The New Optimum Nutrition Bible
Page 46
Allergies
“Allergy” is a word that often invokes connotations beyond its original meaning. An allergy is an intolerance to a particular substance. We have an intolerance to coffee, for example, if large amounts produce symptoms. Some people have more pronounced symptoms, even in reaction to simple foods like wheat or milk. Since an allergy is like an addiction, it is often the foods that one is most “addicted” to that are suspect. If you feel that you might have allergies but do not know what they are, it is best to see a nutrition consultant or an allergy specialist who can test you and solve any underlying digestive imbalances that provoke allergies. Optimum nutrition will greatly reduce or clear up allergic reactions in most cases. Vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium help reduce the severity of allergic reactions. L-glutamine heals the gut and supports the immune system, reducing allergic potential.
Diet advice
Follow a general healthy diet. Avoid suspect foods, dairy products, and grains (the most common allergens), especially wheat. After two months you may be able to reintroduce suspect foods every fourth day without having a reaction. Eventually, you may be able to tolerate your allergens in small amounts on a daily basis.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
4 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Calcium-magnesium complex (providing 500 mg and 300 mg, respectively)
L-glutamine powder 3 g a day
Also read chapter 34.
Alzheimer’s and dementia
Like many degenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s stems primarily from not looking after your diet and lifestyle. The actual damage in the brain is caused by inflammation linked to too many oxidants, blood sugar problems, raised Cortisol, high homocysteine, and exposure to toxic metals. These include aluminum, copper, and mercury. Trace amounts of mercury can cause the type of damage to nerves that is characteristic of Alzheimer’s. If you are experiencing significant decline in mental function and have a mouth full of amalgam fillings, I’d recommend you seriously consider having them replaced. One of the best predictors of dementia and Alzheimer’s risk is your blood level of homocysteine. If it’s high, supplementing large amounts of B6 (100 mg), B12 (100 mcg), and folic acid (800 mcg) helps lower it.
Diet advice
Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (aim for a mix of all colors, combining blueberries, beets, carrots, yellow peppers, and green vegetables), seeds, and fish such as mackerel, salmon, or tuna, rich in omega-3 and vitamin E. Eat whole foods, and avoid refined foods and sugar, smoking, alcohol, and fried foods.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and mineral
3 × antioxidant complex
4 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
3 × brain-food formula
3 × omega-3 fish oils
Homocysteine-lowering formula, if your homocysteine score is high
Lecithin granules (1 tablespoon)
Also read chapters 28 and 42.
Anemia
Anemia can be caused by iron, B12, or folic acid deficiency. A blood test can determine if you have such deficiencies. Iron is needed in the body to make hemoglobin—a key part of blood responsible for the delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to your tissues, brain, muscles, and organs. If you’re low in iron, you can’t make enough red blood cells, hence your pale appearance, and with fewer red blood cells, your brain and body don’t get the levels of oxygen and other nutrients they need. If you’re low in folic acid or B12, the hemoglobin is misshapen and doesn’t work properly. The result? Tiredness.
Two simple tests of your iron status involve your eyelids and fingernails. Look in the area under your lower eyelids—it should be a rich pink/red color, not pale; press on the end of your fingernail, turning the bed white—it should come back to red quickly when you release it, not stay pale.
Diet advice
Red meat is well known as a good source of iron, but can also be rich in saturated fat. Sources that do not have a high fat content include eggs, spinach and other greens, beans, lentils, prunes, dried apricots, molasses, and pumpkin seeds, so eat plenty of these, as well as green vegetables and beans, which are rich in folate. Only foods of animal origin contain vitamin B12.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and mineral
Amino acid–chelated iron 10 mg
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Angina and atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries due to fatty deposits. When the condition becomes more pronounced, blood pressure begins to increase. If a pronounced block occurs in the arteries that supply the heart with oxygen, then angina, experienced as chest pain on exertion, may result. Optimum nutrition is the primary method for preventing both of these conditions. Antioxidant nutrients help prevent the cellular damage that may underlie these problems. Vitamin C and lysine help reverse atherosclerosis. Vitamin B3 (niacin) raises HDL, the cholesterol remover. Fish oils, rich in EPA and DHA, thin the blood and reduce cholesterol.
Diet advice
Follow the dietary advice in this book strictly, avoiding sugar, salt, foods high in saturated fat, coffee, and excess alcohol. Ensure there are sufficient essential fats in the diet by eating seeds. Take plenty of exercise within your capacity.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral (with at least 300 mg magnesium)
2 × antioxidant complex
4 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × lysine 1,000 mg
“No-flush” niacin 500 mg
3 × omega-3-rich fish oils (providing EPA 1,200 mg)
Homocysteine-lowering formula, if your hymocysteine score is high
Vitamin E 600 IU
Also read chapter 23.
Arthritis
There are two major forms of arthritis and many different causes of both. Osteoarthritis, more common in the elderly, describes a condition in which the cartilage in the joints wears away, inducing pain and stiffness mainly in weight-bearing joints. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the whole body, not just certain joints. Antioxidant nutrients, essential fats, and herbs such as boswellia, curcumin, and certain hop extracts reduce inflammation. B vitamins and vitamin C support the endocrine system, which controls calcium balance. Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and boron support bone health. Glucosamine and MSM help build healthy joints.
Diet advice
Follow the optimum diet in this book and be sure to avoid adrenal stimulants such as tea, coffee, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Drink plenty of water and herb teas. Check for allergies, and have a hair mineral analysis done to check your mineral levels.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Joint-support complex
Bone mineral complex
Also read chapter 26.
Asthma
This inflammatory condition affects the lungs and respiration and is characterized by difficulty in breathing and frequent coughing. Often attacks are brought on by underlying allergies, stressful events, or changes in environmental conditions like the weather. Vitamin A helps protect the lining of the lungs, while vitamin C helps deal with environmental toxins. Antioxidant nutrients and essential fats are anti-inflammatory.
Diet advice
Follow the optimum diet in this book, ensuring an adequate intake of essential oils, and see a nutrition consultant if you suspect you have allergies.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules Also read chapter 34.
Breast cancer
Most breast cancers are hormonally related, linked to estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency. Stress, excessive use of stimulants, and exposure to pesticides all disrupt hormone bala
nce. Some forms of breast cancer, however, are linked more to carcinogens. Antioxidant nutrients have been shown to decrease risk and increase survival. Use of natural progesterone has been shown to reverse the proliferation of tumor cells. See your doctor or a nutrition consultant to get your hormone levels tested and consider natural progesterone cream.
Diet advice
Follow the diet in this book, with an emphasis on foods high in antioxidants, avoiding milk and meat, beef in particular, because of their IGF hormone content, and eating organic as much as possible. Have plenty of phytoestrogen-rich foods—beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts—and lots of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. Keep saturated fat very low and ensure you have adequate essential fats from seeds and their cold-pressed oils.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Also read chapters 24 and 32.
Bronchitis
In this condition, the tissues of the lung get inflamed. Optimum nutrition can help prevent it by strengthening the immune system and helping to maintain healthy lung tissue. Vitamins A, B complex, C, and E and the minerals selenium and zinc all strengthen the immune system. Vitamins A and C protect lung tissue.
Diet advice
Follow the diet in this book and do not smoke. You may also find some relief from following a diet low in mucus-forming foods, such as milk and milk products. Keep saturated fat very low and ensure you have adequate essential fats from seeds and their cold-pressed oils.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Vitamin E 600 IU
Burns, cuts, and bruises
All these conditions require skin to heal, which depends on a good supply of vitamins A, C, and E and zinc and bioflavonoids. These reduce bruising, speed up healing, and minimize scar tissue. Vitamin E oil can be rubbed around, but not on, cuts and burns; you can get it by piercing a vitamin E capsule. Also useful are creams rich in vitamin A, C, or E in a form that can penetrate the skin, such as retinyl, ascorbyl, or locopheryl palmitate.
Diet advice
Follow the diet recommended in this book. Drink plenty of water. Ensure you have adequate essential fats from seeds and their cold-pressed oils.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral with 7,500 IU of both vitamin A and beta-carotene
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C complex 1,000 mg with at least 150 mg of bioflavonoids
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Vitamin E 600 IU
Zinc 15 mg
Cancer
There are many different kinds of cancer, with different causes. Most cancers are associated with exposure to or ingestion of cancer-causing agents, coupled with immune insufficiency Often there is an association with free radical damage of cells, which then become cancerous. Depending on the type of cancer, the first step is to eliminate cancer-stimulating agents such as smoking, a high-fat diet, HRT, excessive exposure to sunlight or pesticides, a high-meat diet, alcohol, and so on. The next step is to build up the strength of the immune system with diet and supplements and to increase your intake of antioxidant nutrients.
Diet advice
Stick strictly to the diet advice in this book. Increase the amount of high-antioxidant foods you eat (see this page). Cut out red meat and alcohol and reduce your intake of all sources of saturated fat. A vegan-type diet is best. Also, drink plenty of water and herb tea, especially cat’s claw, which is a potent immune booster.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
4 × vitamin C 1,000 mg (up to 10 g a day)
2 × essential omega-3 and omega-6 oil capsules
Vitamin A 10,000 IU a day
Vitamin E 600 IU a day
Selenium 200 mcg a day
Also read chapters 24 and 32.
Candidiasis
The overgrowth of Candida albicans, a yeastlike fungus, can occur anywhere in the body, most commonly in the digestive tract or the vagina, and causes thrush or yeast infection. Mild overgrowth can be eliminated by a four-point plan: antifungal agents such as caprylic acid and grapefruit seed extract; supplementation of beneficial bacteria; an immune-boosting diet and supplements; and an “anticandida” diet (see below). It is usually best to work with a nutrition consultant, who can confirm the extent of the infection with proper tests.
Diet advice
Avoid all sources of sugar and especially fast-releasing sugars (including fruit for the first month). Also stay away from yeast-containing foods, mushrooms, and fermented foods such as alcohol and vinegar. Intake of wheat is often best reduced since it irritates the gut. This means living off vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. It is worth getting a good anticandida recipe book!
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
Caprylic acid 700 mg twice a day
Grapefruit seed extract 15 drops twice a day
A probiotic supplement such as Lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacteria (take separately from caprylic acid and grapefruit seed extract, perhaps before bed)
Also read chapters 24 and 33.
Chronic fatigue
There are many causes of chronic fatigue, the most common of which is suboptimum nutrition. Nutrients needed in energy production include vitamins C and B complex, iron, and magnesium. However, more pronounced symptoms, sometimes called ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), can include extreme tiredness on exertion. These can result from the body’s ability to detoxify being overloaded. Any generation of energy (exercise) or digestion (eating) produces toxins for the body to deal with. If symptoms occur after eating or exercise, see a nutrition consultant who can test your liver detoxification potential.
Diet advice
Eat little and often, choosing from slow-releasing carbohydrates and snacking on fruit. Avoid sugar and stimulants such as tea, coffee, chocolate, and alcohol. In general, follow the dietary recommendations in this book.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
3 × vitamin C 1,000 mg
2 × antioxidant complex
Also read chapters 29 and 35.
Colds and flu
Exposure to viruses is unavoidable, unless you live like a hermit. However, whether you succumb to a virus depends on the strength of your immune system at the time of infection. Studies have repeatedly shown that taking a daily supplement of 1 gram of vitamin C or more reduces the incidence, severity, and duration of colds. However, optimum nutrition, together with immune-boosting nutrients during cold epidemics, can produce even better results.
Diet advice
Avoid all dairy products, eggs, and excessive meat or soy consumption, since these foods are mucus forming. This is a great time to give your body a high-energy pure food diet packed with fresh fruit and vegetables and their juices. Drink cat’s claw tea three times a day to boost the immune system.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral
2 × antioxidant complex
2 × vitamin C 1,000 mg (4 g every four hours only when infected)
Elderberry extract (1 tablespoon four times a day only when infected)
Echinacea drops (10 drops, two or three times a day only when infected)
Also read chapter 33.
Colitis
In this condition, part of the large intestine is inflamed. It is often stress induced; however, it can also be due to poor diet, poor elimination, an allergy, or suboptimum nutrition. Since there is inflammation, the first step is to reduce any aggravating
foods including alcohol, coffee, and wheat. These can be replaced by foods and drinks that pass easily through the digestive tract, such as steamed vegetables, rice, fish, and fruit, plus digestive enzyme supplements. Essential fats rich in GLA are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Antioxidants also help reduce inflammation.
Diet advice
While the diet recommended in this book is a good one, the high fiber content can act as an irritant in this condition. So a diet of lightly steamed vegetables, fish, and cooked grains is often preferable, with easy-to-digest fruit as snacks. Avoid all digestive irritants, which can include any food you are allergic to, wheat, alcohol, coffee, and spices.
Supplements
2 × multivitamin and multimineral