Health-Enhancing Attributes of Foods
March means Spring is on its way (Hurray!), and in some parts of the country we're already seeing little green shoots poking up through the earth, a welcome preview of coming attractions. Green seems to be a theme for March, including St. Patrick's Day, and the 'wearin' o' the green'. In keeping with the 'green' motif, I'd like to take a different tack, and talk about eating 'green' to promote good health, using food as an adjunct to a smart healthcare regimen. In any discussion of the benefits of food with regard to our health or combating illness, it's always important to remember that your doctor is your best guide for health care, and the information given here is not to be used in lieu of his/her medical advice. But since you've got to eat anyway, some awareness of the foods you're eating and their potential health benefits can be a good thing.
Let's begin at the beginning, with water. Water is absolutely essential for life and for maintenance of the body's proper biological balance. Your cells must have water to live and to perform all of the processes necessary to keep your muscles, bones, nerves and organs functioning. Clean, drinkable water has become an issue all over the world, not just in underdeveloped or third-world countries. You've heard that you should drink 8 glasses of water every day, and the truth is that you probably don't do it. Sodas, coffee, tea and alcohol don't count, since most of them contain caffeine - a diuretic that depletes the body's water content. There's actually a formula for estimating how much water you really need. Take your weight in pounds, divide it in half and that is the number of ounces of water your body requires, on a daily basis, for optimal health. Using that formula, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need 75 ounces of water every day. Break that down into 8-ounce glasses and you get a requirement of approximately 9-1/3 glasses (or that equivalent) per day. For more on calculating water, here's a link to check out: http://curezone.com/foods/waterpage.asp
Especially for those of you who are pregnant and drinking for two, be sure to drink your 8+/- glasses a day!
Chronic dehydration, if it becomes severe enough, can lead to organ damage and even brain dysfunction, not to mention the loss of skin tone (which helps create that unattractive 'prune' look you may have seen in some elderly folks). Also, the body gradually loses its ability to sense dehydration as we age, making it easy for a person to become chronically dehydrated. That's why it's so important to pay attention to the amount of water you take in every day.
Next, there's salt, another essential building block for life. Too little or too much will throw your body's delicately balanced chemistry out of whack, creating havoc with the transmission of impulses along nerves and muscles, and potentially leading to irregularities in heart rate and blood pressure, among other problems. If you are concerned about maintaining a healthy heart and blood pressure, talk with your doctor about your salt intake, and start reading the labels on prepared foods in the grocery store. You may be surprised at how much salt they contain! Most of us use commercially prepared salt, which has had much of the natural complexity refined out of it, and also includes additives such as sugar, potassium iodide and aluminum silicate. The potassium iodide helps to prevent iodine deficiencies (ever hear of 'goiter'?) but real sea salt is much easier for the body to use, and has numerous benefits that commercial salt does not. More on salt found here: http://curezone.com/foods/saltpage.asp
On to foods in general. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is not strictly true, but it can be one of the tools in your health arsenal to help you maintain bowel, cardiac and respiratory health, as well as keeping your joints cushioned. Most berries (blue, black and 'rasp') contain high levels of anti-oxidants, which keep cells healthy, retard the aging process, enhance cellular healing and seem to improve memory and brain functions. Fresh cherries have been shown to have a positive effect on arthritis pain and insomnia (I use them myself when they're in season and can attest to this). Honey has been used for centuries for wound healing and as a digestive aid (yogurt is good for this too), and sweet potatoes seem to have a mood-enhancing effect which can be a real boon if you live in an area where winter lasts for many months or grey days are frequent. There are so many foods that offer extra benefits to our brain and body, it is impossible to mention them all. For a brief overview of many of them, try this link http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC063364/beneficial.htm
One thing to keep in mind as you consider the health-enhancing attributes of foods is that many of them lose some or all of their properties if they are over-processed or over-cooked. Fresh, raw, or lightly-cooked fruits and vegetables are almost always higher in vital nutrients than frozen, freeze-dried, or cooked-to-mush preparations. There are oodles of books out there to help you make good choices, and one of the best (in my opinion) is "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis and James Balch.
So as you watch those crocuses, snow drops and daffodils sprouting up and heralding the approach of Spring, think about bringing more 'Greens' to your diet. Your body and mind will thank you!
If you have any questions, please write in and ask! I'll do my best to give you the help you need, or direct you to a good source for more information.
Nancy Miller, RN, BA Psych, CHyT
Nancy Miller got her RN degree in 1975 and went on to earn a BA in Humanistic Psychology from Goucher College in 2002. She's also a certified hypnotherapist and an ordained minister. Nancy is the mother of one child, her 24 year old son Eric, of whom she is extremely proud.
Looking for more Nurse Nancy? Read her feature column on "Chocolate"!
