Diet

Diet and Health

One of the more controversial topics in medicine today is diet. It seems that nearly everyone has heard of, tried, or quit some kind of “crash diet” aiming to lose weight, lower cholesterol or prevent osteoporosis.  There is a glut of dietary fads, sometimes conflicting with each other, making it difficult to separate what really makes sense from what doesn’t.  There’s a dearth of information on the safety and effectiveness of these trends and almost no resources available to compare and contrast them.  Information on how some diets might actually worsen some conditions while preventing others is simply unavailable.  One diet does not fit all[1], and there is very little information on how healthy people can remain that way by eating well, or if this is even possible.[2] 

Conventionally trained physicians are usually little (or no) help in choosing diets since most modern allopathic medical schools provide only cursory instruction in nutrition.  Curiously, today’s prevailing medical attitude is that:

• Diet has little, if any impact on health and disease progression
• Time spent on dietary discussion is not cost effective, since most patients won’t change their behavior/diet anyway.
• Dietary counseling is not a physician’s job.

This form of thinking is emblematic of a profession focused more on disease intervention than health promotion.  Most physicians are simply caught off guard when asked about diet because their formal education was based on treatment of illness, not prevention.  Medical training focuses on vitamin deficiency and recommendations are generally spoon fed platitudes from groups like the American Diabetes[3], Heart[4] and Cancer Societies[5]. 

These general recommendations tend to be based on antiquated models known as “food pyramids”.  Food pyramids reflect more about the political climate in the food industry than about scientifically acquired health knowledge.  In the U.S. both the dairy and meat industries have strong political lobbies that vie for recognition in these pyramids. The resulting guidelines have stronger ties to economy than to scientifically proven healthy eating habits. Information contained in these charts has met with serious scientific challenge from groups like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).[6]

There is a void of scientific data on the relationship between diet and health, so it isn’t surprising that the information gap is filled by mainstream media, but it is unfortunate that the government also promotes inaccurate, special interest based information.

“Our patients have to fight off the propaganda from the entire food industry, not just fast foods.  They need lots of help.”[7]

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) agrees: 

“The public is already flooded with nutrition and diet information from multiple sources. As a result, they are sometimes confused about what, how much, or even how often they should eat.”[8]

The information gap makes this topic ripe for exploitation and fear mongering.  Fear of illness and an unpleasant death are strong motivators tempting large numbers of people to embark on unnecessary, and sometimes-harmful dietary fads.  Other lures include the desire for more a more attractive physique.

Many diets have been studied in detail.  The Ornish,[9] DASH, and Mediterranean diets[10] have proven beneficial in altering specific metabolic and physiologic endpoints (Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia) but these diets have not been evaluated for their effects on other health conditions. Without scientific data on how these diets affect the entire body how can they be evaluated with respect to total health?  Since most diets are proposed and evaluated with specific targeted endpoints in mind, is there any way to determine their safety and efficacy with respect the entire body? 

There are some criteria that can be applied to help discriminate between sensible and risky diets for most healthy people.  In this endeavor, it is important to keep in mind a few simple principles.  Understanding and applying these guidelines can help make sense out of a particular diet to avoid the common pitfalls, before risking time, energy, money and health.

All healthy diets should:

• Be Life Sustaining, Permanent and Holistic
• Be Based on Whole Foods
• Contain Unprocessed Foods
• Contain No Refined Sugars
• Contain Raw Living Foods
• Be Vegetarian Based
• Be Organic, Non-GMO
• Be Ecologically Sustainable
• Exercise Moderation
• Be Regular and Predictable
• Be Individually Tailored
• Be Cleansing

Life Sustaining, Permanent and Holistic

A healthy diet will sustain an individual over their entire lifetime.  No diet has much chance of positively impacting long-term health and wellness unless it can be adopted permanently.  In most cases, diets should not be considered temporary deviations from the norm, but permanent lifestyle adaptations. 

Diets undertaken solely in the interest of changing a single measurable outcome (weight, cholesterol, bone density, etc) run a high risk of failure since they often jeopardize other body functions (gall bladder, brain, kidneys, bones, heart, immune system, etc).  These focused diets designed to change one specific endpoint negatively impact other complementary physiologic functions, eventually leading to new imbalances and health crises.

Lowering cholesterol may benefit the heart, but it can adversely affects the central nervous system raising the risk of certain types of stroke.[11] Crash dieting to lose weight demineralizes bones raising the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.  Restricting fruit and vegetables depletes essential minerals and antioxidants resulting in greater immune stress and unchecked systemic inflammation.

Diets narrowly addressing one particular aspect of health, while ignoring the holistic totality of the entire body, run the risk of collateral damage and worsening overall health.  Focusing on one outcome to the exclusion of others ignores the holistic interdependence of the body and leads to unsustainable imbalances.  Adherence to narrow, single organ based dietary protocols can increase the risk of illness, deficiency and injury in the long-term.

Another inevitable side effect of these focused diets is the risk of worsening psychological and psychic stress.  When unhealthy, unsustainable diets end in failure (as they inevitably do), they contribute to an erosion of self-confidence and a distortion of body image.   Failure of these diets is often misinterpreted as a personal failure.   Over time, repeated dietary failures can lead to significant emotional and psychic stress, contributing to both depression and anxiety. Sustainable diets are, by definition, both enjoyable and emotionally satisfying; they are less likely to end in failure.   Dietary guidelines that are too rigid, harsh or extreme are not likely to be sustainable. Any diet that requires drastic restrictions and completely Spartan behavior is unlikely to be maintained.

A sustainable diet must take into account the varied needs of the entire body, including, but not limited to the health of all the organs and organ systems (bones, the skin, the nervous, cardiac, respiratory, musculoskeletal, immune and endocrine systems, etc).  Successful diets promote total body health allowing them to be sustainable, permanent, and healthy adaptations.  These diets foster healthy habits that can be permanently adopted without negative physical or emotional health affects.

Whole Foods

Most reasonably healthy diets emphasize the importance of consuming significant amounts of whole foods on a regular basis. The term “whole food” designates foods that are in the state in which they were made by nature.  These foods are largely unprocessed, or processed and refined as little as possible. Whole foods are typically free of added ingredients, such as flavorings, preservatives, and colorings.  All edible, nutritious components of these foods remain intact and in their original state (not removed, modified, discarded or supplemented through the refining process).

As many edible parts of foods should be consumed together, as possible.  These include the skin, husks, bran, germ, and seeds.[12] These foods should remain unrefined, unadulterated and in their natural forms (whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables) when possible.

Whole foods are usually recognizable and identifiable on the basis of their source of origin in nature. These foods have been grown, cultured, husbanded or derived from natural sources (not synthesized by machine) and are identifiable because they remain in their natural, unrefined state.

Each edible component of food has a different biological or nutritional value that works to support a different function within the body.  The skins, peels and husks of many fruits and vegetables are concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrient pigments and probiotics.  The seeds of many fruits, vegetables and nuts are essential sources of minerals, vitamins, essential oils, and antioxidants. 

Whole foods, in their natural state, tend to be rich in fiber and bulk.  Although low in nutritional value because insoluble fiber is not metabolized, it is essential for healthy functioning of the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the organisms residing in it.  Insoluble fiber promotes robust peristalsis of the intestines leading to frequent and regular bowel movements, larger evacuations, shorter GI transit time, greater gastrointestinal motility and more flexible immune functioning. Insoluble fiber also contributes to the sensation of satiety, the feeling of fullness and the ability to eat fewer calories.  Soluble fiber is metabolized by bacteria in the GI tract and contributes to a host of a healthy digestive processes.  Consumption of foods high in viscous fiber has been associated with improved lipid ratios superior to those produced by statin drugs (without the side effects).[13]

Fiber rich foods have lower caloric density (contain fewer calories by weight than processed foods).  Eating equal volumes of whole foods (as opposed to processed foods) leads to earlier satiety and the consumption of fewer unnecessary calories.  Higher fiber intake is associated with less weight gain and a significantly lower risk of dying from all causes.[14]

Whole foods are an essential component of sustainable diets.  They contribute to healthy GI functioning and physiologically appropriate body weight.

Unprocessed Foods

Food processing transforms clean, harvested crops or butchered animal products into marketable products with a longer shelf life.   Historically, food processing evolved out of the need to preserve food for travel and warfare.  In a highly mobile society, processing and storage of food is imperative, but the technology already exists to do a better job preserving the natural integrity of these foods.

Unprocessed foods don’t have artificial preservatives, colorings, dyes, sweeteners, flavor enhancers, modifiers or other additives that alter flavor, appearance or shelf life.  Unprocessed foods haven’t been stripped of nutrients or fiber in the refining and preserving processes. 

Because the refining and processing lowers nutritional value of foods, vitamins and minerals (of synthetic origin) are frequently supplemented in compensation.  These synthetic additives flood the receptors in the GI tract and competitively inhibit the absorption of any remaining natural food based substances.

Processed foods contribute to imbalances in digestion through several different pathways.  Since these foods are typically sterile, and do not contain living bacteria or probiotics, they contribute to the overgrowth of opportunistic yeasts, bacteria and parasites throughout the GI tract.  Processed foods also contain higher levels of unbalanced sugars and other nutrients that lead to unchecked growth of bacterial and parasitic organisms.  The resulting dysbiosis contributes to a vicious cycle of vitamin and mineral malabsorption and deficiency, food craving, overeating, weight gain[15] and worsening health. 

Refined foods are engineered for uniformity of taste, appearance, and shelf life.  Many of these foods are designed solely on the basis of entertaining the palate.  Most manufacturers trade freshness and nutrition for convenience, shelf life and profit.  These foods may have a limited role in modern industrial societies, but their use should be limited whenever the more natural, unrefined foods are available. Refined foods should not be consumed as dietary staples, but should be reserved for exceptional circumstances when needs demand.

No Refined Sugars

Refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrups and artificial sweeteners have no place in most healthy diets since these ingredients are incompatible with balanced nutrition. Overuse of these sweetening products contributes to many health dilemmas including metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. 

Artificial sweeteners are the subject of ongoing research and controversy.  Their safety and health effects have not been fully established, but they do appear to increase appetite, and cause weight gain.  They should be avoided.[16]

Acceptable sweeteners include moderate amounts of raw unfiltered honey[17] and fresh, unprocessed, unpasteurized fruit juices.

Fresh and preservative free dried fruits are acceptable in moderate amounts for most healthy adults since many provide significant amounts of phytonutrients, vitamins, cofactors, antioxidants and fiber.  Sugar levels in most fruits are balanced with these components as well as water.  

A healthy diet supports the integrity of the GI tract from a nutritional, mechanical and immune perspective, while providing complete nutrition for the entire body.  Overuse of refined sugars leads to bacterial and fungal overgrowth syndromes.  Artificial sweeteners do not support any probiotic growth, and may damage the GI flora, leading to immunologic and neuroendocrine imbalances.   Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners are not only unnecessary, but may be detrimental to overall health.

Raw and Living Foods

Raw and living foods are an essential component of healthy diets.  Raw foods are not only unprocessed, and unrefined, but also uncooked and unheated.  Raw foods include fresh fruits, vegetables, uncooked nuts and honey. 

The heating process destroys many vitamins, denatures proteins, alterers tertiary chemical structures, inactivates enzymes, oxidizes and hydrogenates oils and eliminates the living, probiotic and prebiotic component of foods. 

Raw foods frequently contain higher quantities of vital nutrients and active probiotics, which aid in metabolism and digestion.  Bacterial imbalances in the GI tract caused by poor food choices have been shown to correlate closely with the risk of developing a number of chronic illnesses[18] including Obesity, Asthma, Allergies, GE Reflux,[19] Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Disease and Colon Cancer.[20]

Living foods are either alive because they were grown, freshly harvested from living plants, and have living cells or because they were naturally fermented and produced by other living organisms.   Examples of naturally fermented and cultured foods include certain cheeses, yoghurts, kefirs, tempeh, pickles, sauerkraut, beers and wines. 

Naturally fermented and cultured living foods have been modified and processed by the action of living organisms (as opposed to the use of chemical reagents). Naturally fermented foods result from the symbiotic action of bacteria (probiotics) on particular substances.  Living foods remain an active source of these same probiotic organisms (unless they are heated or processed).  Many of these food cultures have been passed down from one generation to the next over hundreds of years.

The consumption of living foods, rich in pre- and pro-biotics is essential for healthy digestive functioning.   The living organisms that occur naturally on and in these foods fortify and strengthen the digestive tract and support the immune system.  Failure to consume adequate quantities of raw and probiotic rich foods or the inadvertent destruction of the natural biome of the GI tract (with antibiotics, antifungals or chemotherapeutic agents) has been associated with serious long-term health consequences.

Vegetarianism

Fruits, grains and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet.  Healthy diets differ on the amount of animal products recommended, but the fundamental source of nutrition should be derived predominantly from non-animal, vegetarian sources.  Since most essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, and oils can be found in fruits, vegetables, beans and grains, little or no supplementation with animal products is actually needed.[21]

Vegetarian diets are safe,[22] and numerous studies have verified their superior health benefits in a host of different medical conditions including diabetes,[23] metabolic syndrome and heart disease.[24] Vegetarian diets counter systemic inflammation and prevent or slow the development of many chronic illnesses.  On the other hand, meat and dairy consumption have been implicated in a myriad of detrimental health effects ranging from an increased incidence of obesity[25], diabetes[26], high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer.[27]

Vegetarian diets should be balanced with plenty of raw fruits and vegetables.  A well-constructed vegetarian diet will be naturally high in fiber, promoting healthy GI function, low body mass index and long lifespan.[28]

Organic NonGMO

Whenever possible, diets should be composed of organically or biodynamically grown produce, free-range, grass fed, wild, antibiotic and hormone free meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.  These foods have been shown to contain superior levels of nutrients and lower levels of chemical pesticides and other residues.[29] 

Genetically modified foods (GMO) should be avoided, when possible. Unfortunately, data indicates that avoidance of these foods is becoming nearly impossible since their spread throughout the ecosystem is uncontained.  These “Frankenfoods” have entered the food chain and affected even geographically isolated areas via air, insect and animal borne vectors.[30]  The health effects of this global dissemination can only be imagined since oversight of these products appears to have been completely neglected.  These foods may have far reaching health effects, but much further study is required.

Ecologically Sustainable

Food production and diet must be ecologically sustainable for the planet and bioecologically sound with respect to the body. 

With advancing technology, food production became automated and isolated from the act of consumption.  As a result practices of responsible food production were literally sold out in the global economy.  The indiscriminant use of pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals became someone else’s problem as foods were shipped farther abroad.

It is our duty, as members of the global community; stewards of the environment, and parents of the next generation, to support the sustainability of agriculturally based food production on the planet.  The food we purchase and consume should support local and globally sound methods of production.

The ecological balances in the environment and the practices of sustainable agriculture have far reaching implications on health.  Since the human body is, in essence, a vast network of interacting ecosystems, sustainable health is entirely dependent on principles of responsible ecology.  The methods of biophysiological manipulation have failed environmentally and medically.  

Moderation

The fundamental basis of a reasonable diet is moderation. In today’s world, overeating is both unnecessary and irresponsible.  It should be avoided.  Choice of food quantity is as important as quality.  Decisions based on the fundamentals of achieving superior nutrition, rather than on efforts to stave off ennui are most sustainable. Overeating, which is a leading contributor to the development of many health imbalances (obesity, metabolic syndrome, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), diabetes and heart disease) has become epidemic in our society.

Overeating is certainly a complex issue, but it is clear evidence of the tremendous success and failure of our society.

Moderation of eating habits to eliminate overeating requires many levels of support, education, conscious determination and discipline.  Since many food producers in our society have teamed up with the marketing industry it can be exceptionally difficult to make these changes. It requires deviation from many of the established norms of our society, which can be an uphill, continuous battle.

Moderation is an important key to a healthy diet. Controlling portion sizes, avoiding or limiting snacks, and eliminating  “seconds” demands conscious premeditated intent, reinforced by willpower and determination.[31] 

Many therapeutic modalities may be helpful in achieving moderation.  Psychotherapeutic intervention, hypnosis, acupuncture and homeopathy are all helpful modalities in this arena.

Regularity and Predictability

Dietary regularity refers to the maintenance of a regular schedule of daily eating habits with respect to mealtimes, types and quantities of foods consumed.  Daily patterns need not be rigid, but should be highly predictable and consistent between corresponding meals from one day to the next. 

There are many advantages of dietary regularity: digestive processes are more efficiently synchronized, and shifts in blood sugar and hormones are more efficient, predictable and manageable. 

When a commitment is made to maintain dietary regularity it is more difficult to stray off course to commit dietary indiscretions and transgressions.  When regular eating patterns are followed, there is less psychological preoccupation with food and the act of eating.   Food can be moved from the central role to a supporting position in nutrition.

The relationship between appetite and intake can be more easily balanced when a regular pattern of diet is followed.  Scheduled diets have the benefit of avoiding large shifts of intake and absorption, thus lowering the risk of both hyper and hypoglycemia.

If regular meals are anticipated and predicted, in advance, the body is able to efficiently adjust metabolism and endocrine function accordingly.  Changes in blood sugar, insulin and other hormones become regular, predictable events that the body organizes and learns to anticipate well in advance.  The release of hormones, enzymes, endorphins and endocannabinoids in anticipation of, and in response to food, become streamlined and requires less adjustment when a regular pattern of diet is followed.  Eating breakfast on a regular basis substantially reduces the risk of obesity.[32]

When the body becomes accustomed to a regular and predictable level of consumption over time, it sets the precedent for the future.  Regular eating habits help set parameters for physical and emotional expectation.  When the diet is suddenly restricted, feelings of satiety, fullness and contentment are harder to achieve.  Adjustments should be slow and gradual, allowing sufficient time for the body to adapt and modify new “set points” of stomach distention, fullness and emotional expectation. 

When overeating takes place on a regular basis, the stomach stretches and expands to accommodate increasing demands.  When the diet is restricted, the stomach shrinks accordingly to adjust to a lower level of regular consumption.  This process of readjusting stomach volume and personal expectation can take several days or longer to achieve, but it does persist.

If portion sizes are controlled and maintained and overeating is curtailed, even for short periods of time, the stomach adjusts its size in response to demand.  If demand is less, the stomach shrinks to accommodate less. 

When given proper direction, forethought and premeditation, the brain can adjust to lower levels of consumption over time, but psychological addiction to food must be consciously (and sometimes unconsciously) addressed.  At times conscious choice is not enough, and psychotherapy, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and other techniques may be helpful.

When the stomach is no longer consistently over-inflated by the cycle of overeating and it begins to register satiety at lower levels of inflation, the rest of the GI tract can work more efficiently.  Once the stomach and abdominal girth are readjusted, the diaphragm can be trained to be more active and responsive to breathing.  This improvement in diaphragmatic activity increases cardiac and respiratory capacity and simultaneously produces greater peristaltic activity in the entire GI tract. 

More efficient peristalsis leads to less constipation, faster GI transit time, more frequent bowel movements, and more efficient removal of waste products and cleansing.   Greater diaphragmatic activity also improves cardiovascular  and respiratory dynamics, and reinforces the lower esophageal sphincter, thereby reducing acid reflux into the esophagus. 

Preparing one’s own food at home, bringing lunch to work and regularly shopping for food in anticipation of the coming week are all mechanisms which help support dietary regularity.  Frequenting different restaurants on an irregular basis works against the establishment of these patterns.

Individually Tailored 

Diets must be individually tailored to meet the needs of each particular individual.  This is true with respect to the more obvious issues of allergy and sensitivity, and equally true with respect to risk factors for disease, family history and states of illness.  Since no two people are exactly alike in any other respect, it is highly unlikely that their diets should be exactly the same either.  Differences in genetics, metabolism, sensitivity, preferences and experience will dictate different dietary needs.  At times, consulting with a well-schooled holistic nutritional counselor may be extremely helpful to formulate the right program.

Diets may need to be adjusted at times, particularly when threatened by the risk of infectious disease.  Diets can be altered increase consumption of higher levels of green leafy vegetables, fruits, garlic, onions or other foods with specific disease fighting abilities.

Cleansing

Dietary “cleansing” must be an ongoing process achieved by consistently clean eating habits, as discussed above.  Cleansing is a continuous process that is achieved through a healthy holistic diet rich in whole foods and probiotics.  Cleansing is not a sporadic compensatory activity and is not a method of atonement for past dietary indiscretions.

The body is made up of a part of everything it has ever been exposed to.  The adage “you are what you eat” is based in science.[33]  Poor dietary choices affect the constitutional makeup of the body for many years. Sporadic “cleansing” practices using purgatives are dangerous and ineffective.  These techniques do not selectively remove “bad” chemical contaminants from the body or leave it in a squeaky clean state.

The body is made up of a wide range of “other” organisms that are essential to normal biodiversity and healthy functioning.  Bacteria in and on the body outnumber human cells ten to one.  They are not “dirty” or unclean, but critical ingredients of our ecological and biological survival. The GI tract functions like one long, continuous compost pile filled with thousands of biologically diverse, interacting species of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and protozoa).   Each part of the body represents an entirely unique ecosystem of interacting organisms that function to support and maintain balance in our health.  The GI tract relies heavily on these organisms to process food material, generate nutrients and vitamins and to make these substances available for absorption and assimilation.

Many illnesses* are caused by imbalances in the biodiversity of the skin, respiratory, genitourinary or GI tracts.  Bacterial and fungal overgrowth generally develops as a result of the destruction of the natural bacterial defenses of the body when the protective biome of is disturbed or disrupted (frequently by overly aggressive hygienic cleansing or careless antibiotic prescription practices).

An attempt to clean parts of the body, or the GI tract of “unwanted” bacteria, yeast or parasites is a dangerous exercise in futility.  It is more likely that too aggressive “cleansing” in the past is responsible for the crisis.  What is needed is greater biodiversity and expansion of the biome, rather than further limitation and restriction.  Studies have revealed that in many cases, the recolonization[34] of the GI tract with a diversity of healthy bacterial agents, and so-called parasites[35] has lead to the remission of many different illnesses.[36]  

It is no coincidence that the GI tract contains one of the highest concentrations of immune cells and organs anywhere in the body.[37]   These cells and organs are juxtaposed where direct contact with foods and nutrients, and a diversity of microorganisms within the GI and respiratory tracts will take place.  Reduction of the biodiversity in these organs has long-term repercussions that prevent the maturation and strengthening of the immune system. 

Dietary cleansing is the process by which wholesome unrefined food naturally supports the diversity and balance of the GI and respiratory tracts in a manner consistent with long term health maintenance.

Supplements and Nutraceuticals

Nutrition is derived from the quality and diversity of food in the diet.  Many factors affect the quality of foods, including the agricultural methods of production. Supplementing diets and fortifying food with vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements sometimes makes sense intuitively, but has not been shown to provide much benefit. Several recent studies demonstrate decreased longevity associated with vitamin supplements. [38]  One exception to this may be trace mineral supplementation in the elderly.[39]

Some commercially available vitamin supplements seem to competitively inhibit the absorption of naturally occurring nutrients from food.  This action reduces the amount of natural vitamins and cofactors directly available from diet.[40]  Healthy adults can usually avoid vitamin supplementation and food fortification if their diets are rich in the foods described above.  If supplemental vitamins are deemed necessary, for limited periods of time, they should be derived from natural “food based” sources whenever possible.  Synthetic vitamins should be avoided. 

Conclusion

Dieting should not be considered a means to achieving rapid, temporary changes in weight, cholesterol, bone density or physical appearance. To use food in this manner is ultimately irresponsible and dangerous. Diets should be considered important, relatively permanent, holistic, sustainable endeavors that span a lifetime, and adapt to needs that may change over time.

When evaluating or choosing a diet, the health of the whole individual organism should be considered, rather than just isolated aspects (weight, cholesterol, etc). Making choices based on the health of the whole body rather than on single organs or outcomes are examples of responsible, comprehensive, holistic management. 

Diets should consider the impact on the environment and the sustainability of every particular food choice made.  Diets should incorporate sound practices in accord with the ecology of the physical body and the environment.

When diets are based upon the preferential choice of whole, raw, unprocessed predominantly vegetarian and organic foods, consumed in moderation, and on a regular basis, the body has the greatest chance of sustained health throughout a lifetime.

Improved measures of physical health including ideal weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and longevity should be considered possible long-term side effects of responsible eating and moderate physical exercise. 

When these common sense dietary guidelines are followed, and food is consumed on the basis of providing optimal nutrition for the whole body, rather than pure gustatory indulgence, or fear driven “dieting” there is reduced tendency to overeat, undereat, or eat poorly; and lower risk of a whole panoply of associated health complications.

Disclaimer: The material contained in this article is for informational purposes only and no assumptions should be made regarding its accuracy. Any information provided here and any recommendations made should not be used to, nor are intended to, diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate any specific health problem. Anybody with any health complaints should seek the care and consultation of an appropriately licensed health care practitioner. No attempt should be made to use any information provided here as a form of treatment for any specific condition without approval and guidance of a physician.

Dr. Whitmont, or any person involved in the production or management of this article, is not responsible for the use of, or the result of the use of, the information contained here.

Ronald D. Whitmont, M.D. is Clinical Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at New York Medical College.  He is 1^st Vice President of the American Institute of Homeopathy and Treasurer of the Homeopathic Medical Society of the State of New York.  He Practices Classical Homeopathic Medicine in Rhinebeck and New York City, N.Y.  His website is www.homeopathicmd.com and his email is homeopathicmd@earthlink.net