Did you know?

You can eat your way to good health

Good health can be defined as enjoying an energetic lifestyle without illness. There are many ways to keep from getting sick, and eating well is one of the easiest ways to proactively be healthy. Healthcare via good nutrition is much less expensive than the cost of treating disease caused by poor lifestyle habits. In other words, eating the right foods can help prevent illness, bolster the immune system and save money in the long run.

In today’s world, there is more food available than ever before. Unfortunately, what we eat today isn’t the same as what our ancestors ate. They enjoyed natural foods, that is, fruit, grain and vegetables that were grown without modification or “enhancements.” They also enjoyed meat that came from animals they hunted or livestock they raised on the same natural foods without added hormones.

So many of the foods we eat today are over processed and have little to offer nutritionally. And, because we live a faster paced lifestyle and often eat “food on the go,” we globally are consuming more yet end up nutritionally starved. Our bodies are getting bigger and our collective health is poorer. Life spans may be extended but the quality is largely discounted.

Simple food solutions
We need to be conscious of what we eat, take the time to cook and eat the food we make, and decrease the amount of processed or “convenience” food in our diets. Some of the most nutrient dense foods we can eat require little or no preparation, because they can be eaten raw. Many of these foods are known for their antioxidant, restorative properties. For example:

  • Kiwi is believed to reduce blood pressure, thin the blood and prevent cancer.
  • Cherries have anti-inflammatory properties as well as antiviral and antibacterial effects.
  • Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and watercress contain cleansing fiber, are low in calorie and high in calcium, which helps prevent osteoporosis.
  • Together with red and yellow colored fruit and vegetables, these leafy greens are also winners in preventing eye disease and clogging of the arteries. Just like squash, carrots and colorful bell peppers, kale, spinach and watercress are full of lutein, a naturally occurring carotenoid known as an antioxidant with blue light absorption abilities. (Blue light helps increase the growth rate of healthy cells.)
  • In addition to helping to prevent eye disease, carrots support the immune system and support ear health. So they not only help us to see well, they also enhance hearing!
  • Apples and citrus fruit contain pectin, a type of fiber believed to help lower cholesterol as well as aid in digestion.
  • All types of beans are full of fiber and protein, providing an inexpensive source of energy that also helps lower cholesterol.
  • Onions are thought to fight cancer and bone loss, while garlic boosts immunities.

Importance of water
Water does not contain vitamins, minerals or nutrients, but is essential to the maintenance of good health. People are primarily composed of water, so it makes sense that we need to consume lots of it. Water hydrates, flushes out toxins and also keeps us from feeling too hungry and overeating as a result. We take it for granted, but water is vital to life.

Keeping a healthy gut
What we eat supports either the good or bad bacteria that co-exist in the gut. Because our bodies have 100 trillion cells that are bacteria versus 10 to 15 trillion cells that are human, those bacteria cells are doing a lot. Some are helping to digest food, others are creating vitamins, while others are feeding the cells that line our guts. Some of the bacteria are bad and a delicate balance constantly needs to be maintained. When the bad bacteria take over, the result is a leaky gut and/or inflammation that may cause a host of autoimmune diseases.

Prebiotic fibers, resistant starches and insulin, found in fruit, vegetables and grains, all support healthy bacteria and allow them to produce short-chain fatty acids that feed the cells. Sugar, found virtually in every type of processed food, feeds the bad bacteria. What it boils down to is that we have the power through what we eat to control our energy levels and health. Every person differs and needs to figure out what the best combination of foods is to fuel optimum health. We owe it to ourselves to become educated, make wiser choices and teach our children how to develop healthy eating habits.

Take advantage of National Nutrition Month to increase your knowledge about healthcare through eating the right food. And, remember that an excellent nutritional supplement that contains both prebiotics and probiotics to promote gut health is DIGESTIVE+++. Have you shared it with someone you care about?