16 ' Eating for optimal HEaltH
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
Jon Muir
more than ever, the old adage “You are what you eat” is being proven valid; this simple aphorism is fundamental to natural healing. It is balanced by a complementary slogan, “You are what you don’t excrete,” or perhaps more appropriately, “You are what you absorb.”
Treating illness and maintaining health through diet is central to my wholistic philosophy and practice and is the key to living a vital life, no matter what your chronological age. Our bodies are designed to thrive on a varied diet of whole, unprocessed foods: fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs; proteins from sea and land animals; naturally grown and processed grains and beans; and fermented foods. Despite regional and cultural differences, traditional diets throughout the world are all based on some combination of these basic foods. These foods are tied to our human evolution—they are the nourishment that has kept us healthy for eons.
Every calorie we ingest either fuels the inward energy that creates, nourishes, and heals every cell in our bodies or is used to generate the outward energy that helps us act in the world. In the process of transforming food into inward or outward energy, toxic by-products are formed that are oxidative and proinflammatory. Nutrient-dense, healthful foods can efficiently make healthy cells, produce balanced energy, and at the same time reduce the creation and promote the excretion of waste by-products.
Science is delving ever more deeply into the intricacies of dietary choices, and in the process researchers are finding that there is much more to the relationship between food and health than simply calculating the minimum daily requirements of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A growing field of study, nutrigenomics considers the relationship between diet and genetics and identifies the beneficial or detrimental health effects of various dietary components. Researchers are discovering that variations in genetic makeup, gene expression, and ethnic background contribute to and to some extent define our individual nutritional requirements. Other factors include how well we digest, absorb, and utilize nutrients and the total amount of food we need to eat to function properly. Conversely, nutrition can alter both gene expression and variations in our genetic makeup, so it is obvious that a cookie-cutter approach
to nutrition is not the best way to support health and healing, because genetic variations determine the specific ways in which people adapt to environmental challenges, diseases, drugs, and therapies.1
Conventional thinking holds that health is determined genetically, and for this reason little can be changed. In other words, whatever cards we’re dealt at birth becomes our immutable destiny. Well, that simply is not true! The genes that we each inherit are only one factor in the manifestation of health or disease. Many other factors, particularly diet, play a significant role in gene health. There is no question that we affect the expression of our genes through our dietary choices; the logical conclusion is that we can tailor our diets to influence our genes. For example, one defective copy of the tumor suppressor gene p53 is thought to predispose a person to developing cancer. With age, if we lose function in the second copy of the gene, cell proliferation may become irregular. The most common genetic mutation in human cancers, that of the p53 gene, is responsible for 30 to 70 percent of all cancers. However, cancer requires the alignment of many factors. A cell may not actually become cancerous until ten or more mutations occur in several critical genes. Another common gene (also a tumor suppressor gene) that is frequently tested is the BRCA1 and/ or 2, which is associated with an increase in breast and ovarian cancers.2 Studies show that the foods most strongly associated with p53 mutations include fast food, high-glycemic-index foods, red meat, and foods containing trans fats.3 Studies show that diets rich in fruits and vegetables, along with weight control in adulthood, are important in the prevention of BRCArelated cancers.4
In my approach I try to outline a balanced diet for a person based on the following factors: geographic location, season, energetic type (deficiency/excess, yin/yang, organ system weakness, etc.), traditional diet (ethnic background, taste preferences), the presence of chronic and/or acute condition(s) or disease, nutrigenomics (diet-gene interaction), lifestyle (work/exercise), and environmental influences (toxic exposure).
Human diets of plant origin contain many hundreds of compounds that cannot be considered nutrients but appear to play a role in the maintenance of
health. Nutrigenomics examines the effects of these dietary chemicals, called phytonutrients or nutraceuticals. In some cases where the disease process is at least partially understood, elements of protection can be related to a single compound or structurally related group of compounds in the diet. Some of the bioactive components of foods, spices, and beverages of special interest include the following groups: polyphenols, phytoestrogens, saponins, terpenoids, isothiocyanates, phytosterols, phytates, and omega-3 fatty acids.5 Nutrigenomics applies the science of genomics to study diet-gene interactions and identify these and other dietary components’ beneficial or detrimental health effects.6
On a positive note, defects (mutations) in the p53 gene can be prevented or even repaired by foods or food concentrates, which include “superfoods” that have been concentrated and can be added to smoothies or foods themselves. These food concentrates are rich in specific compounds: for example, the flavone quercetin, which is found in apples, black and green tea, broccoli, and red onions, as well as other plants; and proanthocyanidins7 and resveratrol,8 which are found in grape seed and skin; and isothiocyanates, derived from cruciferous vegetables.9
The phytonutrients in food act as pleiotropic disease-suppressing agents, able to produce multiple beneficial and synergistic effects to suppress chronic disease, promote optimal health, and extend life. An important action of these foods is that they activate cellular defenses in response to oxidative damage as well as inflammation, thereby potentiating the cellular antioxidant and/or detoxification capacity.10 Such food compounds regulate oncogene and tumor suppressor gene expression by multiple mechanisms, including epigenetic processes.11
As humans age, there is a systemic increase in inflammatory cytokines (destructive cell-signaling chemicals), a situation that contributes to the onset of many degenerative diseases. Chronic inflammation disrupts the linings of our arteries, mutates DNA, degrades brain cells, and is a major cause of cancer, cancer progression, and chemotherapy and radiationtherapy resistance.12
Aging people with multiple degenerative diseases often have elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein,
indicating the presence of an inflammatory disorder, which usually means there are excess levels of one or more of the proinflammatory cytokines. The most common of these are nuclear factor–kappaB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and the interleukins IL-6, IL-1β, and/or IL-8.13
Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids in the form of cold-water fish (rich in EPA/eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA/docosahexaenoic acid), chia and flax seeds (abundant in alpha-linolenic acid), and foods rich in healthy omega-6s (linoleic acid), which can convert into GLA (gamma-linoenic acid), provides a cellular environment that reduces inflammation, including cancer-related inflammation, and can also down-regulate cancer growth factors such as HER2/neu and suppress cancer growth.14 You see, the food we consume can turn on cancer or other diseaseinducing genes, or it can do little to nothing to affect these genes, or it can turn them off. Phytonutrientrich foods and many common herbs (teas and spices) can help maintain genes that inhibit cancer and other diseases that often go awry as we age. The science of nutrigenomics can lead to evidence-based dietary intervention strategies for restoring health and fitness and preventing diet-related diseases.
The other pathological aging mechanism, which is exacerbated by eating foods cooked at high temperatures, is the formation of advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. Glycation can be described as the binding of a protein molecule to a glucose molecule, resulting in the formation of damaged protein structures. Many age-related diseases such as arterial hardening, cataracts, and neurological impairment are at least partially attributable to glycation. These destructive glycation reactions render proteins in the body cross-linked and barely functional. As these degraded proteins accumulate, they cause cells to emit signals that induce the production of inflammatory cytokines, which in turn promotes oxidative damage.15
Which Diet is Right?
With an abundance of foods to choose from, we have the luxury of crafting the perfect health-supportive diet. The question is: which diet is best? The choices are often contradictory, ranging from veganism to a
hunter-gatherer Paleolithic diet; grain-centered macrobiotics to gluten-free; dairy-free, high-carb, and low-fat to high-fat and low-carb.
It’s little wonder that people are confused. Note that there is no diet that is perfect for everyone all the time; individual adjustments are always required.
Although it’s often overlooked, ancestral heritage is an essential component of finding a diet that will keep you healthy. This approach takes into account classic Darwinian principles of evolution and adaptation, natural selection, and genetic mutation. Over thousands of years of evolutionary history, people in different parts of the world developed very specific dietary needs as an adaptation mechanism in response to the unique aspects of their habitats and lifestyles, including climate, geography, vegetation, and naturally occurring food supplies. For example, people from cold northern regions of the world have historically relied heavily on animal proteins, simply because that’s the primary food source available there. Thus they have radically different nutritional needs than people from tropical regions, where the environment is rich in vegetative diversity year-round.
Five Basic categories for Planning Your Daily Meals and snacks
Category 1: This category includes supermedicinal foods rich in phytonutrients that protect against cancer and are in fact regarded as anticancer foods. Strive to have these foods make up 20 to 25 percent of your diet. Medicinal smoothies, which I often recommend, are a good way to get a high intake of these supermedicinal foods and concentrated botanical and nutritional compounds. They are also a great way to start the day. Examples are broccoli sprouts (whereas plain broccoli is a category 2 food); watercress and nettles (whereas romaine and red leaf lettuce are category 2 foods); wild berry concentrates such as frozen acai, or concentrates that include huckleberries; pomegranates; chlorella-dense supergreens (chlorella is a genus of single-cell green algae); and green barley grass. In addition, anthocyanin-rich extracts from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), and grape (Vitis vinifera) have potent protective abilities against chronic diseases, including cancer.16
Category 2: These foods are generally very good for you but may not be considered superconcentrated and medicinal. Wild salmon and tempeh are great choices for protein and would fall into this category. A wide variety of organically grown fruits and vegetables, especially those that are brightly colored—dark leafy greens; bright orange yams, carrots, and winter squashes; and deep red, blue, or purple fruits, such as blueberries and plums—are all category 2 foods. [AU97] Strive to have these foods make up 35 to 50 percent of your diet.
Category 3: These are neutral foods—neither healing nor really bad for you. Hybrid commercial wholegrain products, such as whole-grain wheat crackers, or 50 percent whole-wheat bagels, are examples of the kinds of commercially prepared foods that fall into this category. A category 3 meal might consist of egg salad with lettuce and tomato on whole-grain bread, made with commercially prepared mayo and commercially raised eggs. Neutral foods should comprise only between 10 and 25 percent of your diet.
Category 4: These foods do not promote health but do not destroy it, either. [AU98] Category 4 should always be kept under 10 percent of your diet but does not need to be an absolute zero. Such foods as “natural” breads marketed as being “just like homemade”; organic, whole-grain-based sweets; and pasta fall into this category. The category does not include any foods containing white sugar, bleached white flour, or commercial fats.
Category 5: These are poisonous foods and should be completely avoided. Most commercial sweets, baked goods, potato chips, commercial French fries, blackened meats, candy, soda, doughnuts, and commercial salad dressings made with soybean oil fall into this category of foods and should be eliminated from the diet.
The three basic building blocks of nutrition for energy and health are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. A healthy diet consists of an appropriate intake of highquality protein, unrefined fats, and whole-food complex carbohydrates. This balance is essential for an efficient metabolism. In addition, we need an abundance of fruits and vegetables to supply the phytochemicals that are indispensable for disease prevention and management, health promotion, and longevity.
Within the ETMS system is a primary dietary toolbox. It is not to be taken lightly, as how you eat as a child, adolescent, or young adult affects your health later in life, as well as the health of your offspring.
the Four golden Rules of eating:
Quality: Eat a whole-food diet rich in fresh, organic, or wild, and preferably local food whenever possible.
Balance: Eat a balanced diet filled with a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds and a moderate amount of high-quality protein and fats.
Quantity: Don’t overeat to the point that your total daily caloric intake greatly surpasses your calorie expenditure.
Relationship: Have a healthy relationship with the food you eat; enjoy it and be thankful. Eating healthy food, grown from the earth and prepared with love, can bring such inner and outer pleasure.
the Mediterranean Diet
I myself am primarily of Italian descent and have a love of a healthy Mediterranean diet that consists mostly of Italian cuisine. I do not eat any meat (personal choice), but I believe that people can be healthy and eat meat, and they can be unhealthy and not eat meat. I believe that for optimal health for both yourself and the planet, you should eat primarily a plant-based diet, with the addition of small amounts of dairy, eggs, fish, and even meat. Meat should be limited for most people (unless you are blood deficient) to one to three times per week—and this is optional. Most important, if you are going to eat meat, it should be from the healthiest animals, grass-fed and organically raised, or wild game meat.
I try to eat primarily locally grown food and wild foods, including greens like nettles and dandelion, wild berries, and wild mushrooms (which I love), along with other common garden vegetables such as cabbage, leafy greens, root vegetables, bitter greens (including arugula, radicchio, and endive), tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables, grapes, and berries. I enjoy fish (mostly from the Oregon and Washington
coastline or from our rivers), dairy (goat, sheep, and cow, in the form of yogurt and mostly hard cheeses), and whole grains, including whole-grain breads. Olive oil is a staple of my diet. I do eat pasta, most often fresh and organic; however, I eat it not as a primary part of my meal, but rather combined with an equal amount of a protein food such as a piece of fish and a plate of vegetables. I also eat brown rice and other whole grains, but because of my love of Italian food, I just need to have a little fresh pasta with some homemade pesto, “food for my spirit.” I eat eggs several times a week, and plenty of vegetarian protein foods such as tempeh and black beans. I truly believe variety is important when it comes to eating.
Americans between the ages of seventy and ninety who eat a Mediterranean diet display consistently lower rates of all cancers, in particular, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, breast and prostate cancer, and cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, and liver; there is also a reduction in heart disease by 50 percent.17 Older men in the United States who eat more than two servings a day of any dark green or deep yellow vegetable have a lower rate of heart disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as a 70 percent lower risk of cancer than men who eat less than one serving a day.18 The Mediterranean-type diet is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of not only cancer19 but cardiovascular disease20 and chronic neurodegenerative diseases21 as well.
A Mediterranean diet can even help people avoid brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory. Researchers assessed the diets of 712 people in New York and divided them into three groups based on how closely they adhered to a Mediterranean diet. Six years later, the scientists conducted MRI brain scans on the test subjects and discovered that 238 people had at least one area of brain damage. However, those who were most closely following a Mediterranean-like diet were 36 percent less likely to have areas of brain damage than those who were least following the diet, while those moderately following the diet were 21 percent less likely to have brain damage than the lowest group.22
The Cretan (island of Crete) diet, in particular,
has been proven to promote health and longevity. An ongoing comparative study, which began in 1960 and included seven countries, had a group of about 700 Cretan men from the countryside under medical observation, regularly checking the state of their health. Of the populations in the seven countries, the Cretan group had the lowest percentage of deaths caused by heart attacks, dementias, and different kinds of cancer. This study also showed the Cretan population to be the longest-living one. In 1991, thirty-one years after the beginning of the study, about 50 percent of the Cretans were found to be still alive as opposed to the rest of the six participating countries, in which there wasn’t a single survivor (even in the rest of Greece)! The traditional diet of Crete is simple and wholesome: olive oil (which accounts for one-third of a Cretan’s daily energy needs), mainly whole-grain cereals (principally bread), vegetables, and fruit, and, to a lesser degree, fresh local cheese, milk, eggs, and fish. A little red wine is consumed with every meal.23 [AU99]
the Personalized Diet
Once you gain a good understanding of the general concepts of eating well for optimal health as well as disease prevention and/or treatment, the next step is to personalize your diet. My approach to diet is to first focus on eating a wide variety of fresh, organic foods and to avoid, or at least minimize (less than 5 percent), all processed and refined foods. Making food choices based on these simple parameters goes a long way toward creating a health-supportive diet. From this foundation, dietary choices can be refined to address each person’s specific needs.
The ETMS approach to a personalized diet starts with an assessment, which includes the following:
1. Nutritional status
2. Age
3. Body composition and shape
4. Work and physical activities
5. Endocrine status
6. Stress and sleep patterns
7. The diseases (acute and/or chronic) a person might have, or be prone to
8. Genetic factors
9. Organ system status
10. Energetic type based on an ETMS assessment of the three main branches:
•The endogenous or human branch
• The exogenous environment
• The biological terrain
Targeting such pathways with phytonutrients often involves the use of superconcentrates and falls under branch 3 of the ETMS system. Branch 3 assesses and targets the biological terrain in terms of the modern scientific understanding of the molecular biology of the cancer or other chronic disease the person has, as well as the pharmacological influences of natural compounds on cancer at the molecular, biological, and genomic levels. At the same time it recognizes that the cancer energy (tumor) interacts with and affects both the individual (branch 1) and his or her relationship to the environment (branch 2). This “hybrid” interactive characterization of branch 3 as a biological terrain is therefore much more than the interface of the biology of plants and of cancer at a molecular
level; it is simultaneously a redefinition of traditional medicine and a methodology for refining the dietary and herbal elements into protocols. It is the driving force of ETMS therapeutics in clinical practice. This revisiting of traditional medicine is unique to the ETMS system and makes it possible to incorporate a dietary and herbal approach seamlessly and synergistically with modern oncology in precise, scientifically guided, but until now unexplored ways.
Note that energetic typing can be applied to a person as well as to food. For example, a person with a cold constitution may benefit from foods of a warming nature, particularly aromatic spices , such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper. A person with signs of excess heat in summertime may benefit from fresh watermelon and cucumber juice, which will cool the body and cleanse the liver and kidneys. A person with weak lungs will benefit from sautéd nettle greens with garlic and onions; lotus root added to soups; or pears cooked with fresh ginger, orange peel, and raw honey. Diet, as you will learn, is foundational to cancer prevention and treatment.
energetic type, deficiency or excess, organ system weaknesses, yin/yang
Lifestyle and environment (energy expenditure)
Nutrigenomics (diet-gene interaction)
conventional therapies (surgery, radiation, chemo, medications)
traditional diet ancestry, ethnic background, preferences
type and location of (acute or chronic) cancer or other diseases
seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall geographic location
Fig. 16.1. In the Eclectic Triphasic Medical System (also known as Mederi Care®), all of the factors noted in this illustration are considered when using food as medicine to prevent or cure cancer or other serious diseases.
the eNeRgetics oF FooD
Each of us manifests our own energetic makeup, and this determines the balance of foods that promote vitality and health with the foods that detoxify and eliminate cancerous agents. The dynamics of the yin and yang aspects of different foods and how they relate to each person and the five energy networks in traditional Chinese medicine—that of the Kidneys, Spleen, Liver, Lung, and Heart—are also significant. Whether or not we are deficient or have an excess in any of these networks is also very important.
For example, a person who is blood deficient needs blood-building Kidney and Spleen foods, and should eat eggs, shrimp, blackstrap molasses, and wild meat like bison, along with blood- and lymph-purifying foods like beets, watercress, nettle greens, and chicory. Unless you are extremely blood deficient, meat, and red meat in particular, has many drawbacks with regard to gene behavior and cancer as well as other chronic diseases. Moderate intake of wild or organic grass-fed meat really isn’t a problem, but high intake (more than three times a week) of commercial meat can be problematic.24 In addition, consuming well-done meat cooked at high temperatures, which contains high mutagen levels for sure, can cause and promote cancer as well as advance the aging process.25 Overall, meat consumption in relation to cancer risk has been reported in over a hundred epidemiological studies from many countries with diverse diets.26
Another person may need to emphasize foods that strengthen and cleanse the kidneys, such as celery, dandelion greens, and asparagus in the spring, or watermelon during the summer. As a person gets older, as part of the natural aging process, the energy reserves of the kidneys are depleted. This energy can be restored by taking herbal remedies (adaptogen formulas plus Kidney Qi–enhancing herbs) that tonify the kidneys. Food can also have a positive impact on the health of the kidneys.
Foods that support the Kidney Qi Network
The Kidney Qi network involves all physiological actions of the kidney-urinary system plus the neu-
roendocrine and endocrine systems. The Kidney Qi network and the Spleen Qi network are central to the enhancement of core vitality, the central starting and ending point in treating and preventing cancer as well as other chronic diseases. The kidneys, like all the body’s organs, store energy, or essence.
Since the kidneys are a yin organ system, they are all about moisture, so drink plenty of water. Each of the five elements in TCM has a flavor attributed to it, and the water element that governs Kidney Qi is salty. Recommended salty foods include miso, sea salt, tamari, and salted raw sauerkraut or kimchi (Korean cultured vegetables). To support the water element, I recommend a healthy amount of salt, as too much will have the opposite effect. Check to make sure you are not getting too much, and that you replace commercial table salt with unrefined sea salt. Sea vegetables (seaweeds) and high-quality unrefined salt are also good for Kidney yang deficiency (low blood pressure, frequent urination, dry skin, etc.).
Because beans are kidney-shaped as well as seeds with potential for new life, these foods have long been considered especially nourishing to the kidneys; they include black beans, kidney beans, and most beans in general. As well, blue and black foods are best, including blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, and black beans—the colors blue and black correspond to the water element of the kidneys.
Among vegetables, eat sweet potatoes and yams, celery, asparagus, and string beans—all examples of good Kidney Qi foods. Fish, shrimp, and seaweeds all support the water element, as do various seeds, including flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and black sesame—all related to fertility and growth, which is governed by Kidney Qi. Nuts are seeds. Walnuts and chestnuts are particularly recommended for Kidney Qi. Finally, small amounts of animal products such as lamb, eggs, and cheese are especially important if your blood is also deficient.
Foods that support the spleen Qi Network
In TCM, Spleen Qi is responsible for extracting nourishment from food and also for supporting Wei Qi, or immune energy. The spleen is the largest lymph gland and subject to congestion or stagnation. Foods that
nourish and strengthen the Spleen Qi network are warming, harmonizing, relaxing, sweet, and moistening. Some of these include sweet potatoes and yams, carrots (cooked with ginger), celery root, beets cooked with cabbage (white, purple, or Chinese/Napa cabbage), sugar snap peas, and peas. Among seafood, wild salmon and/or halibut from Alaska or other clean waters is recommended. Good spices for Spleen Qi are caraway seed, anise (or fennel), and coriander. Among the grain foods, barley (especially pearled barley), millet, oats, rice, black and white beans, chickpeas, and fava beans are all Spleen-nourishing foods. Figs are excellent as well.
Foods that support the Liver Qi Network
From the perspective of modern Western medicine, the liver is the largest internal organ in the body. Its weight varies from roughly two and a half to five pounds in a healthy adult, and up to 25 percent of the blood may be in the liver at any given time. The liver is a complex organ in that it plays a vital role in regulating the processes that keep you alive and performs many complicated tasks that are essential to the proper functioning of the entire body. Just about everything you swallow and absorb into the bloodstream will eventually pass through the liver. It works twenty-four hours a day and performs a wide range of activities involving regulation, metabolism, synthesis, and detoxification. Some of this occurs during the day, when the liver functions in catabolic processes (breaking down), but much of what the liver does in the way of detoxification occurs while we are sleeping, as it rebuilds, an anabolic process. This is why sleep is essential for optimal liver function. In TCM, Liver Qi is associated with the wood element, with sourness, and with anger.
Foods that cool and support liver function are generally dark green vegetables that are bitter, such as kale, collards, spinach, turnip tops, beet tops, dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, endive, radicchio, and arugula. Bitter foods contain many important phytonutrients, and if we could eat at least a half cup a day, I believe this would lower the incidence of many chronic diseases.
Foods that support the Lung Qi Network
Certain foods can help heal the Lung Qi network. For instance, pears cooked with honey and ginger are very beneficial, as are white mushrooms and lotus root (available at Asian stores). Generally, all fresh greens are good for the lungs because green food is rich in chlorophyll, which improves cellular oxygen uptake. Nettle greens (Urtica dioica) are my favorite green food in the world, and they are the best of all foods for strengthening the lungs. Alfred Vogel, the famous Swiss doctor and pioneer in natural health, had all his patients with weak lungs consume nettle greens in the spring when they are young and best for cooking and eating, and he included nettles in tea and in fluid extract form. Garlic and onions, root vegetables, and green vegetables in soups also are wonderful for the lungs.
Foods rich in carotenoids also improve the Lung Qi network. Persimmons are one such food, and they not only contain an abundance of carotenoids, but also moisten the lungs. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin enhance lung function. High carotenoid intake appears to reduce the signs of lung aging by about one to two years, according to one population-based study.27 Another study showed that high serum levels of the carotenoids alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene were positively associated with lung function in the elderly.28
Carotenoids are found in green leafy vegetables, and beta-carotene is the predominant carotenoid. Among orange-colored fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, mangoes, yams, and winter squash, beta-carotene concentrations are high. Yellow vegetables have higher concentrations of yellow carotenoids (xanthophylls), hence a lower pro–vitamin A activity than beta-carotene. However, some of these compounds, such as lutein, have significant health benefits, potentially due to their antioxidant effects. The red and purple vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, red cabbage, berries, and plums contain a large portion of non-vitamin A–active carotenoids. Legumes, grains, and seeds also are significant sources of carotenoids. Carotenoids are also found in various animal foods such as egg yolks, salmon, and shellfish, in addition to such spices as paprika and saffron.
Foods that support the heart Qi Network
According to TCM, summer is the season linked to Heart Qi, which is represented by the element fire and the color red. Bitter and cooling foods are nourishing to Heart Qi. Try dandelion greens, an arugula salad with radishes, and some sardines with lemon and olive oil. Other healing foods for the Heart Qi network include omega-3-rich fish, red lentils, rhubarb, and fresh plums and dates. The optimal diet for the prevention of chronic heart disease would also need to take into account two important exogenous (stress) factors:
1. The type of work you do. Physical labor or being active on the job (as compared to working in an office or in a sedentary job) changes the amount of protein you should be eating.
2. The toxins you are exposed to. The person who works in a beauty salon, or who runs a photocopier, or who lays carpet or installs drywall, or who lives or works in a crowded, polluted city experiences an increased exposure to environmental toxins. Such a person would need a diet rich in antitoxins—protective foods and plant compounds such as flavonoids and other phenols, carotenoids, and sulfur compounds known as isothiocynanates, found in Brussels sprouts, watercress, and horseradish.
the coMPoNeNts oF
aN e xceLLeNt BaL aNceD Diet
Many books and theories on diet therapy for cancer emphasize the need to eat lots of raw foods. However, it is important not to generalize and to consider each person’s individual needs. What is practical and plausible? What is the constitution of the person? What are the religious or food-preference restrictions of the person? These differences of raw over cooked must also depend on where you live—for example, Florida versus Alaska—and the season. As good as coconuts and coconut oil are for some people, they should not be a staple for someone living in a cold climate, because coconut is a highly saturated fat that comes from tropical regions of the world. Because it is saturated, it is
very stable in hot weather and when cooking at higher temperatures. However, during the winter months our need for polyunsaturated fats in the form of omega-3s and omega-6s goes up. Nature is our best teacher. Just think about it: the further north you go, the more the foods have different fatty-acid profiles. Flax seeds grow in the north, and they are rich in alpha-linolenic acid and omega-3; coconuts grow near the equator and are a staple for the people around the world who live in areas that are hot and sunny all year round. I do like to vary people’s diets seasonally, recommending more coconut during the summer months and walnuts added to salads in the fall and winter, as well as more omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish. Olive oil, a predominately monounsaturated fat, is a year-round stable source of fat.
Taking into account the conditions of today’s life, I recommend a return to traditional eating habits with the following ten basic tips:
1. Incorporate an abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, whole-grain breads, beans, nuts, and seeds.
2 E at minimally processed and mostly seasonal fresh and locally grown foods.
3. Use olive oil as the principal fat, replacing other fats and oils, and eat olives daily.
4. Drink a moderate amount of wine, normally with meals; about one to two five-ounce glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women.
5. Eat fresh fruit as a typical daily dessert; limit sweets with a significant amount of sugar and saturated fat, and make sure sweets contain only whole grains and whole-food sweetening agents such as raw honey. For those wanting to avoid any added sweetener (calories), use stevia or Lo Han, which is a medical fruit for the lungs in TCM that is similar in sweetness to stevia but without the potential bitterness.
6. Your total dietary fat should range between 25 and 35 percent, with saturated fat comprising 7 to 10 percent of your total caloric intake.
7. Eat moderate amounts of high-quality cheese and yogurt daily.
8. Consume moderate amounts of fish, eggs, and, if desired, poultry and/or wild meats, up to three
servings per week. There are plenty of sources of sustainably raised or caught fresh-frozen fish, and even some canned fish (sardines and salmon), that are acceptable. [AU100]
9. If you are a red meat eater, eat it only one to three times a week, or just one time per month if desired, unless you are iron deficient; then you can eat it a few times per week until iron levels reach normal. Eat only grass-fed, organic meat or wild game meat, not commercially raised meats. 10. Eat organically grown or wild-harvested foods.
Protein
Protein is an essential component of every cell in the body and is crucial for the growth, maintenance, and repair of all cells. Not only is protein necessary for body structure (blood, bones, hair, muscles, nails, organs, and skin are all made of protein), the metabolic activity of enzymes and hormones also depends on protein.
There are many different types of protein, but all are long chains of amino acids made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Of the twenty-two types of amino acids, fourteen are considered nonessential because the body can manufacture them. The remaining eight essential amino acids must be obtained through the diet. Foods that contain all eight of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These are primarily animal proteins such as dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry. Other foods such as beans, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and vegetables also contain protein to varying degrees (for example, avocados are 9 percent protein), but because they lack one or more of the essential amino acids they are termed incomplete proteins. Combining two or more incomplete proteins can create a complete protein if all of the essential amino acids are supplied by the combination.
Maintaining an adequate daily intake of highquality protein is vital to anabolic metabolism (the building up of the body) and for preventing the loss of muscle mass, a common effect of age-related decline and diseases. In the absence of sufficient protein or calories, the body will burn lean tissue to obtain protein. Although protein needs vary, a commonly accepted recommendation is for 0.8 grams of protein for every
kilogram of body weight, which is approximately 64 grams of protein for a person weighing 160 pounds. Most Americans eat this much protein or more; adults in the United States average about 15 percent of their calories from protein. Thus a typical dietary intake of 2,000 calories supplies about 75 grams of protein. Increasing protein intake to as much as 25 percent of the diet has been shown to have beneficial effects on weight loss and maintenance, but only if the extra protein replaces refined sugars and carbohydrates in the diet. If too many calories are consumed, much of the excess—including protein—will be converted to fat and stored in adipose tissue.
As mentioned previously, a wide variety of animal and vegetable foods contain protein. My belief is that a natural diet consisting of moderate protein content, from a variety of sources (fish, eggs, dairy, and vegetables), together with potassium-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, is best. A diet too rich in animal protein, particularly meat, is not conducive to living a healthy and long life; besides, its impact on the environment is huge (although balancing the choice between grass-fed beef or antibiotic-free poultry supplied by your local rancher or farmer and purchasing animal protein, however “sustainably” raised, from a big-box food wholesaler who has it trucked in over many miles may be an issue for some folks). In general, we should eat more vegetarian sources of protein and less animal meats. As a matter of fact, unless a person is blood deficient, meat should be avoided or kept to one or two servings per week; high meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of several different forms of cancer.29
Again, be sure that if you are going to eat meat, you avoid processed and commercial meats, and keep in mind the diet of many people in the Blue Zone areas as well as the diets of traditional peoples, who eat meat as a celebration food, and not daily. New research reveals that children who eat processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage are 74 percent more likely to develop leukemia than children who avoid such processed meats and who eat more vegetables.30 In Blue Zone regions, the areas around the world associated with low incidences of chronic diseases and a high state of wellness, where even the elderly lead high-quality lives and boast long life
spans, people eat a natural diet of low to moderate protein content. For example, the typical Sardinian diet contains beans, whole-grain breads, fruits, vegetables, cheeses (goat, sheep, and cow, most likely raw), raw goat’s milk, fish in those areas close to the coast, and little meat. Of course, they also have strong family values and a close community, they are physically active, and they laugh and pray a lot, too, so their health and longevity can’t be attributed to diet alone.
Healthy Protein Sources
Free-range eggs: Eating up to two eggs a day not only does not increase the risk of heart disease, it may in fact reduce it; eating eggs is associated with reduced mortality,31 and eggs are excellent for your entire body, particularly your eyes.32 One large egg contains only seventy-five calories and provides excellent-quality protein. Eggs are also a good source of phospholipids, sphingolipids, carotenoids, choline, sulfur, chromium, folate, iron, and vitamins B12, D, and K. Sphingolipids, which are abundant in eggs and soybeans, have been shown to inhibit colon cancer, reduce serum LDL cholesterol, and elevate HDL “good” cholesterol.33 Be sure when preparing eggs to not cook them on high heat, such as frying, for you can potentially damage the valuable fats.
Seafood: Low in calories and total fat, fish and shellfish are high in protein and vitamins B6, B12, and B3. Choose wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish and shellfish, and emphasize seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines, shrimp, tuna, and salmon. Sardines are one of the best options because they are small and don’t accumulate mercury, and they are plentiful, inexpensive, and a super health food. If their taste is too fishy for you, try soaking them in lemon juice ahead of time and pan-sautéing them at a moderate temperature.
Meat and poultry: Although I personally choose not to eat any meat (haven’t since I was eighteen years old) and believe that most people can live a long, highquality life without it, for those who either choose to eat it or are blood deficient (iron anemic) or otherwise need to eat it, I recommend only the highest quality. Buy only grass-fed or free-range meats, including
beef, bison, or lamb. Poultry should be organic and free range. Wild game meats such as wild turkey or elk are also excellent choices. For those who choose to eat meat, I believe it should be eaten only one to three times per week. Meat and poultry are terrific sources of iron, niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc.
Dairy products: Cheese, milk, and yogurt are concentrated sources of protein and also deliver a hefty dose of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus for building strong bones. Whole-fat dairy products are a healthier choice than reduced-fat varieties. I believe in a whole-food diet; when it comes to dairy it should be full fat and whenever possible raw, meaning not pasteurized or homogenized, and from free-range, grass-fed animals. Homogenizing milk is major contributing factor to why commercial milk is bad for you. Xanthine oxidase (XO), an enzyme present in large amounts in homogenized milk, has the capacity to oxidize plasmalogen, a substance important to the health of heart and artery tissue. When milk is homogenized, small fat globules surround the XO and it is absorbed intact into your bloodstream. It is clear from research dating all the way back to the 1960s that there is an association between this absorbed enzyme and an increased risk of heart disease. 34 Another effect of homogenization is that there is a tremendous increase in the surface area of the fat globules. During homogenization, the original fat globule membrane is lost and is replaced by one that contains a much greater portion of casein proteins, which may account for the increase in people being allergic to modern commercial cow’s milk.35
Dairy is a rich food and should not be eaten in excess; think of it almost as a condiment. It is important to include goat and sheep as well as cow dairy in your diet. I use goat milk yogurt in my smoothie every morning. Fermented dairy foods such as kefir, yogurt, and cheeses like Gorgonzola are especially beneficial. Natural butterfat aids in the absorption of nutrients, including calcium, zinc, and many B vitamins, and it contains important cancer-inhibiting compounds, including butyric acid and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). There has been a great deal of research linking the consumption of CLA with a reduction in several forms of cancer, a decrease in the formation of already-
formed atherosclerosis, a reduction of body-fat accumulation, and the prevention of diabetes.36 Nonfat dairy is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer,37 heart disease, and diabetes. When you remove the fat, you also remove many of the nutrients, and you get more milk sugar. Another reason to only consume whole-fat dairy is that nonfat dairy doesn’t taste as good and therefore is often much higher in added sweeteners. Because environmental toxins are concentrated in fats, along with bovine growth hormone (rBGH, a genetically engineered drug given to industrially raised cattle to increase production) and antibiotics in the animal feed, not to mention the GMO corn and soybeans given to dairy cattle at commercial operations, it’s especially important to buy organic dairy products.
Beans and legumes: Black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, peas, and other beans and legumes are inexpensive, rich in fiber, and a reasonable source of protein when combined with grains to complement their amino-acid profile. The protein value of beans and legumes can be greatly enhanced by a small portion of animal protein, such as pairing black beans with grated cheese. Soybeans are unique in that they are a complete protein. Avoid processed soy foods and choose instead whole, traditional soy foods such as tofu; best are fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, tamari, and nattō. Tempeh is an excellent protein food, while miso, tamari, and nattō are not primary foods but rather condiments. .
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and other nuts and seeds add a satisfying crunch to meals, and when paired with beans, grains, or salads (with feta cheese and salmon), they help to supply amino acids to create complete proteins. Nuts and seeds are also excellent sources of healthful essential fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium; and vitamin E. Two Brazil nuts provide the daily requirement of selenium, which is one of the most important minerals for good overall health and disease prevention, but which is deficient in most people.38 A small handful of nuts and seeds, together with a piece of fruit, is an excellent alterna-
tive to snacks of chips, crackers, or sweets, but limit your intake to a modest amount to avoid unwanted weight gain.
Scientific evidence for nuts’ ability to lower cholesterol levels and protect against cardiovascular disease is growing. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans all contribute to an overall heart-healthy diet.39
Fats
Despite the popular emphasis on low-fat diets in recent decades, fat is not an optional nutrient. Fats are necessary for cellular structure, energy, fat-soluble nutrient absorption, hormones, insulation, and organ protection. Adopting a nonfat or low-fat diet inevitably results in a deficiency of the essential fatty acids that are vital for good health.
Healthy dietary fats, from nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fish, contain key components for the formation of eicosanoids, including prostaglandins, which participate in the modulation of inflammatory processes. Like many substances in our body, there are both “good” and “bad” eicosanoids, and the balance of the two depends on many factors, but one major factor is the intake of dietary fats. In addition to weighing your diet in favor of healthful fats, you can include such adaptogen companions as ginger and turmeric to help to balance eicosanoids and thereby reduce inflammation. Also keep in mind that many healthy fats and unprocessed oils contain other substances that help preserve the oil and reduce oxidation: pine seed oil contains vitamin E, olive oil contains phenolic compounds, and sea buckthorn oil contains carotenoids. Olive oil’s phenolic compounds contribute to its health-promoting and cardioprotective effects.40 The carotenoids in sea buckthorn oil contribute greatly to its health-promoting, antioxidant,41 cardioprotective,42 and anticancer43 effects.
At the molecular level, fats are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that occur in chains of various arrangements of length, order, and shape. All fats contain both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids and are categorized according to the ratio of each that they contain. Polyunsaturated fats are comprised of the highest proportion of unsaturated fats, while saturated fats are at the opposite end of the spectrum; monounsaturated fats fall somewhere in between the two.
Monounsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature and are found most abundantly in olives and olive oil. Research supports the generous use of good-quality monounsaturated fats in the diet—in fact, many experts recommend a Mediterranean diet (rich in olives, olive oil, and other monounsaturated fats) as an example of an ideal health-supportive diet. Extra-virgin olive oil contains much more than just monounsaturated fat; it is rich in another fatty acid compound called sqaulene as well as many other health-promoting anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds.44 Extensive research looking at diet and longevity has revealed that the Mediterranean diets highest in olives, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, including the diets of Crete and Sardinia, boost health and support the longest lives compared to other diets and even compared to other Mediterranean diets.45
Saturated fats occur abundantly in animal fats and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. For decades, saturated fats have been considered to be the primary cause of atherosclerosis and heart disease, and extensive campaigns have been waged against them. Researchers are recognizing, however, that saturated fats play a critical role in health; they are essential for the creation of cell membranes, and they enhance immune function, provide fat-soluble vitamins, and supply cholesterol—another substance that was vilified for decades but more recently has been recognized as essential for health. Also, remember that saturated fats can withstand high heat, while polyunsaturated cooking oils, such as corn and soy, so widely used in the fast-food industry, become rancid when exposed to heat, light, and air—and rancid oil, like margarine, is highly toxic. Rather than avoid saturated fats, we should use them for high-heat cooking, and, like dairy, they should be consumed in moderation, within a balanced diet.
For decades, polyunsaturated fats were vigorously promoted as the best fats to eat for cardiovascular health, at the same time that saturated fats were labeled as unhealthy and even dangerous. Common thinking held that because polyunsaturated fats remain liquid even when refrigerated, they would not contribute to atherosclerosis. As it turns out, polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize readily when exposed
to heat, light, or oxygen. When ingested, these unstable molecules damage cells, initiating a chain reaction that triggers not only atherosclerosis but cancer and other degenerative diseases. Much of the reason for this is not entirely the fats’ fault, but rather the way these fats are manufactured and used. Their processing and storage makes them very unstable, and the use of them in cooking contributes to their damaged state and the damaging effects they have.
Trans fats are a particularly health-damaging type of fat found in partially hydrogenated oils, which are made by adding extra hydrogen to polyunsaturated oils. Manufacturers use these artificially created fats instead of natural fats in many processed foods because they extend shelf life. Trans fats have been shown to negatively affect cardiovascular health by increasing levels of LDL cholesterol, decreasing levels of HDL cholesterol, and increasing triglycerides. Trans fats also trigger inflammation throughout the body and are thought to initiate the cellular damage that can lead to cancer.
In discussing fats in the diet, it’s important to also consider omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make and thus must be obtained directly from the diet. Foods containing omega-3 essential fatty acids are especially beneficial for health because together with a balance of omega-6s they help control inflammation and as a result provide protection against a wide variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, depression, heart disease, and hypertension. Omega-3 fats have also been shown to boost immune function. These beneficial fats are found primarily in cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna, as well as in omega-3-enriched eggs. Flax seeds and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, as alpha-linolenic acid, but not in a form that is as readily available to the body as the form found in fish (sardines and salmon).
Omega-6 fatty acids occur abundantly in the diet and are found in eggs, grains, meats, poultry, and vegetable oils. Although both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are necessary for health, problems arise when there is an imbalance in the ratio between the two, which commonly occurs in the modern diet. Ideally, we should consume approximately two parts omega-6 to one part omega-3 fats. But instead, the typical Ameri-
can diet consists of twenty parts omega-6 to one part omega-3. This imbalance is thought to be the cause of the rise in many of the inflammatory degenerative diseases of modern life. But an even more significant factor in the proliferation of these diseases is that the source of omega-6s in the typical American diet comes mostly from poor-quality food; when this is factored in with the refined sugars and starches that dominate our diet, the negative effects are compounded.
Oils rich in omega-3s and omega-6s are very delicate, and therefore they need to be of the highest quality and should be kept refrigerated and never used for cooking. Sunflower oil and sesame oil are the only oils other than olive and coconut oil and organic raw butter that I use. Sunflower oil contains both omega-6 and omega-9 and is the best oil to use for baking when you do not want to have the flavor of coconut or butter. I use sesame oil for Asian food (miso salad dressing and low-heat sautéing) with coconut oil. Olive oil is what I mostly use for salad dressings and for low/ medium-heat cooking and sautéing; for high-temperature cooking such as frying, coconut oil is best. For baking I use either coconut or sunflower oil, or rawmilk butter. As a matter of fact, 90 percent of the time I use olive oil for salad dressing and cooking. I use olive oil from olive trees that grow in hotter climates (Spain, Greece, southern Italy), which is higher in omega-9s, for cooking and summer usage, and olive oil from olives grown in cooler climates (northern Italy, southern France, central and northern California), which still are rich in omega-9s but also contain omega-3s, for salad dressing and winter use. The colder the climate, the more omega-3s and omega-6s you want to get into your diet, and the hotter the climate the more omega-9s and saturated fats you should consume. This is why, as I said, flax seeds and pine seeds grow in the north and coconut grows in the south. Nature has a lot to teach us, and we would just listen to her more!
Healthy Fat Sources
The following are some of the healthiest fats to incorporate into your daily diet:
Avocados: A nutrient-dense food, avocados are rich in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and folic acid. They have the highest content of lutein
among all commonly eaten fruits, as well as other carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene. A rich source of healthful monounsaturated fats, avocados are also a good source of protein and fiber, as well as beta-sitosterol, which helps lower cholesterol. Over the past several years there has been a steady stream of impressive research on the anticancer potential of avocados.46
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Brazil nuts (rich in selenium), flax seeds, hazel nuts (which contain the cancer toxin taxol, a common chemotherapeutic drug), pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (black and white), sunflower seeds, and walnuts are excellent sources of essential fatty acids. Buy them fresh and keep them refrigerated to protect the fragile oils. Nuts can be soaked or gently roasted to improve their digestibility.
Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil supplies a variety of cell-protective nutrients, including oleic acid and squalene, and health-promoting phenolic compounds (oleuropein, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol), which together contribute to the oil’s wonderful health benefits. Use olive oil in low-temperature cooking and on salads.
Organic butter: With a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, organic butter is a beneficial addition to the diet when used in moderation. Butter from pasture-raised animals also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which may help protect against cancer. Butter is also the richest dietary source of butyric acid (3 to 4 percent), a short-chain fatty acid that is proving to be highly beneficial. Butyric acid has profound gut health–promoting and cancer-inhibiting effects, and it may even have weightregulating capablilities as well. Parmesan cheese, a favorite of mine, is also a rich source of butyric acid.
Organic coconut oil: Including coconut oil in the diet has a variety of beneficial effects, including improving blood lipid levels, enhancing immune function, and alleviating inflammation. Coconut oil can be used for both baking and sautéing foods. [AU101] Many people believe that coconuts are generally not healthy. However, raw coconut contains many naturally occurring, health-promoting qualities. Coconuts are an
amazing food. Did you ever think about how many cultures use the coconut not only as a staple of their diet, but also in soaps, creams, shampoos, and hair-oil treatments?
Coconut oil is unusually rich in short- and medium-chain fatty acids. Shorter chain length allows fatty acids to be metabolized without use of the carnitine transport system. Some of the important compounds in coconut include lauric acid and caprilic acid. Lauric acid, the major fatty acid from coconut fat, has been recognized for its unique properties in food use, which include antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal functions. Caprilic acid is widely known as an antifungal agent. Also, natural coconut fat in the diet may lead to a normalization of body lipids, including a cholesterol-lowering effect.47
Much of the confusion about coconut relates to the saturated-fat issue. As I have stated on many occasions, it is the refined oxidative polyunsaturated trans fats that are the problem, not saturated fat. Coconut oil is 92 percent saturated; it is liquid in the tropics but hard as butter in northern climes. Vegetable oils are more saturated in hot climates because the increased saturation helps maintain stiffness in plant leaves. Coconut oil is an excellent mild but great-tasting oil for pastry use and for the occasional frying you might do. The medium-chain triglycerides present in coconut oil are a good source of readily available energy; they are broken down into medium-chain fatty acids, some of which are converted into ketones. Nerve tissue, including the brain, relies on glucose for energy. Nerve cells can also convert ketones into energy. When food is restricted and adequate glucose is unavailable, the body converts fat into ketones, which supplies the brain with the energy it needs to function properly.
Finally, coconut water is nature’s perfect electrolyte drink after a workout. And drinking fresh coconut water, particularly from the young green coconut, is an excellent way to prevent both dysentery and dehydration if you are traveling in tropical countries.
carbohydrates
The primary function of carbohydrates is to supply energy to the body by providing fuel for muscles and, equally important, energy for the brain and nervous
system. Carbohydrates are also necessary for the body to use fat efficiently. Dietary carbohydrates that are not immediately used for energy are stored in the muscles and the liver as glycogen. When those storage sites are full, excess carbohydrates are stored as fat in adipose tissue.
Carbohydrates fall into two broad categories: simple and complex. Their classification depends on the chemical composition of the food (simple carbohydrates contain one or two sugars, while complex carbohydrates contain three or more) and on how fast the sugar in the food is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. Simple carbohydrates are primarily found in table sugar and other sweeteners (including fructose, honey, and maple syrup) and in refined foods such as white flour and white rice. Complex carbohydrates occur in whole foods such as beans, legumes, starchy vegetables, and whole grains, as well as in broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant, carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, artichokes, and asparagus. The differences between complex and simple carbohydrates are many. For example, brown rice is a wonderful whole food filled with abundant vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and many health-promoting phytonutrients, while white rice is devoid of most of this and therefore not only does not provide us with nutrition, but actually causes stress on the metabolic system. Fruit contains fructose, which is a simple sugar, but the vitamins and minerals in fruit make it a healthy addition to the diet when eaten in moderation.
Eating too many refined carbohydrates (i.e., foods that have been processed by machinery that strips the bran and germ from the whole grain), or even complex carbohydrates that are not balanced with enough protein and fats, can lead to weight gain and a panoply of health problems, including blood-sugar imbalances, fatigue, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and mental fogginess. Remember, not everyone is the same, and energy expenditure also changes how many carbohydrates each of us can and should eat. There are many genetic factors that contribute to intolerance and insulin resistance, which determines who should be much more careful about avoiding refined carbohydrates, and this should start at an early age.
Eating refined carbohydrates over a period of
several decades puts tremendous stress on how we create energy and build lean muscle mass. This causes insulin resistance to slowly develop over time, altering insulin signaling and sensitivity and creating dysfunctional insulin binding proteins, the cellular receivers of insulin.48 The response is for the body to keep pumping insulin out until the job is done, and this leads to insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, which is an underlying cause of most, if not all, major chronic diseases today. Refined carbohydrates, including white breads, white rice, and simple sugars, have a high glycemic load and are rapidly metabolized to simple sugars. Many popular books such as the Sugar Busters and The Zone series give a list of foods based on glycemic index; both these sources recommend avoiding all foods that have a high glycemic index. But the truth is that glycemic index is not nearly as important as glycemic load.
Glycemic load measures carbohydrate absorption in relation to insulin demand—in other words, it measures how quickly a food’s carbohydrates are turned into sugars by the body (glycemic index) in relation to the amount of carbohydrates per serving of that food. Some examples of foods with a high glycemic load are white breads, white rice, and some of the refined pastas. Some pastas are made with whole durum semolina, which are the only kind I recommend, while others are completely refined. (My favorite brand is Bionaturae, which also makes the best organic canned tomatoes, jams, and juices.) A meal of highly refined carbohydrates causes an immediate rise in blood glucose levels, which in turn triggers the pancreas to release insulin to lower glucose to safe levels. Because high blood glucose and, even more so, high “resistant” insulin damages tissues and organs, the body has evolved a finely tuned system for maintaining blood glucose within fairly narrow parameters.
Insulin removes glucose from the bloodstream by initiating the storage of excess calories as fat. This brilliant solution allows the body to squirrel away calories in times of abundance to be drawn on in times of famine. But in modern life, with the continual availability of food, stored calories are never needed and fat accumulates. To add to the problem, high insulin levels suppress the hormone glucagon (which stimulates the burning of fat and sugar) and inhibit the hormones
that encourage muscle growth. The unfortunate result is that eating too many carbohydrates not only stockpiles fat, it inhibits the mechanisms by which the body burns fat and builds muscle.
Eating the wrong kind of carbohydrates or too many carbs generally triggers a vicious cycle of craving. If blood glucose levels quickly rise, the pancreas floods the bloodstream with insulin, dropping blood sugar and prompting the desire for more carbohydrates. People vary in their need for dietary carbohydrates, with some people flourishing on a diet that contains very little carbohydrates other than those contained in vegetables, and others requiring up to half of their caloric intake in the form of various carbohydrates. In general, the more active you are, the more carbohydrates you need to provide fuel for your muscles.
Whatever percentage of your diet you consume as carbohydrates, make your first choice those that occur naturally in whole foods such as beans, legumes, starchy vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, and yams), and whole grains (including barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and wild rice). If you eat processed grain products such as breads and cereals, choose only those that are made from whole grains. Whole, fresh fruits are a concentrated source of carbohydrates and most people can enjoy up to three servings daily. However, to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, fruit should be paired with protein and fat, such as an ounce of cheese or a small handful of nuts.
The Mediterranean diet is a balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates. Many studies have demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet offers significant protection from heart disease and cancer and substantially increases life span.49 Most cultures around the world have at least one starch as a staple in their diet, and this not only contributes to a healthy and balanced diet, it has little negative impact on the environment and is cost-effective as well.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but rich in fiber, minerals, phytonutrients, and vitamins and should be enjoyed in abundance. The wealth and complexity of nutrients found in produce shields cells from damaging free radicals, preventing the inflammation and cellular oxidation that initiates degenerative
diseases. Many familiar antioxidant nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C occur abundantly in fruits and vegetables. But fruits and vegetables also contain many lesser-known phytonutrients that yield even more powerful health benefits. For optimum health, eat preferably ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Frozen fruits and vegetables are acceptable substitutes for fresh produce because they retain most of their nutritional value. Be aware of which foods are local and in season when choosing fruits and vegetables. There are many benefits to eating locally grown, seasonal foods, not to mention the fact that they tend to be much fresher and taste far superior to foods that have traveled long distances to get to the store.
Fruits to Emphasize
To obtain the widest variety of phytonutrients, eat a variety of fruits and emphasize those with the darkest, richest colors (for example, choose purple or red grapes over green). Because fruits are high in natural sugars, limit consumption to no more than three servings daily.
Apples: There apparently is truth in the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples contain more than a hundred phenolic compounds, with antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects that have been found to inhibit chronic disease, including cancer-cell proliferation50 and tumors.51 Apples are great foods for the fall and winter. Try to eat the old heirloom varieties rather than the common Delicious and MacIntosh types. Apples and pears are both excellent for liver and gallbladder health.
Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, and strawberries are all delicious healing superfoods. Wild berries are even better than the cultivated varieties. Dark purple berries like blueberries and blackberries are rich sources of proanthocyanidins, antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Some lesser-known berries such as black currants, elderberries, huckleberries, and chokecherries contain even greater amounts of proanthocyanidins. Raspberries and strawberries contain a unique anticancer compound called ellagic acid. Pomegranates and walnuts are also rich sources of ellagic
acid. Freeze-dried strawberries have even been found to inhibit lung cancer induced by cigarette smoking.52 Strawberries contain high levels of antioxidant compounds and inhibit epigenetic damage and cancer-cell transformation.53 Eat organic berries fresh in season, or add frozen organic berries to smoothies. I add berries as well as organic fruit anthocyanins, a berry concentrate, to my daily smoothie every morning.
Citrus fruits: Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, and tangerines contain abundant carotenoids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, which are potent activators of detoxifying enzyme systems in the body. The peels of citrus fruits are especially rich in monoterpenes, which are proving to be potent anticancer and liver-protective phytonutrients. D-limonene, a terpene found in citrus rinds, has been shown to dissolve gallstones, lower cholesterol, reduce mucus in the lungs, and relieve nausea.54 An easy way to include citrus peel in your diet is to add a small amount of finely grated organic citrus peel to salads or teas.
Pomegranates: The richest source of the cancersuppressing and cardioprotective ellagic acid is the juicy seeds of the pomegranate, which should be consumed regularly in early winter when they are in season. Recently, pomegranate55 and cranberry56 were both found to have cardioprotective effects even against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Pomegranate seeds are delicious sprinkled onto salads or added to fruit salads. A great way to make fresh pomegranate juice, which goes nicely with tangerine juice, is to roll the ripe pomegranate back and forth as if it were a rolling pin, until all the berries inside have been crushed, then simply punch a hole in the fruit and squeeze out the fresh juice. Pasteurized juices have lost most of the fruit’s beneficial substances, so it is best to make or buy fresh juices whenever possible. Juice should be kept to a minimum, however, as the sugar is more concentrated.
Red grapes: Dark red and purple grapes contain an abundance of important health-promoting phytochemicals, including anthocyanins, resveratrol, and quercetin, which not only protect against free-radical damage and inflammation but also help reduce platelet aggregation, thus helping to prevent blood clots
and strokes. Resveratrol also stimulates the production of nitric acid, which helps keep arteries healthy and flexible.
The More Vegetables the Better
When it comes to vegetables, the more you eat, the better. As with fruits, choose bright or deeply colored varieties over their paler counterparts (dark leaf lettuces instead of iceberg, for example). Include an abundance of both raw and cooked vegetables in your daily diet. Raw vegetables supply healthful enzymes, but cooking neutralizes some unhealthful compounds (such as the goitrogens found in cruciferous vegetables, which can inhibit thyroid function) and enhances the bioavailability of other nutrients (such as carotenoids in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes).
Bitter greens: Commonly served in many traditional cultures on a daily basis to improve digestion, bitter salad greens such as arugula (a cruciferous veggie, so if you have hypothyroidism then limit the quantity), escarole, radicchio, and watercress (also cruciferous) trigger the secretion of digestive enzymes when the bitter flavor comes into contact with taste buds. Less commonly available but delicious wild spring greens such as chickweed and dandelion can also be added to salads, and young nettle greens are very tasty when lightly sautéed. Dandelion and nettle greens are revered among Western herbalists as a spring tonic for the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system, and both are used dried as a year-round tea to stimulate gentle liver detoxification. Cultivated heartier greens such as collards, kale, and mustard greens are delicious when braised or sautéed and offer an alternative to raw salads of bitter greens.
Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, turnips, and watercress—all members of the cabbage family— contain a variety of sulfur-rich compounds, including indoles and sulforanes, which have powerful anticancer properties. These compounds activate detoxification enzymes that neutralize carcinogens before they can damage cells. Cruciferous vegetables also contain glucosinolates, which are beneficial for intestinal health. To neutralize the goitrogens, it’s best to lightly cook them before eating.
Tomatoes: Although tomatoes are actually a fruit, most people think of them as a vegetable. They’re one of the richest sources of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps ward off cancer and prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family, with twice the antioxidant potency of beta-carotene. Cooking tomatoes helps make lycopene more bioavailable, and preparing tomatoes with fat or oil makes lycopene more absorbable. The bottom line: tomato sauce prepared with olive oil, garlic, and some fresh basil thrown in at the end after cooking is a great way to eat tomatoes!
Yams and other orange vegetables: Dark orange and yellow vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and yams are all concentrated sources of alpha- and beta-carotene, two carotenoids that are potent antioxidants and help protect cells from damaging free radicals. In a recent analysis of the dietary habits of 15,000 people, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control found that people with the highest blood levels of alpha-carotene had a significantly lower risk of disease or death.57 To aid in the bioavailability and absorption of carotenoids, dark orange and yellow vegetables should be cooked with a small amount of olive oil or butter.
Carotenoids enhance overall health and are an essential group of phytonutrients to consume daily. They are particularly important for supporting lung function58 and high serum levels of carotenoids have been positively associated with lung function in the elderly.59
the importance of Fermented Food
The Bulgarians are noted for both their longevity and their high consumption of fermented milk, as yogurt and kefir. In Asian cultures, traditional pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots remain popular today. Such probiotic foods increase our overall nutrition, promoting the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria, aiding digestion, and supporting immune function, including an increase in B vitamins (even vitamin B12), omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria and even cancer cells.
Sauerkraut is the most commonly known fermented vegetable in this country, but note that the commercial sauerkraut is pasteurized and “dead,” i.e., it lacks the beneficial bacterial cultures that make it so good for us. However, it is fairly easy to make yourself. Dr. Andrew Weil, a great fan of this fermented food, notes:
To make sauerkraut you shred cabbage, add salt and wait for it to ferment. The salt draws out the cabbage juice, which contains sugar. The juice and sugar ferment forming lactic acid, which creates sauerkraut’s tangy flavor. But sauerkraut is one of the saltiest foods available, containing much too much sodium for people with high blood pressure and heart disease. If you rinse and soak sauerkraut in cold water before you eat it, you can lower the sodium content considerably.60
I believe many aspects of Asian cuisine, which includes fermented foods, promote an optimal state of health and contribute to a reduction in chronic disease and premature aging. Besides sea vegetables, a staple in Asian cuisine, many of the traditional fermented Asian foods have a huge body of clinical research supporting their amazing health effects. One such food is miso, a fermented soybean paste that has been used on a daily basis as a flavoring in soups and solid foods in Japan and other parts of Asia. Miso is radioprotective61 and has been shown when consumed regularly to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women by up to 54 percent.62 Miso is also an antimutagenic food with potent cancer-inhibiting effects.63 Having miso soup together with a small portion of protein or with potassium-rich vegetables such as spinach or wakame (seaweed) prevents the increase in blood pressure [AU102]even in salt-sensitive persons, and it is one of the best meals to reduce body fat.64
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. A probiotic strain known as Bacillus pumilus found in this fermented food is capable of degrading the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic packaging and the linings of aluminum cans.65 Nattō, a Japanese food made from fermented soybean extract, is a rich source of vitamin K2 and has been shown to suppress calcium plaque buildup and reduce blood pressure in cases of hypertension;66 it also helps build healthy bones.67
the spice of Life
A diet consisting of the basic food groups discussed so far can be varied and enhanced by the addition of herbs, edible flowers, and culinary spices. Chosen well, these add flavor, texture, and pizzazz to any meal, as well as a wealth of health-enhancing phytonutrients.
Added to salads or as a garnish for soups or other dishes, edible flowers contribute color, flavor, and nutrients to the diet. Edible flowers are rich sources of carotenoids and flavonoids. Some of my favorites include the blossoms of bergamot (bee balm), borage, calendula, chives, coriander, lavender, mint, nasturtium, rosemary, sage, squash, and viola.
It’s hard to imagine cooking without culinary herbs, which have been used traditionally as medicinal foods to enhance digestion. These indispensable kitchen ingredients also have antioxidant and antitumor activities. Allspice, basil, caraway, celery, cinnamon, clove, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, nutmeg, orange peel, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and turmeric all contain assorted phytochemicals that enhance health in a variety of ways. For optimal health, cultivate the habit of using a variety of herbs and spices in your daily cooking.
Black pepper is a common spice with especially unique properties; research shows that it supports other nutrients in protecting the liver as well as prolonging the life and increasing the bioavailability of antioxidants in the body.68 Combining black pepper with turmeric enhances the detoxifying effects of turmeric on liver function and the cancer inhibition effects as well, even at the stem-cell level.69 Black pepper has anti-inflammatory, cancer-inhibiting, and tumor-suppressing abilities as well.70 Energetically, black pepper is warming and in tiny amounts can help improve digestion.
eNjoY FResh, LocaL FooD
iN seasoN
As much as possible, plan your menus around fresh foods, including seasonal produce and foods that are local to your region. Not only do fresh, local foods in season taste better, they’re better for you. Food that has traveled a long distance or has been sitting on a shelf or in cold storage has lost much of its vitality and nutritional value, not to mention taste. As soon as a
fruit or vegetable has been picked, its nutrient levels begin to decrease. The nutritional value of protein foods can diminish with processing; for example, the protein in canned milk is missing vital amino acids.
Fruits and vegetables eaten when they are in season conveniently provide the nutrients most needed during that season. Strawberries and tomatoes, for example, contain antioxidants that offer protection from excessive sunlight during the summer, when they are harvested. Root vegetables, which are harvested in the autumn and winter months, are rich in complex carbohydrates that provide fuel to keep the body warm during the cold winter months. In the spring, bitter greens such as dandelion, mustard, and nettles, the first greens of the new season, stimulate gentle detoxification after a winter of heavier foods and sedentary living.
The following foods are especially beneficial for health when eaten in the appropriate season:
Spring: Asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, dandelion greens, kale, leeks, mustard greens, peas, rhubarb, spinach
Summer: Berries, cherries, cucumbers, eggplant, figs,
green beans, peaches, melons, nectarines, onions, radishes, sweet peppers, tomatoes
Autumn: Apples, cranberries, mushrooms, nuts, olives, parsnips, pears, persimmons, plums, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkin, walnuts
Winter: Artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, citrus, collards, kale, onions, sweet potatoes, winter squash
cReate coLoRFuL MeaLs
FoR
heaLth
Phytochemicals, the natural substances in fruits and vegetables that give them their brilliant colors, also contribute vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that offer countless health benefits. Each color group provides unique phytochemicals and antioxidants that help prevent virtually every degenerative disease, including arthritis, cancer, cataracts, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Because no single color group has everything we need for optimal health, it’s important to include a variety of foods from each color group every day.
Phytochemicals, Benefits, and Sources
coLoR NutRieNts (VaRY accoRDiNg to FooD)
Red Anthocyanins, lycopene
Yellow, orange Beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C
Brown, tan, white Allicin, copper, manganese, polysaccharides, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E
BeNeFits (VaRY accoRDiNg to FooD)
Memory, skin, urinary tract (bladder, kidneys, and prostate)
souRces
Beets, cranberries, pink grapefruit, raspberries, red onions, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon
Immune system, skin, vision Carrots, corn, mandarins, mangoes, oranges, papayas, peaches, sweet potatoes, winter squash, yams
Immune system
Green Calcium, indoles, lutein, magnesium Bones, teeth, liver, vision
Blue, purple Anthocyanins, phenolics
Cardiovascular system, memory, urinary tract, vision
Bananas, cauliflower, dates, garlic, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, potatoes, turnips
Asparagus, avocado, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collards, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, peas, spinach
Blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, plums, purple cabbage, purple grapes, radicchio
coNsiDeR YouR
aNcestRaL heRitage
Taking your ancestral heritage into consideration can help you create a diet that is optimally supportive for your health and well-being. Although we all require protein, carbohydrates, fats, and phytonutrients, the specific foods that best support health can vary greatly.
Dietary patterns are unique to specific cultures and have evolved over many centuries as a result of climate, geography, and available sources of food. For example, a diet rich in animal protein and fat is typical of populations originating in cold climates, while those from tropical regions evolved on lighter diets of fruits and fish. As another example, people whose ancestors consumed dairy products probably do well eating dairy, while those whose ancestors did not eat dairy are likely to lack the enzymes necessary for digesting the lactose in milk.*
In the early part of the twentieth century, a brilliant scientist and dentist by profession, Weston Price (1870–1948), demonstrated the importance of eating whole food from the earth, as well as considering ancestral heritage in making dietary choices. Price traveled all over the world studying the diets and health of indigenous peoples and recorded his remarkable discoveries in his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. 71 Briefly, Price found that indigenous people who followed their ancestral diets were robust and healthy. He also found that as they introduced modern, refined foods such as sugar and strayed from their traditional diets, they quite quickly developed degenerative diseases and dental problems.
e at Less to LiVe LoNgeR
Thousands of research studies have shown caloric restriction to be effective in extending life and delaying disease in many different species.72 Fasting or starving oneself, however, is not the answer. While it
*It should be noted that our ancestors drank not homogenized/pasteurized milk (a practice that dates only from 1947), but rather raw milk with bioavailable enzymes. Furthermore, what causes lactose intolerance is actually modern nonfat milk and low-fat milk; without the fat, the protein and lactose are more concentrated and therefore can be more intolerable.
seems likely that eating less may prevent disease and lead to a longer life, it must be done properly. We must be sure we are getting enough nutrients on a daily basis to supply the body with what it needs for detoxification, energy, maintenance, and repair.
Several mechanisms have been suggested for the apparent life-extending effects of caloric restriction, including altered glucose utilization, changes in gene expression, decreased oxidative damage, diminished apoptosis, enhanced stress responsiveness, and growth retardation. There is some evidence that such energy restriction exerts important metabolic effects on the aging process and longevity through intra- and intercellular signal transduction transmitters, with several signaling pathways mediating its beneficial action.73
Many scientists believe that the benefits of caloric restriction are the result of lower levels of insulin and less oxidative stress from fewer calories. Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are damaging to tissues and organs and appear to accelerate aging.74 Furthermore, restricting energy, thus maintaining a mostly lower metabolic rate, much like the tortoise, can exert positive metabolic effects on the aging process and on overall longevity. In other words, live at a slower pace; don’t stress over little things or get too stimulated.
eMBRace the sLoW FooDs MoVeMeNt
For many Americans, speed has become a way of life. Doing as much as possible, as quickly as possible, has resulted in a society whose values are based on convenience rather than quality. Nowhere is this more evident than in the dietary choices and eating patterns of our culture. Instead of sitting down to meals lovingly prepared from whole foods as people in the Blue Zones do, we eat from fast-food chains while driving in our cars, or we microwave frozen meals to eat in front of the television or computer. Interaction with one another is also a hallmark of living longer. In Blue Zones, people are very social, even more so in the later years; and generally speaking, in the animal kingdom, the more social the animal, the longer it lives.
Let’s return to the subject of tortoises and why they live so long (250 to 350 years). I believe there are four main reasons: (1) having a slow metabolism,
tortoises burn energy slowly and efficiently, producing little waste; (2) their vegetarian diet is easy to digest and takes less energy to digest; (3) they move slowly and never seem to be in a hurry; (4) they don’t seem to ever be stressed out about much—they don’t even react too much to noise or vibration. Basically, they deal with stress very methodically and don’t ever seem to get worked up or hyperactive like so many other animals.
In reaction to our loss of connection to the pleasures of food and shared meals, the Slow Food movement was born in the 1980s in Italy, in response to the inroads the fast-food industry was making in that country. The Slow Food movement advocates taking the time to prepare and eat meals composed of healthful ingredients while enjoying the company of family and friends.
Ask yourself: Is the food I am eating coming from love, has it been prepared with love, and do I truly love the food? If your answer is “yes,” give thanks to the Creator, and partake, enjoy, and be well!
BeVeRages
In recent years there has been an explosion of “energy” beverages and sports drinks hitting the market, none of which are good for you. They are poor products with big marketing and advertising budgets designed to convince you that they are good for you and will give you energy and improve recovery. They often contain loads of sugar, caffeine, and artificial additives and only a few nutrients, most often electrolytes. They may also contain aspartame derivatives, which are neurotoxic. The best natural source of electrolytes and the best hydrator is fresh coconut water (the water found inside the young, green coconut). Although many products that have hit the market have been made from coconut water, they are not as good as the fresh stuff. I often drink coconut water with my own adaptogenic formula added to it. This is great for, during, and after exercise and is especially helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy; I have found this combination to be invaluable for reducing the fatigue and nausea from these kinds of treatments.
I don’t believe people should drink soft drinks (regular or diet sodas) or commercial milk and/or juices. Diet soda, which contains artificial sweeteners
that are neurotoxic,75 is as bad for you as the regular sodas, which are loaded with sugar—up to twelve teaspoons per twelve-ounce bottle, mostly in the form of high-fructose corn sweetener. From 1977 to 2001, Americans doubled their consumption of sweetened beverages, and during that same time the obesity rate skyrocketed; many correlate the increase in soft-drink consumption to the increase in obesity.76 The consumption of diet soda has also been associated with making people more fat, not less so.77 Soft drinks also displace calcium from the bones, lower bone density of the skeleton, and contribute to weak bones and osteoporosis.78
Why Diet sodas cause obesity
The prolonged ingestion of artificial sweeteners may cause the body to change metabolically and become dysfunctional. Though artificial sweeteners don’t contain any calories, their sweet taste signals the brain to think it is getting sugar, which triggers something called the cephalic phase insulin response. That is, the sweet flavor causes the body to produce insulin in anticipation of a rise in blood sugar, even though no actual sugar has been ingested. This will cause insulin levels to be artificially high. With no sugar to process, the extra insulin will automatically revert to its secondary function, storage of fat and inhibition of muscle growth, producing a cumulatively negative effect on the metabolism over time. [AU103]
Artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas do not generate the same signals or satisfaction responses that fresh fruits or whole-food sweeteners (such as stevia) do. The result is overeating and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners increase your preference for sugar, and drinking diet soda regularly may result in a preference for high-calorie sugar-laden foods and drinks. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits. In addition, diet sodas, which contain zero or only minute levels of nutrients, are frequently used in place of healthy drinks and foods. By consuming them you are replacing the nutrition you would gain from healthy food, fruits, and fruit juices with something that provides no nutrition at all. Finally, the artificial sweeteners used in diet soft drinks are neurotoxic chemicals.
As far as juices go, unless they are made fresh they should be limited to about four to six ounces per day, and perhaps diluted with water. During the ultra-pasteurization of juices, most of the beneficial phenolic compounds are destroyed, and since these juices contain more concentrated sugars I believe they should be kept to a minimum. Fresh juice, on the other hand, is loaded with all the beneficial compounds and for some can really be helpful. I often have people drink fresh-made watermelon, celery, and cucumber juice to cool the body and flush the kidneys; or fresh pear, apple, carrot, beet, and spinach juice, with a tiny amount of lemon (with peel) and ginger, to cleanse the liver and gallbladder. During the winter months I like to drink a small (four-ounce) glass of fresh orange juice; a combination of pomegranate and tangerine is nice, too. Moderation should be a principle applied to fresh juice consumption, unless there is a specific medicinal reason for juicing more.
Water Recommendations
If you must buy water, only buy water in glass bottles (e.g., Mountain Valley Spring Water, San Pellegrino, and other pure, in-glass mineral waters). If possible, purchase for the home and office a high-quality water filtration system such as reverse osmosis. The need for clean, clear, chemical-free water cannot be overemphasized, as most people are dehydrated, which blocks the body’s ability to excrete toxins. Of course we don’t want to hold on to toxins, therefore we must flush them out with water. We all need to drink more clean water.
If city water is treated with ozone to kill bacteria and then run through a reverse-osmosis filtration system with a charcoal-added filter, it would probably be safe to drink—certainly much safer than chemically treated public water with detrimental-to-health substances like chlorine and fluoride added. Eliminate plastic—do not drink water from a plastic bottle, regardless of whether it is spring or filtered water. Use a stainless-steel bottle or glass instead. The plastic leaches into the water and becomes an estrogen mimetic, which will wreak havoc on the hormonal system in the body. Estrogen also feeds fungal infections, and many people, because of the antibiotics in our food supply, have fungal infections. Fungi feed cancer
cells. Estrogen disruptors are all over the environment and food supply and represent a serious danger to our health. In addition, plastics contain phthalates, which reduce spermatogenesis, creating infertility in men. Try to avoid foods in plastic containers, too.
gooD NeWs aBout “siN” FooD
Moderate intake of coffee, tea (green and black), wine (unless you have liver stress or cancer, then it should be avoided), and dark raw chocolate sweetened with a whole-food sweetener can be good for chronic disease prevention, relieving stress, and promoting longevity.
A 2006 study found that regular cocoa consumption was associated with a healthy blood pressure and a 50 percent reduction in the risk of dying of a heart attack, as well as a total reduction in all-cause mortality.79 Eating dark (bitter) chocolate was also found to lower the risk of stroke as well as reduce mortality in people who had had a stroke.80 The consumption of chocolate, and specifically cocoa flavonols, can significantly enhance the growth of select gut microflora, promoting probiotic benefits.81 Researchers believe the regulation of nitric oxide production by the flavanols found in dark chocolate could explain its effects on insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. It is believed that cocoa flavonols interact with the body to improve insulin-mediated cell signaling and increase nitric oxide bioavailability, which means better vasoperipheral dilatation.82 [AU104] Cacao proanthocyanidins have also been shown to inhibit breast, pancreatic,83 and lung cancers84 in vitro and in vivo.
Findings from a 2011 meta-analysis of fifty-nine studies and forty independent cohorts found that coffee consumption was associated with a reduction in total cancer incidence.85 Coffee contains phytochemicals that help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. Coffee drinkers are half as likely to get diabetes compared to those don’t drink or drink very little coffee.86 Recent studies suggest that drinking coffee decreases the risk of premature death, especially in women. Women who don’t drink coffee have a higher risk of stroke compared to those who do.87 Another recent study showed that people with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who drank three or more cups of coffee a day cut their risk of the disease
progressively by 53 percent.88 [AU105] Although caffeine might be considered the active ingredient in coffee, coffee is only 2 percent caffeine and the remaining 98 percent contains more than 1,000 different synergistic, health-promoting phytochemicals, most importantly the phenolic chlorogenic acids. There is much too much focus on the caffeine content of coffee, and not enough on all the bioactive coffee components, such as polyphenols, melanoidins, carbohydrates, diterpenes, and so forth.89
There has been an explosion of research in recent years on the health-promoting, disease-preventive, and mortality-reducing benefits associated with drinking coffee. One recent long-term study found that those “who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the thirteen years of the study.”90
What is moderation when it comes to these “sin” foods? It’s one five-ounce glass of wine per day for women and two for men; two to three cups of coffee a day; and one ounce of dark organic chcocolate (at least 70 percent, and best if sweetened with raw, unrefined sugar).
gooD NutRitioN aLLeViates stRess
Most people don’t realize that an unhealthful diet is one of our most prevalent and powerful stressors. Processed and refined foods cause blood glucose levels to spike, which in turn triggers an excess of insulin to be released in response. This burdens the body and can be a cause of stress, such as being irritated during episodes of low blood sugar, when because of the oversecretion of insulin needed to drive the glucose down you get hypoglycemic. When nutrition is optimal, our ability to handle stress and sustain energy is far better. Now the plot thickens, because chronic stress leads to chronic inflammation. And a poor diet leads to stress, chronic insulin and hormone imbalances, and chronic inflammation. So while multiple factors contribute to genetic damage and premature aging, perhaps the most significant is the combination of stress and poor eating.
Poor eating encompasses the consumption of refined grains, sugars, and oils, as well as the synthetic
chemicals used to grow and preserve food. Although most people are aware that poor eating habits contribute to disease, we also need to recognize that stress causes energy mobilization that negatively affects carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.91 Although diet and physical activity have traditionally been the major approaches to preventing and treating obesity, the body’s stress system and cortisol release are now considered another major pathway.92 This is where herbal adaptogens come into the picture.
The ETMS approach combines a dietary approach (i.e., toolbox) with lifestyle modifications such as exercise and meditation, along with botanical and nutritional medicine. A recent study looked at the relationship between four low-risk behaviors (never smoked, healthy diet, adequate physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption) and mortality in a representative sample of people in the United States over an eleven-year period, from 1988 to 2006. Not surprisingly, the number of low-risk behaviors was inversely related to the risk for mortality.93 A second study from 2012 found comparable results in that participants who do not smoke, consume a healthy diet, and engage in sufficient physical activity can substantially reduce their risk for early death.94
Dietary redox-antioxidants found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, even more so, spices and herbs assist in preventing oxidative damage and aid in maintaining homeostasis, thus providing significant protection from disease and aging. Alpha-lipoic acid, carnosine, vitamin C, vitamin E, and other, even more important micronutrients, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and selenium, have been shown to be important dietary antioxidants. But more than any other known agents, adaptogenic herbs are the key to long-term protection, cellular energy reserve, and energy efficiency, and they can reduce inflammatory and oxidative damage. Adaptogens, combined with phenolic-rich herbs and spices such as turmeric and ginger (adaptogen companions), possess a unique free-radical-quenching ability and mitigate the deleterious effects of oxidative stress.95 Therefore, for optimal health, combine a balanced diet of whole foods with an appropriate program of botanical and nutritional supplements, and be sure to include herbal adaptogens.
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