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Health 

 

"Sickness comes in through the mouth,

Trouble comes out through the mouth."

 

- Chinese proverb

Food Matters 

We are what we eat. Many new researches are affirming that disease is caused by a toxemia from food which results in cellular impairment and breakdown, thus paving the way for the multiplication and onslaught of germs and disease.  

While we do not have much control over many things in life, we do have full control over what we put into our mouth. Most degenerative diseases take years to develop. Un-nutritional food and faulty diet help diseases to grow exponentially. When a person is being diagnosed with a disease, usually the damage has already been done. To undo the damage is not always possible. For example, when kidney cells are damaged and destroyed, they will no longer be able to recover and the body will not be able to make healthy kidney cells again. 

Eating right is fundamental to good health. Unfortunately, knowing what and how to eat right is easier said than done. There are too many different schools of thoughts, flip-flopping advice from governments and experts, and non-stopped disagreement over what is healthy and what is not. To protect ourselves and to best serve our own interests, we have to become knowledgeable and well informed in order to make the right food choices for our health. In times of sickness, eating right is of paramount importance in helping the body to fight, to repair and to recover.

Throughout history, human strived on natural and whole food right from the land. Today, in the name of progress and modernization, our foods are cultivated, highly processed and are no longer natural and whole. GMO seeds, pesticides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormone, antibiotics, chemical additives, synthetic fats, synthetic sugar and food substitutes are all making our food no longer healthful. Together with soil depletion and environmental pollution, our food is laden with heavy metals toxins, chemical poisons and allergens. Our food is stressing our normal cellular functions, depressing the immune function, causing key vital organs to fail and stripping our body the natural ability to defend itself.   

In many centenarian studies done around the world, the centenarians are found to have relatively low sugar, low triglycerides and low insulin for their age. The biggest problem with today's foods is they are laden with high level of corn syrup, synthetic sugar and simple carbohydrates which turn into sugar quickly. A high sugar diet provokes insulin production. The more insulin our cells are exposed to, the more they will become resistance. Sugar is known to prevent vitamin C from entering our cells therefore depressing our immune function, increasing inflammation and accelerate aging. High insulin causes the retention of sodium which causes high blood pressure and fluid retention. It also causes plaque build-up, constricts the arteries and causes congestive heart failure. 

The second most important problem with today's food is the cooking oil. Hydrogenated oil which is found in most processed foods contain man-made molecules called trans-fatty acids. When trans-fatty acids substitute for the health-giving essential fatty acids, they interfere with normal metabolic functions causing indigestion and obesity. Trans-fats are also defective for our cell membranes, hormone synthesis, immune function and the natural ability to deal with inflammation. High consumption of bad fats is the cause for many chronic diseases.

The best food is whole foods that are grown organically and locally. Food should be prepared from scratch at home using good seasoning such as natural sea salt and cane sugar, healthy fat such as olive oil or coconut oil, no commercial seasoning or additive and no preservative so that they are not putting extra burden on our liver, kidney and digestive systems. Food can kill but food can heal too. It’s all depends on what we eat and every meal counts. 

Eating for health does not mean that you have to eat boring foods or you have to spend a lot of money on food. You just have to be knowledgeable and selective about what you put into your mouth. Eating what is cheap and convenient will only create problems for your health. Many people are feeding their car better than feeding their own body. It boils down to self worthiness and smart life choices. We can always buy another car but we only have one life and one body and there is no take-two. The best love of all in this world is to love YOU and your health. When you have health, then you can love everything and everyone else.          

 

The Best Whole Food Sources for Essential Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamin A - preserves and improves eyesight as well as fights viral infections

  • Raw carrots
  • Cooked spinach
  • Baked sweet potato with skin
  • Cooked turnip greens
  • Baked winter squash
  • Cooked collard greens
  • Cantaloupe 
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Steamed broccoli 
  • Cooked green peas

Vitamin B1 - helps cells' enzyme systems convert oxygen into usable energy, coordinates nerve and muscle activity, and keeps heart healthy.

  • Raw sunflower seeds
  • Cooked yellow fin tuna
  • Cooked black beans
  • Cooked corn
  • Sesame seeds
  • Oatmeal
  • Cooked asparagus
  • Brussels sprout
  • Cooked spinach
  • Pineapple

Vitamin B6 - involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions throughout the body, helps nervous system, promotes proper breakdown of starch and sugar, and prevents amino acid buildup in blood.

  • Banana
  • Roasted chicken breast 
  • Roasted turkey
  • Cooked cod 
  • Baked potato
  • Avocado
  • Garlic 
  • Raw red pepper
  • Watermelon 
  • Cooked cauliflower

Vitamin B12 - an unusual vitamin formed by microorganisms like bacteria and yeast (and found in the various and sundry animals that ingest them), plays a key role in developing blood cells and nerve cells and processing protein, helps protect individuals with anemia and gastrointestinal disorders.

  • Clams
  • Duck liver
  • Oysters 
  • Calf liver
  • Rainbow trout
  • Top sirloin 
  • Skim yogurt 
  • Milk
  • Lean cured ham 
  • Hard-boiled egg
  • Chicken breast

Vitamin D - a vitamin present in just a few foods and also produced when UV rays hit the skin. Essential to calcium absorption - without it, bones don't grow correctly and become thing, brittle, and easily broken. Also helps with the immune system and can reduce inflammation.

  • Halibut 
  • Salmon
  • Canned sardines
  • Oysters
  • Shrimp
  • Cod
  • Egg

Folate - a chemically complex vitamin found naturally in foods, folate requires enzymes in the intestine to aid in its absorption. Aids fetal development in pregnancy, helps produce red blood cells, prevents anemia, helps skin cells grow, aids nervous system function, prevents bone fractures, and lowers risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

  • Cooked lentils
  • Cooked navy beans
  • Cooked beets
  • Cooked split peas 
  • Papaya
  • Mustard greens
  • Raw peanuts
  • Flaxseeds 
  • Orange
  • Raspberries

Vitamin C -  a water-soluble nutrient that acts as an antioxidant to protect us from colds and infections, cardiovascular disease, cancer, joint diseases, and cataracts. Protects cells from free radical damage, regenerates vitamin E supplies, and improves iron absorption.

  • Steamed broccoli
  • Cooked Brussels sprouts 
  • Strawberries
  • Orange 
  • Cantaloupe
  • Kiwi
  • Grapefruit 
  • Pineapple 
  • Cooked winter squash
  • Blueberries

Calcium - a mineral that is found in your bones and teeth. Keeps your bones strong and healthy, promotes efficient function of your nerves and muscles, and helps blood clotting.

  • Sesame seeds
  • 2% milk 
  • Plain or vanilla soymilk
  • Low-fat yogurt
  • Cooked spinach
  • Part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • Raw tofu
  • Cream cheese

Vitamin E - a group of fat-soluble vitamins that are found throughout the body. Protects your skin from ultraviolet rays, promotes communication among your cells, prevents free radical damage, and lowers risk of prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

  • Raw sunflower seeds
  • Peanut butter
  • Roasted almonds
  • Olives 
  • Papaya
  • Sweet potato chips
  • Cooked spinach
  • Blueberries

Iron - a common metal that's essential to nearly all life forms, keys for oxygen transport, cell growth, and immunity.

  • Chicken liver
  • Soybeans
  • Spinach
  • Tofu
  • Sesame seeds
  • Kidney beans 
  • Venison
  • Lima beans
  • Beef tenderloin
  • Roast turkey

Magnesium - a mineral found mostly in our bones, but also in our muscles. The human body is unable to produce it, so it's vital to seek out foods that contain it.  Helps muscles and nerves relax, strengthens bones, and ensures healthy blood circulation.

  • Cooked salmon
  • Raw sunflower seeds
  • Sesame seeds 
  • Prickly pear
  • Cooked black beans
  • Roasted almonds
  • Cooked pinto beans
  • Cooked brown rice
  • Cooked scallops
  • Cooked summer squash

Potassium - another mineral, stored within cells to regulate muscle contraction and nerve activity. Keeps your muscles strong, balances electrolytes, and lowers risk of high blood pressure.

  • Baked winter squash
  • Avocado
  • Pinto beans
  • Cooked lentils
  • Cooked beets
  • Fresh figs
  • Cooked Brussels sprouts
  • Cantaloupe
  • Banana 
  • Tomato

Selenium - a mineral needed daily, but only in small amounts. Protects cells from free radical damage, allows thyroid to produce hormones, and protects joints from inflammation.

  • Wild cooked oysters
  • Cooked snapper
  • Canned white tuna, in water 
  • Cooked halibut
  • Cooked shrimp
  • Roasted turkey breast
  • Broiled beef tenderloin
  • Grilled Portobello mushrooms
  • Hard-boiled egg
  • Raw tofu

Zinc - a mineral that regulates carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar. Stabilizes metabolism and blood sugar, helps immune system when you're sick, and heightens your sense of smell and taste. Also plays an important role in male fertility.

  • Broiled beef tenderloin
  • Roasted lamb loin 
  • Wheat germ 
  • Venison 
  • Sesame seeds 
  • Pastrami
  • Cooked green peas Steamed shrimp
  • nonfat shredded mozzarella cheese

Whole Food

Dr. David Jenkins, a professor at the University of Toronto and a leading expert on diet and blood sugar, saw foods as inadvertent packages of drugs. "ln pharmacology, people often talk in terms of combination therapy. Yet we have not realized that this is exactly what some foods are doing already providing a combination therapy of their own."

The science of Nutritional Immunology believes that health problems can be averted through constant proper nutrition rather than through medications after health problems show themselves. The body's immune system, when provided with the nutrients it needs, can fight off illness before it gains a hold in the body, often before we realize we are even under attack!

However, despite the inherent strength of the immune system, a constant diet of unhealthy chemical-laden, highly-processed foods weakens it and keeps it from functioning at its peak. What the body requires to maintain a healthy immune system is a wide variety of healthy wholesome plant foods.

Wholesome healthful plants, such as vegetables, fruits and herbs, all contribute to our well-being. Plants contain vitamins, mineral, fiber and nutrients, such as photochemical, antioxidants and polysaccharides that enhance the immune system, help reduce the growth of microorganisms and favourably influence blood lipids, serum cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Over the centuries that people have been eating plant foods on this planet, they have also been recognizing relationships between foods and health. Hippocrates, the father of medicine said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food'. So called 'folk remedies’, are the distillation of this centuries-old wisdom handed down from generation to generation.

In Chinese Traditional Medicine, it has been compiled into volumes of knowledge added to by observant doctors throughout the ages. Now science is beginning to verify this wisdom and validate its claims. While once scientists isolated active chemicals from foods for use as drugs, now many health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society, recommend eating the foods themselves instead. They have found that unnatural, isolated chemicals cannot and do not work as effectively, economically and safely as just eating healthful, wholesome plant foods.

When do you need supplements?

When your calorie intake is so restricted that you can't eat enough total food to meet your needs. Certain illnesses impose different nutrient requirements. For example, under the stress of surgery, high fever or excessive burns, a person's need for protein is much greater than normal, as are needs for vitamins and minerals.

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