While we’ve come to expect certain physical and mental changes as an inevitable part of getting older, the fact is that the foods we eat—or don’t—may speed those processes along, aging us before our time. The reason is simple: “We eat too many processed foods,” says David Katz, MD, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. “They’re often high in calories and low in nutrients such as vitamin B12 and omega-3s, so we end up with islands of deficiencies in a sea of excess.” These inadequacies can result in symptoms we tend to assume are due to aging, such as the four below. Work with a professional nutritional consultant who believe in the traditional diet to determine whether adjusting your diet or adding a supplement can help you look—and feel—healthier.
"Organic foods and grass fed animal products worth your hard earned money".
Why it’s aging you: You may lack of vitamin B12. which is essential for energy.
Found only in foods that are derived from animals, this nutrient helps regulate your metabolism and energy production and is key to maintaining a healthy brain and nervous system. “Fatigue is a classic sign of B12 deficiency, which usually occurs in people who don’t eat very much animal protein,” says Danine Fruge, MD, associate medical director of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Miami. Many IC patient are chewing chewing a lot of antacids which can also lead to B12 deficiency because antacids interfere with B12 absorption.
Good sources of B12 include seafood such as fish, clams, oysters, and mussels, as well as grass feed animals products that are free of antibiotics, steroids and hormones.
Supplement Solution
Take 250mg of vitamin B12 in tablet form every day to raise and maintain your B12 levels.
If you have poor eating habits or your 50 and older you should be taking a supplement that contains manganese and copper.
Manganese and copper, which help prevent joint pain.Because manganese and copper are both essential for maintaining joint cartilage and flexibility, “in most cases, supplementing these nutrients reverses the joint deterioration and eliminates the pain,” says Dale Peterson, MD, director of the Comprehensive Wellness Center in Sapulpa, OK. “The body can actually repair a significant amount of damage if it’s given the proper support.”
Food Fix: Nuts, beef, and spinach are good sources of manganese and copper.
Fish and Fat
Fish and healthy oils (organic cold pressed olive oil) offer the best source of omega-3 essential fatty acids ,which help prevent memory loss.
“These fatty acids are part of the brain’s building blocks,” explains Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. “If you’re not getting enough in your diet, the architecture of the brain becomes weak, and brain function, including memory, suffers.” But it’s not only the amount of omega-3s that’s important; the balance between omega-3s and omega-6s is equally crucial. “Our diets are flooded with omega-6 fatty acids, mostly from processed foods,” says Dr. Weil. “The more omega-6s you eat, the more omega-3s you need to balance your levels. Most of us aren’t eating enough omega-3s and are eating too many omega-6s which is found in processed food.”
Food Fix: First, reduce your consumption of refined and processed foods much as possible, and cook with olive. Then, eat 3 1⁄2 ounces of wild salmon and 3 1⁄2 ounces of herring, sardines, or halibut each week. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed to oatmeal, or shakes daily, and garnish salads or hot cereal with 1 tablespoon of walnuts 5 days a week. Finally, enjoy 9 to 12 almonds 4 times a week. Soak your nuts overnight before eating. This release live enzymes and makes nuts digestible.
Packaged foods are high in blood pressure–spiking sodium—and fresh fruits and veggies contain blood pressure–lowering potassium.
“Having too little potassium in your diet magnifies the toxic effects of excessive salt intake,” Dr. Fruge says. Most processed foods have added sodium but no extra potassium, so if your meals come from boxes, you’re likely at risk. Worsening the situation, when your kidneys try to flush out the salt, you lose even more potassium. “The imbalance damages blood vessels, driving up blood pressure,” Dr. Fruge notes. “Eating better can correct the problem. Foods high in sodium and using table salt increase IC related pain. Potassium helps relax tight, tense muscles. It is a shame that IC patients have been made to fear potassium.
Use unrefined sea salt, cut out processed and canned foods, and eat seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Eating well equal less pain and a better quality of life.
In Health
Gloria Prater, ICAF
No comments:
Post a Comment