoothies.

Green smoothies are made in a blender and they consist of banana, berries and greens. When you start out, you will have mostly banana and berries with some greens. Then, add more greens as you get used to them.

Here’s how to make them: In a blender (the stronger the better for smooth consistency. Here is a link to Vita-Mix), put about 1.5 cups of water, a banana, 1-2 cups berries (I like frozen strawberries in mine) and a handful of spinach, chard, or kale. Put the lid on the blender and blend until the greens are all blended in and there is a smooth consistency.

DRINK! You will be amazed at how good this tastes. If you don’t like the way it looks, put it into an opaque container. Even kids like these smoothies, and you might just get to where you MUST have one each day. If that happens, you will become healthier, and you will be on your way to liking greens. Drinking green smoothies is like taking your vitamins each day only better. In real green food, you get all the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals your body needs to get healthy and stay healthy. It has thousands of substances that are just being discovered, and that couldn’t possibly be put into a pill.

I have to say again that a strong blender is best, and will make the best smoothies, but if you can’t get one of those, use what you have. It is better than not taking this positive step toward health at all.

Here again is the link to Vita-Mix. That is what I use, and I would not have believed the difference it makes, plus, it works great for so many other things.

Enjoy your smoothies, whatever you use to make them!

Sue

FREE BOOK HERE

There are macronutrients and micronutrients. What are the differences?

Macronutrients are what all foods are made of, and they have the calories. All foods are made of some combination of the macronutrients fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Fats have 9 calories per gram, proteins and carbs have 4 calories per gram.

Micronutrients are the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in the foods (phyto means plant). They have no calories, but they are essential for vibrant health and disease reversal.  These are the things that really make us healthy that most Americans are deficient in. These are the things our bodies are really crying out for when we have cravings, and they are the things that will prevent illness and reverse diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

The highest concentration of micronutrients are found in dark green leafy vegetables followed by other vegetables and fruits. At the same time, these foods are low in calories and high in fiber.

So, the idea is to eat lots of micronutrients while eating few calories. High nutrient per calorie eating means eating lots of the right kind of foods.

Ah, but maybe you don’t like vegetables……. We’ll get to that.