| "Eat more carbohydrates!" | | | | that trying to find one nutrition plan to fit all |
| "Eat more protein!" | | | | doesn't work. |
| "Be a vegetarian!" | | | | What to do? |
| "Vegetarians are not healthy." | | | | If you want to be healthy, then you need to learn |
| "Don't eat grains!" | | | | to tune into your body to discover what makes |
| "Eat more grains!" | | | | you feel healthy and energized in the long run and |
| Are you confused about how to eat for excellent | | | | what makes you feel tired and depleted in the |
| health? Even the research is contradictory! | | | | long run. You have to go by the long run, because |
| Since my early 20s, I have been interested in | | | | in the short run sugar and coffee can energize |
| health and nutrition. I was a sickly child and I hated | | | | you, but in the long run they deplete you, |
| being sick, so when I was 22 years old and still | | | | There are certain guidelines that I have found to |
| didn't have the energy I wanted, I started to | | | | be very helpful for promoting excellent health: |
| study everything available about nutrition. At that | | | | 1. Limit or eliminate sugar and other refined, |
| time, I threw out all my packaged foods and | | | | processed products. It is important to eat foods |
| began buying fresh organic produce at the one | | | | that are nutrient-dense. Most processed foods |
| little health food store in my neighborhood. It | | | | have no nutritional value. |
| seemed simple then - just eat food as close to | | | | 2. Notice whether you feel better with more |
| nature as possible and everything will be okay. My | | | | animal protein or more vegetable protein. |
| health improved dramatically and I believed that I | | | | 3. Eat as close to natural as possible - organic |
| was on the right track. | | | | fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, |
| However, since then study after study has come | | | | grass-finished organic meats and free-range |
| out regarding what creates excellent health. One | | | | organic poultry and eggs. |
| good example is the "China Project," which was | | | | 4. If you find that eating vegetarian makes you |
| published in 1990. This study looked at different | | | | feel much better, then read about healthy |
| villages in China - those that ate meat and those | | | | vegetarian diets. |
| that were vegetarian. The study concluded that | | | | 5. If you find that you need animal protein to feel |
| eating vegetarian was far healthier than eating | | | | energized, then look for the highest quality you |
| meat. | | | | can find. Studies have shown that eating |
| On the surface, this looks like a good study. | | | | grain-finished beef and lamb is not good for |
| However, when you look deeper into it, you | | | | anyone. The fat of grain-finished cows drastically |
| discover that there are numerous flaws in the | | | | changes in ways that can cause illness. The fat of |
| study. For example, other studies indicate that | | | | organic grass-finished beef and lamb contain high |
| healthy eating varies depending upon your | | | | quantities of Omega 3, which is not true of |
| heritage. If you come from an Asian background | | | | grain-finished meat. In addition, cows that eat |
| where meat eating was uncommon, then bringing | | | | grass sprayed with pesticides have a high |
| a lot of meat into the diet can have negative | | | | concentration of the pesticide in their fat - also |
| effects on health. On the other hand, if your | | | | causing health problems. |
| ancestors were meat-eaters, then you might find | | | | 6. Dairy: Many people are allergic to dairy and do |
| yourself feeling shaky and tired on a vegetarian | | | | best without it. However, some people who |
| diet. Therefore, a study that was done on Asians | | | | cannot tolerate pasteurized dairy do fine on |
| might not apply to people who are not Asian. | | | | organic raw dairy. I raised my three children on |
| I read an excellent book on nutrition that stated | | | | organic raw milk and other raw organic dairy |
| that you get all the protein you need from | | | | because it was legal to buy in California. All of |
| vegetable sources, and that if you eat primarily | | | | them did very well on it. The claims of people |
| fruits and vegetables, you will find yourself feeling | | | | getting sick from organic raw dairy are |
| very healthy and energized. I tried the nutrition | | | | unfounded, perpetuated by the pasteurized dairy |
| plan for three weeks and felt awful! Reading | | | | industry! |
| further in other books, I discovered that some | | | | My rule of thumb is to eat as close to natural and |
| people do far better on animal protein, while | | | | local as possible. If people didn't eat it 200 years |
| others do better on vegetable protein. It seems | | | | ago, it probably isn't good for us now! |