Wheat has twenty-five nutrients removed in the refining process that turns it into white flour, yet only four (iron and vitamins B1, B2, and B3) are replaced. On average, 87 percent of the essential minerals zinc, chromium, and manganese are lost. Processed meats like hamburger and sausage are no better: the use of inferior meat high in fat lowers the nutrient content. Eggs, fish, and chicken are nutrient-rich sources of protein, but protein deficiency is rarely a problem.
Vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains are full of vitality, being whole foods. Many are “seed” foods, so they have to contain everything that the plant needs to grow, including zinc. Broccoli, carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants. Peppers, broccoli, and fruit are rich in vitamin C and other phytonutrients. Seeds and nuts are rich in essential fats. Beans and grains provide both protein and complex carbohydrate. Foods such as these should make up at least half, if not all, of your diet.
The perfect diet pyramid below gives you the kind of balance of foods to aim for in your diet.
The perfect diet pyramid.
Check out your diet
Many people would like to believe that as long as they take their vitamin supplements they can keep eating all the “bad” foods that they love. But you cannot rely on diet, supplements, or exercise alone to keep you healthy. All three are essential.
DIET CHECK QUESTIONNAIRE
Score 1 point for each yes answer. Maximum score is 20.
Do you add sugar to food or drink almost every day?
Do you eat foods with added sugars almost every day?
Do you use salt in your food?
Do you drink more than one cup of coffee most days?
Do you drink more than three cups of tea most days?
Do you smoke more than five cigarettes a day?
Do you take recreational drugs such as cannabis?
Do you drink more than 10 oz. of alcohol (one glass of wine, one pint or 600 ml of beer, or two shots) a day?
Do you eat fried food more than twice a week?
Do you eat processed fast food more than twice a week?
Do you eat red meat more than twice a week?
Do you often eat foods containing additives and preservatives?
Do you eat chocolate or sweets more than twice a week?
Does less than a third of your diet consist of raw fruit and vegetables?
Do you drink less than ½ pint (300 ml) of plain water each day?
Do you normally eat white rice, flour, or bread rather than whole-grain?
Do you drink more than 3 pints of milk a week?
Do you eat more than three slices of bread a day, on average?
Are there some foods you feel “addicted” to?
Do you eat oily fish less than twice a week and/or seeds less than daily?
0–4: You are obviously a health-conscious individual and your minor indiscretions are unlikely to affect your health. Provided you supplement your diet with the right vitamins and minerals, you can look forward to a long and healthy life.
5–9: You are on the right track, but must be a little stricter with yourself. Rather than giving up your bad habits, set yourself easy experiments. For instance, for one month go without two or three of the foods or drinks you know are not good for you. See how you feel. Some you may decide to have occasionally, while others you may find you go off. But be strict for one month—your cravings will only be short-term withdrawal symptoms. Aim to have your score below five within three months.
10–14: Your diet is not good and you will need to make some changes to be able to reach optimum health. But take it a step at a time. You should aim to have your score down to five within six months. Start by following the advice in this chapter, backed up by the advice in part 2. You will find that some of your bad dietary habits will change for the better as you discover tasty alternatives. The bad habits that remain should be dealt with one at a time. Remember that sugar, salt, coffee, and chocolate are all addictive foods. Your cravings for them will dramatically decrease or go away altogether after one month without them.
15–20: There is no way you can continue to eat like this and remain in good health. You are consuming far too great a quantity of fat, refined foods, and artificial stimulants. Follow the advice in part 2 very carefully and make gradual and permanent changes to your lifestyle. For instance, take two questions to which you answered yes and make changes so that one month later you could answer no (one example would be to stop eating sugar and drinking coffee in the first month). Keep doing this until your score is five or less. You may feel worse for the first two weeks, but within a month you will begin to feel the positive effects of healthy eating.
Eating for vitality
One secret of longer and healthier life is to eat foods high in vitamin and mineral vitality, but this is not the only criterion for judging a food. Good food should also be low in fat, salt, and fast-releasing sugars; high in fiber; and alkaline forming. Nonanimal sources of protein are desirable. Such a diet will also be low in calories, but then you will not have to count them because your body will become increasingly efficient and not crave extra food. A craving for food when you have already eaten enough calories is often a craving for more nutrients, so foods providing “empty” calories are strictly to be avoided.
Top ten diet tips
Eat 1 heaping tablespoon per day of ground seeds or 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed seed oil.
Eat 2 servings of beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu (soy), or “seed” vegetables per day.
Eat 3 pieces per day of fresh fruit such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, melon, or citrus fruit.
Eat 4 servings per day of whole grains such as rice, millet, rye, oats, wheat, corn, quinoa or whole-grain breads, or pasta.
Eat 5 servings per day of dark green, leafy, and root vegetables such as watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, green beans, peas, and peppers.
Each day, drink at least 6 glasses of water, diluted juices or herbal or fruit teas.
Eat whole, organic, raw food as often as you can.
Supplement a high-strength multivitamin and mineral, 1,000 mg of vitamin C, and essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats every day.
Avoid fried, burnt, or browned food, hydrogenated fat, and excess animal fat.
Avoid any form of sugar and refined or processed food with chemical additives, and minimize your intake of alcohol, coffee, and tea. Limit your alcohol intake to one alcoholic drink a day.
45
Your Optimum Supplement Program
Your personal nutritional needs can be calculated by looking at your lifestyle and identifying signs and symptoms associated with various deficiencies. In the sections that follow, answer the questions as best you can, then for each nutrient work out your score out of ten. If you score five or more, the chances are that you do not have the optimal intake of that nutrient, given your current needs. The second part of this chapter shows you how to turn these scores into your optimum supplement program. You can also do this by having an online My Nutrition assessment (see Resources) that will calculate your own personal diet and supplement program.
Optimum Nutrition Questionnaire
SYMPTOM ANALYSIS
For each symptom that you experience often, score 1 point. Many symptoms occur more than once, because they can be the result of many nutrient deficiencies. If you experience any of the symptoms in bold type, score 2 points. The maximum score for each nutrient is 10 points. Put your score for each nutrient in the box.
Vitamin Profile
VITAMIN A
____ Mouth ulcers
____ Poor night vision
____ Acne
____ Frequent colds or infections
____ Dry flaky skin
____ Dandruff
____ Thrush or cystitis
____ Diarrhea
Your score
VITAMIN E
____ Lack of sex drive
____ Exhaustion after light exercise
____ Easy b
ruising
____ Slow wound healing
____ Varicose veins
____ Poor skin elasticity
____ Loss of muscle tone
____ Infertility
Your score
VITAMIN D
____ Arthritis or osteoporosis
____ Backache
____ Tooth decay
____ Hair loss
____ Muscle twitching or spasms
____ Joint pain or stiffness
____ Weak bones
Your score
VITAMIN B2
___Bloodshot burning, or gritty eyes
___Sensitivity to bright lights
___Sore tongue
___Cataracts
___Dull or oily hair
___Eczema or dermatitis
___Split nails
___Cracked lips
Your score
VITAMIN C
____ Frequent colds
____ Lack of energy
____ Frequent infections
____ Bleeding or tender gums
____ Easy bruising
____ Nosebleeds
____ Slow wound healing
____ Red pimples on skin
____ Bleeding or tender gums
____ Acne
___Your score
VITAMIN B1
____ Tender muscles
____ Eye pains
____ Irritability
____ Poor concentration
____ “Prickly” legs
____ Poor memory
____ Stomach pains
____ Constipation
____ Tingling hands
____ Rapid heartbeat
Your score
VITAMIN B6
___Infrequent dream recall
___Water retention
___Tingling hands
___Depression or nervousness
___Irritability
___Muscle tremors, cramps, or spasms
___Lack of energy
Your score
VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN)
____ Lack of energy
____ Diarrhea
____ Insomnia
____ Headaches or migraines
____ Poor memory
____ Anxiety or tension
____ Depression
____ Irritability
Your score
VITAMIN B5
___Muscle tremors, cramps, or spasms
___Apathy
___Poor concentration
___Burning feet or tender heels
___Nausea or vomiting
___Lack of energy
___Exhaustion after light exercise
___Anxiety or tension
___Teeth grinding
Your score
FOLIC ACID
____ Eczema
____ Cracked lips
____ Prematurely graying hair
____ Anxiety or tension
____ Poor memory
____ Lack of energy
____ Depression
____ Poor appetite
____ Stomach pains
Your score
VITAMIN B12
___Poor hair condition
___Eczema or dermatitis
___Mouth oversensitive to heat or cold
___Irritability
___Anxiety or tension
___Lack of energy
___Constipation
___Tender or sore muscles
___Pale skin
Your score
Mineral Profile
CALCIUM
___Muscle cramps, tremors, or spasms
___Insomnia or nervousness
___Joint pain or arthritis
___Tooth decay
___High blood pressure
Your score
MAGNESIUM
___ Muscle cramps, tremors, or spasms
___Muscle weakness
___Insomnia, nervousness, or hyperactivity
___High blood pressure
___Irregular or rapid heartbeat
___Constipation
___Fits or convulsions
___Breast tenderness or water retention
___Depression or confusion
Your score
BIOTIN
____ Dermatitis or dry skin
____ Poor hair condition
____ Prematurely graying hair
____ Tender or sore muscles
____ Poor appetite or nausea
Your score
IRON
____ Pale skin
____ ___Sore tongue
____ ___Fatigue or listlessness
____ ___Loss of appetite or nausea
____ ___Heavy periods or blood loss
Your score
MANGANESE
___Muscle twitches
___Childhood “growing pains”
___Dizziness or poor sense of balance
___Fits or convulsions
___Sore knees
Your score
ZINC
___ Decline in sense of taste or smell
___White marks on more than two fingernails
___Frequent infections
___Stretch marks
___Acne or greasy skin
Your score
CHROMIUM
___Excessive or cold sweats
___Dizziness or irritability after six hours without food
___Need for frequent meals
___Cold hands
___Need for excessive sleep or drowsiness during the day
Your score
SELENIUM
____ Family history of cancer
____ Signs of premature aging
____ Cataracts
____ High blood pressure
Your score
Essential Fatty Acid Profile
OMEGA-3/OMEGA-6
___ Dry skin or eczema
___Dry hair or dandruff
___Inflammatory health problems, such as arthritis
___Excessive thirst or sweating
___PMS or breast pain
___Water retention
___Frequent infections
___Poor memory or learning difficulties
___High blood pressure or high blood lipids
Your score
Now put all your individual scores into the appropriate spaces in the second column of the chart on this page (the column headed Symptom Score).
LIFESTYLE ANALYSIS
The following checks allow you to adjust your nutrient needs according to aspects of your health and lifestyle. Again, answer the questions as best you can and work out your score. In most checks, the maximum score is 10, scoring 1 point for each yes answer unless otherwise specified. If you score 5 or more in any category, you will need to add the points shown in the chart on this page to your individual nutrient scores. The easiest way to do this is to circle all the numbers in the corresponding columns on this page. For example, if you score more than 5 on the energy check, you would circle all the numbers in the energy column on this page. Some checks are either yes or no. If you answer yes, circle the numbers in the relevant columns on this page.
Energy Check
___Do you need more than eight hours’ sleep a night?
___Are you rarely wide awake and raring to go within twenty minutes of rising?
___Do you need something to get you going in the morning, like a cup of tea or coffee or a cigarette?
___Do you have tea, coffee, or sugar-containing foods or drinks, or smoke cigarettes, at regular intervals during the day?
___Do you often feel drowsy or sleepy during the day or after meals?
___Do you get dizzy or irritable if you have not eaten for six hours?
___Do you avoid exercise because you do not have the energy?
___Do you sweat a lot during the night or day or get excessively thirsty?
___Do you sometimes lose concentration or does your mind go blank?
___Is your energy less now than it used to be?
Your score
Str
ess Check
___Do you feel guilty when relaxing?
___Do you have a persistent need for recognition or achievement?
___Are you unclear about your goals in life?
___Are you especially competitive?
___Do you work harder than most people?
___Do you easily get angry?
___Do you often do two or three tasks simultaneously?
___Do you get impatient if people or things hold you up?
___Do you have difficulty getting to sleep, sleep restlessly, or wake up with your mind racing?
Your score
Exercise Check
Score 2 points for each yes answer
___Do you take exercise that noticeably raises your heartbeat for at least twenty minutes more than three times a week?
___Does your job involve lots of walking, lifting, or any other vigorous activity?
___Do you regularly play a sport (football, squash, and so on)?
___Do you have any physically tiring hobbies (gardening, carpentry, and so forth)?
___Are you in serious training for an athletic event?
___Do you consider yourself fit?
Your score
Immune Check
___Do you get more than three colds a year?
___Do you find it hard to shake an infection (cold or otherwise)?
___Are you prone to thrush or cystitis?
___Do you generally take antibiotics twice or more each year?
___Have you had a major personal loss in the last year?
___Is there any history of cancer in your family?
___Have you ever had any growths or lumps removed or biopsied?
___Do you have an inflammatory disease such as eczema, asthma, or arthritis?
___Do you suffer from hay fever?
___Do you suffer from allergy problems?
Your score
Pollution Check
___Do you live in a city or by a busy road?
___Do you spend more than two hours a week in heavy traffic?
___Do you exercise (do your job, cycle, play sports) by busy roads?
___Do you smoke more than five cigarettes a day?
The New Optimum Nutrition Bible Page 41