Health Matters: We Are All on a Diet

By Dr. LaRonda Ward - Doctor of Chiropractic and Traditional Naturopath

Every day we are inundated with fad diets, temporary weight-loss solutions, and short-term weight-management strategies that are not ideal for sustained weight loss. People are hurled into programs that offer nothing more than cookie-cutter approaches to health and wellness. Many people begin to wonder if their wellness goals will ever be achieved. These diets may work for the short term, but they do not take into account that most Americans are starving for nutrients and in need of cellular detoxification, stress management, and hormonal and endocrine support.

My approach to health is focusing on the cornerstone of wellness: nutrition. Nutrition is bio-individual. I take into consideration the foundational needs of each individual’s body based on their stress, exercise, genetics, and lifestyle. The nutritional needs of people vary from person to person, so I design a diet and nutrition program that is appropriate for the individual’s needs. What works for one person may not work for the needs of another. There are a host of mineral and vitamin deficiencies that can create disease in the body. Bringing these deficiencies up to optimum levels often eliminates symptoms and challenges in wellness. The fast-paced American lifestyle has many households choosing convenience foods over those used for fuel. It is believed that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from deficiencies in key minerals such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iodine, and chromium. Minerals create a cascade of enzymatic activities that support anabolic and catabolic processes in the body. Deficiencies in minerals can lead to both mental and physical aberrancies, causing dis-ease in the body.

Due to the lack of nutrients in foods, 94% of Americans lack essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, K, and B vitamins. Failure to consume these vital nutrients can be the cause of metabolic syndromes, hair loss, increased appetites, and severe cravings. Over-thecounter and prescription medications can be instrumental in creating a decline in essential nutrient absorption and/or assimilation in the body. Due to the unprecedented rise of autoimmune disorders, it is known that improper vitamin levels can cause fatigue, pain, mental clarity, and sleep disturbances.

This dilemma of nutritional deficits cannot be resolved by taking a general multivitamin from your local drug store. At Dr. Chris’ Natural Remedies our whole food solutions are tested to be as bioavailable and efficacious as possible.

In addition to nutrition, I focus on cellular detoxification. Cellular detoxification is the process by which harmful toxins and excess metabolites are removed on a cellular level. When cells undergo detoxification, energy, metabolism and inflammation are all improved. This is key to any wellness regime, and is a weight man-

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