More than any other topic, I have read and written about food and diets. My wife and I have experimented with just about every reasonable diet that we have come across. From the very strict and restrictive (we followed macrobiotics strictly for over 6 months) to diets that were regulated by the time of day (only eat fruit in the morning). Through the 20+ years I have been practicing as a chiropractor, I have tried to give my patients the very best advice and recommendations that would help them to heal their sick, injured and wounded bodies. Since diet is such a fundamental part of our health, making changes and improvements here can be substantial.
In my work, I have always sought to simplify. I try to break teachings and practices down into their rudimentary concepts so I could have a grasp and handle on the big picture. Over the past few years, as I have researched and studied nutrition, I have come to embrace ideas that I thought I had abandoned forever. For example, for most of my career I have espoused to my patients the benefits of a vegetarian diet. In my patient handbook, I tell my patients to eat “meat, milk, dairy products and eggs sparingly, if at all.” These animal products I deemed acceptable only if organic and free from contamination of hormones, pesticides, herbicides and drug residues.
I have simplified my dietary recommendations into eating only WHOLE NATURAL CLEAN FOODS. I believe this is the essence of what we should be eating. The very first book that I read on Nutrition was one written by Rudolph Ballentine. I became greatly excited and motivated by it. He sited heavy the work of Weston A. Price DDS who in the 1920’s and 30’s traveled the world observing isolated cultures, which had maintained their traditional diets. What he discovered was that people who adhered to traditional diets enjoyed good health, while those that had adopted refined and commercial foods had increased health problems and passed on weakened genetic to their offspring.
Dr. Price discovered consistency and similarities in the worlds traditional diets. The people and cultures he studied differed vastly from each other in regard to climate (Eskimos compared to Aborigines) but they had some remarkable dietary similarities. Although the diets of these indigenous groups varied widely, they each shared very important commonalities. They each ate liberally of animal proteins and fats, including seafood, organ meats, fish, eggs and raw dairy products. They prized animal fats as essential to vibrant health and successful reproduction. They included lacto-fermented foods like kefir and cultured vegetables. Seeds, nuts and grains were soaked, sprouted, fermented or leavened to remove harmful anti-nutrients and to increase digestibility and nutritional value. And of course, they ate foods in their natural, unrefined state. In addition, a significant percentage of their diets consisted of raw foods, from both animal and plant sources. And while few of these groups could be considered vegetarians, their diets were predominantly plant based.
These traditional diets contained at least four times the calcium and other minerals and TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal fats as the American diet. In fact, these people attained their extraordinary health with diets that would be labeled as dangerous or full of excessive fats by both conventional and alternative dietary wisdom today. Yet the health crisis we are experiencing today in this country has not been solved by low-fat diets or strict vegetarianism. Each of us has a nutritional bank account stored within our own body. If your diet is deficient, you will deplete your reserves. In the past years, I have seen many ardent vegans and vegetarian slowly lose their energy, strength and stamina. I have also seen many take the courageous step admitting that their diet of pure organic plant based foods may be deficient and begin eating animal products and finding their health and strength return. Many who preach and espouse a vegetarian lifestyle feel that they are traveling the moral high ground. That they are treading more lightly on the earth.
The newly promoted locovore movement (eating only foods produced locally) has some merit. How good is an organic food if it is produced half way around the world if it has to be trucked and flown and then delivered to the store you buy it at? That kind of defeats the argument of “organic.” Likewise, meat that is factory farmed where the animals are fed foods that they were not meant to consume (like cows being fed grain, corn and soy instead of grazing on grass) is equally unnatural and destructive to health and environment both. As a culture, we eat too much meat and what we do eat is raised inappropriately. Milk from a grain-fed cow is far different that a grass grazing cow as far as it nutritional content and pH. For health purposes, about a half pound or 8 to 9 ounces of meat per week is what is needed for optimal health. Not a half pound each day! If we were all to eat less meat, it could easily be raised in sufficient quantity and with humane practices so that over crowded,
over-chemicaled, over-medicated factory farms could become a thing of the past.
I have many patients, who diligently follow diets that make mine look sloppy, yet they struggle with unresolved health issues. I look at so many of my female patients who suffer from depression and hormonal imbalance. They struggle with their weight and avoid a fatty diet and just can’t seem to get well. It seems as though the missing nutrients are those they so dutifully avoid and distain. Fat! Now please understand that when we recommend dietary fat, we are suggesting very healthy sources of fat. It must be free from unnatural chemicals. It must be natural, meaning it is consumed as they are given to us by nature. The majority of fats and oils eaten today have been manipulated by the food industry and are health damaging. What was previous labeled as harmful, such as butter, eggs, red meat and coconut oil are proving to be nutritious and healthy. Where food containing hydrogenated and processed oils are being found in clogged arteries.
The quality of the foods we eat should not be compromised. And this is the key issue – Quality. We should eat grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and animal products that are free from harmful drugs and chemicals. We should eat foods that will promote a healthy digestive tract such as fermented foods including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and sourdough breads. We should avoid artificial foods and supplements – those products that are manufactured and manipulated by science. So many peopled have been duped into taking artificial vitamins and a whole array of chemical substances which strive to mimic the vitamins, minerals and other chemicals that should naturally occur in the foods of a healthy diet. Why take a man-made artificial vitamin supplement of vitamins A and E when it is readily available and absorbable in natural butter, egg yolks and fish oils. The Vitamin B6 that is abundantly found in milk is heat sensitive and destroyed by pasteurization, which is why I recommend raw milk straight from the farm. Other B-vitamins are richly found in whole grains, seeds and grasses. Vitamin C necessary for adrenal gland function and repairing tissue is found in many fruits and vegetables. Alcohol and many common drugs such as aspirin and oral contraceptives can reduce vitamin C levels in the body. We must stop focusing on nutrients (beta carotene) and start focusing on food (carrots).
The media has instilled in so many of us a tremendous fear of fat. Many are convinced that eating any fat will make your body fat. When the truth is that only unhealthy fat and refined sugars and flour will cause you to store excess fat on your body. Remember, whole foods as they are found in nature.
The traditional diets of our ancesters are in fact the healthiest way to eat. Mostly because they were eating whole natural foods and did not have access to processed, aldulterated, denatured foods. Whole foods, mostly plants.
Characteristics of Traditional Diets
1. The diets of healthy primitive and nonindustrialized peoples contain no refined or denatured foods such as refined sugar or corn syrup; white flour; canned foods; pasteurized, homogenized, skim or low-fat milk; refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils; protein powders; artificial vitamins or toxic additives and colorings.
2. All traditional cultures consume some sort of animal protein and fat from fish and other seafood; water and land fowl; land animals; eggs; milk and milk products; reptiles; and insects.
3. Primitive diets contain at least four times the calcium and other minerals and TEN times the fat-soluble vitamins from animal fats (vitamin A, vitamin D and the Price Factor) as the average American diet.
4. In all traditional cultures, some animal products are eaten raw.
5. Primitive and traditional diets have a high food-enzyme content from raw dairy products, raw meat and fish; raw honey; tropical fruits; cold-pressed oils; wine and unpasteurized beer; and naturally preserved, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, meats and condiments.
6. Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened in order to neutralize naturally occuring antinutrients in these foods, such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, tannins and complex carbohydrates.
7. Total fat content of traditional diets varies from 30% to 80% but only about 4% of calories come from polyunsaturated oils naturally occurring in grains, pulses, nuts, fish, animal fats and vegetables. The balance of fat calories is in the form of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
8. Traditional diets contain nearly equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
9. All primitive diets contain some salt.
10. Tradtional cultures consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.
11. Traditional cultures make provisions for the health of future generations by providing special nutrient-rich foods for parents-to-be, pregnant women and growing children; by proper spacing of children; and by teaching the principles of right diet to the young.
Dietary Guidelines - What and How You Should Be Eating
1. Eat whole, natural foods.
2. Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do.
3. Eat naturally-raised meat including fish, seafood, poultry, beef, lamb, game, organ meats and eggs.
4. Eat whole, naturally-produced milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as whole yogurt, cultured butter, whole cheeses and fresh and sour cream.
5. Use only traditional fats and oils including butter and other animal fats, extra virgin olive oil, expeller expressed sesame and flax oil and the tropical oils—coconut and palm.
6. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, in salads and soups, or lightly steamed.
7. Use whole grains and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients.
8. Include enzyme-enhanced lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis, such as homemade sauerkraut and homemade ginger-ale.
9. Prepare homemade meat stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb or fish and use liberally in soups and sauces.
10. Use herb teas and coffee substitutes in moderation.
11. Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
12. Use unrefined Celtic seasalt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
13. Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and expeller expressed flax oil.
14. Use natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, dehydrated cane sugar juice and stevia powder.
15. Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
16. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
17. Use only natural supplements, such as herbs. Avoid supplements with chemical sounding names.
18. Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
19. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress.
20. Practice forgiveness.
Cookbook recommendations: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice and Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz.
Dietary Dangers - What to Avoid or Eliminate
1. Don’t eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc.
2. Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup.
3. Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
4. Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
5. Avoid all vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
6. Do not use polyunsaturated oils for cooking, sauteing or baking.
7. Avoid fried foods. Use coconut or palm oil for cooking.
8. Do not practice strict vegetarianism (veganism); animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
9. Avoid products containing protein powders, especially those made with soy.
10. Avoid pasteurized milk; do not consume lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
11. Avoid battery-produced eggs and factory-farmed meats.
12. Avoid highly processed luncheon meats and sausage containing MSG and other additives.
13. Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
14. Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed, bioengineered or irradiated fruits and vegetables.
15. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not so labeled.
16. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks. Choose good quality dark chocolate and cacao over milk chocolate.
17. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or aluminum-containing deodorants.
18. Do not drink fluoridated water.
19. Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them.
20. Do not drink distilled liquors.
21. Do not use a microwave oven.
Inspiration and Understanding into the World of Herbal Health
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Basics of Preparedness
| ||
| ||
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Value of Singe Herb Extracts
When given a choice between taking an herb in a capsule or a liquid extract, most choose the capsule. After all capsules are convenient – just swallow with a sip or two of water. Capsules hide the taste of the herb – this is probably the primary reason herbal capsules and tablets gained popularity. And no danger of spilling a liquid and staining fabric or losing product.
I definitely agree that some herbs carry with them a taste that the taste buds rebel against. However, there really is great value in an herbal liquid tincture beginning from how they are made to their long shelf life. When we make a tincture, which is also referred to as an alcohol extract or simply an extract, we begin with the highest quality herb available – typically dry, but sometimes fresh (as some herbs lose important qualities when dried). We next will blend the herb with pharmaceutical grade grain alcohol that we mix to the precise proof for the particular herb being extracted. Some herbs are best extracted in an 80-proof alcohol and a few in 190-proof alcohol. There is a fair amount of chemistry and science that goes into all of this.
Our extraction process uses pumps and fancy glass bells – think mad-scientist laboratory- that circulates and re-circulates the alcohol against the herb driving out and pulling into the liquid the unique chemistry that belongs to each herb. Once this process is complete, the herb and alcohol liquid is pressed in our 12-ton press. The liquid extract is captured and then filtered. Viola! An alcohol herbal extract is born!
Some have expressed concern with the use of alcohol. We have found that using any medium other than alcohol produces a weak and inferior product. So much so, that even our non-alcohol syrups all begin as an alcohol extract in order to retrieve the herbal constituents. It is only after we have harvested into the liquid what we are after, that the alcohol can be removed and the product re-preserved with something like glycerin or maple syrup. This is the same concept used in your mother’s kitchen when canning peaches. Bacteria or pathogens won’t grow in an environment that is too sweet – that is why sugar is used when canning fruit or making jam.
Alcohol is one of the great preservatives. A capsule is convenient, but it begins losing potency within 3 to 5 years. Mind you, old or expired herbs don’t necessarily go “bad”; they just begin to lose their strength and potency. Kind of like peppermint leaves lose their strong aroma the longer they sit out. Something that is preserved in alcohol, on the other hand, will have a shelf life of decades if kept in reasonable condition.
A liquid extract will also be absorbed and assimilated into your body once taken much more quickly than a capsule. For me and my house, we tend to use capsules only for those herbs or formulas that taste so bad that we wouldn’t take it otherwise (like our Colon Cleanse formula). We will typically put a few dropperfuls of extract in a shot glass of water or juice and drink it down, followed by water or juice if necessary. The kids definitely get into the process using single herb extracts and tweaking what goes into the glass. A little coltsfoot or elecampane for a cough added to our lungs plus can super charge the mix. We keep lots of herbs in liquid extracts in our first aid kits and in our home storage supplies.
So my recommendation is to consider the benefits of herbal extracts, whether they are single herbs or formula combinations.
One of the keys to herbal medicine is to begin experimenting with several singles and formulas. As you become more familiar with the herbs, you will begin to gain greater insight as to what to use is the very early stages of health issues thereby avoiding crisis treatment and long-term management. Remember, the great power and wisdom of herbal medicine is the prevention and recovery of minor issues, treating and resolving them so that they do not become a critical emergency. Treating conditions early before they get out of control may not be as heroic as blaring sirens and lifesaving procedures and medicines, but as we look to herbs as our simple ounce of prevention, we can usually elimination the angst and trauma that comes with the pound of cure.
Blessings,
Dr. Kyle D. Christensen
March 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)