Articles by Donna DiMarco

by Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

In the last articles, I offered methods to improve your health status yourself by incorporating simple changes. If you applied these steps into your lifestyle, you probably noticed a significant change in your energy, appearance, mental clarity, and resistance to disease. But no health program can really be successful without addressing the subject of pH, which means power of hydrogen. In layman’s terms it is the measurement of how acid or alkaline the body is. The higher the number, the more alkaline (or base) one is; the lower the number the more acid one is. Neutral pH is 7.0, which means that it is neither acid nor alkaline.

We test the pH in the body by placing litmus paper in saliva and/or urine. Litmus paper can be purchased at a health food store or a pharmacy for about $8-$10. The paper should measure a range between 4.5-7.5. One would simply collect urine in a small cup, then place a small piece of litmus paper in the urine. It will change color to correspond to the pH (much like the way you test pH in a swimming pool). Match up the color with the chart on the paper to determine what your pH is. Saliva is tested the same way. In a healthy body, pH of both urine and saliva should be neutral (7.0). Neutral pH in saliva and urine usually reflects an arterial blood pH of 7.4; at this level the body can function optimally.

Unfortunately, few people maintain a neutral pH. Acid pH is usually the result of diet (cola, coffee, milk, white flour, red meat and sugar), lack of exercise, protein deficiency, environmental toxins, and stress. This condition of low pH is called ACIDEMIA, or acid blood. Acidemia has been linked to chronic inflammation, anemia, anaerobic metabolism, active infection or tendency to get infections, plaque on teeth, tendency to get caries, decreased bone density, breakdown in connective tissue and build up of free calcium within the body. Clinically, one would identify acidemia not only by low pH in saliva and urine, but by white blood cells and bacteria in the urine, a low oxygen saturation and an elevated free calcium risk index. But you can use pH as a good indicator as to the tendency in your own body.

Let me explain a little about the pH in the digestive tract. When we eat food, the stomach produces acid to help with digestion; the stomach is supposed to be a very acid environment. This acid (HCl) kills bacteria and yeast, helps to denature protein for further digestion, and sets the stage for the food to pass out of the stomach. In the small intestines (duodenum), the low pH of the mixture of food and acid (chyme) triggers the pancreas to release bicarbonates (alkaline), which neutralizes the acids making the pH of the chyme more alkaline. An alkaline pH in the small intestines is necessary for the digestive process to continue properly so that all nutrients can be extracted and absorbed. If the stomach isn’t acid enough, the trigger in the small intestines doesn’t respond and the bicarbonate fails to be released. The chyme will remain acid and digestion may be hindered. The result is evident when the pH of the body, as reflected in the urine, is more acid.

The body is really smart; it tries to neutralize the acid in the blood by pulling a buffer (calcium) from where ever it is available- the bones and teeth are the usual sources. If the body maintains acidemia for a length of time, the free calcium will be left to circulate in the blood stream (hardening of the arteries). If a proper pH is maintained, bacteria, yeast and cancer cells have a hard time proliferating and calcium can remain in the bones and teeth to serve its function in structural integrity.

We can do things to change our pH to a more health-promoting level: Moderate regular exercise improves the lung function and pH. Some people have clamed that salivary pH has changed after simple deep breathing exercises. Exercise helps us breathe deeply. We can avoid things that turn the body acid, things like milk, sugar, white flour, sodas, red meat, and other junk foods (Just one more reason to eat a more healthy diet!) We can eat protein for breakfast to maintain good serum protein and albumin levels.

Throughout the day, but especially first thing in the morning, we can drink fresh squeezed lemon juice in water. The citric acid in the lemon helps make the stomach pH acid enough to trigger the release of bicarbonate in the small intestines. I know it sounds strange to consume acid to become more alkaline, but if you remember how the body functions it makes total sense. Lemon and/or lime juice work the best, grapefruit is also effective, but orange juice has a high sugar content so it doesn’t work to change pH as well. Whenever you go out, ask for lemon or lime in your water or drink. Many cultures use lemon, lime, and sour orange on foods because it helps digestion as well as enhance flavor.

Malic acid found in raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar is also effective; Try to use this on your salads. Malic acid is also found in apple cider, so I start my day with lemon-lime juice in 2 ounces of apple cider and pure water. To this, I add vitamin C (ascorbic ACID) powder (be sure it does NOT contain calcium). This refreshing drink helps set the stage for proper pH and provides me with sufficient vitamin C to produce collagen, connective tissue and energy. After a time in the gym, I follow it with high protein breakfast like eggs, or fish, which help with energy and muscle building and provides the mood-lifting amino acids for neurotransmitters.

If you drink coffee, do so after breakfast and never on an empty stomach. It may change your pH drastically.

Measure your pH (saliva and urine) first thing in the morning, two hours after breakfast, and before bedtime. Keep a chart of your progress. When you are maintaining a steady pH of 7.0, you can begin testing only 2 hours after breakfast. You should notice an increase in energy and mental clarity, but most of the benefit will occur without you noticing it. The rewards will pay off in the long run with fewer colds, fewer degenerative diseases, and better quality of life. Remember, you’re worth the effort!

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, BS,CN,LNC.

One important requirement to achieve good health is often overlooked, that’s water. We all know that water is necessary for every creature to survive, but do you realize just how important water is to maintain good health? The body is composed of mostly water and is necessary to bathe each of the millions of cells of your body. Water dilutes and removes toxins and metabolic wastes from the body. It helps the kidneys work to capacity to avoid these toxins from being dumped back into the liver.

Water is the simplest way to prevent constipation. One of the most important functions of the large intestines is to absorb water into the body. If we don’t consume a significant amount, the intestines absorb whatever is available in the gastrointestinal tract, leaving the fecal matter hard and dry, and more difficult to pass. The longer it remains in the intestinal tract, the more toxins get absorbed, which then makes passing them become increasingly more difficult.

A simple reduction of 4-5 % of water in the body will reduce the work performance by 20-30%. That means a decrease in energy. All you ladies who complain of being tired, try drinking lots of good water. When you consider that we lose 2 cups of water in respiration, 2 cups through perspiration during normal daily activities (not exercising), and approximately 6 cups through intestinal and kidney excretion, we come up with a total loss of 10 cups of water per day. This must be replaced. Athletic activity can cause an additional water loss of as much as 4-5 quarts per day. This is why we can go weeks without food, but only a few days without water.

We typically take in 31/2 cups of water from our foods. The body actually produces an additional 1/2 cup of water as a by-product of metabolism. Simple mathematics concludes that we, therefore, need at least 8 cups of water per day.

Room temperature water, consumed in large amounts prior to a meal, can stimulate the production of digestive enzymes. Water can act as an appetite suppressor and actually can help the body metabolize stored fats into usable energy.

Many people suffer from water retention and think that drinking water will make matters worse. Actually, the opposite is true. The more water we consume, the more we excrete. The body retains water when we are not consuming a sufficient amount. To insure survival, it holds on to what it has by suppressing anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). We can rectify the problem by simply drinking more water. The body identifies an abundant supply then allows some to be released.

My massage therapist hands each and every one of his clients a large glass of water after every massage to insure excretion of the lactic acid and metabolites released in the course of a massage. He instructs them to continue to drink copious amounts throughout the next day to facilitate a thorough flushing of these toxins.

I usually recommend my clients to drink at least 1/2 gallon of pure water daily. I suggest that they fill up a half-gallon container, refrigerate it so it can be carried to work throughout the following day. They are not to retire for the night until all the water in the container is consumed. This helps them become more conscious of how much they need to drink and whether they are truly drinking the right amount.

Remember to always drink good quality water, never from the tap. I recommend spring waters from out of your own state so more stringent testing procedures apply. At home I use a reverse osmosis filtration system but I add liquid minerals back in so as not to promote acidity in the body.

This is a little comparative list between water and coke that was sent to me. I CANNOT attest to its accuracy but I thought it was interesting.

Read this, then make your choice.

“Water”1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. 3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study. 5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. 7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

COLA 1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Cola in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of cola and it will be gone in two days. 3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Cola into the toilet bowl and let the Coke sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Cola removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Cola. 5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Cola over the terminals! to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes. 7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.  Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the cola for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield. This is very interesting. Check it out. For Your Info

1. The active ingredient in cola is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.  Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. 2. To carry Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of cola have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years! Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or cola?”

Think about it. Until next time…Donna

By Donna DiMarco,C.N.,L.N.C.

Allergy symptoms used to be associated with spring and flowers, but it seems more and more people find themselves with symptoms year round. Runny nose, watery eyes, fits of sneezing are often attributed to allergies or, as it’s sometimes called, hay fever. There is no doubt that the pollen and blossoms provoke a response. Many transplants from other states find that the first few years that they are in Florida, their “allergies” are better. A year or two later, they often reappear. Consider this:

• More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergic diseases yearly.

• Allergies cost the health care system $18 billion annually and are the 6th leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.

• About 16.7 million visits to health care providers are due to allergic rhinitis. The number of sufferers has increased significantly over the last 15 years.

Could it be that it may not be an allergy at all? An allergy is a reaction to a substance that does not normally affect other people. The word was first used in 1906 from the Greek words ALLOS, meaning other, and ERGON, meaning action. According to the Journal of Allergy and Applied Immunology, it is estimated that more than half the population exhibits some form of allergy-like symptoms which may include headaches, digestive disorders, joint pain, hives, and the more common, sneezing, runny nose and itching eyes. This is usually the body’s response to exposure to an invasive substance (allergens), which could be pollen, pet dander, dust, dust mites, and even their droppings.

In a mistaken effort to protect you from these allergens, your immune system releases histamines and other chemicals designed to rid your body of the offending substance. The histamine, which is released from mast cells, inflames the lining of your nasal passages, sinuses and eyelids and stimulates the production of mucus. These symptoms can resemble those of a cold. A sure way to distinguish is that with a cold, mucus secretions will eventually turn yellow-green; with rhinitis it will stay clear.

Most people use the term ALLERGY when in fact they mean sensitivity. The difference is distinct. Most true allergies are permanent where as a sensitivity can disappear after abstaining from the source. An allergy to seafood or bee stings can be life threatening but a sensitivity to milk or wheat may cause discomfort ranging from mild to severe, and are rarely life threatening.

Since early childhood, I suffered from allergies. I had every medication, air filters, inhalers, and weekly doctor’s visits, then eventually daily, injections to desensitize me, all to no avail. I moved to Florida and got some relief for a while but they eventually returned. When I was pregnant with my second daughter, I developed hives for no known reason. The allopathic medical community suggested I abort my baby so I could treat the allergies then simply get pregnant again. Since I consider life a lot more than a complication, that was not an option. In shear desperation, I found a nutritionist who tested me for food sensitivities. By following an elimination diet and using supplements to build myself up again, my hives and allergy symptoms all cleared up. I was so impressed with this life-changing experience, I studied nutrition myself and left the medical field I was working in, and 5 years later became a licensed nutritionist, and by the way, my daughter is now 23 years old and she and her sister, are the joys of my life.

But how can the foods we eat affect how we react to things like pollen and dander? It has to do with the amount of stress put on our bodies on a daily basis from the foods we eat. One theory explaining food sensitivities suggests that the body is improperly digesting the fat, carbohydrate or protein and the undigested food particles enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall provoking a reaction to the “foreign” particles. The body reacts like it would to an allergen by producing the same inflammatory response. In my own situation, I was eating wheat, dairy and sugar on a regular basis. My body was reacting so strongly to those foods that when I was exposed to pollens or airborne allergens, I reacted severely. By eliminating the offending foods and supporting my taxed immune system by body had a chance to rest so that when I was around allergens I could produce enough anti-inflammatory substances within to fight off their effects.

Typically, the foods that we consume on a regular basis, like milk, wheat, corn, soy, yeast and sugar, are often the culprits.

Here’s how you can act as your own nutritionist.

Step One: Keep a food diary of everything you eat in a week. Be sure to write it down; don’t rely on your memory. Then take colored markers and check off every time you ate wheat. Get a different color for dairy, and another for sugar. You’d be amazed at how often you eat these foods. Next, check to see which additional foods you ate every day. These are usually the offending foods. Eliminate the dairy, wheat, sugar and whatever food you eat EVERY DAY. Yes, that means coffee, orange juice, oatmeal, etc. No matter how good it is suppose to be for you, you must stay off these foods for at least three weeks. You should notice a significant improvement in your symptoms. Abstaining for 6 months will usually allow intermittent ingestion without reaction.

Step Two: Digestive enzymes help to insure that the food is properly broken down into nutrients that the body can identify, and then utilize. They also help balance the pH of the intestinal tract, kill off harmful bacteria and prevent the overgrowth of yeast in the intestines. Enzyme production begins in the mouth. Our saliva begins the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates. In the stomach, we produce hydrochloric acid (HCl). The pancreas and the small intestines contribute to the production of enzymes as well. Each must be produced in the correct balance to insure proper digestion. As we get older our inherent enzyme production diminishes. This could possibly explain why we suddenly develop reactions to things we never reacted to before. Sometimes we hinder the effects of enzymes my diluting them with large, cold drinks with our meals. Sometimes we exhaust our supply by eating junk foods, improper food combining and taking antacids. Often, we treat heartburn with antacids, which neutralizes the very acid we actually need more of. Not enough stomach acid can feel much like too much acid. If you’ve ever felt full and bloated after a meal, need to loosen your pants, or suffer from gas, flatulence and bad breathe, chances are you need digestive enzymes. Find a good digestive enzyme that works through all stages of digestion. Be careful not to take them on an empty stomach if they contain HCl (which they should). Begin with one tab or capsule with each meal (usually in the middle of the meal). After a few days, increase to two pills with each meal. Pay attention to your symptoms; they should be diminishing. Some people may need to increase further, but it would be best to do so under the supervision of your nutritionist.

Step Three: Supplement the body with adrenal supporters such as pantothenic acid and vitamin C, tyrosine (an amino acid that is also an anti-depressant), and adrenal glandular. The adrenals glands produce cortisone, which acts as an anti- inflammatory substance and helps us deal with the production of histamines, so supporting the adrenals helps them function more efficiently and effectively.

Step Four: Reduce Excess histamines. Bioflavonoids are currently being used with great success. In particular, Quercetin, a form of bioflavonoids, is believed to prevent histamine release, nature’s antihistamines from citrus fruits and berries can now be easily taken in pill form. Magnesium, vitamin B-6, and the herb Nettles can also help. Other antioxidants such as cysteine and selenium can help mediate the body’s response to the allergen by reducing the effects of free radical damage. A substance taken from pine needles called pycnogenol, helps prevent allergic reaction. It is also an effective antioxidant much like the proanthocyanidins found in grape extract, so it too prevents oxidative damage.

Step Five: Reduce the inflammatory response. Studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids may be effective in reducing inflammatory reactions by affecting prostaglandin E2 production (Bad Guy). Omega-3 fatty acids promote the production of Prostaglandin E3 (Good Guy). The inflammatory action of prostaglandin E2 is also responsible for arthritic pain, so it would mediate the pain response for other chronic conditions as well.

A diligent effort to eliminate offending foods, enhance digestion, support the adrenals and immune system, prevent oxidative damage and inflammatory response should keep you from the “allergy blues” But before you embark on a nutritional approach, check with your physician to make sure it is indeed an allergy. In addition to eliminating symptoms naturally, you will be restoring your health. This will leave you with plenty of energy to enjoy life rather than fight “allergens”. Give it try, and let me know how you do.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC

Any fat makes you fat, so it should be eliminated, right? Wrong!  While it is true that fat contains more calories than protein or carbohydrates, fats are really important to good health. If all the fat were eliminated, health would be compromised. Fat is important for the production of hormones, the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, the integrity of the nervous system and more. Jean Barilla, co-author and editor of The Nutrition Superbook, Volume II, The Good Fats and Oils, stated some of the reasons we need fats in our diets. “ We need fats to produce energy, to pad and protect our internal organs, to conserve body heat, to transport the oil soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K, into our blood, to act as an intestinal lubricant to keep things moving smoothly, to join with phosphorus to produce the phospholipid walls of each cell, to insulate the nerves by helping to produce the myelin sheath around each nerve, and to help us feel satiated when we eat, as well as adding flavor to our foods.”

Fats are not only found in most meats, but hidden in things like salad dressings, mayonnaise, cake icings, baked goods, fried foods, chips, gravies, some cheeses, some dairy, margarine, butter, cooking oils, nuts, seeds, produce like avocados, coconut, etc. Some of these are really bad for us, but others are not.

I frequently hear people say that they stay away from nuts, avocados, seeds, etc. because they are high in fat. While it is true that fat contains 9 calories per gram while protein and carbohydrates contain only 4 each, some fat sources are so nutrient-rich that they are worth the added calories. The task then becomes distinguishing between the good and the bad fats. If you learn which fats to stay away from and which fats to consume, your body may be able to restore balance and provide you with a better quality of life. This is not an easy task since we have saturated, unsaturated, trans, cis, essential fatty acids, etc. Let’s try to make some sense of it.

There are saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  Whether a fat is saturated or not depends on the number of hydrogen atoms in the molecular structure of the substance. Saturated fats are found in meat, coconut oil and palm kernel oil.  It has generally been believed that saturated fats are the culprit of heart disease. These fats are used in manufacturing candy, icing or chocolate because they are inexpensive and they don’t melt at room temperature.  Saturated fats stimulate the liver to make more LDL’s (low density lipoproteins) or bad cholesterol. 

Unsaturated fats usually stay liquid at room temperature and are broken down into polyunsaturated fats, found in many vegetable oils, and monounsaturated fats (MUFA’S), found in olive, peanut, canola and avocado oil.

Polyunsaturated oils have more than one carbon-to-carbon double bond in their molecular structure. They are oils like safflower, sunflower and soybean oils. For many years it was thought that polyunsaturated fats were the way to go because they reduced LDL’s.  It was later discovered that they also reduced HDL’s as well and also increased the susceptibility to gall stones. For this reason polyunsaturated oils should be limited in the diet.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFA’s) have only one carbon-to-carbon double bond in their molecular structure. Unlike Polyunsaturated oils, MUFA’s reduce only the LDL’s and protect them from oxidative damage.  It was also found that MUFA’ s can help non-insulin dependent diabetics, more so than low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.  Research indicates that MUFA’s have an effect on hypertension also.  Studies are presently in progress to confirm the positive effects of MUFA’s on rheumatoid arthritis.

I recommend that my clients consume cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil daily. “Cold-pressed” means that when the olives are pressed to extract the oil, a good amount of heat is generated. This heat has a tendency to turn the oil rancid, so a cooling system is used to dissipate the heat, keeping the oil from oxidative damage. Virgin and extra-virgin refers to the purity. Since oil is so susceptible to peroxidation (rancidity) I suggest you always keep your oil in the refrigerator after it has been opened. This will reduce the oxidative damage for a while. Some people choose to put a little vitamin E in their oil for the same reason. It’s wise not to buy the large gallons of oil unless you use it quickly, because even when refrigerated, oil will eventually turn rancid. Get it fresh.

Another important factor in choosing fat wisely is whether a fat contains trans-fatty acids or not. Trans-fatty acids are unsaturated fats that have additional hydrogen molecules attached to it. The un-natural process is called hydrogenation and is always man-made. This is what is often used in restaurants but since it has been linked to cardiovascular disease it is being banned by New York City and other cities around the country.

By hydrogenating any oil, say corn oil, which is a liquid, and make it solid at room temperature. Voila, margarine! We use to think we were really smart by eliminating butter and replacing it with margarine, but studies indicated that trans fatty acids raise LDL’s (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL’s (the good guys). Therefore, all those who switched from butter to margarine to lower their cholesterol may actually be raising it and changing the ratio of bad cholesterol to good cholesterol, and not for the better. Listen carefully, BUTTER IS BETTER THAN MARGARINE! Stay away from all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. You can find them in most junk food, but sometimes, even in some health foods. Learn to read labels.

Let’s now talk a little about essential fatty acids, which are the basic building blocks of fats and oils. They are called “essential” because they are essential to life but cannot be produced in the body, but must come from either diet or supplementation. The three groups of essential fatty acids are Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9.

Omega-3 fats are found in cold-water fish like tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines, cod and herring. The few vegetarian sources of omega-3’s are flax seed and perilla oil. This essential fatty acid has been known to slow tumor growth, boost the immune system, reduce pain and inflammation, reduce the symptoms of allergies, promote healthy skin, prevent strokes, reduce cholesterol and increase mental acuity. Fish oils have demonstrated to be particularly important for those with heart and circulatory disease. It has been said that eating 2-3 fish meals (of these particular fish) a week may reduce your chances of heart disease by as much as 50%. Why aren’t we doing this? That’s better odds than what’s offered by some drugs, and without the side effects!

Omega-6 fats can be saturated (like meats and dairy), unsaturated (like in nuts and seeds), or trans-fatty acids (like in fried foods, junk food and margarine). Omega-6 fats can convert to a substance (prostaglandin E-2) that impairs the immune system, increases pain and inflammation, stimulates metastasis, promotes allergic responses and skin disorders. We can’t eliminate all omega-6’s, nor should we. Some is beneficial, but we get far too much in our diet. We must make an effort to reduce these types of fats and increase the more beneficial omega-3’s.

Omega-9 fatty acids are not precursors to prostaglandins and are considered neutral. They may even have some beneficial cancer prevention effects. Omega-9 is found predominantly in olive oil.

So let’s re-cap: Some fats are good for us. Do not eliminate all the fat in your diet, eliminate the sugar instead; that will be more effective in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. Stay away from hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and all the foods that contain them. Replace your cooking oils with cold-pressed virgin or extra virgin olive oil and keep it refrigerated after opening it (place the bottle under hot running water to soften it for easy pouring). Eat at least two fish-containing meals a week using cod, salmon, tuna, mackerel or sardines to increase omega-3’s. Limit the amount of omega-6 fatty acids and the foods that contain them. Don’t be afraid to eat natural foods like avocados and nuts because of their fat content; focus on eliminating processed foods that contain the more dangerous fats. If you do this, you may soon notice your skin glowing, your hormones balanced, your energy boosted, your immune system stimulated, your arthritis and allergies diminishing, and your cardiovascular system strengthened. Give it a try, you’re worth it!

Donna

By Donna DiMarco

Hormones are a hot topic these days since the Women’s Health Initiative cut off their study before it was complete (after 5 years-instead of the planned due to overwhelming evidence that PremPro, a Premarin/progestin hormone replacement therapy, caused increased incidence of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes.

As a result of all the media attention, many women have stopped their hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in search of a safer, more natural method of avoiding hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and all the other lovely symptoms of menopause. Hopefully, the days of blindly trusting the doctor to prescribe something to make us quickly feel better is behind us and women will be better informed so that they can play a part in deciding what risks, if any, to take regarding hormone replacement. The body does need a perfect balance of hormones to function properly, but at what cost? And should hormone-like substances be substituted for the real thing?

Estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries, but some is also made in the adrenal glands; minor amounts are produced in other places as well. The ovaries also produce progesterone in the corpus luteum (the ruptured sac on the ovary from which an egg has erupted). Since we are born with a finite number of eggs and have been releasing one each month throughout our lives, the supply diminishes near menopause. Without the ruptured sac to produce a sufficient amount of progesterone, we become estrogen dominant. Unopposed estrogen (without progesterone) increases our chances of breast cancer. Also, the proper ratio (estradiol to progesterone) is important in preventing hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, not just the lack of estrogen. And most importantly, synthetic progestin won’t do.

More women have estrogen dominance than you would imagine, but many of them are given estrogen anyway. And, unfortunately, those who need progesterone are given progestin instead. Progestin is synthetic progesterone created in a laboratory to mimic the real McCoy. The molecular structure of progestin is just a tiny bit different than natural progesterone, just different enough to allow it to be patented and to make lots of money for the pharmaceutical companies. You see, most hormones start with a molecular structure similar to that found in the component of soy or wild yam; it’s called diosgenin. (It’s for this reason that soy helps with hot flashes) This molecule can be manipulated to conform to the structure of the hormone being prepared, not just progesterone, but others as well. If this molecule is identical to that found in the body (bio-identical) it cannot be patented since it is a natural substance, but if it is similar, yet with a unique structure, drug companies can name it, patent it, and rake in the bucks—providing it doesn’t cause obvious damage. These synthetic hormone structures look so much like the real hormones that they are able to enter the receptor sites and imitate some of the hormone’s functions within the body. But the body is not easily fooled and will eventually respond, often with disease. That’s what has happened with the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in this study. Here are some differences in natural progesterone vs. synthetic progestin.

Progestins: increases sodium and water retention in body cells and cause loss of mineral electrolytes from cells, cause depression, Increase risk of birth defect, cause facial hair, cause thrombophlebitis, embolism risk, decrease glucose tolerance and cause allergic reactions

Progesterone: Protects against endometrial and ovarian cancer, normalizes libido, reduces facial hair while stimulating re-growth of scalp hair, improves lipid profile and new bone formation (progesterone is better than the drugs recommended for osteoporosis), decreases risk of coronary vasospasm, helps thyroid hormone action, eases symptoms of PMS, is essential for myelinization of nerves, restores normal sleep patterns, is a precursor of other steroid hormones, and is essential also male health.

Which would you rather have, the decision is truly yours? The Women’s Health Initiative Study used progestin along with Premarin, which is (pregnant mare’s urine) horse estrogen, not human. Ah, ah, ah! You can’t fool Mother Nature! She fights back. They tried to fool the body into thinking it had what it needed, instead it provoked serious responses– heart disease, cancer and stroke. The sad part of this story is that the same diosgenin can easily be converted into bio-identical progesterone- the kind the body can use. It is readily available in many of the creams sold in health food stores and is used by alternative practitioners with great success.

Medical doctors are solicited by the drug company reps; they are given gifts and incentives, provided with pre-printed prescription pads and lots of free samples, in order to promote the sale of the pharmaceuticals. It’s big business. Women often feel that if the doctor recommended a drug, it must be what’s best. As someone who acts as a consultant to medical doctors, that isn’t always the case. I have met many doctors who didn’t even know the difference between progesterone and progestins. In doctor’s defense, many of them are so overwhelmed with keeping up with the latest advances in their specialty that they have little time for in-depth study, so they accept the erroneous information they are fed (often by the drug companies. How many years have they been recommending Prem-Pro? Remember Fen-Phen? What about Thalidomide?).

What can you do? Take control of your own health. Become empowered with knowledge to make intelligent decisions as to how your healthcare progresses. Take the time to learn about alternative methods. The body has the uncanny ability to heal itself if given the materials to do so. Learn how to give it what it needs.

One of the best ways to empower yourself is to read any of the books by Dr. John R. Lee, M.D. John is most noted for his dedication to teaching medical doctors about the difference between natural and synthetic hormones. His books include : “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause”, or “…Peri Menopause”, and his latest “…Breast Cancer”. Susan Love, Betty Kamen and Christine Northrup are also good providers of reliable information about women’s health issues.

Your next step should be to test your hormone levels. This could be done by a simple saliva test without a prescription (except for New York and California). Saliva is used instead of blood because it measures the free form hormone, that which is not bound to protein but available to do its work. Blood tests measure bound hormone only.

Check with your health practitioner or go to www.salivatest.com and check out what ZRT Labs has to offer. They will send you a simple collection kit so you can spit in a tube first thing in the morning and mail it to them with a check. Your results will be returned with an explanation of what it means.

Now comes the hard part, take your results to a practitioner who can help you balance your hormones naturally. Your practitioner can have a compounding pharmacy make up any combination of NATURAL estrogens or progesterone. Your prescription should be based on you and your hormone levels as well as your clinical information; it should not be a cookie-cutter formula handed out to all equally. This should be done only AFTER exploring all pathways to find out why you are not producing the hormones yourself. Often it is a simple remedy and HRT is not needed.

Diet is important. Try to give your body what it needs to make hormones naturally. Essential fatty acids are important to hormone production so forget the fat free diets, instead, consume nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, salmon, mackerel, etc. Small amounts of soy can help with symptoms. Please don’t over do it since studies link soy to other complications. Avoid dairy, since cows are often given hormones to maintain milk production. Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables for their ability to encourage “good” hormone ratios.

Avoid plastics and pesticides whenever possible. They too have a similar structure to estrogen (xenoestrogens) and are linked to breast cancer (some studies have also linked them to homosexual behavior in animals, hmmm!). Avoid tight-fitting bras, especially with under wires. Some believe that the restriction of lymphatic flow can cause breast cancer; no bra is best.

Always check your breasts monthly and have an annual exam at your gynecologist. Be sure to have a baseline mammogram, but remember that x-rays CAUSE cancer, so don’t be too quick to have your breasts irradiated too often. Early detection is NOT prevention or protection. If they detect it, it’s too late–you got it already.

Take cancer-fighting supplements- antioxidants and a multi vitamin-mineral to make up for what may be lacking in the diet. Let your body do its job. We all have abnormal cells in our bodies. But if we help our bodies’ function at optimum level, it will destroy those cells. If it has to spend all its energy detoxifying junk food and toxins, it has hindered ability to keep us healthy. Give it a try, health is easier to attain than you think. Just care enough about yourself to do it.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco. CN,LNC

Yes, I know that the title was a sneaky way to get your attention, but the information I have to share is important. MASTICATION is not to be confused with the other similar sounding word that we are all so familiar with. It is something that we do every day, several times a day, in fact. Some do it more than others; some are better at it. Some of us do it even without the proper equipment. Those who don’t do it well or regularly may compromise their health as a result. I once witnessed the autopsy of someone who did not do it this one time and it caused his demise. Most people only do it for themselves, but I have heard of certain cultures that ritualistically do it for each other. Get mind out of the gutter, it’s chewing.

“Everyone knows how to chew”, you say. Not so. Most people (myself included) don’t take the time to let the mouth do its job in aiding in the digestion of food. We are all in a hurry to get through our day and we don’t take the time to enjoy our meal, chew our food properly, and allow proper mixing of the food with saliva to occur in our mouth.

In this day and age, meals are commonly taken on the run, leaving little thought as to why we eat in the first place. Our busy schedules leave us little time to partake in three daily meals in the relaxed, but purposeful way it was intended; this leaves food partially digested and important nourishment locked in. As a result, we feel the need to take in additional amounts of food, but still remain undernourished. The body, with its natural wisdom, identifies the need for nourishment and signals us to eat more. But if again we don’t chew properly, the cycle will continue and obesity can result.

Thorough chewing also allows time for the “I ate enough” signal to be received in the brain. If we pay attention to this important feedback loop, we might reduce obesity significantly. This is such an effective technique that many weight loss centers suggest their clients to eat slowly, and to pay careful attention to chewing, as well as to wait 15 minutes or so before you reach for a second helping or the next course. In that time, the brain will realize it’s full and the appetite will subside. I’m sure we all experienced waiting so long in a restaurant that we weren’t interested in eating any more. Just allow yourself 15 or twenty minutes before you reach for a snack or a second helping. You’ll find you don’t really feel hungry. Try it; it works.

Chewing is the act of taking large bites of food, grinding it up into small particles that can be mixed with saliva and digestive enzymes. It is so important in providing our bodies with all the fuel it needs. Here’s a good analogy of how it works: take a whole, fresh lemon; squeeze it really hard. Unless you’re really strong, no juice will come out of it. Next, cut it in half; take one half and squeeze it hard. You’ll get a good amount of juice but more will remain inside the lemon. Finally, take the remaining half and cut it into four pieces. Take each piece and again, squeeze it hard. You’ll find that much more juice can be extracted from the smaller pieces. This is what happens with food. Large pieces of unchewed food leave lots of nutrients trapped inside, much like the lemon juice. The smaller the pieces become, the more nutrients (lemon juice) can be extracted. All those nutrients are vital for good health.

After food is chewed and the digestive process begins, food is called chyme. Chyme is a smooth, homogenous substance we all get grossed out to look at, but it is essential for good digestion Chewing begins with carbohydrates being broken down into simple sugars. Here’s a fun experiment to try. Take a bite of a bagel or a piece of bread. Chew it the way you normally do. Remember the taste and the texture before you swallow it. Then take another bite, but this time chew it 30 times, rolling it around with your tongue to mix it well. Notice the additional sweetness? That’s because ptyalin in the saliva helped release the sugar. This could work to our disadvantage if we are not careful. Remember that if you don’t brush your teeth, especially at bedtime, tiny particles of food may remain stuck between your teeth. These food particles may be broken down into sugars, which promote dental caries. If left untreated, caries, or cavities as we commonly call them, can result in pain and eventual loss of teeth. Then we are back to poor chewing again.

In addition to the digestion of carbohydrates in the mouth, chewing initiates the digestion of fats as well. Lingual lipase starts the process of fat digestion. It acts similarly to soap by breaking the bonds of the fat molecules causing glycerol and fatty acids to separate, making the fat more readily available for further digestion to occur. Although the digestive process begins in the mouth, it continues on to completion in the intestinal tract, resulting in nutrients entering the bloodstream to fuel our bodies.

We rely on these nutrients to keep us alive. Many of the disorders we experience are caused by lack of nutrients. We can spend lots of money on supplements to provide them (which is sometimes necessary), but the simplest way to maintain good health and to insure that our bodies function properly is to make wise food choices (foods that are nutrient rich, whole and fresh) then to chew that food well in order to release all the nutrients that nature has provided for us.

Take the time to care for yourself; care enough to sit down to your meal in a relaxed manner. Chew slowly and purposefully. Savor the flavors. Notice the textures. Inhale the aromas of the foods. Studies indicate that the sight and smell of food stimulates the digestive juices. Haven’t you ever had your mouth water (that’s saliva) at the sight of your favorite dish or the smell of fresh bread hot from the oven? That’s part of the process. Don’t deny yourself that; you’re worth it!

Follow these tips and you will notice gradual improvements in your health including your energy, your immune system, your endurance, your mental attitude and mental acuity, but it all begins with you. Until next time, I challenge you to chew.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC.

Most of us have been brought up thinking that milk is the perfect food and that without it our diets would suffer. Every mother insists that her child drink his milk to have strong bones. And many of us remember when we were encouraged to drink a little milk or cream to sooth an ulcer. How much of that is really true?

If we’d really listen to our bodies we’d realize that milk causes a variety of problems. Lactose intolerance is the deficiency of lactase, the enzyme needed to digest milk sugar, which causes diarrhea and flatulence. Mucus production increases and then the mucus lines the digestive and respiratory tracts setting up a perfect environment for bacterial and yeast growth. This excess mucus may hinder important nutrient absorption in the digestive tract.

Studies have indicated a strong tie between milk consumption and juvenile diabetes. Experiments have clearly demonstrated more hostile and aggressive behaviors in those who consume milk. Due to the size of the milk protein molecule, it often triggers allergic reactions.

The high protein content in dairy actually leads to the body losing calcium in the urine, rather than placing it in the bones. One of the two sugars that compose lactose has been linked to ovarian cancer and even infertility. Autistic patients show remarkable improvement when taken off dairy and gluten. Many children who are plagued by constant ear infections, asthma, and eczema, clear up when milk and dairy products are removed from their diet. Children who are raised dairy-free rarely need tubes in their ears. Postnasal drip and stuffy nose is often gone forever when dairy is totally eliminated. Many psoriasis and arthritis sufferers show remarkable improvement after eliminating dairy.

With all this information, why would anyone want to consume milk and milk products? Advertising. We have all seen the moustache commercials and I’m sure you remember “Milk: it does the body good!” The dairy farmers have their own agenda since more and more people are eliminating milk.

Humans were made to consume human milk with just the right combination of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients to nourish a human body. Cow’s milk, however, has a large protein molecule necessary to produce the massive muscles of a cow or a bull. Cows walk quickly after birth, so their milk has a calcium content necessary to quickly strengthen the spindly legs of a calf to hold the rapidly enlarging body. Humans don’t even crawl for a few months, so we really don’t need that much calcium concentration early in life. Baby calves, on the other hand, don’t even drink cow’s milk after a few months but they continue to grow and develop strong, large bones, and I have yet to see a cow with osteoporosis (check out the soup bones at your butcher’s). But how do they keep their bones strong? They eat green grass. Now, I’m not telling you all to hit the St Augustine and do away with your lawn mower, but we can eat greens in a more palatable form: vegetables. Vegetables, especially organic ones, have the perfect calcium to magnesium ratio for humans, and the calcium is in a useable form.

Many of us drink calcium rich foods but neglect the magnesium that is necessary to use the calcium properly. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D., how appropriate!) falls short of the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Without magnesium, the calcium may do us harm. Have you ever craved chocolate? Do you get muscle cramps or charley horses? Do you fall asleep but wake up in the middle of the night wide-awake? Are you constipated? Do you suffer from menstrual cramps? Do you have high blood pressure? These can all indicate a lack of magnesium and/or too much calcium. I frequently see people with too much calcium in their bodies yet suffer from osteoporosis, mostly due to a magnesium deficiency.

Let me encourage you to eat more fresh fruits vegetable and make them organic whenever possible (one study showed that organic tomatoes had 40% more magnesium than conventional tomatoes). Do not use canned vegetables since the processing, the salt, and the aluminum from the cans make them poor choices. Fresh is best, but frozen is a good compromise. Eat a variety of colors for the nutrient value. French fries and creamed corn are not considered vegetables so don’t even try to count them.

Get off the dairy. There are now many products in the health food stores to your dairy products with, like soy, for example. There is much research indicating that some soy in our diet might protect us from heart disease, help prevent breast cancer, and reduce menopausal symptoms, but don’t go overboard. Do everything in moderation. In addition to soy, milk substitutes are presently made from rice, a combination of rice and soy, almond, hazelnut, hemp, oat, potato and pea, and tofu, which is made from soy. They come in a variety of flavors including plain, vanilla, chocolate, and carob, and some are fortified with calcium (for those who feel they need an extra amount in their diet just in case). Other products available include cheese-like mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, jalapeno, Parmesan, cream cheese, and a variety of yogurts and ice cream. With so much to choose from, we can continue to eat the foods we enjoy without the threat to our health.

Make some smart choices. Listen to what your body is telling you. Try eliminating all dairy for three full weeks. Notice how you feel. After the three weeks, go back to eating dairy and notice the difference in your symptoms. Your body won’t lie to you, just give it what it naturally needs, eliminate the things that make it work harder, and it will serve you well for many years to come.

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN,LNC

Pour 1/2 cup of sugar into a measuring cup. Imagine adding that to your food intake every day. Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? This is approximately how much sugar each person consumes every day here in the United States. Studies have demonstrated that in 1994 the annual sugar consumption per each individual was approximately 149 pounds. It has increased considerably since then. If I am not eating my share of that 149 pounds of sugar, some of you are consuming it for me in addition to your own.

Sugar consumption can add up quickly when you consider that 12 ounces of your favorite soft drink contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, an ice cream sundae contains 19 teaspoons, 10 jelly beans contain more than 6 teaspoons of sugar, and even your so called “healthy” fruit-flavored yogurt contains more than 7 teaspoons of sugar per container. It is said that 21 teaspoons of sugar knock out 92% of your immune cells. This leaves us vulnerable to succumb to sicknesses like the casual cold, or AIDS, or everything in between.

We all have pre-cancerous changes in some of the cells in our body. It’s our immune system that isolates and destroys those cell aberrations so as to keep them from developing further into a full-blown destructive disease. Limiting sugar intake allows our immune system to work more effectively. Dr. Nancy Appleton’s book entitled Lick The Sugar Habit, lists 75 illnesses or disorders related to sugar consumption. Keep these sugar-content numbers in mind every time you reach for a can of soda or that Danish instead of a nutritious breakfast.

Learn to read the labels before you buy. You may be surprised at what you find. There is sugar hidden in lots of foods, some you may have never even thought of, like ketchup, tomato sauce, and salt. Yes, check your saltbox to see if the second or third ingredient isn’t dextrose. (Any word ending in “ose” is a carbohydrate, like maltose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, lactose, and so on.)

Sometimes we focus on looking for the wrong ingredients. Remember when so many of us were caught up in finding fat free and low-fat foods that we neglected to consider the sugar content in what we were eating? We thought we were reducing our cholesterol. In fact, we were making it worse. We thought that since it says “fat free” it must be good for us. It wasn’t. The sugar content was not in big, bold letters on the front of the box like the words “FAT-FREE” were. It was marketing and many of us fell for it. Studies indicate that a high-carbohydrate diet (sugar) increases our chances of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. More diseases are linked to high sugar consumption than high fat and protein consumption.

Table sugar is derived from corn, beet, or cane, and it isn’t naturally white. It is made white by removing the nutrients from it. The brown part that is removed is sold as molasses, which is high in iron, potassium, and other nutrients, but how many of us use molasses on a regular basis? Processing leaves us with sweet, white granules composed of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. Nature had it right to begin with, in its natural form raw sugar contains copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, chromium, and magnesium. All are necessary for proper digestion and utilization of carbohydrates. Problems with sugar begin when we refine it to make it white. This strips it of all essential minerals, which then forces the body to provide them by drawing from its own resource pool (mineral stores within the body). If excessive refined sugar consumption continues, these resource pools become depleted and are not available for other normal body functions.

A good example of this mineral depletion was demonstrated in a study performed by Dr. William Philpott. He found that during the autopsies of people who died of coronary artery disease, no detectable amount of chromium was found in their aortas; but chromium was clearly evident in those who died of accidental death. This implies that chromium, which is needed for carbohydrate metabolism, plays an important part in the prevention of arteriosclerosis and heart disease. It is important to note that cardiovascular disease can readily progress if chromium supplies are depleted due to excessive sugar intake.

Dr. John Yudkin concluded from his research that someone taking in 120 grams of sugar a day (24 teaspoons) is approximately five times more likely to develop a myocardial infarction (heart attack) than someone taking in less than 60 grams of sugar per day (12 teaspoons).

Should we eliminate all carbohydrates? No. Carbohydrates are needed to fuel our brains. It provides an energy source for the body demands as they occur. But if we consume more carbohydrates than we expend, the residual will be stored as fat for future use. The amount of sugar needed by the body at any given time is merely 2 teaspoons. This can be easily obtained by proper ingestion of unrefined grains, fruits and vegetables.

Our bodies were wonderfully designed to convert sugar from fat or protein if needed. We can limit our carbohydrate consumption and increase our energy output by regular exercise and physical activity. In addition to helping our cardiovascular system, it will help us lose weight, since the body takes the stored fat and converts it into carbohydrates to meet its need. If sugar consumption is consistently high, the body loses its ability to convert it from other nutrients.

Because fructose is absorbed 40% as quickly as glucose, it has been a favorite especially among diabetics. This quick rise in the blood sugar level would appear to be more desirable. But Dr. J. Hallfrisch concluded, that fructose causes an increase in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins (the bad guys), even more than sugar does. So watch the fruit juice consumption. It’s always better to water it down a bit. Increasing fiber in the diet will aid elimination, reduce cholesterol, and prevent rapid rises in blood sugar (another reason why eating whole, fresh fruit is more beneficial than drinking fruit juice since blood-sugar levels raise more gradually).

Some good suggestions for breaking free from sugar addiction are included in Dr. Appleton’s book, Lick The Sugar Habit. She suggests eating

more unrefined complex carbohydrates to help maintain blood sugar levels; eat raw, crunchy veggies for snacks; brush your teeth when a sugar craving comes upon you (this will usually satisfy it due to the sweetness of the toothpaste); when an urge to eat sweets occurs, wait at least 30 minutes to see if it will pass.

Mineral supplementation can replenish some of the deficiencies, but this should be done under the supervision of a nutrition counselor, but only after proper evaluation has taken place. Start today to make some smart choices in your eating habits. Begin replacing the refined sweetened snacks with some healthy, raw veggies. Pass on the donuts and danish and eat a good breakfast. Get regular exercise, which will strengthen your cardiovascular system. Begin with walking every day, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and be sure to read labels so you can limit your sugar intake.

You can do it!

Donna

By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC

I previously suggested you keep a food diary and eliminated the foods you found yourself consuming on a daily basis.  If you kept track of your symptom improvement and are ready for the next step.

This month we will talk about drinking with our meals. No, I’m not talking about alcohol in particular, but that can fall into this category; I’m talking about that large glass of soda, the iced tea or that cold brew with your slice of pizza.

Let’s start with the fact that we all have digestive juices that are produced to help break down the food into a useable form. One of those juices, hydrochloric acid (HCl), is just as strong as the muriatic acid that your pool service uses and is powerful enough to eat through concrete. Its job is to help ready protein (denaturing) for other enzymes to break it down. HCl doesn’t hurt us because we have a thick mucous lining to protect the stomach. We get into trouble when that lining gets thin or the acid levels get too high and the acid eats a small sore into the stomach. We call that an ulcer. Women who are bulimic actually damage not only their esophagus, which lacks the thick protective coating, but their teeth as well, due to the stomach acid frequently coming up into the mouth. Think about it, if it can eat concrete, it can eat through your teeth!

And although Madison Avenue tells us that many of us suffer from too much acid, most people have too little. We’ll talk about that at a later time. If this acid and other digestive juices are needed to make food useable, and many people have too little digestive juices in the first place, why do we dilute them with liquids? Every time you drink with your meals you are diluting the natural juices needed to break down your food. Consider this, did you ever see an animal eat some food, take a little water between mouthfuls, then eat some more food? Why don’t they need to “wash it down”? Drinking with our meals is a learned habit.

Here’s an example of what drinking with meals does. Imagine that you have this awful grease stain on the floor and you are asked to get it up as quickly and completely as possible. You’d run to the cabinet and pull out your most powerful cleaning liquid. For a heavy grease stain you use it FULL STRENGTH to get the job done best. It is the same with our digestive juices, we need them to work efficiently, so why water it down with all that liquid? In fact, one of our digestive enzymes produced further past the stomach (lipase) acts just like soap, which breaks the bonds in grease (fat).

Here’s something else to think about. Did you ever see chicken soup that has been stored in the refrigerator? It gets a thick layer of solidified fat on the surface. Many of us skim it off before we reheat the soup. That layer is a liquid fat that has been turned into a solid by lowering the temperature. If we consume an iced drink with a meal, we lower the temperature in our stomach and turn liquid saturated fats into solids. Our body temperature is normally 98.6 degrees. It takes a considerable amount of time to raise the temperature of the chyme (chewed up food) to restore it back into a liquid form so that the fat-digesting enzymes will to work.

Well, if that’s not reason enough to not drink with your meals, how about this. Consider the fact that carbonated sodas are loaded with phosphorus, and phosphorus needs calcium to stabilize it, so the body pulls calcium from the bones to meet the need. If soda consumption is high and frequent, it can dangerously weaken the bones. In fact, there are known cases of people who have become bedridden with severe osteoporosis (softening of the bones) due to high soda consumption. Also, sodas change the pH (power of Hydrogen) of the body so drastically that it takes 5 glasses of water to restore the pH after 1 glass of soda. The body needs a proper pH balance to function as it should. If the pH is out of balance, digestion will be hindered and nutrients not absorbed.

If you must drink anything, consider room temperature distilled or spring water, broth or consomme and herbal teas. Avoid things that are cold. Drink a couple of glasses of water about a half hour before your meals. This will help hydrate your body, cleanse your liver, fill you up so that you don’t eat as much (WEIGHT LOSS!), dilute the toxins for removal, aid your kidneys, prevent joint diseases (some practitioners believe that disk degeneration and arthritic problems are the result of the cartilage not being supple due to dehydration.), and help your skin. My clients must drink one half gallon of pure water a day, but not with their meals. It can be done.

I’m sure there are some of you thinking that you retain water and are bloated so you should not drink any more water. The opposite is true. When the body is water deficient it produces more anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) to hold on to whatever water it has. Drinking more water tells the body that it can release what it has because it is confident that more is coming in a steady supply.

Try it for a while. Restoring health is more than taking a pill. My goal is to teach you lifestyle changes that will help your body function at its optimum level. Once we get the basics down, I will discuss particular problems and specific supplements. Try to implement what you’ve learned; any effort will help. It takes time to break old habits so be patient.

Until next time, stay with it. You are worth it!

Donna

  By Donna DiMarco, CN, LNC

Do you love yourself? Do you love yourself enough to take care of your health, to change a bad habit, to prevent disease? Do you love yourself enough to physically be healthy to stay around another few years with a good quality of life? If you said “no” to any of these, you may want to search deeply for the reason you feel you are not worth the effort.

I’m going to talk about how we might give ourselves the ultimate gift of love: health. What is it? What if I lost it already? Is it gone forever? How can I keep from losing it in the first place? What can I do naturally that might help? I hope to help you to make that first step, simply and safely. Do YOU love yourself enough to do some of it? I’m going to take you through some simple steps to better health. Keep copies of these articles to provide a sequential direction toward wellness. These are the same things I do for my clients and if you accept the challenge, you will be empowered to be your own nutritionist—without the fee!

What is health? The answer is simple; it is the absence of disease, degeneration and symptoms. In other words, total functionality of your body. Many people accept the nagging backache, the frequent headaches, the lack of energy, lack of libido, stuffy nose, gas, constipation, stiff joints, etc, etc. I frequently hear people tell me that they never realized how many “little things” they tolerated unconsciously until they discover they are gone. I bet if you tallied every little symptom, you’d be amazed at the length of the list.

Some people already have a disease, like multiple sclerosis or cancer. Does that mean they are lost? No way, it means there are different degrees of health. The diabetic may still take insulin, the MS patient may still be in a wheelchair, or the cancer patient may still need to have a cancerous growth removed. But there are things we can do to speed up healing, reduce or minimize the symptoms, or delay the advancement of the disease.

Many people aren’t aware of how important their dietary habits are. So many clients may have a stuffy nose, or watery eyes find quick relief by eliminating the one or two foods they eat the most on a daily basis. This list often includes: sugar, dairy, wheat, coffee, and yes, soy. “But I thought soy is so good for us?” Even the good things can have a negative effect if we consume too much of them; soy is hidden in many foods in the form of soy oil and lecithin.  I suggest you rotate your foods every other day. That means if you eat whole-wheat toast one morning, you won’t have a hamburger on a bun for lunch, or pasta for dinner, or some brown gravy thickened with flour the following day.

How much dairy do you consume? “Well I never drink milk”, you reply. But how about the cream in your coffee, the cheese you snack on, the pancakes made with added milk, and that luscious milk chocolate that we so often crave? Are your bagels spread with cream cheese? Is there milk in your mashed potatoes?

Keep a food diary of everything you eat for a week. Scrutinize it for patterns of a single food. Use a colored highlighter to signify wheat and a different color for each food you are checking. See if one or two colors appear each day. That would be the food to eliminate. Cut it totally from your diet for three weeks. Note your symptoms before you begin, then check your symptom list after three weeks of offending food elimination. Is there any change? Look at yourself carefully. Are you still bloated after a meal? Can you wake up a little more enthusiastically and energetically? Are your bowels better? Are you taking as much allergy medicine? The results will reveal what your first step should be.

Are you worth the effort it will take to keep that food out of your diet for a while? If you just proved to yourself that you feel better by just eliminating that food for three weeks, why would you want to go back to eating it again regularly? Are you not worth being symptom free? Yes, you can occasionally eat the offending food, but that should only be once or twice a month, and never on consecutive days, and only after abstaining from it for a month.

This is not a food allergy, but a sensitivity. It’s the body’s way of saying, “Notice, I can’t handle any more wheat, dairy, or whatever” By eliminating a particular food you are giving the body a rest from working so hard to detoxify it. You literally give your body a vacation. When you add supplements that aid digestion, detoxification and/or elimination, you are helping it rest and recover even faster by doing some of the work for it. Very often certain supplements are only necessary for a season until the body is recuperated enough to go back to work with full steam.

How about it? Do you love yourself enough to begin this journey to wellness? Will you do these few simple tasks, will you eliminate at least one food that you eat every day? Are you worth it? I think you are, join me!

Donna