The Pillars of Healthy Nutrition

Living as a child with my father, who was disabled due to heart disease, inspired me to investigate how to live a healthier, more vibrant life. In my youth I lived a vegetarian, sometimes even a vegan, lifestyle.
I tried many of the diets that various authors proclaimed as being the best for everyone. I enjoyed reading Jane Brody's "Good Food Book," a great general primer for the beginning cook that promotes a low fat and high carbohydrate diet.

I also explored Mollie Katzen's various Moosewood cookbooks that enjoyed a cult following during the 60s and 70s. I enjoyed her recipes most when someone else prepared them, because they were usually complicated.

Many of the other diet options touted by nutritionists, doctors and diet gurus seemed to make sense, but they often contradicted each other. Trying to make sense of it all, I've learned much about nutrition, and realize there is still much for me to learn.

I have learned that humans are all different and demonstrate what is called biochemical individuality. We all have different nutritional needs. So, as a nutritional therapist I always start by looking at the basic foundational pillars of healthy nutrition.These pillars are digestion, blood sugar balance, mineral balance, fatty acid balance and hydration.

Let's start with digestion, which is what our bodies do chemically and mechanically to break our food down into molecules that our cells can use. Digestion is fundamental to nutritional therapy because our cells depend on proper digestion to have what they need to function.

Digestion is a north to south process. The sight and smell of food triggers our salivary glands to produce enzymes that start the digestive process. The mechanical breakdown of foods begins in our mouths.
Both mechanical and chemical breakdown occurs in our stomachs, and with the addition of enzymes and other chemicals, our food is next ready to pass into the small intestine.

The small intestine works as both a digestive organ and a gland that secretes important hormones needed for digestion. It also absorbs nutrients into the blood stream to be carried throughout our bodies.  The process continues south to the large intestines where some lost nutrients are reclaimed with the help of bowel flora, water is recycled back into our bodies and the feces are formed and then transported out of the body.

When I look for dysfunction in the digestive system, I use the north to south roadmap to determine what area of digestion is not functioning optimally. My first question is: "Are you chewing your food?"

Next, let's look at the role blood sugar balance plays as a foundational pillar for our health. Carbohydrates are the part of our diets that most affect our blood sugar balance because they are converted directly into glucose (blood sugar).

When looking at blood sugar balance we find that the primary organs that need to be functioning properly are the pancreas, liver and adrenal glands. These organs produce various components critical for using the sugars in our diet.

An important component that supports our bones and tissues are minerals, which make up four percent of our bodies. Minerals are classified as macro (large) minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, and micro (small) minerals, including iron and chromium.

These and other minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reaction, help maintain our pH and support healthy nerve conduction. Because our bodies cannot produce these important minerals, we must have them in our foods.

Unfortunately, much of the soil used to grow our vegetables on an industrial level is depleted of minerals and, if the minerals are not in the soil, they will not be in our food. Organic farmers are committed to the health of the soil they grow on, and will deliver to your table mineral-dense vegetables.

Fatty acids, which make up about 15 percent of our bodies, are essential to good health. Contrary to popular belief, a fairly high percent of "good" fats are required for excellent health.  These fats are needed as a source of energy, are required for absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and protect the lining of our bodies' organs.

Other roles healthy fats play include slowing down our body's absorption of food to allow for energy regulation and, one of my favorite roles for the fats in my diet, they make food taste better.
When looking for fats to include in our diets, it is important to look at how these fats are processed, even more than their source. It is best to avoid fats that are processed with chemicals; instead look for "cold" pressed oils.  A lot of commercial foods have cottonseed oil as an ingredient, which is best to avoid because cotton is one of the crops produced using many pesticides.

As you are reading this, you may be dehydrated. Our last pillar for optimal health, water, is the most important nutrient in our bodies. Did you know that you can go as much as eight weeks without food, but only a few days without water?  Water plays many important roles in our bodies, including oxygen delivery to cells, nutrient transport, cushioning our bones and joints and regulating body temperature.

Do you feel fatigued, irritable and headachy? These are all early signs of dehydration. Did you know that many of the beverages you drink daily are diuretics? Coffee, tea and many soft drinks act as diuretics and can deplete our bodies of needed water. It is suggested that for every eight ounces of caffeinated beverage we should all consume 12 to16 ounces of pure fresh water.

I have barely touched the tip of the iceberg about these crucial foundations for optimum health.  If you would like more information, contact me by the email address provided below.

Yaakov Levine, NTP

About the Author:
Born and raised in the New York area, Yaakov has made his home in Oregon since 1998. He brings his passion for healthy nutrition and herbal medicine to his practice as a Nutritional Therapist and Herbalist.

Yaakov is an avid researcher and writer. He has a regular column in the Creswell Chronicle, and writes for the NTA Newsletter. He has been involved in the natural products industry for many years as a retailer, manufacturer, and educator. Yaakov has participated in the Breitenbush Herbal Conference since 1997 and is now a conference organizer, and has staffed the NW HerbFest since it’s inception in 2005.

In 2007 he received his certification as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Yaakov is currently practicing as a Nutritional Therapist/Herbalist and is the Assistant Instructor for the NTP training class in Eugene, OR. 
He can be reached at (541) 895-2427 or nutritionallyspeaking@gmail.com


Additional Training: Medical Herbalism, Homeopathy and Flower Essences therapies.

Yaakov’s newspaper column link:
www.thecreswellchronicle.com/news/section.cfm?cid=139

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