Nutrition Advice for a Healthy New You
There is no better way to rejuvenate your health than by eating
more nutritiously. In fact, even a few simple changes in your diet and
lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health-and can also prevent
a variety of health problems in the future.
The traditional coffee and doughnuts for breakfast; a hamburger for
lunch-or no lunch; candy, cookies, and a soft drink for a snack;
followed by a huge dinner with more protein than a person needs-are
unhealthy dietary choices. As a result, younger people are starting to
suffer from heart disease-not only because of poor diet, but also
because of an epidemic of inactivity.
To reverse the alarming trend, many doctors of chiropractic urge
patients to stop smoking, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water,
exercise regularly, and augment their balanced diets with appropriate
nutritional supplements.
The American Chiropractic Association offers the following prevention and wellness advice:
Lifestyle Changes
• Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week.
•
Eat out more sparingly. Food preparation methods in restaurants often
involve high amounts- and the wrong types-of fat and sugar.
• Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar intake while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains.
•
Limit alcohol and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or
smoking hinder your body's ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
Dietary Changes
• Eat more raw
foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With
the exception of canned tomatoes, which can help prevent prostate
cancer,1 fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables always have more natural vitamins and minerals.
•
Select organically grown foods when possible because they have lower
amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
• Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and
cereals, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of
fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart
disease, and colon cancer.
• Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol are
dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.
Vegetarian Diets
Research shows
that a good vegetarian diet as part of a comprehensive health program
can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.2,3 If you are considering a vegetarian diet, keep the following tips in mind:
•
Don't rely on fruits and vegetables at the expense of grains and
legumes. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to consume a wide range
of nutrients.
• Tiredness, malaise, and anemia can be signs of deficiencies. Have your B12 and iron levels checked at least once a year.
•
Consume fortified foods or take supplements to obtain the nutrients you
no longer get from animal-based products, such as vitamin B12.
•
Before eliminating animal products from the diet, learn to do it right.
Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people recovering from
illness should consult their health care practitioners.
Supplements
According to the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, dietary supplements are not substitutes
for foods, nor can a person sustain good health by just taking vitamin
and mineral supplements.4 When taken properly, however,
supplements can play an important role in achieving maximum health. If
you are considering nutritional supplements, keep the following tips in
mind:
• Remember to consume dark green vegetables, oils, nuts, and
seeds, which are sources of magnesium, fatty acids, and many other
vitamins and minerals.
• Don't "self-prescribe." Consult a health care practitioner, such as a doctor of chiropractic, to
determine
what supplements are best for you. If you have symptoms such as
headaches, chronic fatigue, or cardiac problems, seek professional
advice from a health care provider who specializes in nutrition.
1. Pohar KS, Gong MC, Bahnson R, Miller EC, Clinton SK. Tomatoes, lycopene and prostate cancer: a clinician's guide for counseling those at risk for prostate cancer. World J Urol. 2003 May;21(1):9-14. Epub 2003
Mar 22.
2. Beilin LJ. Vegetarian and other complex diets, fats, fiber, and hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994;59(suppl):1130-1135.
3. Dwyer JT. Health aspects of vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988;48(suppl):712-738.
4. Economic Characterization of the Dietary Supplement Industry: Final Report. In "U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition" March 1999.