Food – The Best Medicine

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48% Of Americans Are Currently Taking At Least One Prescription Medication

\The vast majority of the population will be prescribed one medication during their lifetime. It is also likely that when we take a prescription medication, we know the expected outcome. For example, taking an antibiotic will fight off a bacterial infection, a statin will decrease cholesterol, and an anti inflammatory medication will decrease pain.

However, we rarely think about the one medication that we take everyday, and is not prescribed; food

The food we eat contains nutrients that can either promote health or create disease, and it’s up to us to make the decision of what food, or “medicine,” we take each day. In fact, the incidence of many of todays most common chronic medical conditions such as Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and Heart Disease could be drastically decreased with a proper diet.

So why is it that so many individuals don’t pay attention to what they eat?

Maybe they don’t know the difference between what’s healthy and what’s harmful. Or maybe it’s because the effects of eating a poor diet take time to manifest into a chronic illness. Whatever the reason is, many American’s eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods and bad fats; appropriately labeling the “Standard American Diet” with the acronym SAD.

When we eat food it is digested and broken down as it travels from our mouths, through our stomach to the intestines. This break down process leads to oxidation and free radicals which can damage our bodies tissue and DNA. The amount of oxidation and free radicals depends largely on the foods we consume. Foods that increases free radicals and oxidation create an inflammatory response in the body and it’s this inflammation that leads to the chronic medical conditions listed above.

Our bodies do an excellent job of fighting off the effects of inflammation, oxidation and free radicals, but it’s a battle that eventually takes it’s tollvitamins-for-acne-2

This wear and tear is analogous to what occurs to a new car. Some cars come with better manufactured parts, just as some of us are born with “better” genetics. But what happens if you put your car through tough conditions day in and day out without the proper maintenance? Well it’s much like eating a poor diet and having a sedentary lifestyle. No matter how good your parts are, the lack of maintenance is bound to wear down your parts.

Not only does the food we eat affect our health, but it also affects our sleep, energy levels, neurotransmitters and hormone levels, hair growth, and our skin, just to name a few.

Tips to a healthy, anti inflammatory diet:

  • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables,. Organic is best, however it is not always necessary. The Environmental Working Group has a great site with suggestions on what fruits and vegetables are most important to buy organic. They refer to them as the “dirty dozen and clean 15.”.
  • Eat lean meats.
  • Free range poultry with no antibiotics, synthetic hormones or preservatives.
  • Eat grass-fed meats vs corn-fed meats. Grass fed meats are high in Omega 3’s while corn-fed meats are high in Omega 6’s, which are anti inflammatory.
  • Stay away from farm raised fish and eat wild caught which are high in Omega 3’s. Farm raised fish are fed corn and soy which are high in Omega 6 (pro inflammatory).
  • Avoid processed, refined foods and stick with whole foods instead. Processed foods contain chemicals that are bad for the  body. To see a great example of processed foods check out a clip of the bionic burger.
  • Decrease intake of hydrogenated and saturated fats and eat unsaturated fats that can be found in foods such as cocoanut oil, avocado, and nuts.
  • Avoid artificial sweeteners.
  • Avoid aspartame (Nutrasweet), MSG (monosodium glutamate), caffeine, and alcohol.

With all of this said, it’s important to note that the foods today tend to contain lower levels of nutrients than in the past. Instead of eating one apple you need to have two, instead of having a handful of berries you need to have two, and so on, to get the same level of nutrients. This is why most individuals require additional supplementation and replacement of these essential nutrients.

To find our more about supplementation and proper nutrition click on the links in this blog and contact Vitali-T Medical Clinics to help you get on the path towards optimal health and wellness.