Editor’s Note: The Perfect Diet
Every day we’re bombarded with press releases and notices of new healthy attributes of one food or another. And while I applaud the efforts of scientists to discover the perfect combination of foods for health, it’s with a bit of trepidation that I disperse the news of each finding. If we didn’t, every day we’d be notifying you of new announcements and trends.
Every person’s body reacts differently to the fuel it puts inside, as evidenced by growing numbers of Americans discovering allergic reactions and intolerances to such things as gluten and lactose.
While there is no surefire way to prevent every possible illness that may come your way, there are plenty of natural foods that you can incorporate into your regular diet to help heal your body and keep it healthy.
“Food is a powerful thing. Because we eat so frequently, it is important to make sure that we are including foods that will do our bodies good,” says Gina Kopera, author of the book “Cure Yourself Naturally: What To Do When Your Doctor Cannot Heal You.” She is a certified master herbalist and owner of Gina’s Corner Healing Herbs and Supplements (www.ginascorner.com). “The problem is that people are not always aware of which foods are the ones they should eat and which they should avoid.”
Recently, I discovered I have a vitamin D deficiency, which could be explained by my recent move from sunny Florida to the mountains of Georgia where there are some cloudy days and wintry skies. It led me to look about for foods that hold some secrets to vitamin D such as salmon, cereal and eggs.
This search led me to a variety of announcements this month on the healthy attributes of many foods. I’ve included these announcements in the newsletter as stories and also as some quick notes below.
I was happy to see that apples got an A; and avocados (one of my favorite foods) will be publicized in March; here are some other highlights:
• A daily drink of about 500 milliliters of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall, as well as a suggestion of reduced depressive symptoms, according to findings published in “The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.” The study is said to be the first human trial to assess the potential benefits of blueberries on brain function in older adults with increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.
• For years, consumers and natural health advocates have been convinced of the benefits of resveratrol, the healthy byproduct of red-wine grapes, but recently, the National Cancer Institute decided it was time to investigate further. In the meanwhile, many individuals simply looking for greater energy, enhanced clarity of thought and advanced overall well-being are already benefiting from resveratrol supplementation.
The search also reminded me that I have been remiss in completing a story about Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), which can lead to a variety of health issues including thyroid disease.
Currently, the intake of iodine is down in the United States, as the majority of salt intake here comes from processed foods, which typically use noniodized salt.
This is another one of those deficiencies that can be resolved with dietary adjustments (as well as supplements). Naturally occurring iodine in the diet can come through foods such as fish and vegetables. I will be working with Morton Salt over the next few weeks for a story in our next edition of Health & Wellness. Morton has a long history of working on educating the public and the world on IDD.
Every person’s body reacts differently to the fuel it puts inside, as evidenced by growing numbers of Americans discovering allergic reactions and intolerances to such things as gluten and lactose.
While there is no surefire way to prevent every possible illness that may come your way, there are plenty of natural foods that you can incorporate into your regular diet to help heal your body and keep it healthy.
“Food is a powerful thing. Because we eat so frequently, it is important to make sure that we are including foods that will do our bodies good,” says Gina Kopera, author of the book “Cure Yourself Naturally: What To Do When Your Doctor Cannot Heal You.” She is a certified master herbalist and owner of Gina’s Corner Healing Herbs and Supplements (www.ginascorner.com). “The problem is that people are not always aware of which foods are the ones they should eat and which they should avoid.”
Recently, I discovered I have a vitamin D deficiency, which could be explained by my recent move from sunny Florida to the mountains of Georgia where there are some cloudy days and wintry skies. It led me to look about for foods that hold some secrets to vitamin D such as salmon, cereal and eggs.
This search led me to a variety of announcements this month on the healthy attributes of many foods. I’ve included these announcements in the newsletter as stories and also as some quick notes below.
I was happy to see that apples got an A; and avocados (one of my favorite foods) will be publicized in March; here are some other highlights:
• A daily drink of about 500 milliliters of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall, as well as a suggestion of reduced depressive symptoms, according to findings published in “The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.” The study is said to be the first human trial to assess the potential benefits of blueberries on brain function in older adults with increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.
• For years, consumers and natural health advocates have been convinced of the benefits of resveratrol, the healthy byproduct of red-wine grapes, but recently, the National Cancer Institute decided it was time to investigate further. In the meanwhile, many individuals simply looking for greater energy, enhanced clarity of thought and advanced overall well-being are already benefiting from resveratrol supplementation.
The search also reminded me that I have been remiss in completing a story about Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), which can lead to a variety of health issues including thyroid disease.
Currently, the intake of iodine is down in the United States, as the majority of salt intake here comes from processed foods, which typically use noniodized salt.
This is another one of those deficiencies that can be resolved with dietary adjustments (as well as supplements). Naturally occurring iodine in the diet can come through foods such as fish and vegetables. I will be working with Morton Salt over the next few weeks for a story in our next edition of Health & Wellness. Morton has a long history of working on educating the public and the world on IDD.