This book is a brief overview of healthy eating practices for the 21 century. The intention is to clear up some of the misinformation that has been broadcasted in our media over the last century. It is the answer to a lot of the common questions I hear. Rather than saying the same thing to different people I have created this booklet with hopes that in the future a whole series of related topics can be published in the name of knowledge and truth.

Dedicated to my first teacher in nutrition, Darko, who inspired in me the unquenchable passion for truth, wisdom and devotion to knowledge.

Why Organic?

I know of no better place to start than from the ground up, the soil.

In the earth we find minerals which are present naturally. Plants take those nutrients up and incorporate them into their cell structure. We then eat the plant for those elements.

We need plants to transform the chemical elements from the earth; otherwise we would pack our pantry with blackboard chalk for calcium and drywall screws for iron.

It is the elements of the earth which build a healthy body and if any one is missing in our diet, deficiency sets in and we become susceptible to illness.

When the commercial farmer sprays fertilizer on the soil it kills the fine hairs which form from the roots called rhizomes. The rhizomes are responsible for two things, one is the chelation of minerals, so now the plant cannot absorb nutrients from the soil and the plant become dependent on artificial fertilizer or it will die. The second is its natural defence against fungus in the soil so the farmer needs to use a fungicide to keep the plant alive as well.

One of the laws of nature is that a weak plant goes back to the earth. Bugs are nature’s undertakers, so this plant which cannot sustain its life naturally is a virtual magnet for insects. This accounts for the third spray the farmer will use, an insecticide. What has been happening gradually over time is the insects have been adapting to the poison and so we have developed stronger chemicals. Eventually no amount of poison will eradicate the newly adapted bugs on our farms. This is also true with antibiotics; now we have antibiotic resistant bugs in the sterile environment of the hospital.

After the food is grown, it will often undergo processing which changes the food into something that suits the commercial industry. White flour will certainly last longer on the shelf than the untreated whole grain flour which begins to go rancid in just a few days of grinding. The industry prefers the refined white flour because more profit is yielded from less spoiling of food.

When we first began to introduce refined foods into our diets on a global scale, the damage to human health became evident. Dr Weston Price Compared indigenous cultures who had access to modern food and saw a dramatic increase in the amount of tooth decay present when compared to those who ate the traditional diet.

In response to these illnesses of deficiency, manufacturers of refined foods began to fortify their products with artificial nutrients. This fortification process only replaced the bare minimum of nutrients. These minimal levels of nutrients prevented the obvious deficiency signs in the short term and at the same time gave rise to a greater concern. Higher levels of the nutrients which are found naturally in the foods are needed for optimal functioning of the body. i.e. Scurvy is a deadly symptom of vitamin C deficiency which can be prevented with only 80 mg a day but therapeutic levels of vitamin C can range from 3-20 grams – notice nutrition information “100% of your daily vitamin C intake” is only the 80mg to prevent deficiency. This was the beginning of the path we as a civilization are currently on, using medication to treat symptoms of nutritional deficiency.

The farmer sells the whole grain to the refinement plant. At the plant, the outer coating is removed, the bran, which contains all the B vitamins, the chromium and the fibre. The fibre from the outer coating is needed by the digestive system to remove waste product from the body. A common remedy for constipation is a bran cereal. The irony is that the bran used to create this “special” cereal comes from the outer coating of the grain which was removed in the plant.

Next the germ is removed which contains all the fat soluble nutrients. What we are left with is a starch and protein rich endosperm. Deficiency of vitamin E which is a fat soluble nutrient can lead to infertility in women. In the health store we have wheat germ oil that is “naturally rich in vitamin E”. These nutrients were present in the whole grain before the plant refined them. From a marketing perspective, refinement means more profit from selling the same product in three different ways.

As a culture, we must shift our farming methods to practices which guarantee the nutrients are in soil and so in the plant. Looking at food processing, we must work to maintain the “wholeness” of our ingredients. Nature has prepared a balance of nutrients contained in the foods we eat. The whole grain has fibre, starch, protein, vitamins and minerals in a specific combination. This combination of nutrients we cannot, with all of our understanding reproduce. We try to put back together the nutrients but we are unsuccessful because Mother Nature is the only one who can do that perfectly.

Adopt a Macrobiotic (Whole Life) "Plant Based Diet"

One misconception is that whole grain bread from the supermarket is nutritionally equivalent to eating the whole grain itself. Often with supermarket bread the ingredients list colours, sugar, preservatives and flavours to “enhance” the product. In addition to what is listed on the label, the processing plant can use a number of agents in the refinement process including aluminium.

The further we get from the whole grain, the fewer nutrients are available for our bodies and in many cases we see an increase in food additives that really have no place in the human body. They are present only for the benefit of our modern food production industry which seeks only to maximize profit on their sales.

As Weston Price found, refinement of foods resulted in a dramatic increase in tooth decay among indigenous cultures that had access to “civilized foods”. Another study done by a Doctor named Pottenger found that cats when fed whole milk compared to refined milk after 2 generations lost their ability to reproduce.

In addition to high levels of processed foods, we in the West are consuming way too much meat and animal products. We have strayed away from the traditional cultures that for the most part ate plenty of whole grains, beans and vegetables as their staple.

There is no cellulose fibre in animal foods to ensure it is eliminated properly from the body. If the protein say from a steak remains in the GI tract for too long it will putrefy and cause damage to the digestive system. Also, when food is not eliminated properly from the GI tract it can enter the blood stream and put additional load on the surrogate elimination organs, the kidneys, the skin and the lungs.

Water soluble nutrients vitamin B and vitamin C are found mainly in plant foods. These vitamins are not stored very well in the body and so for them to be present we must take in plant source foods every day that contain them. B vitamins are found in whole grains and vitamin C is abundant in fresh fruit and vegetables. When we refine the whole grain much of the B vitamins are lost, even with whole grain flour.

Plant foods tend to be alkalizing which contributes to our defence against disease. Contrast this to animal foods which are for the most part acid forming. To combat acids the body uses high amounts of buffering minerals and they become unavailable for other uses in the body. An example is calcium which is used to buffer the blood. The body will take calcium out of the bones to buffer the blood because the pH of the blood is a higher priority than the strength of the bones. Over the years the bones will become frail and will no longer be able to resist as well against strain or fracture.

Macronutrient Ratios

Basically our food subdivides into protein, carbohydrates and fats. Together with Water and fibre we have the macronutrients, meaning we need them in large quantities.

No one of the macronutrients, with the exception of water, exists without the other in nature. Some foods are considered to be rich sources of one for example meat being a high source of protein and saturated fats. Some are balanced like beans which have fibre, carbohydrates, fats and protein. Vegetables and fruit tend to be high in carbohydrates and water. Diets which completely restrict any one macronutrient in the long term are very unhealthy and not recommended.

As a general rule, the average adult requires about 40-60% carbohydrates, 20-30% percent protein and 10-30% fat in the diet. We have to take into account variations in lifestyle and bodily needs. For example a body builder will want more protein in their diet than the average person. For the health of the colon we need about 50g of fibre daily. Water is needed at about 2-3 litres each day.

Finding your balance is an individual affair. How much protein you need in your diet will vary based on your age, your level of exercise, the speed of your metabolism etc. The guidelines for proper nutrient ratios are flexible in either direction. When we eat less than our needs in terms of calories, we end up going into a fasting state where the body will conserve nutrients. Low calorie diets cannot be our long term method of disease prevention. A healthy body is a lean body.

Much of the food we eat does not get burned for energy. You car needs more than gasoline to run, it needs oil and transmission fluid, spark plugs. Much of what we eat becomes metabolically needed for the production of energy, hormones, and brain transmitters to name just a few. Restricting calories will result in deficiency in our ability to produce hormones which can in turn result in low metabolism and a difficulty in loosing weight. We must address the cause which is always an individual affair.

More important than figuring how much to eat is ensuring that the food be of a high quality, raised on a farm with organic practices, prepared in such a way that ensures nutrients are easiest to absorb and have their base in plant foods. Mother Nature puts a limit to how much of a whole grain we can eat. As the fibre fills our stomach the signal of fullness tells us we have had enough.

Protein "Of Most Importance"

Many structures of the body are built on protein. Neurotransmitters which are responsible for communication in the brain and nervous system are made of protein. Hormones, but not steroid hormones are made of protein and work to maintain homeostasis, the body’s biochemical balance. So if we lack protein for neurotransmitter or hormones we may feel moody, depressed, and unable to cope or think clearly. The digestive system requires enzymes which are made from protein. The immune system is also built on protein.

If every cell in the body is a factory, protein is their #1 product. The manager of production is DNA. DNA creates protein structures for the body according to a blueprint which has all the information about our functioning. What amazes me about DNA is that healing will happen on its own if the cell is given the right conditions. True naturopathic health care works in co-operation with the healing power innate to our body.

When protein is deficient in the body, some functions take more priority than others. Staying alive is the main priority of the body so reproduction, which is not crucial to the life of the organism, may fail if there is only enough protein to keep the essentials of the machine working.

I’ve met people who think that they can loose weight by starving themselves. They eat less and less and they do loose weight, but what they don’t understand is that muscle is being broken down to fill the void of nutrient debt. One sided diets like these effect the functioning of all major organs and severely deplete the immune system. After the body breaks down muscle, it will go after hormones, neurotransmitters and eventually the vital organs themselves for the raw material it needs to keep the life support system active. Here’s the real irony; once the muscle is broken down the body will burn less energy as fuel, storing more as fat!

If weight is an issue, looking at underlying factors which contribute to the problem is important. Being overweight can be an early sign of thyroid deficiency for example. Thyroxin, the thyroid hormone for metabolic rate is made of tyrosine which is an amino acid and a building block of protein. It must come from the diet. Symptom like obesity can be clues to a potential underlying illness.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 8 which are needed from the diet to ensure the “complete” protein is taken. One controversy in the vegetarian community is that a complete protein needs to be eaten at each meal. This is simply not true. Science has discovered that the liver can make a complete protein over the span of 24 hours. This means that the vegetarian can have a whole grain breakfast and beans for lunch. The liver will work to “complete” the protein.

Animal products are exceptionally valuable to us because they contain all the essential amino acids. A meat eater can be assured that by having a moderate amount of animal foods in combination with a quality plant based diet that they are meeting their protein needs on a given day.

Too much animal foods can be detrimental because there is no fibre rich animal food. Animal flesh which remains in the digestive system for too long will become putrefied. This undigested and putrefied matter over-challenges the digestive system causing a thick layer to form which prevents the absorption of nutrients. A balance of meat and protein rich plant foods will promote good elimination habits.

When food enters the stomach, it mixed with hydrochloric acid. This changes the shape of protein so enzymes of digestion can work efficiently. A protein digesting enzyme is also released in the stomach which breaks down protein into smaller chains of amino acids.

To promote the proper breakdown of protein it is important to be relaxed when eating. Stress, even if it is stress of the mind, will negatively effect digestion. Hydrochloric acid will lessen. Undigested protein will move through the digestive system becoming food for “bad” micro organisms and causing damage to the entire GI tract.

Heart burn is typically a symptom that the stomach is producing too little acid. As the micro organisms ferment the protein we did not digest, they produce an acid which builds up gas in our GI tract. Burping, belching, gas, heartburn can all indicate deficiency of digestion, not usually an excess.

Antacids make the situation worse. They may help to relieve the symptoms of indigestion but wasn’t the problem too little acid to begin with? Now the antacid will stop digestion even more. Stomach acid is also a defence against parasites that may enter through the food or water we take. By stopping acid we take away the body’s ability to sterilize its food.

Good hydrochloric acid in the stomach triggers the pancreas to release bicarbonate and enzymes. The proteins are further broken down into small chains and eventually amino acids which are small enough to absorb into the blood stream, get sent to the liver and be utilized by the cells. Many people have a condition called “leaky gut” which basically means that proteins are absorbing before they are completely broken down leading to auto-immune diseases. This is a condition where the immune system of the body begins to “attack” its own organs leading to inflammation as in rheumatoid arthritis.

To summarize, we want to take in enough protein. If we eat meat we want to get a balance of animal sources and plant sources. Also, we want to ensure our digestive system is strong, seeking advice or assistance if needed to how our digestion can be improved on. 1 -3 Tsp. Raw apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before a meal improves stomach pH for digestion. Finally, we always want to eat our meals in a calm, centered state of mind and in an environment which is pleasant. Think “rest/digest”.

Carbohydrates

Every cell needs energy to function made in form of ATP. The mitochondria of the cell takes the breakdown products of protein, fats and carbohydrates and “burns them” to produce ATP. When carbohydrates are available, the body will use them first. Carbohydrates or starches break down into glucose which travels the blood throughout the body, especially vital to the brain which is our largest consumer.

Glucose is considered a simple sugar. When we ingest pure glucose syrup the result is a massive spike in blood levels of glucose. Carbohydrates tend to raise blood sugar slowly, providing a steady supply of fuel over time. Since the brain is our greatest consumer of sugar, symptoms of low blood sugar can manifest as irritability, depression, hyperactivity, inability to focus or concentrate, aggressive behaviours and cravings for sugar, stimulants, alcohol and caffeine.

Having a “complex” sugar, a carbohydrate / starch like a whole grain at dinner will act as a preventative to sugar cravings in the evening. Other methods of food combing and preparation can reduce the rate at which our sugar is consumed. Basically by adding something like humus to bread or sunflower seeds to brown rice the rate at which glucose is increased in the blood is reduced.

Long term abuse of refined sugar and other high glycaemic foods will lead to a condition known as hypoglycaemia. The characteristic of hypoglycaemia is chronic low blood sugar. Basically, the adrenal glands, which are responsible for secreting a hormone that raises blood sugar, get tired and cannot maintain the minimum requirements. This leads to more sugar cravings to raise blood levels and the cycle continues. The end result after a decade or so of fluctuations in blood sugar is a high risk diabetic potential. (Reference Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine under heading hypoglycaemia)

All macronutrients will raise blood sugar but the quickest is the carbohydrate and especially the refined ones. Give a diabetic a candy if they are going into a coma right? Many people feel like they can function skipping meals and having only the sugary foods for the energy. The symptoms catch up to them down the road. Ironically we may be working to create a good retirement for ourselves by doing the overtime shifts. In the end our retirement may be different than we had hoped.

Much of the modern society is about convenience. I see the snickers commercial saying to have their bar for an afternoon snack. When we have a lunch made of white flour bagels, refined white flour pasta, doughnuts, muffins etc, we give ourselves only enough energy for a short while. Whole grains provide energy for long periods of time and can reduce cravings for sweets.

Carbohydrate digestion can be improved by chewing the food to liquid. What happens as we learn to chew our carbohydrates to liquid is they begin to get sweet in our mouths and we can get out of the habit of adding sugary syrups and sweeteners to our meals. The enzymes will continue to work in the stomach until the smaller carbohydrates reach the small intestines where they are broken down into simple sugars.

Undigested carbohydrates become fuel not for their bodies but for a growing population of yeast and other bacteria that naturally live in the GI tract. Candida is one example of yeast that will overgrow and spread throughout the GI tract and vital organs. These conditions are increasing in our current society that eats on the run becasue people are taking less time to prepare quality meals in a calm environment.

Fats – A Misunderstanding

Firstly I want to say there are books available that go into a much greater depth into the bio-chemical value of fats in the body, so in this chapter I will do my best to simplify some of the information.

Perhaps the biggest controversy with fats is “margarine vs. butter”. In its infancy, margarine was boasted to be a healthier choice than butter. This is simply not true and was put into peoples minds by the oil companies themselves to sell leftover rapeseed oil from the war, i.e. canola=Canadian Oil.

The truth, if you read “fats that heal, fats that kill” by Udo Erasmus, is that margarine has literally become a dangerous substance to the body thorough a complex series of steps which alter and damage oil. Now with our understanding of the ill effects from trans fats, companies that market margarine have boasted a new product that is not hydrogenated. (95% of trans fats come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) The current statement, that non-hydrogenated margarine is of benefit to heart health. Looking closely at the non-hydrogenated products reveals that the oil has already gone through several damaging steps before it is even processed for margarine.

This brings us to the commercial oil industry in general. Vegetable oil, especially polyunsaturated oils like peanut, canola, sunflower, and safflower are highly sensitive to heat and light. When the industry oil is done being processed it has undergone several steps that subject the product to damaging levels of heat, bleaching, deodorizing, in short, the final product serves the grocery stores as a “shelf life” product rather than a health product.

The seed in nature had a protective coating which keeps the oils inside fresh. When we press the seed for oil, especially if the seed contains volatile omega 3 fats, it will spoil very quickly. The omega 3 oils must be pressed in a way which ensures it is not damaged in the process which means without heat and light. Quality oils like flax and hemp only have a shelf life of several weeks if kept in a dark container and refrigerated.

Oil that has gone bad becomes rancid and will taste and smell very offensive. In the processing of commercial oil the rancid parts have been removed. Nutrients are removed and artificial preservatives are added to replace the vitamin E lost (actually sold as a supplement). The foul smelling oil is then deodorized and bleached to make the final product what it is, stable on the shelf and unfit for human consumption. This all happens before the hydrogenation step and the preparation of margarine type spreads.

The second controversy is around saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease. To simplify this issue I would say that balance and moderation are key. Saturated fat is good for the body in moderation as long as it is not overheated. Deep fried food has its obvious heath risks, and when animal foods are heated to such temperatures as in deep frying, the cholesterol becomes oxidised cholesterol and no longer a nutritionally valuable food.

The body will do everything it knows to maintain life. When the environment of the body, the cells fluid “bath” is offensive than the defence is to increase circulating cholesterol and “reinforce” the walls. Cholesterol is needed to make steroid hormones, e.g. estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, cortisone etc.

Reducing cholesterol intake is a short sighted way to reduce the risk of heart disease. The benefits of such a reduction results not from the lessening of saturated fat and cholesterol but from the subsequent increase in plant foods which are naturally high in fibre. High fibre plant based diets will ensure the elimination of cholesterol and since the majority of circulating cholesterol is made by our own liver (about 75%), high cholesterol is less a symptom of the intake of dietary cholesterol and more a sign that the body, for whatever reason NEEDS more. Cholesterol acts as a protective mechanism at the cellular level, protecting them from damaging free radicals.

Restricting fat intake can be a sensible step in certain disease states but for the most part deficiency of certain fats is more likely an issue, especially Essential Fatty Acids. Depriving yourself of fat in the long run can result in brain and nervous system malfunction. We need good fats to make hormones that keep us in balance via the endocrine system. Symptoms of EFA deficiency include eczema, ADD and learning disabilities, nervous system disorders, PMS, arthritis, and depression to name a few.

Fat is also used for energy in a similar way that glucose from carbohydrates are. The fat is only burned if the circulating glucose is low meaning it is a secondary fuel. We have weeks of fat storage in our body for times of famine. Sugar which is over consumed in combination with a sedentary life results in fat production. The short of it is that we need fat for our health and I for one am looking foreword to the end of fat free products which for the most part use sugar as a substitute for the flavour. Fat makes food taste good and increases a chemical hormone CCK which slows the rate at which glucose is raised into the blood stream giving us energy for longer and reducing cravings for sugar.

Inflammation is kept under control by the prostaglandin hormones from fats. The high EFA content of fish, especially cold water fish leads to a prostaglandin that is anti-inflammatory. For inflammatory symptoms to reduce it takes months. To fully saturate the body takes years. Saturated fat tends to promote inflammation. So does having too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3. Any disease that ends with an “itis” is an inflammetory disease.

Lecithin is a friend to the fat family. It is found richly in eggs, seeds and soy lecithin. As a supplement it is indicated as a “lipotropic” nutrient which will promote the decongestion of the liver and so promote the flow of bile. Something to be aware of is that gall stones can often be a result of choline deficiency which is a major component of lecithin. Basically, nutrients which are lipotropic promote the decongestion of the liver which is the organ of fat metabolism.

The basic rules with fat consumptions are as follows:

• Make a conscious effort to take in omega 3 fats, focusing on fresh pressed hemp and flax oils. If fish is part of the diet have cold water fish such as bass, sardines, mackerel, and salmon often. Also consider supplementing the diet with omega 3 rich supplements. Flax and hemp can easily be integrated in the diet as homemade salad dressing.
• Avoid any kind of commercial “vegetable oil” used in salad dressings; frying, baked goods, margarine type spreads etc. They are rancid. Aim to always have oils that have been processed in a way which is safe. Make certain that it is fresh when it is obtained and that when it goes rancid there are no added agents that will fool your senses. Good oil will go bad over time, some quicker than others.
• Cook at a low temperature with oils. Any oil, if heated too high will produce ill effects in the body. Animal fat which contains cholesterol is especially bad for you when its cholesterol is damaged by overheating. Deep frying of any kind is best avoided.
• Educate yourself on which companies prepare oils in a way which does not do damage to the final product. “Expeller pressed” may not be enough because after the machine has been used over time it heats up and cooks the oil potentially to a damaging temperature. The companies which produce quality oil will freely advertise the methods they use and if not you can easily contact the company and find out.
• Store EFA’s (essential fatty acids) “omega 3” and “omega 6” in the fridge especially Hemp oil and the hulled seed, flax oil, any kind of EFA blends which include these. Never heat an EFA, simply add to the end of a dish or use in salad dressing. Even though capsules are meant to be safe on the shelf becasue of how they are indivisually sealed, it doesnt hurt to keep them in the fridge.
• Use cooking oils which can stand up to high temperatures. Coconut oil, grape seed oil, olive oil, and ghee are all okay to cook with. Remember, too high of a temperature is non good for any oil!