Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, Fourth Edition (55 page)

Twenty-four percent of our calories come from fats and oils, most of which have been highly processed and stripped of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are “junky fats” that have been denatured, oxidized, and structurally damaged. They’re found in nearly all of our packaged and processed foods and in most of the vegetable oils that we buy.

On the other hand:

We eat only a whopping 5 percent of calories from fruits and vegetables. Less than one person in four eats at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (about 2½ cups), even though they protect us against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and most other illnesses.

The average American also eats a dearth of nuts each year, only 15 ounces, mainly on pastries. Nuts have been reported to support heart and brain health and generally be terrific for us.

Once you make the decision to rely on natural foods, your body and mind will adjust so that natural foods taste more delicious than manufactured derivatives. Once your sugar taste buds calm down, fresh fruit will taste sweet again.

I use a 90-10 rule: 90 percent of your food should be excellent for your body, and 10 percent just to goof off and let loose.

The word
diet
comes from Greek and means “a manner of living” or “way of life”; the Latin root means “a day’s journey.” It’s about everything that we ingest: our food, our thoughts, our pattern of movement, the TV shows we watch, the music we listen to, the news. Changing our food begins a process of nourishing ourselves and our families that may be the catalyst for even deeper changes.

I am less concerned about whether you are a vegetarian or a meat eater, on an Atkin’s or Zone Diet, macrobiotic diet, Ayurvedic diet, Body Ecology Diet, kosher diet, or whatever your particular style of eating is than that you eat
whole foods, organically grown,
as often as possible. Good diets rely on natural, home-cooked, whole-food meals; they are devoid of artificial colors and flavors, trans fatty acids, and refined sugar; and they are loaded with phytonutrients (health-protective substances found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds), fiber, and good-quality fats.

Finding a digestion-enhancing, health-supportive diet that works for you and your family is what’s important. The key is to make real changes—changes you can live with successfully on a long-term basis—in the way you approach food and your lifestyle in general.

Write down everything you eat and drink in a food diary for 7 to 14 days. If you experience symptoms or your energy drops or your mood changes, write it down. See whether you can correlate specific foods to the way you feel mentally and physically. A sample food diary shown in
Table 12.1
looks like this:

Table 12.1
Sample Food Diary

Keep the food diary for at least 7 to 14 days. Then examine it and answer the following questions to gain insight on your eating habits—good and bad.

Did you eat breakfast every day? “Breaking the fast” provides much-needed fuel.

Is your digestion better or worse at specific times of the day? Timing can be a clue to causes of indigestion (what, when, where, how fast, how much, and the like).

How often do you eat? Some of us feel best on three meals a day, others with smaller, more frequent meals and snacks.

Do certain foods and/or beverages provoke symptoms? Eliminate suspicious foods for at least two weeks and note any differences in how you feel. (See
Chapter 15
for more on elimination diets.)

Are your mealtimes relaxed or rushed? It’s important to schedule meals with enough time so you don’t feel rushed.

Do you eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day? What constitutes a serving is ½ cup of fruit and most vegetables. A serving of salad greens is 1 cup.