Nutrition

For a balanced nutrition we need:

• PROTEIN to build our cells, organs and muscles. Protein is supplying us with essential amino acids that are the building blocks for the peptide hormones in the brain and ACTH (the major stress hormone). Hormones are needed for communication signals between organ systems.
• ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS for information transfer in our system. These essential fatty acids consist of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be made by our body. We must supply them to our body, that is why they are called essential fatty acids.

Other building blocks are:

• CARBOHYDRATES. In response to carbohydrate and sugar intake insulin (the "storage hormone") is released. It "files" the nutrients into the cells for future use. Contrary to the essential amino acids and the essential fatty acids there is not such a thing as an essential carbohydrate and yet we need carbohydrates as energy source for all cell function. If no carbohydrates are forthcoming, our body will be able to make glucose (the main carbohydrate) from protein or fat that is stored in our cells. Without carbohydrates there would be no smooth functioning of our system.

Finally our food has to supply us with:

• VITAMINS AND MINERALS.Both are found mixed in with animal protein sources as well as with carbohydrate sources (Ref. 1, p.276).

Let us now have a look at these main players. To make the best choices for our nutrition it is important to know in which foods they are found. For links to more details about these nutrients click on the appropriate links in the above table.

Detoxification: Whenever you read about good nutrition, detoxification is mentioned also. The body needs to be detoxified so that the nutrients and supplements can access the cells and do their supportive work. Books like "Breakthrough" (Ref.8) by Suzanne Somers have reviewed newer insights of antiaging medicine. This points out the importance of detoxifying the body from heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. Chelation therapy with vitamin C and Glutathione, or with EDTA can be used to remove some of these heavy toxic metals.

MSG: Food additives like MSG (mono sodium glutamate) have to be avoided. They belong to the excitotoxins and may be causing dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimers decades down the road. The food industry likes to add them into food as "food challenge tests" invariably make the consumer choose products, which contain MSG. Have a look where MSG is found and avoid it in your daily consumption. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock MSG induces free radicals that last for life and are a powerful stimulus for cancer growth (Ref.9). According to him cancer cells have glutamate receptors, which are stimulated by MSG and cause spread and invasion of the cancer into healthy tissues. Cancer prevention implies avoiding MSG in our foods.

Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

1. B. Sears: "The age-free zone".Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2000. Also see Dr. Sears' site.

2. B. Sears: "Zone perfect meals in minutes". Regan Books, Harper Also see Dr. Sears' site.

3. B.J. Wilcox, D.C. Willcox and M. Suzuki: "The Okinawa Program."    Clarkson Potter,2001, N.Y., U.S.A.

4. E.L. Rossi: The psychobiology of mind-body healing. Norton &Co.,   1986, N.Y., U.S.A.

5. Vitamins and Foods. Audio-Digest Family Practice Vol 49, Issue 29,    Aug.7, 2001.

6. P.C. McGraw: Life strategies. 1999, Simon&Schuster Source, N.Y.,    U.S.A.

7. B. Sears: "The top 100 zone foods". Regan Books, Harper Collins,   2001. Also see Dr. Sears' site.

8. Suzanne Somers: "Breakthrough" Eight Steps to Wellness-- Life-altering Secrets from Today's Cutting-edge Doctors", Crown Publishers, 2008

9.Suzanne Somers: "Knockout" Interviews with doctors who are curing cancer and how to prevent getting it in the first place. Crown Publishers, 2009; Dr. Russell Blaylock, an oncologist, was interviewed on page 155 re. MSG.

Last Modified: Nov. 11, 2009