Introduction
A popular discussion in the health community centres around the idea that the only disease is malnutrition. And while this is an overgeneralization, the underlying principle does hold.
A healthy diet provides your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly and is arguably the single most effective strategy you can employ against ailments, illness, infection, and disease.
Organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats (if applicable) should accompany your healthy diet as often as possible. This further ensures the purity of your food and provides optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
A healthy diet is composed of five distinctive categories: water, fats, fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein.
Water
Your body is composed of approximately 70 percent water and accounts for one-half to four-fifths of your weight. The average adult body contains forty-five litres of water. Thirty of these litres, referred to as intracellular fluid, circulate within cells and there is a constant exchange of intra and extra-cellular fluid through cell membranes. Three litres circulate as blood plasma, carrying protein and other nutrients that pass through capillary walls. The remaining twelve litres, referred to as interstitial fluid, surround cells and are found in lymph and various other secretions.
Functions
Water is required by all body tissues and is used by all joints, organs, and systems. It is essential for all body functions and an increased water intake generally enhances these processes. Water acts as a solvent for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, glucose, and a number of other nutrients and plays a role in the digestion, absorption, transportation, and utilization of these nutrients. It is the base of all blood and fluid secretions, including gastric juices, saliva, synovial fluid, tears, and others. Water also acts as a cushion for body cells and surrounds the developing fetus, in the form of amniotic fluid.
Increased water intake hydrates your cells, enhances organ function, improves the efficiency of your lymphatic and elimination systems, maintains acid-alkaline balance, improves mental and physical performance, lubricates joints, maintains proper internal temperature, promotes healthy skin and generally makes you feel better.
Requirements
You typically require 1.9L/2 quarts water daily to support proper function. Approximately 0.9L/1 quart is obtained through food while an additional 0.9L/1 quart must be consumed separately. This quantity increases for physically active people or those living in warmer climates. Serious dehydration can occur with a loss of only 5 to 10 percent body water, while a 15 to 20 percent loss is often fatal.
As we age, we "dry-out" somewhat and lose our desire for thirst. While a newborn is 75 to 80 percent water, people between the age of 65 and 70 are typically composed of only 50 percent water. This is reflected in stiff joints and reduced saliva flow. For this reason, optimal water consumption is recommended throughout life and well into the retired years.
When internal water content decreases, blood volume drops, salt content slightly increases, and saliva production drops. This series of events triggers a chemical and hormonal process inducing a sensation of thirst that is relieved through the consumption of water or other fluids. When you are thirsty, your kidneys also conserve water by redirecting it back into the bloodstream, resulting in increased urine concentration.
For more information, see the dedicated section on Water.
Fats
Contrary to a large body of mainstream rhetoric circulating specifically through the weight-loss community, fats are absolutely essential to a healthy diet. We seem to have a love/hate relationship with fats. On one hand, we embrace fat-free foods and prepared foods. On the other hand, we are told fats are good for us and are essential to maintain optimum health and well-being. Both, in fact, are true.
Fats are essential for proper homeostasis -- an overall balance within the body. They are needed to transport nutrients and other compounds around the body and facilitate energy storage, vitamin and mineral absorption (particularly A, D, E, and K), hormone synthesis, cell membrane flexibility, organ protection, and body insulation. Our brain is composed primarily of fat and requires the fat found in oils to function properly. Indeed, a number of fats are referred to as "Essential Fatty Acids" and the term is quite literal.
On the other hand, excess, non-essential fat consumption can lead to heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of cancers. To counter this disturbing relationship, you must balance with those fats that have a beneficial effect on the body.
In general, calories from fat should comprise 15 to 30% of your daily total intake.
Types of Fat
Saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats should be avoided at all times. These fats are found in fried foods, processed foods, and the majority of low-quality cooking oils. Instead, stick to monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats and essential fatty acids, which have more beneficial qualities. When cooking, only use cold-pressed, unrefined, preferably organic, oils.
Safflower oil is considered the best cooking oil due to a low percentage of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, complemented by its high omega-6 fatty acid content (see Fat Breakdowns, below). Avoid all forms of margarine unless explicitly stated as being non-hydrogenated. Use ghee or butter instead.
The consumption of fried and processed foods is generally not recommended, as nutritional values are typically low and the additives, preservatives, and majority of ingredients are of questionable quality and necessity.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
Essential fatty acids help build nerve cells, synapse membranes, and the myelin sheath that covers most nerve fibres. They help transport and metabolize cholesterol and fats in the blood and stored fats in muscle tissue. These acids also form prostaglandins -- hormone-like substances that act as neuronal messengers in the body, facilitating proper nervous system, immune system, and cardiovascular function. In addition, EFAs transport vitamins, minerals, and other fat-soluble compounds required by your body and support proper immune system function.
EFAs come in two forms: omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid). These fatty acids are not synthesized internally and must be obtained from your diet.
Essential fatty acids can be found in borage oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, hemp seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, fish, eggs, beans, and walnuts.
For more information, see Food Supplements -- Essential Fatty Acids.
Fat Breakdowns
This table shows the breakdown of various fats in a variety of foods and oils.
| Food | Saturated (%) | Monounsaturated (%) | Alpha-Linolenic (Omega-3) (%) | Linoleic (Omega-6) (%) |
| Butter | 66 | 30 | 2 | 2 |
| Canola | 7 | 61 | 11 | 21 |
| Coconut | 92 | 6 | nil | 2 |
| Corn | 14 | 25 | 1 | 60 |
| Flax | 9 | 19 | 58 | 14 |
| Hemp | 9 | 13 | 20 | 58 |
| Lard | 41 | 47 | 1 | 1 |
| Margarine | 18 | 48 | 5 | 29 |
| Olive | 14 | 77 | 1 | 8 |
| Peanut | 18 | 48 | nil | 34 |
| Safflower | 9 | 13 | trace | 78 |
| Soybean | 15 | 24 | 7 | 54 |
| Sunflower | 11 | 20 | nil | 69 |
For more information on fats, see the dedicated section on Fat Facts.
Fruits and Vegetables
The sheer variety of available fruits and vegetables is astounding. And their benefits on your health are as plentiful as their diversity. Fruits and vegetables, particularly those grown organically, are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, fibre, and many other nutrients required by our bodies...some of which have yet to be identified and/or labeled! The majority of the nutrients are easily absorbed and food combining further ensures optimal nutrient availability.
Purchasing and Use
When purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, opt for local varieties whenever possible and purchase produce in season (and freeze extras). This supports your local economy and bioregion and prevents the need to exploit land and resources afar in our global village. It simply makes no sense to purchase strawberries from California in the middle of winter in Ontario. The amount of energy (particularly in fuel) expended to transport the strawberries to their final destination is incredibly inefficient and further burdens our already polluted world.
Fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw to ensure maximum nutritional benefit. Heat tends to destroy nutrients and enzymes, reducing overall nutritional quality.
Juicing
Juicing, particularly organic juicing, provides your body with high quality, nutrient-packed fruit and vegetables juices. "Home-made" juices are easily digested, quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, and offer a simple way to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, though the beneficial cellulose / hemicellulose / lignin / pectin fibre will be left behind in the pulp. Home-made juices are also nutritionally superior to store-bought varieties that have been processed and pasteurized, destroying beneficial enzymes and reducing nutritional value.
Common juicing foods include apples, beets, barleygrass, cabbage, carrots, celery, cranberries, cucumbers, dandelions, grapefruits, grapes, kale, lemons, oranges, papayas, parsley, spinach, sunflower sprouts, turnips, watercress, and wheatgrass. The combinations are only limited by your imagination and/or a good juicing recipe book. However, keep fruits with fruits and vegetables with vegetables. Apples are the only fruits that should be juiced with vegetables.
In general, fresh juices provide your body with acetic acid, antioxidants, carbohydrates, carotenoids, chlorophyll, enzymes, essential fatty acids, flavonoids, trace minerals, phenols, proteins, sulphur, vitamins, purified water, and a large variety of other compounds, some of which have yet to be identified!
For more information, see the dedicated section on Juicing.
Vegetarianism
Vegetarians eat a greater portion of fruits and vegetables than non-vegetarians and this dietary lifestyle, combined with low fat, high fibre choices, has proven to be an excellent preventative against ailments and disease. Yet while a vegetarian diet may not be your preference, incorporating more fruit and vegetable choices proves beneficial regardless of whether the diet is primarily animal or non-animal based. For more information, see the dedicated section on Vegetarianism.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are used in the energy processes of your body and are found in whole grains, plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and animal milk products. They can be further broken down into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates, or simple sugars, include the monosaccharides glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), and galactose and the disaccharides maltose, sucrose (white sugar), and lactose (milk sugar). Simple carbohydrates provide a quick energy source of short duration. Fruits in particular are one of the richest sources of naturally occurring simple carbohydrates.
White Sugar
White sugar (refined, granulated sucrose) is a more refined simple carbohydrate whose structure is foreign to the body and the average person consumes 45 pounds of it per year! Your immune system will treat white sugar as an invader and seek to eliminate it from your body. White sugar also depresses white blood cell activity and interferes with the absorption of various nutrients. These effects begin within thirty minutes of consumption and last for five hours. Considering the sheer quantity, the unnecessary strain on your immune system is definitely something to consider. In general, avoid white sugar.
Lactose
Lactose is indigestible by 75% of the adult population due to a deficiency of lactase -- a digestive enzyme found in the small intestine required to digest lactose. Digestive upset occurs as a result. If you are lactose intolerant, use soy or rice milk instead. For more information on lactose intolerance and appropriate solutions, see the dedicated section on Lactose Intolerance. For more information on milk alternatives, see the dedicated section on Non-Dairy Milk.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are composed of longer, more complex chains of sugar molecules and can be found in fibre, legumes, starches, vegetables, and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates include the polysaccharides glycogen (not a dietary source of carbohydrates), starches, and soluble / insoluble fibre (nonstarch polysaccharides)
Complex carbohydrates are converted into glucose and used to fuel cell activity throughout the body. Glucose is also the sole source of energy relied on by the brain and red blood cells. Glucose is stored as glycogen in your liver and muscle cells for future use. Taking in more calories than your body requires results in the longer-term storage of carbohydrates as fat in the body, again, for future use.
Refined vs. Unrefined
The modern North American diet is rich in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, the majority are derived from refined foods such as candy, soft drinks, desserts, and white sugar. As previously mentioned, these forms offer a quick energy boost, but are lacking in any true nutritional value and prove detrimental to your health over the long term. Adult-onset diabetes and hypoglycemia typically result from a refined carbohydrate diet early in life. In addition, refined carbohydrate products, such as prepared baked goods (cakes, cookies, danishes, doughnuts, muffins, pastries, et cetera), are also typically high in undesirable types of fat. Instead, opt for natural, unrefined carbohydrate rich-foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Fibre
Fibre is also a type of carbohydrate that is resistant to the digestive enzymes in your body. Only a small amount is metabolized and the remainder passes through your gastrointestinal tract to be excreted. Fibre helps prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of colon cancer and proves helpful when dealing with irritable bowel syndrome. It also improves nutrient absorption and cleanses the digestive tract, helping remove toxins in the process. For more information, see the dedicated section on Fibre.
In general, calories from carbohydrates should comprise 30 to 40% of your daily total intake.
Protein
As with water, proteins are an essential component of every cell in the body. Indeed, protein is second only to water in comprising the greatest portion of body weight.
Proteins play a role in bone, muscle, organ, and gland structure and function. All hormones and enzymes that regulate and promote various body functions are proteins. Proteins also aid in regulating water balance which helps maintain proper pH levels in the body.
Essential vs. Non
Proteins are synthesized from twenty different amino acids. The liver produces eleven "non-essential" amino acids while the remaining nine "essential" amino acids must be obtained from the diet.
A deficiency of even one essential amino acids can result in severe physiological problems. It is important to obtain all essential amino acids from a variety of dietary sources (see Sources and Combinations, below). The essential amino acids are: L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-threonine, tryptophan, and L-valine.
Non-essential amino acids are manufactured by the body as needed. They are required for proper health and growth, but it is not necessary to obtain them through the diet as with the essential amino acids. The non-essential amino acids are: L-alanine, L-arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, citrulline, L-cysteine and cystine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, L-glutamine, glycine, ornithine, L-proline, L-serine, L-taurine, and L-tyrosine.
Sources and Combinations
Protein quality is as important as quantity when considering dietary intake. Milk and eggs provide the best assortment of essential amino acids. However, those with a lactose deficiency or high cholesterol, vegetarians, or vegans, may find these amino acid sources inappropriate. Other preferred sources of protein include organic non-GMO soybean products, organic cheeses, non-farmed fish, or organic poultry and beef. Each contains low levels of several essential amino acids and must be combined with other sources to ensure complete essential amino acid intake.
Legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables are considered poor sources of protein on their own. However, these foods can be strategically combined to complete your amino acid intake. Legumes should be combined with foods made from grains or nuts and seeds to provide an optimal, complete intake. Vegetarians should (and do) employ this practice to ensure dietary health. Specific combinations follow:
| Legumes & Grains Combinations Baked beans and wheat bread Bean burrito in corn tortilla Bean soup with wheat and barley Tofu dishes with rice
| Legumes, Nuts & Seeds Combinations Lentil curry and cashews Tofu/vegetable stir-fry with sesame seeds Ground chickpeas (hummus) and sesame seeds Roast soybeans and nuts and seeds
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For more information, see the dedicated section on Amino Acids.
In general, calories from protein should comprise 30 to 40% of your daily total intake.
Ailments / Situations Where Used
ALL ailments and situations will benefit from a healthy diet and this should form the basis of your healing protocol. By providing your body with necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients, your organs, digestive, immune, lymphatic, and nervous system functions more efficiently, toxins are eliminated more quickly, and repairs to damaged tissues are completed more effectively.
Consult with your nutritionist, naturopath, or other health practitioner to determine the most ideal diet for your needs. Potential food allergies should also be ruled out.
And consume organic as often as possible.
See related
Juicing, Non-Dairy Milk, Organic Food, Vegetarianism
See also
Food Allergies
