Tag: nutrition

Do You Know Your Phytonutrients? You should!

Wallace Bishop BC-FNC, BC-HHP, INHC4 Comments
Phytonutrient Rich Foods
Phytonutrient Rich Foods

Have you seen those two guys on TV in the pond filled with cranberries promoting the antioxidant power of cranberries? We all assume they must be good for us. Most people under-estimate the power of not only antioxidants, but phytonutrients in general.

The new buzz in health news is the power of a class of phytonutrients known as antioxidants. Every time I turn on the tube or check out the web,  I see adds  about phytonutrients known as antioxidants.  Did you know that antioxidants are just one type of phytonutrient?

What are Phytonutrients?

Phytonutrients are not vitamins or minerals.  Phytonutrients are certain organic components or compounds found in plants, and these components or compounds are believed  to provide protective benefits that promote human health.

There are many different types of phytonutrients such as anthocyanidins ( a type of antioxidant found in blue and purple foods), glycoproteins, polysaccharides,  ( essential sugars that protect the myelin sheath of our nerves and promote health in our digestive and immune systems),  phytosterols (heart and arterial protecting compounds) and polyphenols ( a very powerful class of antioxidants) found in a variety of foods including brans, nuts, seeds, dried spices, fruits and vegetables .

Phytonutrients may

· serve as antioxidants  ( they protect cells from free radicals that cause aging and illness)

· enhance immune response ( they help elevate our ability to produce more immune cells such as Killer Cells and antibodies)

· enhance cell-to-cell communication

· alter estrogen metabolism

· convert beta-carotene to vitamin A

· cause cancer cells to die (apoptosis)

· repair DNA damage caused by smoking and other toxic exposures

· detoxify some carcinogens

Source USDA http://www.ars.usda.gov/Aboutus/docs.htm?docid=4142#top

So what does all of this mean to you and me?

It reinforces what our grandmothers have told us for years. Eating fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds and whole grains are good for us and can offer many health benefits.

Getting your phytonutrients from foods  has a much more powerful effect than taking isolated phytonutrient or antioxidant supplements. Our bodies are designed to get nutrients from natural unprocessed foods. Antioxidants that exist together in their natural form, for example in rice bran, blueberries or spinach, have synergies that make them much more powerful than when consumed in supplement form.

Fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds also provide vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber in addition to carbohydrates, proteins and heart healthy fats and oils.

If you are not eating at least 2 servings of fruits, 3 servings of vegetables, 4 servings of whole grains and 1 ounces of nuts and seeds daily you are robbing your body of essential nutrients required for vibrant health. The SAD (Standard American Diet) has made Americans one of the least healthy populations of all industrialized nations, yet we spend over twice the money per person on health care.

Make veggies, fruits, grains, beans, nuts and seeds a part of your daily diet.  Your body will love you for it!

Healthy Wishes

Wally’s Daily Dose

Your Lifestyle, Your Health

Wallace Bishop BC-FNC, BC-HHP, INHC2 Comments

Several weeks ago, Brian Williams reported on NBC Nightly News that 45% of Americans suffer from one of potentially three major life threatening conditions; high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.   In addition, he also reported that recent studies show that living an unhealthy lifestyle can cost you 12 years of life.

What they don’t report is that once you have one of the three conditions you highly increase your risk for developing the remaining two conditions.  A report by The Center for Science in the Public Interest in 2008 reported that 210,560,000 Americans suffered from diseases related to diet and lifestyle. That is over 63% of the US population.

The description defining an unhealthy lifestyle according to Brian Williams is, drinking too much, a lack of exercise, smoking and poor diet.  This description reflects the lifestyle of most Americans.  This has to change.

Studies reported in 2008 stated that only 11% of Americans consumed the recommendation of 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits per day.  Remember that the 5 a day campaign is the minimum recommendation of vegetable and fruit intake by the National Institutes of Health for preventing some diseases. This means that 89% of the American population is at further risk for obesity, cancers, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke.

Sadly many people don’t care.  In my practice as a Nutritionist, I have clients tell me that they would prefer to die younger allowing them to eat and live they way they wish.  They will take their medication to manage their disease and forego any lifestyle changes.  Do you know of any medication that does not have some negative consequences?     Why not make a few simple lifestyle changes?

What they do not realize, until it is too late, is their life may be cut short and the quality of their life in most cases is significantly diminished. For example diabetics are at risk for nerve damage which causes neuropathy leading to amputations, or their vision is damaged leading to blindness or the heart or kidneys begin to fail or the arterial damage caused by the excess blood sugar causes atherosclerosis leading to cardiovascular and heart disease and even stroke.  Diabetes can be a very slow and agonizing death.

So please eat your vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Get more active and exercise your body. Limit your consumption of alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women and please quit smoking.

Your body will love you for it and reward you with less illness, a higher quality of life and possibly an extra 12 years!   I don’t want to watch life from the sidelines I want to play and enjoy everything life has to offer. How about you?

Healthy Wishes

Wally’s Daily Dose