The Basics of Good Nutrition

The Basics of Good Nutrition

Your Path to Optimal Health

To Understand the Basics of Good Nutrition, we must first know human history and the scientific evidence...

From an Evolutionary Perspective, the biological evidence is clear; our body is designed to consume primarily a plant-based diet of fruits and vegetables.

Look at Our Teeth: Twenty Molars – perfect for crushing and grinding plant foods along with eight incisors which are well-designed for biting fruits and vegetables.

Only Four Canine Teeth: designed for meat eating.

Our Jaws: Move vertically and laterally to crush food. Carnivores (meat-eating animals) have jaws that move only vertical.

Our Digestive System: Very long indicating a preference for high-fiber, plant foods. Carnivores typically have much shorter digestive tracts, such as a lion.

Science Reveals the Truth: The Basics of Good Nutrition

Dr. T. Colin Campbell, respected nutrition and health researcher, is the lead author of “The China Study” which according to the New York Times is the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”

The China Study produced over 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease!

Dr. Campbell says…

“People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease…People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored.”

Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D., founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, is the first clinician to demonstrate how comprehensive lifestyle changes can reverse severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery.

Dr. Ornish says…

We should eat a diet “based on complex carbohydrates, not simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes (beans) in their natural forms.”

“Try it and see for yourself. Then you’ll know from your own experience what a powerful difference these simple changes can make in your life.”

It’s time for a change…

Let’s Review the Basics of Good Nutrition

Foods to Avoid :

Refined White Flour products, such as breads, pastas, cakes and muffins

Refined Sugary Products, such as cereals, candy and baked goods

Processed Foods packed with excess sugar and fat, such as, canned soups, movie theater popcorn and deep-fried, potato chips

Margarine, butter and shortening

Smoked or Cured Meats, including bacon, hot dogs, smoked lunch meats, sausages, ham or spam

Meats cooked at high temperatures or well-done meat of any kind

Heavy sugar-laced or artificially sweetened Soft Drinks, flavored drinks and teas

All Fried Foods, such as french fries, chips and doughnuts

The “New” Model in Healthy Eating

Vegetables: Have 5 or more servings per day.

The basics of good nutrition starts with these foods providing the most nutrients of any food class. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Fruits: Have 3 or more servings per day.

Fruits are rich in many nutrients that have been shown to protect us from degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, cataracts, diabetes and stroke.

Our Vegetarian Food List has a delicious variety of vegetables and fruits.

Whole Grains: Have 5 or more servings per day.

This will be your richest source of COMPLEX carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium and other minerals plus B vitamins. The protein content of whole grains is much better than its refined counterparts. These foods are invaluable in the prevention and treatment of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Beans: Have 2 to 3 servings per day.

These foods are rich in protein and fiber. In addition, beans lower cholesterol levels and help stabilize blood sugar.

Our Vegetarian Food List has a great list of all your grains and beans.

High-Quality Animal Protein: Optional

Clearly, a diet high in animal, saturated fats containing high levels of cholesterol are not beneficial. On the other hand, small servings (2 to 3 ounces) of organic or grass-fed beef; wild fish and free-range poultry can be a valuable source of essential fatty acids. In the absence of degenerative disease, most Americans can have 1 or 2 servings per week – if desired.

Dairy: Optional

Many people are allergic to milk and find it hard to digest dairy products. Dairy is high in calories and saturated fat. However, if you are free of degenerative disease, try to choose organic, hormone-free dairy products. One serving size is equal to a cup of milk.

Alternatives to dairy are rice or soy products. Check your local health food store for availability.

The Basics of Good Nutrition: The Protein Myth

Many people believe that you can't get enough protein. In fact, I have heard many people talk about protein as a good source of fuel for energy and weight loss. But, we now know this to be false.

Most Americans consume too much protein from animal meats and dairy products. This overconsumption of protein causes:

Kidney Disease: Excess protein consumption causes more nitrogen to be produced and eliminated by the body, creating a huge stress on the kidneys.

Cancer: People that eat too much fat, protein, natural carcinogens and very little fiber are more likely to get cancer, according to a 1997 report of the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer.

The Basics of Good Nutrition: The Calcium Myth

Most Americans feel that milk is the best source of calcium. Some would say the basics of good nutrition. Medical Science Knows this is Not True! Simply put, cow milk is for cows not humans.

Osteoporosis an acidic condition caused by the excess consumption of acid forming foods, such as dairy products and white sugar is a huge problem in the western world. Research has shown that populations with the least amount of dairy consumption have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

Did You Know?

Green leafy vegetables, such as kale, are better sources of calcium than milk because they are alkalizing to the body.

Dairy Products are very high in fat content as a percentage of total calories per serving. This high fat content causes an acidic condition that removes calcium from the bones.

Milk is frequently contaminated with antibiotics and excess Vitamin D.

Dairy products are a major source of food allergies.

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