Top 20 recommendations for a healthy nutrition plan

Here are my top 20 recommendations for a healthy nutrition plan:

1. Cut out the following: Sugar; White flour (it's stripped of nutrients), Animal and vegetable fats and ALL margarines


2. Avoid excess soy and consider having none at all


3. Keep consumption of dairy products LOW


4. Don’t rely on ONE source of fibre, (i.e. wheat bran) include beans, pulses, fruits, vegetables, brown rice, oats, rye, barley, corn


5. Wheat bran is not a good choice - it inhibits mineral absorption


6. Keep alcohol consumption down


7. Limit salt – try not to add any to your food and never cook with it


8. Don't eat excessive amounts of animal protein


9. Protein is also found in nuts, seeds, peas, beans, lentils, sprouts and whole grains. All are rich in vitamins, minerals and protein


10. Avoiding carrying too much weight – it will reduce your life expectancy, and brings many diseases with it


11. Don't smoke or take recreational drugs


12. Ensure a HIGH intake of vegetables, especially green, leafy ones and preferably raw or steamed


13. Plenty of good quality fibre – many people need supplemental help here


14. Eat organic and free range where possible


15. Take regular MENTAL exercise - hobbies, reading etc


16. Prayer enhances immunity


17. Enjoyment of life also enhances immunity


18. If you are a vegetarian (but be aware of the long term dangers here) ensure sufficient protein and include the following: Rice with legumes or sesame seeds, Wheat with legumes/sesame seeds, Corn with legumes, Sesame seeds with either beans or wheatQuinoa is a good source of protein


19. Regular exercise - even if it is just a 15 minute walk


20. Have a goal in life - raises your immunity!

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What about a low-fat diet?

For those of you who still think you’re going to lose weight on a low-fat diet, think again.

Our bodies crave fat and we cannot survive without it. As soon as we deprive ourselves of good fats and oils (in fish, pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplementation and extra virgin cold pressed olive oil) our bodies panic and send messages to our brains for a quick fix in the way of sugar, sending us into diabetes contenders and susceptible to other degenerative diseases.

It is clear from the ever-present chronic diseases, skyrocketing overweight and obesity rates and widespread degenerative illnesses facing developed and developing countries that something has gone wrong with our diets. The biggest fad diet in the world has encouraged food from machines and sickly animals instead of whole foods from organically grown sources and this is a major issue that contributes to the failure of our health.

Identifying and eating low-fat foods provide many with reassurance, but fat is often substituted with increased levels of sugar. Many people believe a low-fat alternative has up to 40 percent fewer calories than regular brands, when the true figure is more likely to be only around 11 percent, say researchers.

A person's perception of what amounted to a regular portion of food was often slanted when faced with low-fat alternatives. People believe they will feel less guilty eating the low-fat foods, so they tend to overindulge.

Unbeknownst to the general public, the theory that bad health follows high intake of fats in general or saturated fats in particular has long had its detractors--and the list of detractors has been growing noticeably in recent years.

Have a read of what DrSears.com has to say on this topic - you'll need to register, but worth reading!

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What's Omega-3 all about?

Everywhere we look it seems, we learn of more benefits of Omega-3 from fish oil, while at the same time, because of its popularity as a supplement, more confusing opinions are presented by the market place and the aggressive advertising amongst producers. In the hope of clearing up a few myths, over the next few weeks I’ll be writing in depth on the advantages of fish oil supplementation and reporting on up to date scientific findings

According to the International Food Information Council Foundation in the USA, 2/3 of the population is concerned about the level and type of dietary fats they consume, yet less than ¼ believed fats are healthy. Naturally, as we’ve been told over decades to ‘cut fats from our diets and go fat-free to lose weight and protect our hearts’. What the ‘fat-free’ pundits don’t know is that it’s the type of fat we eat that can be harmful, not ALL fats. We cannot live without fat in our diets, but it has to be the right fat.

So let’s try and untangle the misinformation, and do a Basic Course on Omega-3

EFA’s or Essential Fatty Acids, are exactly that, essential to proper growth and development for children and adults, but by far the most important of these is Omega-3. This EFA is far out-weighed in ratio by Omegas 6 and 9 in our regular Western diet and we need to supplement heavily on Omega-3 in order to balance the ratio. We encourage you to eat fatty fish at least twice a week for a minimum intake of Omega-3, but if you are like many people on the modern diet, you will need some form of supplementation additional to what you get through your diet

Omega-3 PUFA’s are vital for healthy development of every cell, tissue and organ in the body, by working to keep individual cell membranes flexible for proper functioning. They are found in fish and shellfish¹.

In fish and shellfish, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are the major Omega-3 PUFA’s and are often referred to as ‘very long chain’ PUFA’s. They are found in higher amounts such as fatty fish such as halibut, mackerel, herring, salmon, tuna and anchovies. Although plant forms of Omega-3 (called alpha linoleic acid) can be consumed, only a very small percentage of it can be converted to very long chain PUFA’s within the body²

There’s a great deal of research showing that very long chain Omega-3 is the most beneficial fat for the body. The Physician’s Health Study found that increasing Omega-3 intake reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death by more than half. The Italian GISSI study found that the consumption of Omega-3 PUFA’s resulted in decreased rates of mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke, with particular decreases in the rate of sudden death

It is uncertain exactly how marine Omega-3 PUFA’s protect the heart, but there is evidence they may stop the heart from beating in an irregular pattern (arrhythmias) and reduce the chance of a dangerous blood clots, lower inflammation in the blood vessels as well as reduce blood triglyceride level

REFERENCES:
¹ International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation; Consumer Attitudes toward Food, Nutrition & Health a Benchmark Survey 2006
² Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). Washington, DC. National Academy Press; 2002

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