The Scoop on Longer, Healthier Living

I’ve studied all I care to about nutrition and disease prevention, because all the books say the same thing: eat raw fruits and veggies, restrict caloric intake, cut down or eliminate meat, dairy, and grain intake, drink water and/or freshly-made fruit juices, and get a mild exercise routine going.

Now for the breakdown:

1. Raw fruits and veggies—these foods contain all you’ll need in the way of nutrients with the exception of B-12. This vitamin is contained in the meat and eggs you’d normally consume, but can also be derived from nutritional yeast. Your vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sugars, proteins, carbohydrates, antioxidants, EVERYTHING with the exception of B-12 can and should be obtained through an 80% or higher diet of raw fruits and veggies. Organic produce is best because it avoids the toxins of pesticides, the ever-questionable genetic modification, and the chemical additives and preservatives necessary to maintain shelf life in a processed state. Consumption of organic fruits and veggies helps you reduce caloric intake (as they are quite low in calories), and to stave off or reduce the effects of such diseases like diabetes, cancer, fibromyalgia, arthritis, allergies, heart disease, IBS and colon problems, etc. Being slightly underweight is actually a GOOD thing, as long as it is achieved by sound, sane methods (not through eating disorders or chronic wasting).

Watch the sugar intake--too much of a good thing is bad for you. Fruit harbors fructose, a known cancer-accelerator.

2. Cut down or eliminate non-grass-fed meat, legume, grain, and dairy intake—these foods contain all the harmful and questionable practices of feeding animal products back to animals (think Mad Cow disease and bird flu), and the harmful and questionable sources of feed (pesticides and genetic modification) and care (cramped feed lots). Their debilitating effects settle into the livestock’s organs, muscle tissue, and milk supply, then into our systems by way of consumption. Milk pasteurization is a major bone of contention because it kills off the very enzymes we need to properly DIGEST it…and besides, milk is for baby cows anyway. If the cows were properly fed and maintained, the milk wouldn’t NEED pasteurization in the first place, now would it? From there, various additives are used to create other dairy products like cheeses, yogurts, and the like. All milk is to us is a convenient form of calcium, which we can get by eating dark leafy greens, salmon bones, and taking calcium supplements.

Also, much of our cholesterol problems would magically disappear--no more sedentary cows!

Grains and beans/legumes break down into sugar, which we all know feeds cancer. They also harbor toxins and allergens that harm us if these foods are not properly prepared--and even if they ARE (soaking for hours and days in an acid medium), it may still not be enough.

Excessive sugar in the system has been shown to be a major contributor to Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, eye problems, dental problems, as well as diabetes and kidney problems.

3. Drink water—be sure it is clean and filtered to remove the myriad of toxins not seen or tasted, like arsenic, formaldehyde, cysts, etc. If you look at every drink available on the market today, you’ll notice every one of them contains water…plus quite a few additives and chemicals. Your liver and kidneys depend on water for survival and function, and don’t really appreciate having to filter the water out from all the other junk just to survive. Every major organ in your body needs water to survive, and they get it from the liver and kidneys. Streamline the water supply chain and start drinking it straight. If you tire of plain old water, drink the next best healthiest thing—juiced veggies and fruits. At least you get your nutrients along with color, taste, and variety.

Nutritionists call this "eating your water."

4. Mild exercise—this means stretching and very low impact exercises. No need to jar your joints with heavy weights, line up for uncoordinated and unfamiliar dance steps to music you hate, and no need to buy strange and bizarre contraptions that may need a separate bedroom to reside (and later become an expensive coat rack). Simple yoga, tai chi, or Pilates movements are all that’s necessary…maybe some walking thrown in. Make it part of your daily routine. Make it so it’s convenient to do, and doesn’t make you exhale in exasperation. Make it so you don’t think of it as EXERCISE.

Even something a simple as backing away from the push-button, technology-laden world we live in, and doing more for yourself BY YOURSELF (switching to manual labor) helps in this endeavor.

5. Stay engaged with society. Keeping up with the world around you helps maintain your brain, gives you a reason to think about things, and maybe gives you something to respond to. This, in addition to toxin avoidance, helps stave off onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s. As they say—“Use it or lose it.”

These things will allow you to live longer and healthier, but the question remains as to the QUALITY of that life…that I leave to you to answer. Some suggestions would be to lower or eliminate stress, start living an “authentic” lifestyle (doing what you are, getting in touch with your soul/spirit), and learning to live with nature (yours and Mother Nature) instead of fighting it. Simplify. Question. Make the necessary changes so your outside world matches your inside world.

6. Shed your bad habits: smoking, drinking, salt and sugar consumption, and not getting enough sleep.
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Wenchypoo is NOT a medical doctor, but she'd like to play with one on TV. She has spent countless hours studying nutrition and health improvement issues involving the use of food as medicine.