Eat Well for Your Heart

So what is healthy eating? Ideally our goal should be to eat healthily for all of your organs in your body. The medical field tends to have a reductionist mechanistic mindset where things are broken down into pieces and parts. Chiropractic on the other hand tends to have a more holistic approach to life. Where your body is concerned, it cannot be broken down into pieces and parts because the body functions as a whole, each part communicating and interacting with the other. A healthy diet for one organ is a healthy diet for all.

To begin, let’s consider the nutrition of animals in the wild. An elephant, or say a dung beetle, doesn’t wake up in the morning and say, “Hmm, I wonder what I’m going to eat today”. They simply eat what they are genetically programmed to eat. It is my opinion that humans should do the same. Through studying the diet of our ancient ancestors we can determine what our genetically compatible diet would be. Now, one might argue that our ancient ancestors didn’t live as long as we do today and enjoy the health standards of contemporary society. Certainly scientific evidence suggests that our ancestors lived shorter life spans and had their own diseases to contend with, but in today’s contemporary society we also enjoy less harsh living conditions and better hygiene. However, the leading killers in today’s society are all diseases of lifestyle, many of which are directly related to our diet. Here are some simple guidelines for implementing a diet that is genetically congruent:

~ Eat mostly vegetables - “If you want to be more alive than dead, eat foods that are more alive than dead”, so stay away from processed foods. Try shopping around the outside isles of the grocery store. Eat some raw vegetables with every meal. Vegetables should make up 70% of your meals.

~Drink a lot of clean water but avoid drinking water with your meals. Drinking water dilutes the digestive enzymes your body produces to help you digest the food you are eating. This habit comes from eating processed foods that contain no water, making them hard to swallow.

~Eat grass fed meat or organic.

~Eat at home or pack homemade lunches when possible.

~Purchase tools for healthy eating: food processor, slow cooker, vegetable steamer, a juicer, stainless steel pots and pans (no non-stick) and glass storage containers.

~When frying, use heat tolerant oil such as sesame oil, almond oil, or organic raw butter.

~Eat frequent small meals rather than eating a few large meals each day. Enjoy what you eat and don’t use food as an emotional comfort or reward.

~Never shop when you are hungry – otherwise you will buy convenience foods!

The nutritional decisions that determine your health are made at the supermarket. If “bad” foods aren’t purchased they can’t be eaten. Never feel guilty about a food choice. Guilt will never serve you well. Always look forward to your next meal as a chance to improve your eating habits and your health. The farming techniques and depletion of soils over the last century have drastically reduced the vitamin and mineral content present in our food supply. It is very difficult to get all the nutrients you need from your diet alone.

Therefore, in addition to the recommendations above I suggest adding a quality Omega-3 oil supplement such as Eskimo or IQ oil, and possibly a good multivitamin and probiotic to your dietary regime.

By incorporating the recommendations above you will be taking important strides not only toward the health of your heart but the health of your entire body. My hope is that you will use and share this information with others. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.