Nutrition for 2016 - New Trends in Health

Being an esthetician, and a certified nutrition and wellness consultant for almost a decade, I have an immense passion for health and beauty, and an insatiable hunger for knowledge. I have always been a dedicated proponent of the organic and holistic lifestyle, so when tragedy struck in my family, I had no choice but to rise up to the occasion and educate myself as best as I could.

For the past three years, I have been doing research to support my mother through her fight with the most aggressive brain tumor – grade IV Glioblastoma. These few years have taught me to appreciate the fragility of human health, and to never compromise the well-being of my body in search of vanity. I have some valuable information to share with you, and I hope my advice is helpful to you on your path to optimum wellness.

My mentor, Louise L. Hay believes that all systems work well for different people, so the key is finding a balance. There is no need to frantically purchase all the items I list in the article, but incorporating some of these supplements, foods, and exercises into your daily routine will greatly benefit you!

A number of years ago, my mother was giving keynote lectures on candidiasis, and the importance of alkalizing the body. Now, as 2016 approaches, more and more people are becoming aware of this diet plan, and are healing themselves of acne, candida, gut issues, headaches, weight issues, fatigue, and many other health problems. The goal to this nutritional approach is alkalizing the body by properly balanced pH food combinations. This way of eating stresses the repopulation of the gut with friendly bacteria, especially after antibiotics, by using fermented vegetables and kefir, and it allows you to fully enjoy food without feeling bloated, fatigued, or spaced out. The key is eliminating all sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and bread from the diet, and following the 80/20 principle. The 80/20 principle states that 80% of the food on your plate must be alkaline (green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, sea kelp) and 20% of the food or less can be acidic (meat, grains, etc). Another important element is only eating until the stomach is 80% full, leaving 20% empty for comfortable digestion. In other words, stop before you feel full.

A great new idea is to try new fermented foods containing probiotics. Foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, miso, microalgae, and kefir contain friendly bacteria that will populate your gut, and create a healthy intestinal flora. 

For a daily supplement, I recommend Jarrow’s formula probiotics – shelf stable capsules with 5 billion viable cells per capsule. The formula contains all the beneficial bacteria your gut needs:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011, Pediococcus acidilactici R1001, Bifidobacterium longum BB536, Bifidobacterium breve R0070, Lactobacillus helveticus (L. acidophilus) R0052, Lactobacillus casei R0215, Lactobacillus plantarum R1012, Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis R1058

I also recommend taking certain key vitamins daily. Unlike most other mammals, we do not have the ability to make vitamin C, which means it needs to be added to your diet. In addition to being a powerful anti-oxidant, vitamin C plays a key role in collagen, serotonin, and carnitine production, vasodilation, and lowering blood pressure. 1,000 mg once daily is sufficient.

Also, consider taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D-3 daily. Getting enough sunshine throughout the day, and monitoring your blood D-3 levels is always a great idea. Research shows that vitamin D-3 plays a very important role in preventing disease and maintaining optimal health. We have about 30,000 genes in our bodies, and vitamin D-3 affects nearly 3,000 of them. Your skin creates same D-3 in response to sunlight as the D-3 you get from an oral supplement, and it’s much safer than tanning! 

More than 90% of the Nation is deficient in vitamin K. This vitamin is abundant in Japanese fermented natto, but can be purchased as a supplement over the counter. 100 mcg per day of vitamin K-2 is enough to help make your bones stronger, increase vascular health, and support the immune system!

Make sure you’re taking Omega 3 oils daily – I recommend 2 soft gels a day, each with 180 EPA / 120 DHA. While doing my cancer research for mom, I came across Johanna Budwig - based on her work on fatty acids she developed a diet that she believed was useful in the treatment of cancer. She was a German biochemist, pharmacist and held doctorate degrees in physics and chemistry. Budwig was nominated for the Nobel Prize 6 times, and her genius recipe is still reviving patients, and helping them live longer. You can look up the “Budwig Diet” for additional info and recipe.

Mushrooms also play a big part in reducing inflammation that causes stress, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, acne, and many other issues. My favorite blend is Aloha Medicinals Immune Assist Critical Care Formula – certified organic full spectrum mycoproducts. Each 6 capsule dose provides 1500 mg of a complex profile of beta-glucans, nucleosides and other bio-active compounds extracted from six different well known medicinal mushroom species.

I also take bio-curcumin (derived from turmeric) for brain health, and prevention of brain tumors. I believe in turmeric with all my heart, and think it is a truly amazing substance! 

Organic and natural food is extremely important, and plays a tremendous part in our body's functions, pH balance, weight, hormone levels, digestion, and mood. Eating right, and taking the right supplements is a step in the right direction, but a systematic lifestyle of healthy nutrition and exercise is the key to longevity and vitality! There is no one exercise plan that is perfect for everyone, but I believe in 3 key elements of physical activity which strengthen, lengthen, tone, and condition the body, and when practiced often, give the best overall results! 

1. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walks, jogging, dancing, trampoline, bicycle, swimming, and anything else that gets you breathing and oxygenating the body, as well as your blood circulating and moving stagnation. Obesity is a 21st century epidemic in America, and with lack of aerobic exercise, the body can amass a fat padding not only on the outside, but even around the internal organs! All forms of aerobic exercise help to massage the colon, and move waste matter out of the body, therefore detoxifying and cleansing. While we are healthy and strong, we need to adapt to an exercise routine that will build up our endurance, so in the unpredicted case of general anesthesia (GA), the risks of anything going wrong will be minimal. Aerobic exercise is wonderful conditioning for the body - once you get used to this sort of fast paced physical activity, you will never walk up a flight of stairs huffing and puffing ever again! Personally, I never take the elevator - stairs are a great way to get some exercise in during your workday or while running daily errands!

2. Weight training! I hear many opinions on this topic, especially women who are afraid of weight training, thinking that they will look bulky and masculine. Don't fear this form of exercise, because it's a guaranteed method for strengthening muscles, toning flabby areas, and conditioning the body. You don't have to use heavy weights, that is not the most important factor. It's more important to keep correct form, and do these exercises slowly. Never do jerky movements, never strain yourself, and remember to keep your knees softly bent when working with a barbell or free weights. When your muscles are firm, they will hold your internal organs in place, keep your back straight, and burn more calories than fat, even while at rest. 

3. Stretching is incredibly important! I know it may seem useless for most of us to be able to bend over and touch our toes, but believe me, it is essential! Our spine is like a doric column supporting the roof of the Parthenon, except our column (spine) has our spinal cord running through it. Have you been to the chiropractor for an adjustment? He will roll you from side to side, stretch you out, and alleviate any pinching of the nerves that may have occurred in your spine. With regular stretching, you help yourself by allowing the spinal fluid flow freely, reducing the pinched nerves, and lengthening the muscles. Stretching also reduces the buildup of lactic acid in the body, and helps move stagnation. When we get older, with no stretching or weight training, the back can start to collapse forward, forming a hunch which can cause the lungs to collapse and take in a reduced amount of oxygen, and the ribcage to press down on the stomach, therefore releasing acid, and causing GERD. A great form of stretching is hatha yoga - it is both enjoyable and beneficial to the body!

Hopefully this advice has been helpful to you, and will get you motivated to incorporate these suggestions into your daily routine! I am wishing you health and longevity!