Your diet

Diet is one of the most important contributions to our health. What we eat keeps us healthy or makes us sick. Nutritionally deficiencies are linked to many of today’s chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even cancer. The food we ate yesterday is now part of our skin, heart, eyes and everything else. Did you eat an apple or a cake?

Unfortunately today our fruit and vegetables are of lower quality than it was even 20 years ago. Due to intensive farming and better storage by the time we eat it many vitamins and minerals are destroyed. Food is more adulterated with harmful chemicals. This means that we may not be getting too much of what we don’t need, such as sugar, salt, additives, antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides.

Some guides

It is best to avoid, or at least limit, the following:

• Packaged and processed foods. These contain unnecessary sugar, salt, hydro generated fats, preservatives, etc. and will toxify the system.
• Smoking and alcohol. More than two drinks a day can destroy the vitamins and minerals stored in the body from previous food consumption.
• Tea and coffee. These are likely to deplete vitamins and minerals and stress various organs.
• Sugar and refined carbohydrates, for example, biscuits and cakes.
• Excess salt. This upsets the balance of electrolytes and lead to high blood pressure.

Have at least 5 portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day – preferably some of it raw. Cut out margarine made with hydro generated oils. Use butter instead, despite what the margarine advertisers tell us – used in small quantities butter is better. Consume essential fatty acids, of which there are two kinds: (1) Omega 3 found in oily fish e.g. salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines. These fish should be eaten every day. (2) Omega 6 found in good quality safflower and sunflower oil and evening primrose oil.

Water

Drink and cook with filtered water. Reduce diary products. They are not natural in the adult human diet and are difficult to digest. Try goat or sheep products as these tend to be less processed and are more readily digested.

Wheat

Watch your consumption of wheat. Quite often a typical diet can consist of too much toast, sandwiches, and pasta. Use whole-wheat products and think about brown rice, quorn, rye, corn, oats and potatoes as alternatives.  

 Common sense

Don’t be faddy or restricted, eat a large variety of foods e.g. pulses like lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans are full of minerals, especially magnesium which is very easy to become deficient in. Pulses become a complete protein when mixed with grain e.g. rice or wheat. This is especially important for vegetarians and vegans.  

Give up dieting, it does not work, it can even make you fat. Following the above guidelines will be more likely to help maintain your weight than counting calories. If losing weight is important also talk to the chiropractor about exercise.

 Organic options

When possible eat organic fruit and vegetables. Not only do they contain less ahrmful chemicals, they also contain up to 90% more vitamins and minerals. Organic meat does not contain growth promoters and antibiotics prevalent in non-organic meat.

Vitamins and minerals

Many studies show that taking a regular multivitamin leads to better health. In most cases a multivitamin is better than taking high levels of individual nutrients. The exception is when an individual deficiency has developed and needs one or two specific nutrients to correct it.

Ligament sprains, for example, respond well to manganese, vitamin C and bioflavonoid. Muscle cramps can be helped by taking magnesium, calcium and potassium. Besides calcium and magnesium, osteoarthritis improves with vitamins C and E. Most importantly osteoarthritis, also known as wear and tear or degenerative arthritis, is helped enormously by glucosamine sulphate. Indeed, it has even out-performed anti-inflammatory drugs and doesn’t have the nasty side effects.

Good quality products should always be used, it’s worth the extra price. They do not contain common allergens such as yeast, soy, milk, wheat, corn and artificial colourings and excipients.

The usual measure of what nutrients we need is described as a recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vitamin C for instance has been an RDA of 60mg a day. This is nonsense. A fifteen stone rugby player has different requirements to an eight stone office worker. A smoker needs more than a non-smoker does. A person with a cold needs perhaps 500-4000mg. A person with a broken bone or osteoporosis needs more calcium. Rather than self-prescribing, get the advice of the chiropractor, we are pleased to help.

Vegetarians

Look out for Omega 3 essential fatty acids, for example, in linseed oil. This must be eaten if no oily fish is consumed. Iodine should be supplemented in the form of kelp if no sea salt or fish is eaten. It can also be found in seaweed. In vegans, B12 and folic acid should be supplemented. Marmite as a source is too salty to rely upon.

How long you decide to benefit form chiropractic care is, of course up to you, but for effective long term results always follow the chiropractor’s recommendations.