“Do what is best for your body and mind by only eating the
best quality food and you will enjoy a lifetime of possibilities and if in
doubt, just eat vegetables.”
The above paragraph is the last sentence from my post
on September 13, 2016, and I feel it raises many important points. I would like
to elaborate on each part of that quote in the hope I can further encourage and
inspire you all to remove more, and preferably all, of the processed food and
drink which you may currently consume. Then, replace those things with real,
nutrient dense foods.
If there is one particular type of food which would be ideal
to replace those processed foods with, it would be vegetables. This would
result in a dramatic reduction in your consumption of inflammatory foods. Instead,
you would get a terrific influx of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,
amino acids and fibre.
Inflammation is at the core of almost every chronic and
degenerative disease or illness that there is. Anything from heart disease to
Alzheimer’s disease to arthritis is caused by long term inflammation commonly
due to the consumption of highly inflammatory, westernised diets. In contrast,
they can all be prevented, managed, treated or even cured with the consumption
of anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense real foods.
The power is in your hands (and stomach) to have the
greatest chance at life long health, simply by choosing the right foods.
Alternatively, choosing the wrong foods gives you a much higher chance at very
poor health and greatly increased risk of having chronic diseases, poorer
quality of life and likely premature death.
“Do what is best for your body and mind”
This is specific to doing what is best from a nutritional
standpoint. I believe, the food you put into your body is the single most
influential action you control that directly affects the health of your body
and mind. What’s “best for your body and mind” is eating real, natural foods
and not eating processed foods. Those foods that are best include vegetables,
fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, fish, eggs and some meat. The quality of
those foods is just as important and I will elaborate on that further down.
Be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that if you
are having a healthy dish at one of your main meals each day that it’s not so
bad that you have eaten poorer quality, processed foods at other times. I have
heard that justification from so many different people, particularly when I was
a Personal Trainer. However, if you are eating lower quality food you won’t be
as healthy as you could or should be. Yes, one healthy meal a day is better
than none but please don’t let that justify eating bad, processed foods on a
regular basis.
Every time you choose processed foods over real food you
have a negative impact on your health as all poor food choices can have a
cumulative effect over your lifetime. That’s why the resulting common illnesses
are referred to as ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
fatty liver disease (both alcohol and non-alcohol related), and many more.
One of the negative impacts of processed foods is to your
gut bacteria whereby the processed foods can actually feed the bad bacteria and
make them stronger. This can result in a suppressed immune system, among other
things, as this bacterium is the driving force of your immune defense
mechanisms. Alternatively, real foods, particularly from vegetables and fruit,
feed your good gut bacteria, which strengthen your immune system to fight off
the bad bugs, particularly those which cause colds and flues.
For the long term health of both body and mind it is
absolutely essential to choose real foods. Every day that you don’t, I’m
afraid, is likely bringing chronic health problems and increased risk of
premature death significantly closer. None of us want that to ever occur. Our
loved ones don’t want it to happen to us and likewise, we don’t want it to
happen to them.
Improve your mind
It is incredible how much positive change your mind will
experience just from removing processed foods and replacing them with quality,
nutrient dense foods. Here are just some of the many benefits your mind could
experience:-
Ø
Your mind will become clearer and more alert
(without stimulants) making it much easier to get going every day and stay
alert as the day wears on.
Ø
If you suffer headaches and/or migraines they
will likely disappear or occur far less often.
Ø
Other cognitive functions such as memory could
improve significantly and you will feel you are able to perform all manner of
tasks with greater clarity of mind.
Ø
Symptoms of mental illness, such as depression
and anxiety, may reduce substantially.
Ø
Your risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s
Disease, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, etc. reduces significantly.
Improve your body
Making the change to a dietary intake of all natural,
nutrient dense, unprocessed foods will have an unbelievably positive impact on
your body. Here is just a small sample of the benefits:
Ø
Your appetite will become far better regulated
meaning you may not feel the need to eat as often as you probably do when
consuming processed foods.
Ø
You won’t be eating the array of addictive
substances that are found in processed foods meaning you may have fewer
cravings.
Ø
Your body will learn to burn body fat for energy
more efficiently allowing for a sustained stream of reliable energy production
in between meals and overnight. This is a natural process of the body which can
easily be blocked by processed foods, particularly those high in refined sugars
and carbohydrates.
Ø
Your weight will take care of itself. Eating
natural, unprocessed food allows your body to find a healthy weight and
maintain it. This is a result of the above three points whereby your body will
have a greater ability to indicate to you when it needs food and when it
doesn’t which helps you to not overeat.
Ø
Quality of sleep will be enhanced greatly,
providing you with more energy in general. You will find it easier to fall
asleep, your body will rest more deeply while asleep and it will be easier to
wake up and jump out of bed. On the occasions when you aren’t able to get as much
sleep as you normally would you will have less negative effects than you would
usually. Consuming real, unprocessed food enables your body to produce quality,
longer lasting energy which is particularly useful for shift workers, like me.
Ø
Your digestive system will feel and function
better than ever before. By removing the inflammatory processed foods and
increasing real, unprocessed foods, especially vegetables, you provide your
digestive system with the tools it needs to do what it is supposed to. This
includes a vast reduction in gas and bloating, constipation may disappear completely
and bowel movements will be much more regular and won’t be a struggle or
painful. I can honestly say it was a great relief when I began to experience
these improvements in my digestive system.
Ø
Ladies – your period could improve dramatically
with greater consistency of duration without being longer than it’s supposed to,
consistency of frequency, improved symptoms of PMS and even less painful. Quite
simply, if your body as a whole is not functioning at its best, your period
will very likely not be what it should. Also, you may feel that certain types
of treat foods help during these times but they are actually making it worse. Inflammation
is a big factor in the pain associated with your period so consuming lots of
natural anti-inflammatory foods can be significantly helpful. Over the course
of your menstruating life, with continued poor nutritional intake, your period
will probably get progressively worse and harder to manage.
Ø
Reproductive organs will function better. Eating
inflammatory, processed foods has a significant negative effect on your level
of fertility as well as how long into life you will remain adequately fertile
in order to procreate. Eating inflammatory food puts men at much greater risk
of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, low sperm count and weaker sperm.
Whereas women are at higher risk of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), ovarian
cancer, cervical cancer and a lower chance of conception.
Ø
DNA – in addition to the previous point on
reproduction, your DNA is negatively affected by poor nutrition. This means the
DNA you pass on to your children is negatively affected too which can make them
more likely to contract an illness or disease. When someone refers to their
poor health or weight issues as being ‘in their genes’ this can be accurate but
it’s not inevitable. Unhealthy diet and lifestyle susceptibility can be passed
on to your descendants but it can all be improved or changed by consuming the
right foods. If you have a family history of illness, disease, weight issues or
just unhealthy diet and lifestyle practices, it’s up to you to break that cycle
so you and the future generations of your family will benefit. If you have
immediate or extended family who are in poor health and also have unhealthy
diets and lifestyles, take the time to understand what you can do to avoid the
same fate because, ultimately, you are the master of your own health.
Ø
You will enhance your body’s cancer fighting
properties as well as your cancer preventative capacity. Eating the wrong food
means you are many times more likely to get a cancer diagnosis in your lifetime
in some form compared to if you eat real, unprocessed, natural foods. Everyone
will likely have cancerous cells in their body at some point in their life but
it’s the ability of your immune system to recognise these mutant cells and deal
with them that will determine whether they cause you a problem or not. To give
your immune system the best chance at doing this, you must eat the right foods.
The benefits of eating real food over poorer quality,
processed food seems to be endless and I implore you to see it for yourself by
making the change to only consuming the best quality, nutrient dense, real
food. You won’t regret it, especially after just a couple of weeks when you
will already notice wonderful positive changes.
“Only eating the best quality food”
When I say ‘quality’, it can mean two things. First, it
means choosing the most nutrient dense foods which will supply you with the
goodness that you need. Second, ‘quality’ also means other specific decisions
you can make about the quality of individual foods, ie: choosing organic
vegetables over conventional vegetables whenever possible.
Vegetables
The most important thing is to choose the right types of
foods and vegetables are at the top of the list. Vegetables should be consumed
liberally on a daily basis, especially colourful non-starchy vegetables. Try
and leave the starchy vegetables (ie: potatoes) for rare or special occasions
because the non-starchy vegetables provide much greater nutrients. This will
ensure consumption of a high amount of crucial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,
amino acids and fibre that will do wonders for your immune and digestive
systems as well as many other important bodily functions. Source organic
vegetables whenever possible from local stores, farm gates or farmer’s markets.
You will get better quality produce while reducing your exposure to some nasty
things that may have been used in the growth of non-organic produce, such as pesticides.
I believe, in terms of quantity of overall food consumption,
vegetables should make up at least 50-60% of your daily food intake which could
equate to around 7 – 10 servings a day. The recommended five serves per day is
good, but 7 – 10 is even better. You could achieve this by having approximately
three quarters of your plate consisting of vegetables at least two meals per
day which might look something like the following:-
Ø
Mixed salad of lettuce, kale, carrot, capsicum
and cucumber to accompany your hard boiled eggs for lunch; and,
Ø
Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and pumpkin to
go with your salmon for dinner.
Of course, vegetables are most welcome at breakfast as well.
Those vegetables could be prepared in a variety of ways and
flavours further enhanced by serving with various homemade dressings, gravy or
herbs and spices, if desired.
Fruit
Fruit is another very important food. Similar to vegetables
they contain vital nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre –
but, they generally contain much more carbohydrate/sugar compared to
non-starchy vegetables. Therefore, it is best to consume in small amounts.
Again, choose organic whenever possible. I suggest about 10-20% of daily food intake
to be fruits which would equate to approximately 2 – 3 servings, ie: one apple
and one cup of berries.
The remaining 20-30% of food intake should be a combination
of nuts, seeds, broths, eggs, fish, meat, other fat sources, such as coconut
oil, and a range of herbs and spices. This would cover essential fat and
protein intake comfortably.
Nuts and Seeds
Raw nuts and seeds pack a lot into a small package. Just a
handful or two a day will be a wonderful addition to compliment a large
consumption of vegetables and some fruit. Try to consume a range of different
nuts such as almonds, macadamias, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts. Most
of these nuts are a great source of mono-unsaturated fats, as well as minerals
like magnesium, calcium and potassium. Choose organic when possible and stick
to the raw, unsalted variety. If purchasing roasted nuts, make sure they are
dry roasted because most roasted nuts have been done so in dangerous vegetable
oils high in polyunsaturated omega-6 fats.
Also, there are a wide variety of seeds to choose from
including, sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, flaxseed, and more. You can
consume nuts and seeds in their whole form, crush them to add to other foods or
even put them in your smoothie.
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are amazingly versatile and many of them
provide anti-inflammatory benefits while adding beautiful flavours to food. If
you don’t generally love the taste of vegetables, herbs and spices could make
all the difference. There are so many including, turmeric, cumin, cayenne
pepper, chilies, ground chili, dry chili flakes, cinnamon, oregano, sage, rosemary,
thyme, basil, parsley, coriander and these are just a few that I use on a
regular basis. The list of herbs and spices you could use is very long so
please explore those possibilities.
Fish
Wild caught fish is most beneficial as a source of protein
and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3 fats are known as ‘essential fats’
because our body cannot make them on its own. An important choice to make when
purchasing fish is only choosing wild or ocean caught fish instead of farmed
fish. Wild fish feed on the ocean diet they were meant to which provides the
nutrients in their bodies that we benefit from eating. Farmed fish are not fed
the same and it can often result in them having far less anti-inflammatory
omega-3 fats and far more pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats, which is a bad thing.
Red Meat
Beef and lamb should come from cattle and sheep that have been
fully raised in fresh pastures where they can graze all day. They weren’t meant
to eat the various grains which are commonly used to fatten them up quicker for
sale and slaughter. Similar to fish, feeding cows and sheep the wrong food
results in their meat containing bad things including elevated levels of
pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats. Try to find a local farmer or supplier of pure
grass-fed meat and organic if possible. Do a Google search in your local area
or try your nearest farmer’s market. This will help support local small
business and your local community.
Meat and organs from properly raised cattle and sheep will
provide you with quality saturated fats that are very necessary for a wide
variety of reasons in our body. Saturated fat has had a tough history but we
need to embrace it when it comes from the right sources. It should only have a
bad rap when it comes from poorly raised animals. It is very important for our cellular
integrity and function and when from the best quality sources and in
appropriate amounts it plays a vital role in the regulation of blood
cholesterol levels which contributes to anti-inflammatory processes and joint
health.
Pork
Pigs should also have full access to fresh pastures where
they can forage for bugs, worms, bulbs and other plants along with being fed a
range of vegetables and some fruit. Wild pigs will eat other small animals and
birds as well but, generally, pigs are plant based eaters. Sourcing local pork products
that are truly free-range and fed correctly will be best.
Chicken and Eggs
Chickens should have as much access to fresh pastures as
possible where they can feed on worms, seeds, bulbs and bugs. They may have
additional plant based feed such as vegetables but not processed commercial
feed. They should have lots of room to roam and spread their wings while having
access to water and shelter to take cover when they want to and lay eggs.
When you see ‘free-range’ on the carton at the supermarket
and information such as ‘access to pastures’, ‘10,000 birds per hectare’ or ‘1
bird per square metre’, understand that this is nothing compared to what they
truly need. Unfortunately, the term ‘free-range’ has been taken advantage of. These
factors make a huge difference to the nutritional quality of their meat as
better conditions produce less stressed birds. Also, the nutrients in their
eggs are heavily affected by their diet and a fully pasture raised chicken will
produce eggs with much greater nutrients. Look around because there are plenty
of small producers out there that will provide eggs that are better than the
ones you mostly find in the supermarket.
Dairy
I have almost completely eliminated dairy from my diet. I
don’t consider it to be a staple food anymore and it may be completely
unnecessary for human consumption. Over the past 6 months or so I’ve stopped
having milk in my tea or coffee, rarely having cheese and almost never having cream
or yoghurt. Instead, I eat more vegetables. Consuming a large portion of vegetables,
particularly leafy greens, as well as a variety of nuts and even sardines will
provide substantial calcium in its best form for human consumption.
There are increasing statistical suggestions that
populations with the highest dairy intake from cow’s milk have the greatest
occurrence of bone injuries or fractures, particularly in the elderly but
increasingly so in younger people, and related issues.
When it comes to having good bone structure, there is so
much more involved than consuming calcium so don’t think that having a large
glass of milk a day is taking care of it. You need quality nutrients of various
kinds to support musclo-skeletal integrity. This means a range of natural,
nutrient dense foods, as well as adequate, yet appropriate, unprotected exposure
to the sun and some weight bearing exercise is important for maintaining bone
health.
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes such as black beans, white beans,
chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, etc. are something I have been looking into and
trialing over the past 6 months or so. They are a plant based protein source,
as well as being another source of carbohydrate, which makes them a popular
staple food for vegans and vegetarians. They are quite high in fibre too which
can help offset some of the carbohydrate content by slowing down the absorption
rate. Most of them go really well with various herbs and spices too.
So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed what I have found and I
haven’t found them to cause digestive stress as many people may fear. The main
point being that preparing the beans or legumes well can make them easier to digest.
This usually means soaking them for an extended period if using dry beans or
legumes as opposed to canned varieties which are already soaked. Also, cooking
them well will make them even easier to digest.
My current preferences to preparing beans or legumes are
roast chickpeas whereby I get organic canned chickpeas, mix them with some
spices and roast them for about half an hour until they have a crispy outside.
I enjoy adding these to salad. Also, organic canned black beans I will simmer
in water for an hour or two before adding spices. I enjoy these with salad or
mixed through some stir fried vegetables.
Other Considerations
I don’t recommend anything with wheat, barley or rye because
of their gluten content. In particular, wheat has been hybridised over many
decades to have much higher gluten content than that of the wheat which was
grown centuries ago. In addition, many bread loaves you find on the supermarket
shelf have added gluten on top of the gluten already in the wheat flour which
can make them more addictive as well as further damaging to our digestive
systems.
Oats do technically contain gluten because they have a prolamin
protein called Avenin. Wheat, barley and rye also contain a prolamin protein,
each with a different name but all under the banner of gluten. Wheat – gliadin,
barley – hordein and rye – secalin. However, avenin has a slightly different
amino acid profile to the others making it potentially easier to digest.
Some studies have shown as many as 1 in 5 celiac disease
sufferers are able to digest oats without complication but the studies are
varied with some having indicated only 1% of celiac sufferers can handle them.
Many people are gluten intolerant without having celiac disease, I believe I am
one of them, whereby I do suffer digestive discomfort and related issues from
the ingestion of the above mentioned grains. However, some of them may also
find oats to not cause them issue. I have recently re-introduced oats into my
diet in small amounts and have not noticed any ill-effects.
Another addition I have made is quinoa. I haven’t particularly
enjoyed its somewhat nutty flavour in the past so I haven’t used it a great
deal previously but I decided to try it in different ways as it is a
nutritious, gluten free grain. It is a mildly dense carbohydrate while being a
good source of fibre, protein, various B-vitamins and minerals. My current
favourite use for it is in a porridge with some oats, chia seeds, ground
flaxseed, coconut cream, cacao powder, cinnamon, vanilla, banana and water. It
ends up being quite a thick consistency and the choc-banana-coconut flavour is
delicious. Then, I like to add a handful of nuts and berries on top. It is a
relatively higher carbohydrate dish but my overall eating each day is far more
based around low carbohydrate vegetables and healthy fats.
How to choose what’s best
Choosing the best foods is not that easy based on all of the
conflicting information we get through mainstream media, as well as advertising
from food and beverage companies. These big companies throw millions of dollars
into marketing their unhealthy products with a spin that is designed to deceive
you into thinking they are not that bad for you.
Also, these companies fund a substantial amount of the
nutritional research that is conducted around the world which, in many cases,
somehow defies logic and produces favourable outcomes for their products. This
is a disgraceful conflict of interest and, despite declarations that this
funding does not influence research outcomes, it is strange how often the published
results show in their favour. If study results don’t favour them, the study might
only get published in obscure places, articles about the results may only
mention the parts of the study which were favourable or the company may pull their
future funding. In addition, they are often financial partners or supporters of
nutritional information agencies such as the Dietitians Association of Australia
and Diabetes Australia just to name a couple.
When you sit back and think about which foods you always see
advertised in various media forms, you realise that it’s basically all
processed food. You almost never see any fresh fruits or vegetables being
marketed. That’s because we don’t need to be convinced that fruits and
vegetables are good for us. From time-to-time you see ads for bananas or
avocados and even for meat such as pork and lamb, but they are rare and they’re
designed to produce increase consumption of those items for the benefit of the
producers as opposed to deceiving us about health benefits that may or may not
exist. In contrast, processed foods survive on their advertisements persuading
us that we want or need to eat them and/or they are good for us. They saturate
our media in order to distract us from what we should be having.
Don’t take the advice of big food and beverage companies.
They’re in the business of making millions of dollars, not to make us healthy.
Likewise, be wary of the advice distributed by many agencies and organisations
who are supposed to be providing the best nutritional advice. If they are
funded by companies from the processed food and beverage industry, you may need
to question their ethics and quality of their advice and perhaps look
elsewhere.
Do your own research by looking into individuals who have
committed themselves to finding and promoting nutritional information that is
backed by the best possible scientific evidence. There are plenty of those
people out there, many of whom are medical professionals, who have gone against
the mainstream to find what really works. Often, it has come from wanting to
find what will really work for treating their patients and achieving long term
health. Not surprisingly, when they began treating their patients with
nutritional intervention, they found their greatest ever results.
Many of these people are doctors with a range of specialties
who have studied medicine so they have an intimate understanding of the body
and what food does to it. They are not out there to make money for major
corporations. Instead, they simply want to see the people of the world become
healthier to live more fulfilling lives, reduce strain on health care systems
and be around longer for their families.
There are many other people out there who are trying to get
this important information to as many people as possible by doing their own
research and writing terrific books or articles where they back up their
findings with the scientific research. Great examples of this are David
Gillespie, who wrote ‘Sweet Poison’
and a range of follow up books. Nina Teicholz, investigative journalist who
wrote ‘The Big Fat Surprise’ and Chef
Pete Evans of My Kitchen Rules fame
and his promotion of Paleo eating through his program ‘The Paleo Way’ and the associated range of books. Pete also has the
YouTube channel and TV series of the same name.
“You will enjoy a lifetime of possibilities”
I mentioned above a few of the many benefits you could
experience just from eating the right foods. However, one simple point is that
eating the most nutritious foods all of the time will give you the best chance
to live a long and healthy life. This will give you the opportunity to do just
about anything without being limited by poor health, like so many people are.
We are not supposed to live with illness and disease. Our
modern world and modern diets have caused the rise in chronic illnesses which
means so many people spend much of their elder years being greatly restricted
in what they can do. Don’t let that happen to you. Give your body the best food
so it can give you the best life possible where you can still be able to chase
after your great-grandchildren or go on holidays anywhere in the world, no
matter what your age.
“If in doubt, just eat vegetables”
You don’t have to
eat meat, fish, eggs or animal products often. Especially, not as often as or
as much as we are lead to believe. However, when you do, make it the best
quality you can source. Therefore, if you are not able to source those items
with the right quality or you have any doubts about them, just eat vegetables.
Vegetables are the most important food item and eating more of them is a good
thing.
I prioritise getting at least two large serves of vegetables
every day. I aim to have plenty of leafy green vegetables amongst them and a
variety of colours for the rest. Very large salads are a favourite go to option
for me as they are so quick and easy to prepare. Just chop up a range of raw
vegetables, add some cooked ones if you like, top with fresh avocado, a good
squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of olive oil and perhaps a protein source. It
doesn’t take long to prepare and it can be made in bulk to last for a few days
in the fridge.
My favourite salad combination at the moment is:-
Ø
Baby spinach leaves.
Ø
Cos lettuce roughly chopped.
Ø
Red capsicum diced.
Ø
Carrot diced.
Ø
Mushrooms roughly chopped.
Ø
Cucumber diced.
Ø
Avocado.
Ø
Small chunks of sweet potato and pumpkin which
have been roasted in coconut oil, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin and cayenne
pepper.
Ø
Lemon juice.
Ø
Dash of olive oil.
Ø
I will then add things like roasted chickpeas,
whatever kind of meat I have available which might be left over from another
meal, a tin of sardines or some eggs. Sometimes I don’t even add anything else and
just enjoy all of those beautiful vegetables.
If in doubt, just eat vegetables. Make them a priority and
your body will respond positively.
My purpose
Everyone may have a different feeling while reading this
blog. Some will appreciate the detail so they can use it when they’re next
shopping for food. Some may feel a little confused because it might contradict
what they previously thought was right. Some may feel overwhelmed by the amount
of content and not be sure what to focus on. Also, some may feel offended or frustrated
because it is pointing out or reminding them that they have not been eating
well and they feel bad for it.
In no way do I want to upset, confuse or frustrate anyone.
The purpose of providing this information is to assist you. I feel there is no
point in telling people ‘everything in moderation’ because that is a very broad
statement which allows anyone to apply their own interpretation of what
‘moderation’ is. Likewise, I focus on providing quality nutritional information
because I don’t think it is a good thing for anyone to think that as long as
you exercise you can eat whatever you like or not eat as well as you could.
Eating the right food is essential for everyone, regardless of activity level
and bodyweight and I firmly believe that if I can provide information to help people
know what is best, based on my research and practices, then it might make the
process of improving someone’s lifestyle a whole lot easier.
That’s why I say, ‘if in doubt, just eat vegetables,’
because by taking that one step to vastly increase your consumption of fresh
vegetables you can easily springboard yourself into improving other areas of
food and/or lifestyle.
I am continually looking for the best possible nutritional
practices in order to pass on this information to you in a straight forward way
through my blog or conversations. Along with looking to achieve my best
possible health and body composition through following the best nutrition
practices, my goal is to help as many people as possible to lead a fulfilling
life by achieving optimal health. That includes work colleagues, acquaintances
in sport, friends, family and anyone else who takes the time to read my blog or
chat with me about it.
There is no doubt that everyone’s life will be better when
in a proper healthy state compared to being in poor health. Illness causes much
stress for the sufferer, as well as those close to them just as much. Your best
chance at having great health and prevention of illness will only be achieved
with the best diet and lifestyle practices. Also, being your healthiest is of
utmost importance to your closest family and friends. Not only will you feel
better when you eat right but those people most important to you will feel
better knowing you are healthy.
References
All of my views and opinions are formed from my own research
using the following resources:-
Ø
‘Challenging
Beliefs: Memoirs of a career’ by Professor Tim Noakes and several
presentations of his which I have viewed on YouTube.
Ø
Various YouTube videos, interviews, publications
and presentations from other specialists such as Professor Grant Schofield from
the University of Auckland. Scientific author Gary Taubes. Dr Gary Fettke of
the Nutrition for Life Centre
in Launceston, Tasmania. Doctor and author Stephen Phinney MD, and various
others.
Ø
Dr. Jason Fung’s website intensivedietarymanagement.com
which has a combination of videos and blog posts detailing his scientific
research and highly successful treatment of his patients through dietary
intervention.
Ø
The most recent addition to my research
portfolio comes from a not for profit organisation called nutritionfacts.org. This organisation
is founded and presented by Dr. Michael Gregor who works with a team of about
20 researchers to produce highly informative short videos across a large range
of nutrition topics. They present all of their videos on the website and their YouTube
channel.
Essentially, the site advocates a
completely plant based, vegan diet because this is what all of their research
is showing them to be the best and healthiest way to eat. The most compelling
thing about the way in which they present is the huge amount of research which
goes into every video. You can get an idea of their thorough approach by
watching this video
explaining how the organisation goes about producing the conclusive content.
There are no advertisements or connections
with companies so it is reassuring to know they are not producing this to
satisfy the interests of any financial partner. Instead, it is a ‘labour of
love’ in tribute to Dr. Gregor’s Grandmother who turned her health around, in
her 60’s, with a plant based diet despite being told there was nothing that
could be done for her. She was lead to believe that her life was essentially
over thanks to heart disease and related issues but when she looked for an
alternative approach to healthcare she found food to be the best medicine.
Specifically, an all plant-based diet was her savour and you can hear about
that story in this video
of how NutritionFacts.org got started.
Cheers,
Lincoln.
