Getting Off the Nutritional Merry-Go-Round:  The Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo of Healthy Diets

by Suki Roth

I don't know about you, but merry-go-rounds make me dizzy. So do the endless choices of "healthy diets" available today. No wonder we are confused. It seems that every time we turn around there is a new dietary direction to take. High fats, low fats, high protein, low protein, no carbs, all carbs, vegetarian, vegan, raw, cooked.WHOA!

Years ago there was a movie released starring Robin Williams as a Russian immigrant. In one of the most poignant parts of the movie, he is sent to a supermarket to buy a canister of coffee. While trying to perform this task, he is overwhelmed by the ridiculous amount of choices to make trying to buy a simple can of coffee and he passes out. Although this is exaggerated, we too are overwhelmed with the ridiculous amount of information and media directions we face every day.

Ways to Stay Healthy

Hippocrates put it simply many years ago. "Let food be thy medicine," circa 431BC. How have we become so advanced as a society in some ways and so lost and confused in others? Can we find our way back to a way of living and eating that creates wellbeing and balance in our lives? The answer lies in simplifying our stress-filled lives and making food choices that are purer and more whole.

What does "whole foods" mean? Simply, they are foods that are as close as we can get to their original and freshest form. This would include foods from our organic farms, clean oceans, rivers and ponds, as well as foods from our gentile, organic-run stables and animal farms. It does not include foods that are processed, colored or preserved. Whole foods are foods that the body can easily assimilate; foods that look vital and have been grown in a way that supports the soil rather than depleting it; foods that are grown locally and support organic farms and farmers. We also need to be seasonally sensitive, eating only the foods that would naturally be growing during the season we are experiencing. These foods help us acclimate to our external and internal environment.

We are what we eat and digest. We are also what the plant, animal or fish that we eat has eaten. Our choices - if we want to be vital, whole balanced organisms - is to eat in a way that supports that means. Eating organic, hormone-free, pesticide-free foods has a dual effect. It not only facilitates our healing process but the healing process of the Earth as well. We are also a product of what we put into our waters, land and sea. Eating a whole diet supports our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet too.

Four Main Themes of Nutrition

1. Vitality producers (brain, bone and nerve foods) - the phospholipids, phosphate rich fats and proteins, and sulfur-containing proteins
2. Strength producers (muscle, ligament and bone foods) - the nitrogen rich proteins
3. Heat producers (fats and oils) - the fats and lipids
4. Carriers and eliminators (juices used in the stimulating formation of secretions, digestive juices or vital fluids energy suppliers) - carbohydrates

Standard American Diet

The standard American diet, better known as SAD, has become deficient in health-promoting minerals, as our soils have lost their vitality from overuse of chemical fertilizers.

Minerals and their food sources are vital for optimal health. They are as follows:

• BORON: For strong flexible bones. Food sources: organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, all organic garden weeds such as chickweed, purslane, nettles, dandelion, yellow dock.
• CALCIUM: For sound sleep, dense bones, calm heart, strong muscles, more resilient nervous systems, healthy levels of blood pressure, lack of depression and headache. Food sources: Yogurt (whole milk, goat, soy), dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, seaweed, vegetables especially (sweet potatoes, cabbage), dried beans, whole grains, salmon, tuna, sardines, shellfish.
• CHROMIUM: For less fatigue and higher energy, fewer mood swings, stable blood sugar levels, higher "good cholesterol levels. Food sources: prunes, nuts, mushrooms, beets, whole wheat, bee pollen.
• COPPER: For supple skin, healthy hair, strong muscles, stable nerves, less water retention, lower blood cholesterol. Food sources: Liver, kidney, seafood, organically grown grains, beans, nuts, leafy greens, seaweed, bittersweet chocolate, mushrooms.
• IODINE: For less fatigue, healthier thyroid function, stronger liver. Food sources: Seafood, seaweed, sea salt, spinach, beets, parsley.
• IRON: For fewer headaches, deeper sleep, stronger nerves, more energy, less dizziness. Food sources: Red meat (only organic hormone and anti-biotic free), canned salmon, sardines, egg yolk, leafy greens, molasses, dried fruit, vegetables that are yellow, red, or orange, bittersweet chocolate, whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes, mushrooms, honey, seaweed.
• MAGNESIUM: For deeper sleep, less anxiety, easier nerves, flexible bones, stronger heart, more energy, less fatigue, fewer headaches/migraines. Food sources: Dark green leafy veggies, seaweed, nuts, whole grains, yogurt, cheese, potatoes, corn, peas, squash, beans, figs, carrot tops, parsley.
• MANGANESE: For keen hearing, flexible bones, less dizziness. Food sources: Any leaf or seed from plants grown on healthy soil, seaweed.
• PHOSPHORUS: For strong flexible bones, higher energy. Food sources: Whole grains, seeds, nuts, peppermint tea.
• POTASSIUM: For more energy, less water retention, easier weight loss, steady heartbeat, lower blood pressure, better digestion. Food sources: Celery, cabbage, peas, parsley, broccoli, bananas, carrots, potato skins, whole grains, pears, citrus fruits, seaweed.
• SELENIUM: For clear vision, slower aging, stronger immunity, more energy, healthy hair/nails/teeth, less heart disease. Food sources: Liver, raw milk cheeses, seaweed s, whole grains, garlic, fish, shellfish, meat, yogurt, beans.
• SILICON: For strong flexible bones, less irritability. Food sources: Unrefined grains, root vegetables, spinach, leeks.
• SULFUR: For relaxed muscles, softer skin, healthy nerves, stronger livers, healthy hair. Food sources: Eggs, dairy products, cabbage family, onions, garlic, parsley, watercress.
• ZINC: For slower aging, better digestion, stronger bones, healthy skin, better immunity. Food sources: Liver, meat, sardines, oysters, eggs, yogurt, leafy greens, beans, pumpkin seeds, nuts, whole grains.

Making healthy food choices is not a question of following a certain diet. It is choosing whole, well-balanced meals. This will give us the waistlines, the energy, the health and wellbeing we are craving. An easy rule to follow is to make sure your plate contains foods that offer three different colors per meal. This magically produces a meal that is nutritionally balanced. An example of this would be green, red and purple colors on one plate. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Eat like your life depends on it! Eat like the wellbeing of the planet depends on it! Eat so that you can live, not live to eat. Beautiful, whole foods cooked with care and shared with family and friends will lift up not only our physical bodies but our undernourished souls as well.

I wrote this article for the many clients, friends and students who have been asking me about "HOW TO EAT." One of my favorite herbal teachers once said, "A good herbalist should almost never have to use herbs. Diet and lifestyle go a long way to creating health and wellbeing."

For questions or for a consultation on how to improve your dietary practice email Suki Roth at bruki@peoplepc.com.