CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT “good nutrition” is? You shouldn’t be — we know what works and what doesn’t. In a moment, I will share 5 simple tips to help you optimize your nutrition and achieve vibrant health, but first let me clear up a few misconceptions.
Despite the “conflicting” scientific studies and media reports designed to confound rather than enlighten, there is no confusion about what constitutes good nutrition. If we were to gather the world’s top nutrition scientists and experts — free from food industry influence — there would be very little debate about the essential properties of good nutrition.
Unfortunately, most doctors are nutritionally illiterate. Worse, they don’t know how to use the most powerful medicine available to them: food.
Common sense and scientific research both lead us to the conclusion that if we want healthy bodies, we must put the right raw materials into our bodies: real, whole, local, fresh, unadulterated, unprocessed, and chemical, hormone, and antibiotic-free food.
There is NO role in our diets for foreign molecules such as trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup, which interfere with our biology at every level.
If you want junk out, put junk in. Enough said.
If you want a whole, healthy body, put in whole real food.
I want to explain how you can do that …
This is the first in a 7-part series where I will give detailed explanations about each of the 7 Keys to UltraWellness. Key #1 is Optimize Nutrition, and in this blog I will explain what constitutes a healthy diet, give you some tips to help you optimize your nutrition, and clarify whether or not supplements are truly a waste of money.
The Basics of a Healthy Diet
What I am about to share might be shocking …
Carbohydrates are the single most important food for long-term health and well-being.
This may be surprising given the low-carb movement, and “carbophobia” in our country, but it’s true.
Of course, I don’t mean the over-processed, refined, sugary, white foods we commonly think of as carbohydrates, such as donuts, bread, bagels, muffins, colas, juices, and most junk food.
And I don’t mean the cheap, super-sweet, government-subsidized high-fructose corn syrup that is driving our epidemic of obesity and chronic disease.
The carbohydrates I am talking about are the real, whole, nourishing plant foods that the human species has thrived on since from the dawn of evolution.
Food can heal or harm. You make that choice every day by what you put on your fork.
Most of the food consumed by humans since the beginning of time has been carbohydrates. In fact, plant foods are comprised mostly of carbohydrates: vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.
These foods contain slowly released sources of sugar that prevent surges of blood sugar and insulin. Too much insulin causes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, and even dementia.
Carbohydrates contain almost all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to operate normally and optimally.
They also contain fiber, which helps normalize our digestive function and slows the absorption of sugar and fats into the body, keeping us balanced.
The bonuses in plant foods are phytonutrients — colorful healing compounds made by plants to protect themselves, but that also protect us against aging, obesity, brain damage, and more.
For example, broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, Brussels sprouts, and other vegetables from the cruciferous family contain powerful detoxifying compounds that protect us against environmental toxins.
Green tea contains anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxifying properties.
Resveratrol from red grapes boosts our energy production and protects our cells.
These are just a few examples of the thousands of phytonutrients in the plant foods that should be the foundation of our diet.
Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, summed up all nutritional research in 3 simple principles:
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
In fact, you need know nothing else to be vibrantly healthy.
That’s it. Eat real whole food as it comes from the earth: fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, eggs, and lean animal protein like fish and chicken.
Imagine what your great-grandmother would recognize as food, or what might have been on her dinner table. Just food. There is really no such thing as junk food — there is just food, and then there is junk.
Whole foods that contain phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fats, and fiber all directly, immediately, and specifically interact with our genes, controlling moment-to-moment changes in our physiology and biochemistry.
Food literally talks to our genes. Food is not just a source of calories, it is also a source of INFORMATION.
The key is to send the right information to your genes by eating whole, real, food — mostly plants. Specific nutrients or plant compounds bind to receptors in cells, translating messages from the foods we eat or vitamins we take in into instructions that are carried out by our cells through their effect on our DNA.
That is why food can heal or harm. You make that choice every day by what you put on your fork.
That means if you eat whole, real, fresh food, you don’t need vitamins. Right?
Well, maybe …
Do We Need Vitamins or Not?
I agree that you don’t need vitamins and that they are a waste of money.
But that is true ONLY if you eat wild, fresh, whole, organic, local, non-genetically modified food grown in virgin mineral and nutrient rich soils, and not transported across vast distances and stored for months before eaten.
It is true ONLY if you work and live outside, breathe only fresh unpolluted air, drink only pure, clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move your body every day, and are free from chronic stressors and exposures to environmental toxins.
Then you don’t need vitamins.
But, of course, this describes absolutely no one on the planet! Therefore, in reality, we ALL need vitamins.
Most people don’t understand the role of vitamins and minerals in our bodies. I certainly didn’t when I finished my medical training.
I thought if we just got enough of a nutrient to prevent some horrible deficiency state like scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), then we didn’t have to worry about getting more than that.
I also believed that if you ate “enriched food” like white flour with a few vitamins added back in, or milk with vitamin D added in, additional vitamin supplementation was a waste.
In today’s world, everyone needs a basic multivitamin and mineral supplement. The research is overwhelming on this point.
What most people don’t realize is the same thing that I didn’t realize when I first started practicing medicine: The real reason our food supply must be “enriched” is because it has been so processed that it is “impoverished” to start with.
So why can’t you just eat “nutrient-rich” food, instead of eating “nutrient-poor” food?
Today, even with our “enriched food,” more than 92 percent of Americans are deficient in one or more vitamins. That doesn’t mean they are receiving less than the amount they need to get for optimal health. That means they receive less than the MINIMUM amount necessary to prevent deficiency diseases.
In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers found that 6 percent of those tested had serious vitamin C deficiency and 30 percent were borderline low.
A report in the journal Pediatrics found that obesity and malnutrition can coexist. Obese, overfed, and undernourished children with cognitive disorders were found to have scurvy and severe vitamin D deficiency or rickets. These deficiencies damaged their brains. You never think of an overweight person as malnourished, but they are!
A USDA survey showed that 37 percent of Americans don’t get enough vitamin C, 70 percent not enough vitamin E, almost 75 percent don’t get enough zinc, and 40 percent don’t get enough iron.
I would say that 100 percent of us don’t have enough of the basic nutrients to create optimal health or give ourselves a metabolic tune up.
There are many reasons why the foods we eat no longer contain the nutrient levels we require for optimal health. Crops are raised in soil where nutrients have been depleted. Plants are treated with pesticides and other chemicals so they no longer have to fight to live, which further diminishes their nutrient levels and their phytonutrient content — not to mention the toxic exposure we receive from such chemicals.
Animals are cooped up in pens or giant feedlots instead of roaming free and eating the nutrient-rich wild grains and grasses they once consumed. Since cows’ stomachs are adapted to grass instead of corn, they must take antibiotics to prevent them from exploding.
To complicate this further, all of us are exposed to hazardous toxins and chemicals that poison our bodies; we live with too much stress; we don’t sleep enough; we don’t exercise enough; and we are inflamed — making the nutritional demands on our bodies even greater.
The question is not how much of a certain nutrient or vitamin we need to not get sick, but how much we need to be optimally healthy! In fact, lower amounts recommended by the government may NOT be enough.
Most people can get what they need by taking the following essential supplements every day:
- A high-quality multivitamin
- Calcium-magnesium supplement
- Fish oil
- Special B vitamins (folate and vitamins B6 and B12).
I have tested thousands of patients for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies and found that by correcting them, people feel better, their mood, mental sharpness, memory, and ability to focus improve, they have more energy, and they even lose weight. It also helps prevent disease.
In my 20+ years of practicing medicine with thousands of patients, I have seen depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, autism, ADHD, mood swings, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia go away or dramatically improve when people get the right nutrients.
In today’s world, everyone needs a basic multivitamin and mineral supplement. The research is overwhelming on this point.
So what are the takeaways here? What do you need to do to optimize your nutrition?
Here are some simple steps you can begin taking immediately:
- Eat whole, real, fresh, organic, unprocessed food. If it comes in a box, a package, or a can, avoid it. If you do choose to buy prepackaged foods, read the labels carefully and avoid foods that contain long lists of ingredients you don’t understand.
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables full of colorful phytonutrients. That means eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Choose a wide variety and you will do much to support your health.
- Eat foods with plenty of fiber. Think whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and millet and vegetables like celery, asparagus, and leeks. Fiber is essential for balancing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy bowel. (Scan my Recipes archive for some delicious suggestions using these ingredients).
- Eat foods containing omega-3 fats. I recommend eating protein at every meal, and some of the best sources of protein have an abundance of these healthy fats, which are essential for building every cell membrane in your body. Try cold-water river fish like salmon, sardines, and halibut; eat omega-3 eggs; and eat plenty of nuts like almonds, macadamias, and walnuts.
- Take the essential supplements outlined above every day. They are the basic workhorse team needed to support every biochemical reaction in your body.
Now I’d like to hear from you …
What do you think about the quality of our food supply?
Do you think supplements are effective?
Do you have any tips for others on how to more easily eat real, whole foods?
Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
I recently started to get my nutrition from vegetable and fruit smoothies. I mostly eat natural meat, whole grains cereal and bread but in limited quantity, less sugar and processed foods overall. I supplement with digestive enzymes, probiotics and whole foods
multivitamins. I feel better, energetic, sleep well and less stressed. I don’t worry too much about carbs, low fat or high protein diet. Just keep it whole foods based and you will see the results.
Couldn’t agree more since I live this lifestyle (not diet)
With the help of a nutritionist, I have been modifying my diet along the lines you describe here. What has amazed me is that by avoiding processed foods, gluten, and caffeine, I have lost my cravings for sweets (and alcohol!).
I am slowly losing weight and I do feel better in every way.
I participate in a Community Supported Agriculture farm (subscribing to a weekly share of the farmers’ harvest) and have been introduced to many new vegetables and now have no problem eating 5-7 servings of vegetables a day. My favorite is eggs scrambled with steamed greens for breakfast.
Thanks for all your postings!
Dr Hyman,
Since reading your book “The Ultra Mind Solution” about one year ago, I made a few changes in my menu. I have been mainly vegetarian for more than three decades; I did eat fish from time to time. The recipes you provided have become the main items in my daily menu.
Since the changes, I’ve enjoyed quite a few inprovements in my health. I’m an African American male, age 69, 5ft 8n tall, and my weight currently stands at 155#. My recent annual physical showed: cholesterol 136, my HDL went up and my LDL went down, and all other key indicators are within the desirable range.
However, there is one area where I am below the desirable range. My White Blood Cell Count reading is 2.9 Thousand/uL. The desirable range is (3.8 – 10.8).
I would welcome your comments on this matter.
Thank you, Gordon, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
My doctor is working with me to bring my blood work lab results toward a reduced cardio risk factor level. In particular the measure for insulin resistance seems to be his primary target. In June of this year his gave me a very simple instruction to guide my food selection. “No bread, no potatoes, no pasta, and no rice”. He did not prescribe the diabetic medicine that he indicated would be my next step to bring insulin resistance into a desired range. Today is Thanksgiving Day of 2010. My weight has dropped by 20 pounds and the last lipids blood work results in October showed positive movement in the HDL, LDL and insulin resistance areas. Still no order for the diabetic prescription ! My following my doctor’s direction on food selection has resulted in my searching for the best alternative foods which I have been finding are the very same foods and sources that Dr Hyman describes and explains in the newsletters and blogs like this one. My energy level and general sense of personal fulfillment have never been higher. I am sixty-three years old and I can only regret not having searched for and found this most beneficial information sooner. I will be in a position soon to talk to my doctor about the levels and possibly the elimination of the medicines I am taking for blood pressure, cholesterol, and homo-cysteine. That would really be a great thing.
eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Choose a wide variety and you will do much to support your health.
I feel better, energetic, sleep well and less stressed. I don’t worry too much about carbs, low fat or high protein diet. Just keep it whole foods based and you will see the results.
Well, the post is in reality the best on this notable topic. I agree with your conclusions and will eagerly look forward to your coming updates. Just saying thanks will not just be enough, for the phenomenal clarity in your writing. Admirable work and much success in your business endeavors…
I have been shocked in recent years by news reports of high rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, mental disorders, etc. in our country. Disease is running rampant in our population; in the past two weeks alone, five people (of varying ages) in my hometown have died of cancer. This is both sad and distressing – what’s making so many people sicken and die?
I’ve long believed we are slowly poisoning ourselves with our own food supply. We allow and support the production of both toxic foods and toxin-laden foods and then not only eat them ourselves, but feed them to our children. No wonder many of our youth are either dying of disease or coping with mental or physical disorders. My question: why isn’t anyone getting outraged about this?!
Thank you, Dr. Hyman, for making your common-sense-based healthy nutrition information available to the masses. Here’s hoping they all read it and live long, healthy lives (and their children too)!
I just like the valuable information you supply on your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and test again here regularly. I am somewhat certain I’ll be informed lots of new stuff proper here! Best of luck for the next!
Hi Mark..
I like your information, BUT… have you done a study to determine just how much the weekly grocery bill will increase by using your suggestions?
Off the cuff, we have been inplementing some of your recommendations and
while feeling a bit better with less food alergies than prior, just adding the nuts,
seeds and more fruit to our diets (2 of us) our weekly grocery bill has doubled from about 100 to over 200 dollars a week, and that means between 800 to 1000 dollars a month. On a seniors plension that is more than we each get per month, than there is the rest of the monthly bills to take care of.
We like your suggestions, but must keep the monthly food costs to about 500 dollars by purchasing and using cheap foods without having them spoil prior to use.
I think alot of people even the younger workers with families face the same problems, in that they just can’t afford to eat properly and maintain their current standard of living.
Jim G. Sketchley
Wells BC Canada
I tried posting a moment ago and don’t know where my unfinished post went. So, here we go again. I’ve been on a whole plant diet for the past two and one half years. I’ve lost 36 lbs.. My cholesterol has gone from 256 to 199. My triglycerides went from over 300 to 125. I don’t recall my blood sugar before. However, I know it was high; it is now 70.
However, I still have gluten, sweets, and chips in my diet. I was taking supliments, now I take only b-12, glucosamine chondroitin, and magnesium. I had stopped taking magnesium and co enzyme Q 10, but I’ve started to not be able to call words that I want to say; I forget what I want to say in mid-sentence. I’m thinking about going back on co enzyme Q10.
The food we eat is of utmost impotance, but, in America, bio (organic) products are too expensive for low-to-modest income earners and seniors on a fixed income. So, in order to afford, for example, organic eggs and organic apples, one must forgo buying organic nuts and purchase the regular ones – nonsalted and raw but not organic.
Atlantic farm-raised salmon is polluted but is the least expensive when it’s on sale. But with the increase in food costs, the sale price is no longer affordable. I am down to tilapia when it’s on sale for $5.99 per lb – I stock up and fill the freezer. It’s on the list of better fish with regard to mercury and pollution. Regular chicken is deadly, and organic chicken is too expensive, particularly if you don’t like the dark meat so you won’t eat those parts.
I see that Dr. Hyman promotes eating mostly carbohydrates. If someone has high blood sugar, they must weigh out how much they are eating in carbs even if it’s whole grain pasta and bread, yams, etc. So how does one accomplish that?
I don’t like beans (legumes) which, I understand, are a good source of protein and carbs and also help with inflammation.
Non synthetic vitamins are also far too costly, but, from what I’ve read, the body treats the synthetics like toxins and B vitamins are made from petrochemicals.
So, by the few examples above, I have found that trying to maintain a healthy diet with enough variety to get the appropriate vitamins and minerals seems impossible due to finances, keeping blood sugar low, likes and dislikes of certain foods, etc. I imagine there are many people in the same boat.
For those who do not have a big pocketbook, what is the solution?
Hi, I read or heard Dr. Hyman say that a poor diet can cause a person to have bi-polar brain disorder. This news saddens me beyond belief because my ex-wife, who I loved very much, became severely manic and then severely depressed soon after we married. The second year our finances vanished paying for her destructive behavior and hospital bills. At the time the belief was her condition was not reversible. I now can see her diet was very rich with dairy/sugar/fruit juices. Some people get fat. Some people get skin problems. Some people get by-polar. All these terrible conditions are fixable. Best of reading and learning.
I have been diagnosed with low thyroid and been on synthroid for 15 months going between 75 mcg and 50 mcg changing every two months when a new blood test is taken. I am also insulin resistant. 5’2″ and 90 lbs and 71 years old. My biggest complaint was sleep. I had taken my body temp. in the a.m. when waking and it was always low. My doc said the insulin resistant might go away when the thyroid gets balanced. I eat the diet you talk about. I sleep better when the dosage is changed for awhile, I am warmer then before. Adrenals are low and tried DHEA but that interfered with sleep. I am waiting for it all to be balanced. Thank you for your info.
I have found something better than probiotics or psyllium husk.
Eating green leafy vegetable. Worked better for me than any of the above for their intended purposes.
A good combination is chard and luau leaf (frozen in your market).
Another is Kabocha drank with water.
I had been bed and wheelchair bound for 12 years 45 at the time. I was diagnosed with cfs then rheumatoid arthritis and a genetic muscle and nerve disease kicked in diabetis and severe asthma followed. About 3 years ago after getting a laptop I started to do research and stumbled upon a natural health websight. I went immediately rawfoodist and organic in desperation. We had very little money and were struggling to pay a mortgage and my husband a carpenter had to care for me full time. We had to prioritise and sky television had to go along with daily newspapers unnecessary car journey junk type stuff and we sold things on ebay . (We lost our home but now cheaply rent the most amazing farmhouse with huge gardens from the bank )When we watched everything we bought our food bill fell by 1/2 !!! When your body is nutrient rich and you drink loads of good filtered water you don’t feel the need to fill up with rubbish fillers. We also started square foot gardening and utilized every bit of space we could grow on even hung buckets to put holes in the bottom and grow upside down tomatoes cucumber squash courgettes peppers and trust me the Scottish weather doesn’t lend itself to growing food outdoors. If you really want to be healthy you will give up anything to be frugal Our tumble drier was sold and we used an indoor pulley drier and only used the washer once to twice a week. It is achievable even on a low income and at about £5 a gallon for petrol and some of the highest food prices in the western world we don’t have a good start here in Scotland to eat healthily..2 tiny avocadoes cost $3.28 dollars also 1 organic celery the same, but if you really want to you will find a way and if you’re halfhearted then you will find every and any excuse. I have been out of my wheelchair for 6 months and my diabetes asthma are gone and I am well on the way with a steady recovery to, I know ,even better health than before I got ill. WHAT PRICE GOOD HEALTH?? MAKE YOURSELF AFFORD .SWITCH OFF LIGHTS AND HEATING WHERE IT ISN’T NEEDED. GOOD LUCK GOOD CHOICES AND GOOD VIBRANT HEALTH TO YOU ALL
TO ARCHIE L TUCKER: the same happened when I stopped taking coq10 but then I found out about the coq10 ubiquinol and the effects are phenomenal. Check it out and you’ll never go back to the ‘old’ type.
I have eaten mostly vegan for months and was mostly vegetarian for years before that . I have not seen any changes in my cholesterol, mood, memory or weight. I remain overweight even though I spin/or ride my bike 2 hours/day 3 -4 days/wk. I will remain vegan because I believe it is the healthiest diet, but am very disappointed that I do not see the results that others claim they have received from changing their diet, especially that I have lost NO WEIGHT! In fact, the scale continues to climb upwards!
Some people do not eat salads because they don’t like to chew all that much. You can put all your salad ingredience into a good blender like a vitamix and eat it in a pureed state or you can blend vegetables with cold water and or ice and it will be like a fresh v-8 juice. Great ways to get more of those vegetables in your daily diet.
About a dozen years ago I discovered Dr Gabe Mirkin’s (ital) 20/30 Fat and Fiber Diet Plan (ital) and it has been a godsend. The thesis is simple: eat no more than 20 grams of fat per day and at least (ital) 30 grams of fiber. Eat as much as you want, never feel hungry, just stay within these simple guidelines. This means lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. It has also meant absolute weight control and amazingly good health.
Pay now or pay later, when sometimes is too late!
I agree with most of this article except for a few points. I don’t agree about whole grains. When I eat them, my stomach is blown up and I have trouble digesting them. I also don’t want to support an industry that is subsidized by our government which is turn tells us to eat them. I also think that eating grass fed beef is very nutritious and should be something in your diet at least once a week. Another thing is fats. There are many fats that are very good for you, coconut oil, olive oil, butter from grass fed cows to name a few. I started eating following the primal blueprint and I am finally losing weight and I feel great. It is similar to Atkins but very different. Our government keeps telling us to do something and our society is getting fatter so we better do our own research. It is time to eat like our ancestors did. Also, I agree with you about the B vitamins. I just started taking B complex and I think they really work even more than my multivitamins. I am concerned about fish oil supplements with all of the ocean pollution. I hope the companies that make them are really removing the toxins.
After reading most of the posts, I have a recommendation to some of the readers. I went to Whole Foods for some organic produce and found it to be above my budget. I went online and searched for organic co-ops. To my surprise, the area I live was loaded with co-ops. Everyone pitches in and does some job to help fund it. I get 30 pounds of fresh organic produce right off the truck for $52. It is 3/4 vegetables and 1/4 fruits. I still have to buy other things, but it is so fresh it lasts a long time. They are now carrying eggs, meats, chicken etc. because the demand is there. BJ’s Warehouse, Amazon and Publix and organic products, too. As you start to find these local farmer’s markets, it becomes a fun time to find these things that are good for you. If you don’t have a co-op, start one. The more people, the cheaper your goods. Also, tell you local super markets to start carrying organic produce and goods. The movement has really picked up speed and hopefully will become mainstream.
Thank you for such a concise, easily understood, common sense approach to healthy living. I’m definitely sharing it with family and friends who are looking for answers to their health issues.
You are absolutely correct regarding how nutritionally deficient our fruits and vegetables have become over the last 50 years. If memory serves me correct, back in 1951 an adult could receive the RDA level of vitamin A from consuming 2 peaches grown at that time. Today, an adult would have to consume 53 peaches to derive the same level of vitamin A.
As for nutritional supplements, especially multivitamin / mineral products, the lion share are created from coal tar / petroleum derivitives…hence the vitamins are synthetic…man made. A natural vitamin in nature is composed of a right hand configuration while a synthetic vitamin is a mirror image / left hand configuration. Synthetic vitamins don’t communicate with our body chemistry and affect our genes with the same information as a natural vitamin. In my humble opinion using a 1 to 10 scale…most highly advertised / mass marketed vitamin supplements would rate a dismal 3 and sell in the $6-$10 range.
Regarding Fish oil…In a recent study the author fed male mice bred to get old more quickly (SAMP8) one of two diets. The first diet was 5% fish oil and 5% safflower oil. The second diet was simply 10% safflower oil. The results were worrisome for those consuming fish oil. The mice that were fed fish oil had shorter life spans than the mice fed the saflower oil. The mice fed fish oil showed strong oxidative stress when compared to the mice eating safflower oil. It also diminished their antioxidant defense system. The findings suggest that intake of fish oil increases oxidative stress, decreases cellular function, and causes organ dysfunction in SAMP8 mice, thereby promoting aging and shortening the lifespan of the mice. There is a biochemical need for certain oils in our human physiology, unfortunately many mass produced oils are already rancid at time of consumption.
It is most unfortunate that due to the fact that huge sums of money are spent on dangerous and useless drugs and more useless esoteric studies, the relevant info takes a back seat. It also allows “experts” and to make ridiculous statements regarding certain foods as the enemy,ie fruits. Millions do listen and they are mistaken.
It is most unfortunate that due to the fact that huge sums of money are spent on dangerous and useless drugs and more useless esoteric studies, the relevant info takes a back seat. It also allows “experts” to make ridiculous statements regarding certain foods as the enemy,ie fruits. Millions do listen and they are mistaken.
I agree with you; however, the main problem I have isn’t lack of knowledge, it is effort envolved with preparing the foods. We have been so accustomed to easy fast food with little or no preparation time, such as frozen waffles, Jimmy Dean’s breakfast bowls that to take the time to eat right seems to be to much effort. (I am 73 years old).
I have read the China Study, I have the complete Encyclopedia of Foods and the Encylopedia of Medicinal Plants, Healing with Whole Foods, and have read most books on veganism and belong to The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii And watch a lot of their recorded lectures. As Harvy Diamond says in his book Fit Fir Life, It is those little tiny taste buds that derail us.
I grew up eating mostly Meat and Patatoes, and even though I feel better when I don’t eat meat, I also feel that if I don’t the meal isn’t complete.
I know this isn’t the feed back you were looking for; however, it is the hard cold facts of every day life for me.
Let me say I didn’t read before I posted so let me correct Fit For Life not Fit Fir Life.
I take Flax oil not Fish Oil, Silver Centrum, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, B Complex, vitamin D, Sea Kelp and Spirulina.
For people on the go, like moms who spend hours in their cars running errands or kids to activities, one way I’ve found to improve my diet and stop the temptation to drive through a fast food window when I need a snack is to keep a 6 oz can of whole almonds in one of my car’s cup holders (that size can fits in a cup holder perfectly) and a bottle of water in the other. When I start to get a little hungry, I just snack on the almonds.
I recently changed my diet from low carb, on the advice of a certified
dietitian and my blood sugar sky rocketed. I’ve been eating a high protein
diet with fresh veggies and salads. Which seemed to keep my blood sugar
at close to normal, but with her advice to eat more carbs my sugar went
up to 200 and I said enough is enough and have gone back on my high
protein diet and my blood sugar is coming down slowly. My problem is
that I can’t exercise because of RA and a bad back among other things. I
was always an out door person and enjoyed garden work etc. but since my
back operation I find it very difficult to walk any distance or stay on my feet
for any length of time. My reason for writing is that one diet does not fit all!
I enjoy your work and if I could only find a Dr. with your philosophy! The
Pharmaceutical mafia has them all Zombiefied!
Wishing you good health, Rich Keene, Edgewater, Fl.
There is a disturbing trend taking place in the food service industry, in particular in health care facilities run by management companies. The idea is to reduce the caloric intake of its patrons in the interest of fighting obesity by eliminating all sugar-based beverages in their facilities and replacing them entirely with diet products. I feel it is more harmful to impose the chemicals contained in artificial sweeteners than to ban regular beverages. At least sugar can be metabolized by the body, unlike Aspertame, Splenda, Equal and the rest. The problem lies not in the consumption of regular beverages as much as in the lack of portion control, the same as with food. I also found it interesting that very quickly, regular ginger ale and regular cola were made available for certain patients, but still none for the paying customers in the cafeteria and vending machines.
Hello Dr. Hyman, I have been a fan/follower for several years. I enjoyed seeing you in person in the three day conference “Food As Medicine “, San Francisco. Thank you for resurfacing with simplistic messages consistent with our genetic makeup. I share immediately with colleagues and friends what I get from your points. It is most unfortunate that pesticides, food additives, and contaminated drinking water remain without penalties. Consumers deserve this education especially our children. It should be a public health mandate that our kids get this knowledge and exposure to these organic simple foods as well as our young future mothers so they can prepare in advance for their wanted pregnancies. It is a sad thing that we don’t inform them of formula companies focus on robbing their confidence in breast feeling. It is sadder that hospitals outsource their foods served to thirty patients. Beginning with your information is putting it out here! Thank you!
In the interest of promoting everyone’s health I want to put this bit of information out there. It is generally accepted that omega-3 fatty acids (DHA & EPA) are an important part of a healthy diet. We are told to eat more cold water fish to get our omega-3′s. Okay with that. One caution about farm raised cold water fish. Fish do not produce omega-3 fatty acids. They get it from the algae they eat. Farm-raised fish aren’t out swimming around in algae rich waters. They are confined and fed commercially produced fish feed. As fish oil and fish meal, which used to be added to commercial aquaculture feed, becomes more expensive, manufacturers of this feed have replaced the fish-based ingredients with corn and soy ingredients. Thus, most currently produced feeds contain no omega-3′s. So, if you want to eat farm-raised salmon or arctic char or sea trout, take your omega-3 supplements, cause you ain’t getting it from your fish.
I wholeheartedly agree with your advice! We have been working towards changing our health conditions in our family (ADHD/ADD, depression, anxiety, obesity, thryoid issues, etc) by changing the way we eat. We DO take supplements as we are not at the place where I feel this would be unnecessary.
For those posts above who talked about costs. I get that. I really do. We have a one income family with 3 children still in the home. What I have found helpful is to shop using the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists. The foods listed on the Dirty Dozen I ALWAYS buy ORGANIC. If they are on the clean 15, I know that I have room here in my budget.
Also, I have found that over the long run …buying non-processed whole foods actually saves me money. I also try to buy my meat and veges from local farmers and ranchers. Buying a 1/4 cow which comes with ALL cuts of meats at $4.50 a pound …iNCLUDES premium steak cuts ….is much better than buying stuff from the store that I don’t know where it came from!
I have also put in my own vegetable garden so I know what goes into my veges. Many places are starting to organize community gardens. I just found a local college here that is doing that. So that would be a resource for those who do not have the space to grow their own veges. Also, if you aren’t able to physically maintain the garden, the other option is to find a CSA ….stands for community supported agriculture. These are people with farms who bring the produce to you at specific drop points and/or farmer’s markets. Make sure you know your grower and ask if they are organic. Even if they are not “certified organic”, if they are using organic principles, then you would be good.
Here’s to everyone’s empowered health!
Dr. Hyman. I really enjoy your helpful columns. I have primary lymphedema and auto immune diseases such as hypothyroidism and alopecia areata. I learned many years ago that processed foods did not work with me as I reallly swelled all over and could hardly walk so I stopped eating anything but real foods. I’m still swelled but not as badly and if I didn’t have a Perthes condition on both sides, my walking would be OK. Don’t worry about what you cannot eat, just be glad for all the good things stilll available for eating. I take salmon oil three times a day and it really picks me up. I could possibly use a multi-vitamin.
Dr. Hyman. I really enjoy your helpful columns. I have primary lymphedema and auto immune diseases such as hypothyroidism and alopecia areata. I learned many years ago that processed foods did not work with me as I reallly swelled all over and could hardly walk so I stopped eating anything but real foods. I’m still swelled but not as badly and if I didn’t have a Perthes condition on both sides, my walking would be OK. Don’t worry about what you cannot eat, just be glad for all the good things still available for eating. I take salmon oil three times a day and it really picks me up. I could possibly use a multi-vitamin. As stated in the ad, don’t eat processed and packaged foods.
I have been vegetarian for many years now and eat mostly organic foods when there is a choice. My main concerns are two, at this point: 1) unlabeled GMO products in our food supply. In fact, GMOs in general, since they can inter-pollinate with organic producs and pollute them and 2) the amount of soy products in our foods. I found I was soy intolerant about four years go and it is even in most “vegetable” oils. Fortunately, soy lecithin seems OK, but that is even more prevalent.
Other problems, such as trans-fats, hopefully will all disappear as people continue to learn about their dangers and stop buying foods containing them.
Thank you for your column. I find it very helpful.
To Joan and others with a concern for the cost of good nutrition: The reason healthy vegetables and fruits, etc are more expensive is that they are not subsidized like GMO corn and soybeans, wheat, cotton (for cotton meal and oil), and milk. As a result, junk food is indirectly heavily subsidized and cheaper. And it’s true that quality fruits and veggies are often not available in grocery stores that serve working class and poor neighborhoods. That is where local, neighborhood and church supported food buying clubs, community gardens, and family gardens are needed. Many immigrants eat healthy diets of beans, rice, and green vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. and raise small gardens, plant grape vines, tomatoes and herbs such as cilantro, chives, parsley, lemongrass. If you raise flowers, you can raise herbs. Personal herb gardens in pots can be raised on a balcony or patio.You would be surprised how much a variety of fresh herbs grown in pots adds to the flavor of salads and other dishes. The Gardener’s supply website has suggested plantings for 3×6 garden plots. Green smoothies are concentrated sources of healthy nutrition. I grew up on vegetables and fruits my mother raised and now raise my own. Eating something 1-10 minutes after it is picked is a delight. I supplement with farmer’s market, a buying club, food coop, and the organic section at a conventional grocery store. During the Great Depression, 70% of domestically consumed food was raised in Victory Gardens. Any small step in this direction is a step toward healthier nutrition and appreciation of what is involved in growing our food.
Hello Mark,
I really look forward to your emails, the information is priceless.
I have been reading about the health benefits of coconut water and coconut oil, and drink one 11 oz carton of water and a small amount of oil 1/2 tbsp per day.
Thanks for the information, looking forward to the next email.
Dr Hyman, thank you for your work and persistence in giving people infomation to guide them to a better health. I know first hand that a better diet leads to feeling well. I have RA and since I started paying attention to the foods I eat, I have been able to get off the toxic prednisone and methotrexate. Some of the pain has subsided when I started eating more raw foods. In addition the weight started coming off effortlessly. My blood tests improved drastically. I’m sure being off prednisone had something to do with it but I also know eating more of the right foods was a contributor as well. I notice a difference when I eat too much sugar or fried and junk foods so I try to avoid them. Again thank you for all the information you provide!
Dear Dr. Hyman, I really enjoy your posts and often forward them to my clients. Being a colon therapist and a gourmet health food chef, I routinely educate people on how to eat better. I completely agree with you on the vitamins issue, since the quality of our food supply is very poor and outright toxic in cases of industrial food production and GMO’s.
I would like you to post for your readers and important fact about eating nuts, seeds and beans. They need to be soaked in cold water, time varies, but overnignt for most of them, the water discarded and ONLY then they are ready to be digested. The reason for it is that they contain powerful inhibitors, that prevent them from molding, allowing us to store them for long time. But it is the same compound, that prevents us from assimilating their nutrients. Saludos from Panama, where the air is cleaner and the farm animals are grazing in the fields. Diwa
I posted the note below yesterday. It is still “awaiting moderation” whilst many later notes have been approved and posted. Now, I wonder, what could possibly be offensive about my contribution to this discussion? I have achieved success, exceptionally robust health at age 72, and I merely attempted to share my path with others. I suppose if my recommendation included items from Dr H’s store of for-profit publications, instead of my touting another source, my note wouldn’t have met this obstacle. If this is indeed the problem, and I can’t imagine what else it might be, SHAME. If it is not the case, and there is some unfathomable reason why my comments are deemed objectionable, I apologize, while I wait with bated breath for an explanation.
Roger MacDonald, PhD
P.S. I have kept a copy of this post.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
About a dozen years ago I discovered Dr Gabe Mirkin’s (ital) 20/30 Fat and Fiber Diet Plan (ital) and it has been a godsend. The thesis is simple: eat no more than 20 grams of fat per day and at least (ital) 30 grams of fiber. Eat as much as you want, never feel hungry, just stay within these simple guidelines. This means lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. It has also meant absolute weight control and amazingly good health.
1. Don’t put me on your email list again. I am already on it and if you put me on it again so that I get two emails from you, I will ask you to remove me from both emails.
2. We agree that there is no place in this world for foods that contain only calories and no beneficial nutrition. Simple, refined, distilled, chemically altered carbs certainly are poison to our bodies. We also agree that food is a source of information to our bodies. Certain foods, like fruit, signal our bodies that winter is imminent, high protein signals that the hunting/gathering is good and starvation is not imminent.
3. We agree that locally grown, organically grown food without chemical fertilizers or GMO development is better. However, we (you and I) don’t agree that these foods are the major reason that we are becoming obese and at the same time malnourished.
4. We agree that fresh, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, especially the crucifers (or brassicas) are essential to good health and that we need a variety of fruits and vegetables to get to the optimum health levels.
I believe that we can get to an optimally healthy state without going on the no fertilizer, no chemicals, no foods that are not local bandwagon. I believe that the consistent use of highly refined carbs is the root of our diet problems. Concentration on that is the solution to the obese/malnourished conundrum.
Organic/vegetarian/local grown are side issues. They are important, but the major issue is empty carb calories.
My experience has shown me that there are different types of bodies, that react to food differently. Certainly, genes and genetic history play a role in what is best for an individual’s diet. We all agree that a major part of the world does not process whole dairy products well and consuming milk, cream or unfermented cheeses can be dietary problems for many, if not most, people. But there are other more subtle issues as well.
I believe that we don’t really know enough about how food affect people.
As an example, I am a confirmed Atkins dieter. Whenever I stray very far from a meat/fish/eggs/dairy protein with strong brassica vegetable diet I get in weight trouble. On the other hand, my girlfriend, who was successful with an Atkins type diet, now cannot maintain weight without a vegan diet.
One diet fits all is not sound advice. It sounds like that is the advice you are giving people. Also, we are beginning to uncover problems with body systems that affect how we should eat and what supplements we should take. For example, because of recent genetic testing, I discovered that I have a fairly common (10%-20% of the population) genetic dysfunction that makes absorbing folic acid difficult. I can only process the bioavailable form of folic acid, methyl folate. This dysfunction affects processing other B vitamins as well.
This kind of information needs to be more available. There are all sorts of processing and deficiency disorders that can and should be tested as a routine health care issue.
Diet and exercise are important, but they will sometimes not do the job if there are deficiencies in processing. I couldn’t get rid of all the plaque in my arteries until I discovered the folate problem. Also, we are beginning to discover that exercise “knowledge” was erroneous.
Proper exercise, for me, has led to healing heart damage as well as improved general health markers, air intake volume, resting heart rate, exercise recovery time, oxygen saturation rate and strength. All of these are identifiable numbers that can be tested.
TR
Hello Tom, thank you for your comments. To unsubsubscribe click on the unsubscribe tab at the bottom of one of your newsletters, sorry for the duplication.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Mark Hyman, you saved my life – this is no exaggeration! I experienced digestive problems for many many years, with seemly no changes based on what I ate or didn’t eat. I finally assumed that I must have some enzyme or metabolic deficiency of some sort. I went to numerous doctors, none of whom where able to figure this out. Of course you probably know the ending to this story – your article several months ago about Celiac disease rang so true for me that I took it with me to my doctor, and together we put the pieces together. In fact my doc has a friend at Harvard Med who claims this is the most undiagnosed disease in the US today. I have been gluten free for 3 months now and WOW, what a difference! I am still experiencing some issues such as a 5 lbs. weight gain and sugar urges from the switch to starchy corn and potato based diet, so am now modifying to a brown rice based diet that doesn’t create insulin surge. I also started taking thyroid supplements, which have helped enormously. Thanks to your guidance I am finally on track to health and vitality. And based on your blog on early death rates for Celiac and inflammation, I have no question that you are a lifesaver! Thank you, and keep the wisdom flowing for our hungry minds and bodies!
I commend you on your article. I am not a professional, just amateur foodie with about fifty years of “dieting” experienceI. I try to adhere to a diet minimizing all manner of processed foods.
I am wondering, however, that you made no mention of restricting–not eliminating–natural fructose and grains especially those containing gluten. I am also concerned about the apparent non-gratis status of regular meats. What about smaller portions of beef and pork? What about the growing concern of mercury in fish?
With regards to fats I have eliminated from my dietary program trans-fats, vegetable oils, and margarine. I do, however, use Olive Oil, butter, and extra virgin coconut oil because I have found that for me increased grain consumption instead of the fats leaves me fatter, and hungrier resulting in less energy and higher blood pressure. I have no more than one or two servings of grain (wheat excluded) a day.
Thank you for listening. I look forward to more articles.
Ruth Yacko, Ruhann@cox.net
Since I am a reformed sugar addict, I am still working on eating more vegetables and trying to keep my fruits down to no more than two to three a day. I have also found that eating this kind of diet satisfies me. In other words I follow a modified Paleolithic program .
Dr. Hyman- I have followed much of your Ultra Metabolism recommendations and recipes for years. I am 69 years old and a competitive Triathlete . I became a Vegan after reading Thrive, by Brendan Brazier. He ia a professional Ironman Triathlete and a Vegan . He recommended reading The China Study by Conin Campbell . I was astonished at what I learned about Animal protein in this book. I have eliminated all animal protein from my diet . I get my B6& B12 from Nutritional Yeast . I would be interested in your ideas about the Thrive diet and about the findings of The China Study on nutrition and health
People will eat any crap that tastes good, no matter how unhealthy it may be. And the food companies make millions knowing this. Thanks to you, some of us are eating smarter. I am in your diabesity program, and take lots of supplements.
I like Dr. Hyman’s lifestyle recommendations, and we try to follow that in our daily lives, although sometimes we slip. I do believe that you don’t get much if any benefit from vitamins unless you are taking a balanced mineral supplement! That’s proven. I think Dr. Hyman should recommend the minerals first, followed by good vitamin supplements – not the ones you buy in the bargain stores
I think you have outline the basics of good health. That’s an understatement!
It’s the masterplan for healthy living and done in only a few pages. Well done!
One cannot go wrong with advice like this. Continue giving it and sharing it.
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I am very concern about our food supply. This is why I focus on season, local foods as much as possible. I also encourage my clients to do the same. I have seen significant results with my clients when they change their diet to a diet of local, fresh, seasonal, and whole foods. As you have said for years, they see an improvement in their moods, better concentration, better moods, more energy, weight loss, and improved skin.
One way that my clients and I have been able to increase our consumption of real whole foods, especially greens is to make daily green smoothies. It takes 5 minutes and you can make enough to have more than one each day. It is a good first step to adding in the good stuff and to start experiencing the benefits of a whole real foods diet. We also purchase a majority of our food from our local providers and farmers markets. I live in Charlottesville, VA, we are very fortunate to have a variety of local providers.
.
Thanks, Dr, Hyman–for such beneficial, enightening information. I think the quality of our food supply and the eating trends of this nation are deplorable, for all the reasons you mentioned. Easily understandable information such as this needs to reach as many people as possible, particularly our law-makers.
I was raised on a Southern Italian diet, rich in greens, fruits, legumes, tomato-based stocks/sauces, seafoods, and occasional meat dishes. I know taking the time to make a large pot of lentil stew with swiss chard, for instance, is a great way to have something in the fridge for several days that is not only delicious re-heated, but actually develops a better flavor after two or three days of just macerating in the fridge.
Of course, there are many other dishes from this most food-healthy region that one can make in ‘bulk’ that keep for several days and develop a richer flavor after some storage time. You can find them in most Sicilian cookbooks.
I think cooking dishes like this that provide enjoyment (and convenience) for several days after would surely help a bit to improve peoples’ diet.
Mark you are making more sense than many in the “natural” field we used to milk 65 or so cows and we always found that even near the ocean our cows were deficient in selenium somewhere I have seen a map of the USA showing the areas considered deficient and my recall is that the only place with too much was in the Flint Hills in Kansas not much produce comes from there and not all the cattle pastured there could make a difference in our diets
keep up the good work
Hi, Dr Hyman,
What do you do about the winter time? Local produce is scarce or non-existent and the grocery store has produce that has been in cold storage for who knows how long. I can (and do) eat locally grown, farmer’s market produce during the harvest season like a madman. But when the late fall and winter hit, all that goes away. Any advice?
Hi Yogibish, you should eat what is in season. Frozen foods are also a good substitute when fresh is not available. Buying from a reputable source is the best bet.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Hi, me again. There are a lot of people before who have worked this way. It s only that the system doesn t talk much about it. In 1907Jetho Klos and his wife opened a health and medical center in Minesota using food herbs, water and other natural ways. There are many true cancer cures that are named as quacks, James Duke has recorded many herbal and food benefits, George orwell and Michio Kushi healed people with the macrobiotic diet for years, in the 30′ s in Chile, Manuel Lezaeta healed thousands of people with food, herbs and natural practices. His son still runs a place there.
And there are all the thousands of “curanderos” which constantly and still heal all those who cannot pay the doctor, and who have been called ‘charlatans”. Of course, other facts like lack of money for food or higienic conditions and other still plays havoc among populations.
It s always about money. Take Haiti. You’ ve been there. After all the money raised all over the world, people are still getting few real services and help, yet the UN is spending thousands in troops there, which are bringing more trouble than help. I know. I m involved.
Take Monsanto. Who is going to deal with them. Stealing the seeds from indians and forcing them to buy their genetically altered ones, which don t sprout..
I hope this is a really free and democratic post and I not censored, because otherwise this information is only for those who can pay the expense of organic food and do nothing for everybody else to have access.
We are involved in taking this kind of information to the street and organize against people against those who are killing us and at the same time building our natural, organic, local food treasure.
Yogibish- Carrots, and other root veggies that keep well in the celler as well as time honored glass jar “canned” veggies and fruits are always appropriate in winter, as are prior season fruits and veggies properly frozen and promptly used. Not as good as fresh, but better than aluminum canned or highly processed, high sugar, high fat. low nutritional value convenience foods.
Dr. Hyman – LOVE the site.
…And there’s always winter Kale!
you say don’t drink “liquid calories” but you promote juicing and smoothies?
Is the problem here that it tricks the body into not feeling full thus putting on weight?
Where is the happy medium?
juicing gets so many phytonutrients, even more than the fruit and veggies.
Also, where does one decide when too many supplements are too much.
I abhore the medical field particularly psychiatry. Do you know they still electroshock people to get them “well?” I was one of them.
Too bad the net was in its infancy along with rational thinking, even just a few years ago.
The juices, namely the green juices support detoxification and provide hydration. The smoothies, if made according to the recipes provided by Dr. Hyman, use high quality protein, nutrient-rich fruit and seeds high in lignans, healthy fats and fiber. Both of these are low glycemic options which differ from soda, lattes, fruit juice etc. all of which tend to have excessive amounts of refined sugars which raise blood sugar to unhealthy levels.
Lately I’ve been taking “whole food” supplements made from organically grown plants and animals, by Standard Process. My chiropractor uses the Nutritional Response muscle testing to see what I need, and adjusts various supplements accordingly. It’s making a huge difference–and I used to take very good quality multi-paks. I’ve come back from chemo for ovarian cancer thanks to following the kind of diet you recommend, and getting regular acupunture. I buy bulk organic nuts from Nutsonline, roast them myself, and keep them in the frig.
I can prepare the brown rice, veggies, and proteins, but can you please suggest any light sauces to moisten the mix and make it delicious?
Thank you!
I could not agree more. I am a Holistic Nutritonal Counselor and I educate my clients on how to eat and food shop. It amazes me how much people do not know about what foods to eat. Personally I eat a whole foods diet (mostly organic) consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, beans and fish. I do not consume dairy, sugar or wheat. Some think this is too strict a way of eating but what I have gained is energy (I have more energy now at 48 than I did at 28), good health and I feel the best I ever have. I do not look at my way of eating as restictrive but just the opposite. It has given me the freedom to live. I do beleive in supplements but not as a replacement for good nutrition. Hippocrates said it right, “Let food by your medicine and medicine by your food”.
Many of my clients have health issues such as ADHD, diabetes, IBS, thyroid to name a few. Through whole nutrition and supplelments they now realize that their condition does not have to define who they are and how they live. Their condition no longer runs their life but rather they dun their condition. They have gained a new freedom and feel fabulous and did not realize how poorly they felt until they started to feel good. I really think that people are so used to feeing bad that they think this is the way it should be. How wrong they are.
Thank you.
OOps, I forgot , I also eat whole grains such as oatmeal, and quiona.
Yogibish: I live in South Central Arizona, and good quality vegetables, nuts and fruits grow here in abundance year around in nutrient-rich soils of volcanic origin. Many people from other parts of the country mistakenly believe that the desert is a place where life doesn’t flourish, but the largest populations of Native Mericans lived here for many centuries. In short, there are places to live where the availability of fresh, wholesome, locally-produced food abounds.
Hello Dr Hyman! I so appreciate all of your advice. The one thing I would add, is that isolated vitamins aren’t getting very good press lately, as I’m sure you know. That’s because isolated vitamins lack the thousands of phytonutrients that accompany them in food. These phytonutrients act synergistically with the few isolated vitamins found in vitamin pills. That’s why I recommend Juice Plus – it’s a whole food supplement, made from the juice of 17 fruits and vegetables. If you want to supplement, that’s the way to do it. It’s ten thousand steps ahead of any vitamin. Would love to hear your thoughts! – Lisa Mair
this article is written in plain language easy for everyone to understand! Exactly the information everyone has to read and learn from! I grew up in Germany, my parents had a vegetable garden which supplied us year round with what we needed! Thinking back of all the hours we spent processing the veggies gave us time together and we thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the either canned in glass jars or frozen vegetables during the winter months.
In regards to food supply in this country? How scary is it to know that food processing plants are owned by pharmaceutical companies? Conflict of interest or just making sure that the crappy food they supply will bring in Billions in medication sales down the road?
I was literally saved by a Kinesiologist, plaqued by bone and body aches, sinus infections every other month, sciatica, skin break outs, dizziness upon standing, constipation, weight gain, etc. It was horrible! After 6 years of never knowing what the day wouldbring I finally listened to my friend and made an appointment. I was diagnosed with wheat and dairy intolerance, adrenal deficiency, etc. strted to take supplements and avoided the foods with wheat and dairy ingredients figuring 6-8 weeks are not a long time considering how long a life time is supposed to be. I lost over 30 pounds in one year without changing anything other than the food I was eating. I didn’t exercise or work out. I didn’t have to tell everyone how much better I felt! It was noticed by everyone! No more sick days! No more unexpected doctors office visits with antibiotic prescriptions! I got my life back! : )
Two years ago I bought organic wheat flour and organic dairy milk powder while in Germany, the Kinesiologist tested me for it and I did not react negatively to it! My body would be able to tolerate it! Of course I can’t afford to have it shipped to me and so I continue to live wheat and mostly dairy free.
So to make a long story short….the food supply in this country will eventually kill us all if we allow it to! Take charge of your own health as well as your families health! Spread the word, forward these type of emails to all of your family and friends! Even if they only read one of them and take something away from it you did a good deed!
Thank you Dr. Hyman for sharing such good information with anyone who wants to read it! This country needs individuals such as yourself! We have to secure our supplements as the FDA is threatening to take them away from us! Without them we are doomed! So everyone stand up for your rights! And if you are “allowed” to have a small patch of a garden in your back yard why don’t you start thinking about what you would like to grow in it this spring! Put your children on the right path so they too will be able to live healthy lives and continue to spread good health and know where food comes from!
Happy Day and Thank you for a most interesting and informative article.You are right “on target”..and its so nice to know that there are “physicians” that are sincerely interested in “good health”..and know where it comes from..We look forward to more of “the same”. Keep up your wonderful “guidance”…It is greatly appreciated…Happy Health…Bill
I start my day with a green smoothie…..lots of leafy greens mixed with local apple cider and fresh or frozen berries, cherries or fruit…..then I know I’ve done at least one good thing for my body for the day! Trying to go all raw, but that is a bit challenging sometimes.
I’m a nutritional consultant with numerous certifications, and I agree that your recommendations work for many people. Where you and I part company is in making the assumption that all humans need exactly the same foods and metabolize and digest their foods in exactly the same way. There is overwhelming research to suggest that this is just not so. Gluten intolerance/lactose intolerance are only the tip of the iceberg.
I went into nutritional consulting (from teaching high school biology) when I finally discovered, after 15 years on a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free diet and very little relief from my health challenges, that the poison that was killing me was the staple of almost every “healthy diet” – organic brown rice. After finally giving up all grains, I began to hurt less. It took an 89 year old chiropractor to suss it out for me. My next dietary change, two years later, was adding small amounts of 100% organic, 100% grass fed large mammal foods. (Conventionally raised beef is virtually poisonous.) I hadn’t eaten beef in twenty years. Voila – my nails started to get stronger, my hair stopped falling out, and I have energy to spare after a long day of working. Somehow, adding in the large mammal food resulted in better metabolism of minerals.
We need to keep our minds open.
It’s been my experience in my practice that by removing all grains, focusing on getting a variety of leafy greens and adding in small amounts of wild-raised large mammal foods, clients will often increase their caloric intake yet drop weight, reduce pain and kick depression, among other things.
But yes, there are clients for whom it doesn’t work that way.
Even “colorful vegetables” are not a constant. I had one 25 year old client who, after many months of testing of all kinds, finally stopped eating most fruits and vegetables. He’s gone from years of being almost bed ridden (on a life-long “healthy” plant based diet with no gluten, sugar or dairy and plenty of veggies and whole grains, and lean chicken) to thriving, on a diet of only leaves and stems from the vegetable side, and healthy amounts of animal fat and animal protein, including wild large mammal foods. All those colorful veggies and the lack of large mammal foods were slowly killing him.
There is no one size fits all. Until all of our nutrition gurus accept that, the rest of us will continue to go trustingly from one set of nutrition rules to another, never finding what works, instead of learning to listen to our own bodies. My wish is that you will all stop telling us what to eat, and instead focus on teaching us how to listen to our own bodies, so that we can each tell ourselves what to eat.
Thank you so much for all of your great info! I am working toward a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family, but I have one big question…my husband and children are allergic to seafood, peanuts, and tree nuts, and one of my sons is also allergic to soy. What are some good ways of getting the omega 3′s they need? Thanks!
hippcroates said best, let food be your meds, and meds be y our food, period.
Hi Mark:
I always pick up new information from your reports; thank you so much for sharing your advice with us. What are your thoughts about raw veggies vs cooked veggies? Are nutritive benefits lost in the cooking process?
Diana B
Indoors, I grow sprouts to supplement available vegetables and I grow lettuce hydroponically during the very hot summer, but, there are fruits that ripen during the fall/winter, too. Apples and citrus are my winter picks. I cheat and get the apples shipped to me to ensure the quality I want(Texas just can’t do apples very well but I’ll keep looking). Can, freeze or dehydrate during the season to save money and preserve the harvest.
As for sauces for brown rice, veggies and meat, I think the best thing to do is think ethnically. Change things up with a Chinese type stir-fry or a Mexican salsa or even Italian–spaghetti squash and a nice marinara. Cabbage or peppers stuffed with rice, tomato sauce and grassfed meat is amazing. Be creative and eat well.
As always, I like what I hear from you, and agree totally with your suggestions. I try to do them, but like someone in another comment said, I would really like some good sauces to use with them. Thank you, and here’s to more people learning about their diet. There is so much about diet out there, and most of it is wrong. When I suggest some of your ideas, they say you can find anything in diets, so why bother. best to you Sharon
Hi Dr. Hyman,
(I ‘m pretty well read on nutrition and the healing powers of food (you have definitely added to my knowledge). The thing about supplements: There are supplements and there are “supplements”. IE., you can get them mail order, online, at Costco, at health food stores, etc. Some are dated, some are not. A lot of vitamins and minerals extracted out of their natural environment do not work, or have side effects. Sometimes, they’ve reached their half life and there’s no way of knowing. (I take Klamath Falls algae–which feeds on the minerals from old volcanic ash and dirt–I don’t know if I get every single vitamin and mineral I need from this, but I will say, I can tell the difference!!) Can you address this please in one of your blogs?
Thank you for all of this information. I’m having fibromyalgia type issues currently and have had very little help from MDs. I’m using your Ultramind book to work on fixing myself. I’m in my first week of a gluten free diet. I want to thank you for opening many minds to the dangers of our current food supply. It seems like a daunting task but every life effected by correct information makes a difference! It disgusts me so what the food supply in this country has come to and that companies can get away with putting bad things in our food.
I understand that our foods are not nutrient rich because our soils are depleted. So how do you explain vitamin supplementation,either ones chemically made which people have been advised not to take cos our bodies dont recognize’ fake’ vitamins or raw foods vitamins-where do the manufacturers get their raw foods materials from to make whole foods vitamins? I am so confused!
No mention on lean meat in proteins? What’s going on?
I greatly apprecite your articles, your books, all of which I own and read over and over again, and receiving your emails with new information. It is easy for me to slip and go on a sugar binge..I tend to need “comfort foods” as I am a caretake of two disabled relatives,and this creates a high stress environment. Yet, I know that I am still healthy because, even though I binge, most of the time I incorporate juicing, large salads, vitamins, and exercise into my day. Not every day, but often. Reading your books and articles gets me back on track when I’ve derailed. I really feel that you have a heart for keeping us all healthy, and your sincerity is what keeps me coming back to you, rather than looking at other websites..You have it all, and I know I can trust what you say. Thank you!
I’ve lived according to your suggestions for the last 7 years (I’m 67). I’d like your advise on 2 issues: I’m pre-diabetes and managed to reduce my fasting blood glucose from 155 to under 100 with diet and exercise only. I eat lots of salds daily and am on a mediteraenen diet, mostly home made. Carbs cause my blood sugar to spike, even whole carbs. I believe it’s the cell’s insulin resistance that is the problem. I constantly have to exercise to reduce my readings, which leaves me tired and energy-less. I read many books about diabetes, but they mostly cater to obese people. I’m very skinny, so losing weight is not an option.
Neither are pills. Any suggestions?
As to multi-vitamins: I’ve tried them before and haven’t felt anything different in energy level or otherwise. (I used Super nutrition brand). It’s quite difficult to tell the good products from the bad ones. Any suggestion? If you can recommend a manufacturer that is reliable, that would help too.
Thank you and keep those articles coming. Dan
Hello!
I generally love Dr Hyman’s blogs and find them full of good practice tips, one of several sources which has ignited a strong personal interest in nutritional medicine.
However, there are a few things presented here that I am a little confused about.
In an evolutionary sense, I don’t think it makes sense to say that we are designed to eat mostly plants. Most of our time on this planet has in fact been during Ice Ages when very little plant food was available, and our digestive tract seems to have far more in common with carnivores than herbivores (including gut bacteria balance, especially in the large bowel). Certainly phytonutrients etc. are extremely useful, but not at the cost of ESSENTIAL nutrients like high-quality amino acids and good fats, both saturated and unsaturated (including good cholesterol – which plays a vital role in heavy metal detox, for example).
Furthermore, it seems we are designed to burn fat (known as ketosis) rather than carbs as our primary source of energy, and thus controlling our intake of carbs is crucial to helping us function at our peak…. and steering us away from the growing epidemic of pre-diabetes.
I should mention that clinicians I work with have found that protein and healthy fat deficiencies (which can be inferred from an individual’s blood biochemistry) tend to be the greatest contributers to chronic disease states. Almost all patients show remarkable improvement after about 6 months of optimal nutrition tailored to their unique biochemistry… in addition to a few key supplements.
If your clinical experience is different, or you have any other comments, I would love to hear back from you!
Sincerely,
Adrian
(Brisbane Australia)
I am very concerned about our food suuply. The FDA is now allowing certain GMO’s, new pesticides and things the average person isn’t even aware of that is harming our health behind the scenes. Instead of trying to remove natural vitamins and herbs off the shelves they should be putting their effort where it is needed.
hi Dr, thanks for the article. I was diagnosed with MS and was able to concur and remain in remission from following the advice you offer above. I think you would find the below attached link from another MD extremely informative as well. I just hope other MD’s could learn about how nutrition cure’s this disease. I wish that every multiple sclerosis patient would learn about this when they are diagnosed, it would save them from fear, heartache and a painful toxic daily shot that causes more harm then good:
http://co121w.col121.mail.live.com/default.aspx#!/mail/InboxLight.aspx?n=948975040!n=293515134&fid=3&mid=c2847bf3-0763-4308-b54d-96e4e7c4dfc0&fv=1
To Joan :Sprinkle toasted sesame oil, liquid aminos or umeboshi vinegar (or a combination of them) onto any whole raw or cooked foods to add sparkle and taste, instead of “sauces.”
Thank you for a great summary. As a farmer and an engineer, I see the mechanisms of our food system. The truth be told, we are getting food from dying systems; murderous systems that kill a dairy cow in 2 years of milking, soil that is sterilized and dead. All of our nutrition comes from the microorganisms in the soil and the energy from our sun. No amount of prayer or imagination can change that, yet we constantly hear people praying for cheap food and high profits, fantasizing about “recovering” jobs for people to do things that suck the life out of our planet and pollute the soil and air and water. It doesn’t matter if we do things efficiently: we are doing them in the wrong direction. We are taking from the soil and land instead of giving to it with our labors and intelligence. This wrong-direction thinking is also why our health care system is so messed up. The system is taking money from patients but not giving them the actual care they need: better food and less transportation. (Automobiles are by far the biggest killer of people, but you can’t GET to any of the new hospitals without a car.) Everything about humanity is busy stealing as much as it can from the future (debts, nationalism, religious antagonism, homogenized education, anti-biotics: who thinks something that kills life is the answer to food production?) Beliefs don’t matter, actions do: and our actions are backward: taking instead of giving. As Raj Patel said, “The opposite of consumption is not frugality: it’s generosity.” We need to be generous to our own future, and our future is below us in the soil, not above us in magical puppetmaster land or technology laboratories.
Hi, this article was passed on to me from a friend who knows of my passion for food and ‘nourishment’. And I am thrilled to see how blatantly and wholehearted you, as a physician from within the medical community, promote these basic truths about the power of food. I write a blog that celebrates making nourishing (plant based) meals and finding nourishment in the day to day of life. I share the process of ‘making’ as a creative adventure in preparing simple foods and how even the act of preparing a simple bowl of whole grain porridge can be nourishment in itself. What I can offer here as a tip for others is to find a way to make a ritual, however simple and small and personal, out of gathering, preparing, preserving, and eating as much locally grown organic food as possible, and how in the process, changes in lifesytle and awareness will follow! Thanks again for all you do! Kathy Ford (spontaneousaccomplishment.wordpress.com)
I absolutely have to have magnesium, B vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acids, so it’s great to see these listed in this article. Calcium is more problematic, as it causes migraine-like headaches. Perhaps in a future article, you could discuss the best ways to supplement calcium and magnesium for those of us who can’t just pick any supplement and take it successfully.
One way I have been inspired to eat whole foods is to read my friend’s blog, Spontaneous Accomplishment. Almost daily, she offers wonderful ideas for shopping and preparing an array of beautiful vegetables, some of which I have never heard of. I was not raised on vegetables, don’t like them so much really, but she will suggest a soup, or a way of roasting, or a lasagna loaded with eggplant and greens and I will be persuaded. One of the best was a stew-type creation based on soaked porcini mushrooms — you use the broth to make this amazing flavor, perfect for a cold January day like today. Check it out!
I absolutely agree with your statement that most doctors do not have a clue about nutrition.
What are you referring to when you recommend a “high quality” multivitamin. There has been a lot of research from numerous places around the world that multivitamins are doing nothing to improve health and in some cases, they are harming people. Wouldn’t it be far better to recommend a Whole Food supplement? They do not isolate specific vitamins; they use the entire food to maintain synergy. Many people do not know the difference between the two. I’d like to know your thoughts on this.
Having Dr. Hyman as an instructor at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition was a great balance for complex dietary theory. As you can see here, everyone CAN follow the advice. In my Holistic practice, I have seen TIME as one of the biggest enemies of completing Dr Hyman’s recommendations. Americans have come to depend on quick packaged foods NOW instead of taking the time necessary to prepare or cook whole foods. I have found that eating right does NOT cost more in dollars, just more in time. Be kind to your family – allow time to eat right. Not only will you love the taste and the way you feel, you will be healthy far longer in life!
I am pretty sure a doctor older than Dr Hyman stated that food is medicine and medicine is food a few thousand years ago – what has changed???
My only comment is that every one talks about eating whole grains, but I just can’t stomach most grains ( I eat rice occasionally). If I don’t eat them, what am I missing as far as nutrients go?
Lois, I think the answer is: not much. Grains are simply domesticated grass seeds, and entered the human diet due to the ease of cultivating them, and their value in providing a reliable source of calories. However, before agriculture, humans survived on game, fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Dr. Hyman actually recommends no flour of any kind and no wheat at all during the 6-week test.
Whole grains can be fairly nutritious, and are good for lowering blood pressure and providing fiber, but all of these benefits also are found, and often much better, in fruits and vegetables.
I have been so affected by Dr. Hyman’s great work that I often recommed his books and quizes to new clients (I’m a psychotherapist) with the first e-mail communication. (I work with a lot of “body/mind” issues.) It has really changed my life and my marriage. To address Mary’s comments about binging, I recommend learning EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), it’s on U-Tube. It’s what helped me break through some “mom stuff” and take wheat, dairy and sugar out of my diet. The truth is that we have to learn how to stop eating the way we are used to and really put time, love and intelligence into our food and bodies. We are creating an organic garden greenhouse this year to avoid the pitfalls of petro-food and monsantafied soil and water. It’s worth it to feel great!
Taking synthetic vitamins is a waste. 100% organic greens powders are the way to go instead. Look for brands packed in glass with a metal lid.