Nutrition Health and Wellness

By Dr Michael Ellis

There are three legs to health and Wellness

1. Nutrition is a key determinant of health

2. Mastery of mind or life, and Release of stress

4.Support from family, relationships, friends and community.

Most people are affected by nutritional deficiency. he food we eat is denatured and processed Grown on a substrate of Nitrogen phosphorus and sulphur and lacking in basic minerals and vitamins our food on its own cannot sustain us.. Pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, smoking, stress, trans fats animal fats dairy and sugar all serve to compromise the immune system. At extremes of age ie in childhood or in the elderly or in pregancy food requirements become more significant. The fruit we eat does not contain adequate vitamin C considering the personal and environmental stresses we are under.

Stress , denatured food, smoking, pharmaceutical chemicals, the polluted environment all produce oxidative stress

Medical research has shown Oxidative stress to be a significant cause of over 70 chronic degenerative diseases including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s dementia, and macular degeneration, .Oxidative stress produces free radicals which then cause various kinds of inflammatory response. This response is tied up with the Body`s fight and flight or sympathetic reaction. An example is the way chronic or severe depression contributes to the causation of osteoporaosis and also cognitive defect .In these situations overproduction of cortisol by the adrenals with concomitant excess epinephrine contributes also to hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance characteristic of the Metabolic syndrome. Stress and the eating of excess fat and processed foods also creates obesity which further inflames this vicious circle and obesity is associated with an increased incidence of cancer and cardiovascular diseases all due BASICALLY to what we are eating and how much stress we are under

By simply eating 7 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day and increasing the fish in our diet to 4 or 5 dishes per week we can decrease the risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia, and cancer, two to three fold.

. However, even if we eat a great diet we can barely obtain the RDA level of all essential nutrients. And—due to the enormous amount of oxidative stress our bodies are under not to mention the severe degree the metabolic functions are also compromised we need antioxidants and adequate cellular nutrition

Dietitians taught in the conventional mode have no knowledge of nutritional ,environmental or mind Body Medicine but these components of the New Medicine are what can prevent, ameliorate or even reverse the current ravages of degenerative disease on the planet. Obesity and concomitant diabetes have now overtaken smoking as a major cause of illness. Cardiovascular disease is aided and abetted by fatty diet trans fats ,sugar and a lack of essential nutrients which are lost to our dietary modus vivendi ie fish, vegetables, fish oils, vitamin E, zinc magnesium, vitamin B6, Viamin B12 and folic acid. losing weight, adopting a regular, intensive exercise program and quitting smoking

Many people in the World are deficient in selenium,magnesium and,zinc , Vitamin C and the B vitamins. Half of the world population is at risk for zinc deficiency and 40% of children in low-income countries have stunted growth related to zinc deficiency

Young women on the pill and athletes are often deficient in minerals and B complex. The pill tends to create B complex deficiency.

Stress, heart disease, diabetes, insulin resistance , obesity .cancer and autoimmune disease are all linked by the common cause of stress, imbalance of the neuroendocrein system, and the inability of the eliminative systems of the liver and gut to cope with stress, and severely compromising diets which are lacking essential nutrients. Our bodies are often in a state of Chronic inflammation which could easily be helped by a sensible diet complete with many vegetables fruit seeds ad grains ( If not intolerant) and lots of fish and water and appropriate supplementation. Unfortunately the rich Western diet is heart and cancer promoting It should be also remembered that Intestinal dysbiosis should be considered as a mechanism promoting disease in all patients with chronic gastrointestinal, inflammatory or autoimmune disease

Nutrition In The Elderly

1 Nutrition in the elderly is often severely compromised. Often they do not even get the RDIs (Recommended daily allowance) of essential viamins and minerals and certainly not the optimal amounts

2 Hospital food is notoriously deficient in essential vitamins and minerals It is often made of processed food which has lost its essential goodness being over cooked and often left standing,. It is often unpalatable

3 Common vitamin and mineral deficiencies occur in the elderly

4 There is often deficiency in folate B12 and Vitamin B6

5 Hypochlorhydria leads to mineral deficiency. As well as the stomach the general function of other digestive organs such as the pancreas is also reduced. Also the digestive lining not functioning as well as it used to, leads to decreased absorption of minerals and vitamins

6 Many old age problems such as anorexia, fatigue depression, weakened immune system and infections are the result of poor diets and nutritional deficiencies.

7 Excess consumption of Simple sugars Saturated fats refined foods and non nutrient calories should be avoided

8 Sufficient fluid and fiber are crucial

  1. Elderly people require easy to digest well balanced vitamin and mineral formulation

The three legs to health and Wellness

  Nutrition is a key determinant of health

  1. Eliminate age accelerating, cognitive depleting and life shortening habits, e.g. quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, wearing a seat belt, avoid inhaling second-hand smoke, avoid breathing polluted air, avoid exposure to ultra violet rays, avoid eating processed food, avoid being exposed to X Rays, avoid being exposed to low

    levels of electromagnetic fields such as those produced by high power wires, computers, clock radios, hair dryers, electric shavers, etc.

     

  2. Weight Loss Over 50% of Australians are either obese or over weight and are inactive. It is essential to eat a low fat, complex carbohydrate, high fibre diet, replete with at least 40 varieties of different kinds of foods a week, including a lot of vegetables, salads and fruits with over 1 and half litres of distilled or filtered water day. Also, it is important to eat a omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids of fish oils with plenty of fish dishes, or at least 3 fish dishes a week. The fish chosen should be especially salmon, sardine, mackerel or tuna.

 

3) Establish a regular programme of exercise. The latest research shows that

incremental physical activity is as important as sustained exercise, as long as e.g. one hour of walking a day. This will help to enhance the functioning of the cardiovascular system and decrease fat. A good way of measuring activity, is to use a pedometer which is set to a 1 metre stride and to ensure there are at least 7 and half thousand metres or strides done a day. If a person does 10,000 strides this is guaranteed to lose weight and fat. There can be a pyramid of exercise where incremental activity of walking is increased to 30 minutes of accumulated, moderate intense activity on most days, and then to regular vigorous activity 3 to 4 days a week. This is on top of the pyramid and includes the other components already mentioned.

  1. Control excessive free radical reactions. Left unchecked, free radicals contribute to aging and age-related disease. A variety of antioxidant and nutrients like vitamins A,C, and E, the mineral selenium and other substances like proanthocyadin, licopene, lipoic acid, green tea extract and N- acetyl Cystene can inhibit free radical reactions and help slow the aging process.
  2. Maintain a nutritional supplementation programme, which includes at least a

    multi nutrient formula, a multi mineral formula and a phyto nutrient formula.

    RELEASE OF STRESS  and  MASTERY OF MIND

  3. Relaxation exercises including connected breathing, yogic stretching, yogic postures, autogenic relaxation, and guided visualization for relaxation.

    of the parasympathetic nervous system, to decrease stress reaction and enhance relaxation.

  4. Chanting meditation. To boost up the immune system by stimulating the biomeridians of the body and also to increase relaxation and release stress .Chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

    Support from family, relationships, friends and community.

  5. Enhancement of positive reinforcement and self esteem through support groups which enhance a person’s wellbeing and enjoyment of life with laughter and a sense of creativity and awe. This will include any form of art, music, literature, and brain stimulation to enhance the connections of the dendrites between the nerve cells in the brain, and will also include such things as crosswords and mental exercises. This will also include attuning to nature and walking in nature, and that includes walking in botanic gardens, forests and the wilderness, and experiencing the real forces of nature directly, including air, earth, fire and water.

( Ref 1)Ten social determinants of health

Sir Michael Marmot

  1. Social and economic circumstances strongly effect health throughout life.
  2. Stress harms health.
  3. The effects of early development in the neo-natal period and infancy last a lifetime.
  4. Social exclusion creates suffering and morbidity.
  5. Stress in the workplace increases the risk of disease
  6. Job security increases health, well-being and job satisfaction. Unemployment is deleterious to health.
  7. Social support, friendship, good social relations and strong supportive networks improve health at home, work and in the community.
  8. Addiction to drugs and alcohol is influenced by social determinants.
  9. Nutrition is a key determinant of health.
  10. Transport through the use of walking and exercise in a sustainable environment enhances health.