In my Food Combining book, I've included information to help you achieve better health - the NATURAL way...which to me means SIMPLE, and above all, SENSIBLE.
Whole Foods
WHOLE foods are just that - whole!
If an apple has been peeled, it's not WHOLE. If wheat has had
the outer hull taken off, the wheat germ and the wheat bran removed,
and bleached to produce white flour to make the melt-in-your mouth
cakes, cookies, pastries, fluffy white pancakes, or boxed instant
breakfast cereals, it's not WHOLE! If brown rice has been stripped
of its fiber to produce white rice that makes such quick and easy
side dishes, it's not WHOLE.
Why are Whole Foods
Important?
Americans have the most abundant food supply in the world, but
we are far from being the healthiest people in the world. Why?
It's what we DO to our foods that makes the difference. We eat
the highest percentage of cooked, processed, refined foods of
all "civilized" countries. These processed foods are
in every grocery store and nearly every home. They are certainly
abundant in every school cafeteria! They form the basis for every
meal. What are they? Sugared cereals, white bread, pretzels, chips,
crackers, cookies, muffins, cakes, candies, white pasta, soda
pop, juice drinks, sugary jams and jellies, prepared dinners and
"fast" foods. Let's see, is there anything "fun"
to eat that I forgot? If so, add it to the list!
These foods provide less fiber, fewer
nutrients, and more quick-burning calories. They cause malnutrition
(even in affluent societies), lack of energy, sluggish digestion
and elimination, and upset the delicate balance of the immune
system. What's left to eat? Believe it or not, there are hundreds
of delicious, wholesome foods waiting for you that will fill you
up, slim you down, give you energy, take away your cravings, and
put you on the road toward better health.
How Important Is
A Healthy Immune System?
A malfunctioning immune system allows the following to occur:
· Weight abnormalities - too much or too little fat. The
immune system regulates how we absorb, digest and store food,
how efficiently we convert nutrients to energy, and whether we
burn fat for energy or store it as excess weight
· Allergies and sensitivities to foods, chemicals, fabrics,
dust and pollens, etc.
· Auto-immune diseases - arthritis, lupus, Crohn's, AIDS
· Cancers
· Common cold, flu, infections, etc.
What CAUSES a weakened immune system? Stress, food additives (including sugar), chemicals, drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) and hidden food allergies are the major culprits in immune system malfunction. Other causes include: starvation or liquid diets; skipped meals; over-consumption of cooked foods; excess acid-forming foods such as meats, all dairy products and cooked grains; and all refined foods (white flour, breads, desserts).
Good nutrition isn't just some weird "health nut" soapbox topic. During the last 20 years, research has proven that good nutrition DOES rebuild the immune system. "Isn't it ironic," says Dr. Dean Ornish, "that it's considered 'radical' to exercise, relax and eat a heart-healthy diet." Good nutrition is essential to your better health. The choice is up to you. How much better do you want to look and feel?
Is immunity something
that can be bought? Yes, if you start
by buying the freshest foods available (or grow them yourself).
The second step is to prepare them correctly. (Other factors are
also important, like learning to eliminate negative stress, practicing
positive thinking, and getting adequate sleep and exercise. Most
people, however, already know they need to work on these things.)
Immunity-Strengthening Foods: Whole
Grains, Raw Nuts and Seeds, All Dark-Colored Fruits and Vegetables,
All Legumes. Remember, though, that
foods grown using chemical pesticides and fertilizers weaken or
damage the immune system, so buy organic whenever possible.
I subscribed to the "Discovery Health" newsletter online (www.discoveryhealth.com) and just received this excellent article from the American Cancer Society on eating fruits and veggies. The BEST part was the comparison of 100 mg of Vit C from an apple having the same effect on the body as 1500 mg from a tablet!!! Just goes to show that real food is best.
+++++
Researchers Find Phytochemicals
In Apples May Fight Off Cancer
August 22, 2000
ACS NewsToday
Phytochemicals in apples seem to slow the rate at which collections
of cancer cells grow. Consuming these phytochemicals in the form
of fresh fruit could be a better way to get the cancer protection
of antioxidants than taking vitamin C supplements, according to
a recent report in the journal Nature (Vol. 405, No. 6,789).
"Our results indicate that natural antioxidants from fresh fruit could be more effective than a dietary supplement," writes Marian V. Eberhardt, who published the study along with colleagues from Cornell University's Department of Food Sciences.
Antioxidants protect cells from DNA damage that can be caused by very unstable forms of oxygen called free radicals. Such DNA damage can be the first step in a normal cell turning cancerous. Although free radicals occur during the course of normal cellular metabolism, their formation is accelerated by exposure to radiation and cancer-causing chemicals.
Measuring antioxidant capacity
The researchers measured the antioxidant capacity of 100 grams
of apple extract and found it was about the same as 1,500 milligrams
of vitamin C. Because there is only about five milligrams of vitamin
C in that amount of apple extract, the researchers knew the antioxidant
effect must come from other phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in
the extract. An average-size apple weighs about 140 grams.
When the researchers introduced their apple extract into lab dishes holding human colon cancer cells or liver cancer cells, they found it slowed their rate of reproduction markedly, and growth slowed more with each stronger concentration added to the lab dishes.
The anti-cancer effect was strongest in extracts made from unpeeled apples, which contain more phytochemicals.
The researchers believe the large amounts of antioxidant phytochemicals
found in the apple extract may help to explain the cancer protection
provided by a diet that includes five
servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Eat ENOUGH fruits and vegetables
But an expert with the American Cancer Society (ACS) says
it's too early to say which substances in apples provide the protection
and that the best way to lower your risk of cancer is to eat enough
fruits and vegetables.
"But this study wasn't designed to prove which specific nutrients
in the apples protect against cancer, or how," Dr. Ringer
says. "And since we don't know yet, the surest way to
get that protection is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
every day, and at least five servings a day. We know that
from very large dietary studies that have been done."
Still, the study provides useful information, he says. "This
study shows that a food that is very available provides antioxidant
protection against cancer," he says. "And it points
to useful directions for future research. It's information we're
glad to have."
The ACS estimates that about one-third of all cancers could be
prevented by eating a healthy diet and getting enough physical
activity. For more information on how a healthy diet can lower
your risk of cancer, go to this section of our Web site.
If your BEST EFFORTS just aren't good enough, and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to get the MINIMUM 5-9 SERVINGS PER DAY of highly colorful fruits and vegetables (new studies show 9-11 is a better goal!), there IS an EASY SOLUTION! ! ! !