NUTRITIONAL CLEANSING

A BIT ON NUTRITION

By

Dr. Colette M. Dowell, N.D. © 1991

Moving Forward Alternative Health Care

Asheville, North Carolina 

Diet is the governing factor for introducing proper nutrition into your body. Proper nutrition is essential for WELL BEING. Assimilation of nutrients however, is not possible as long as the paths in which they follow are obstructed and blocked. It is within the small intestines that most of our nutritional substances are obtained. Therefore, a proper cleansing program for both the large and small intestine is required.

There are specific reasons for avoiding certain foods

while deliberately indulging in others.

Restraining from hard fats and chemicals helps cleanse your blood canals and intestinal track by alleviating some of the burden directly introduced by these destructive substances. Certain foods added to your diet will help the blood canals and intestines actually rid themselves of chemicals and pathological substances, which are lining and disturbing delicate tissue. A cleaner intestinal track will help assimilation of necessary nutrients needed to help build healthy cells, build the bodies reserve system and maintain a healthy immune system. The body needs a supply of vitamins and nutrients in order to maintain a stable defense mechanism against disease so that when the "invaders" of disease start stalking, the body's defense mechanism can kick in and shield itself from destruction. In other words, a good healthy body full of nutrients and energy will definitely have a better chance of its immune system fighting disease, rather than a ran down, clogged up, nutritionally deprived hungry human being.

      VEGETABLES and FRUITS contain fiber and roughage which, is necessary to help cleanse the walls of your intestines. They are also high in nutrients that your body so desperately needs.  KALE, MUSTARD, COLLARDS, TURNIP GREENS, SPINACH, BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CABBAGE, SEA WEED, GREEN BEANS and ALFALFA SPROUTS are good examples of vegetables high in both fiber and nutrients. APPLES, ORANGES, FIGS, PEACHES, PINEAPPLE, BERRIES, MELONS, BANANAS, RHUBARB, MANGO, AND KIWI are good examples of fruits high in nutrition and value.

It is important to eat fruits and vegetables of all colors

 to ensure your bodies proper balance of nutrients.

     Remember WHITE, YELLOW, ORANGE, RED, GREEN and PURPLE families include CAULIFLOWER, PARSNIPS, ONIONS, YELLOW SQUASH, CARROTS, TOMATOES, AVOCADO and PURPLE CABBAGE. Use your imagination when creating your meal. A colorful meal will usually be a healthy meal. Supplement fresh vegetables only with plain frozen vegetables. Try to avoid canned products.

     FRESH FRUIT is very good as it supplies both vitamins and minerals, however, if you are trying to loose weight or have a blood sugar problem, minimize your intake. Fruit is high in simple carbohydrates and calories. Fructose is the sugar produced in fruit and although it digests more slowly into your system and helps maintain your blood sugar level, it is still high in calories keeping the excess weight on.

     Fruit takes different digestive enzymes to break down than most other foods and when ingested with your main meal it will usually remain undigested only to sit in your intestinal track to ferment and cause various other complications such as indigestion, intestinal gas and supply undesirable yeast and bacteria with food. Therefore fruit should be ingested either 45 minutes before a main meal or 1 to 2 hours following a main meal to allow the other food to properly digest.

Keep in mind that fruit juice has the same basic properties and avoid drinking juice while eating your meals. There are new products out on the market, which are pure fruit juice that have been pasteurized. These are the best juices to drink if fresh squeezed or juiced is unavailable. Remember to supplement with frozen rather than canned.

LEGUMES or commonly known as BEANS contain the highest

 percent of occurring protein ratio in the vegetable kingdom.

They are complex carbohydrates and are very valuable to the balance of our digestion of blood sugars and proteins. They also contain a high degree of vitamins and minerals coupled with fiber. They make a perfect combination with WHOLE GRAINS as together, they supply both complex carbohydrates and proteins. They digest well together and are easily assimilated into our bloodstream via our small intestinal track. Examples of LEGUMES are PINTO, KIDNEY, BLACK BEANS, NAVY, LIMAS, LENTILS, SPLIT PEA, CHICKPEAS, ADZUKI AND SOY. Once again only whole natural beans are the best. Supplement with frozen if possible, not canned.

     WHOLE GRAINS are important. They also contain a high percentage of fiber and nutrients. Whole Grains are also known as COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES. These are carbohydrates that contain amino acids and various other nutrients besides just pure starch. ORGANIC ROLLED OATS, WHOLE WHEAT, BROWN RICE, MILLET, AMARANTH and RYE are good grains to have on hand as they can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

      Most commercial cereals such as the highly sweetened "KIDDIE KRUNCHIES" and the various breakfast gimmicks on the market these days are loaded with SUGAR and CHEMICALS and should be avoided at all cost. Any nutritional value existing naturally in the grain is completely destroyed via processing of the grain and replaced by synthetic and artificial means commonly seen as VITAMIN ENRICHED and by all means should be avoided. Other products to look out for are the "MINUTE RICE" and "QUICK OATS' or any similar quick and easy cooking method products. These are precooked substances that have gone through a big metamorphosis virtually stripping away any real, natural occurring beneficial factor away from the food.

     Eat bread and crackers consisting of whole wheat, whole grains and pure natural ingredients. Check the ingredient label on the package. Quite often foods are marketed as whole or stone ground grains yet, contain artificial ingredients such as flavorings, fillers, and chemical preservatives such as CELLULOSE FIBER, CALCIUM PROPIONATE, or DOUGH CONDITIONER.  Some naturally marketed breads and grains may also contain saturated fats or artificial oils and fats.

      I would also close my eyes to the dessert section because desserts are usually high in fats, sugars and artificial ingredients. Check labels. Eat only natural ingredient foods that are low in fat and calories.  Stick to manufacturers who only advertise 100% NATURAL - NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS.

WHITE SUGAR, BROWN SUGAR, RAW SUGAR, any kind of sugar should be drastically reduced in your diet.  Sugar is processed sucrose and has little food value, is high in calories and can greatly affect your blood sugar level. Use a little honey, barley malt, rice syrup or fructose. Sugar no matter what brand or what kind could possibly be quite harmful if overly indulged.

Most dairy products are a conglomeration of fillers, stabilizers,

 flavorings, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, colorings

 and enzymes backed with hard animal fat.

There are some natural dairy products available at either your local grocer or health food store. Remember dairy products are basically the "juice" of the beast, the constitutional extract of an animal, what it ingests is what you eat or drink. Try organic dairy companies.

FRIED FOODS are tasty but greasy, fattening and clogging. AVOID MOST FRIED FOODS. If you eat out, ask if your food is prepared with vegetable oil or animal fat. ANIMAL FAT and SATURATED VEGETABLE OILS clog your intestinal track as well as your veins and arteries. Watch out for pastries made with LARD. If you are preparing your meal at home, use OLIVE, CANOLA or SESAME OIL. These oils are more digestible and aid in lowering low-density cholesterol levels.

Keep all oils refrigerated so they do not become rancid.

RANCID OIL is actually considered a toxin to your bodily system because it is not digestible and hinders other foods from proper digestion as well. Try to cut back on your butter intake and margarine.  Most margarine is synthesized oils and chemically altered fats. HYDROGENATED OILS are saturated fats and will clog your arteries and create other problems too. Check labels.

If you are a large MEAT EATER try to cut back to one to two servings of meat a week. Supplement with FISH and FOWL or proteins from LEGUMES and GRAINS. Most farm animals are raised with high counts of antibiotics, hormones and grains infested with commercial herbicides and pesticides. These toxins are stored in the animal's liver and muscles.  Through osmosis the toxins become a vehicle of transport for pathological disease to enter your body.

Diseases animals carry are also transmitted to your body because certain organisms are not killed during the cooking process. Even very high temperatures can not kill some bacteria.

Avoid meats that are processed with added artificial ingredients and preservatives. Unless natural be aware of BACON, HOT DOGS, SAUSAGE, BOLOGNA, PASTRAMI, CANNED MEATS or FISH, SMOKED MEATS and otherwise as most of these products contain harmful synthetic ingredients and contain large quantities of unwanted fats.

Be careful about FROZEN FRESH FISH. Some of this fish is sprayed with preservatives and antibiotics to kill any bacteria and keep the fish from rotting. Check with the person in the meat-seafood section and ask about the freshness of the fish. Some fish are raised in fish farms and fed unwholesome food. When you read a label, which says farm raised, ask questions.

SALT as we know is high in sodium. Avoid excessive amounts of Salt. SEA SALT contains trace elements and minerals and is more beneficial to your health. Sea salt can be usually purchased at a health food store or your local oriental market.

Condiments such as steak sauce, catsup, mayonnaise and specialty sauces should be used sparingly as most of these contain high quantities of sugars, fats and artificial ingredients. Again, check labels.

Soft drinks are very high in sugars and artificial ingredients. There are some products available on the market now which are 100 % juice or all natural ingredients. Some of these products however contain an abundance of high fructose corn syrup. Try to drink more juice concentrate as opposed to corn sweetened water.

Coffee as well as other caffeine products can affect your adrenals, heart and mental state. There are many naturally decaffeinated products on the market these days, which will benefit your health. Check out herbal teas. Most grocers are stocking herbal non-caffeine teas on their shelves.

Having a clean and functioning small and large intestinal track will also help considerably in maintaining better health. The small intestinal track is the main source for which the nutrients are initially introduced into the bloodstream. When the intestinal walls are lined with aged material and the entrances in which the food shall transmit its nutritional substances are clogged, no assimilation or very little of these substances assimilation shall take place. Food will travel down the path with little or no value. Constipation and hemorrhoids are usually a direct result of improper diet. The intestinal track is also a home for "good" bacteria, which live inside of all of us and help fight off the "bad" bacteria which can invade our body and result in poor health. If our "home" is not maintained and our "good guys" start dropping in number, chances are poor health will be the result.

These pages have been written as a little introduction on the value of nutrition for the purpose of increasing our WELL BEING. The main goal here is to start cleaning up our system through the use of proper diet and nutrition before we embark on a vitamin and mineral supplement program or even herbal tinctures and homeopathic remedies.

This is a transitional diet. Knowing are eating patterns have been well established early on in our life, a strict diet is too hard to conform to. A person needs to feel comfortable. Stress and guilt about the way we eat can aid us to some degree in maintaining our diet but can be very detrimental in other ways, especially when we find ourselves not enjoying ourselves and feeling bad about our actions. We are not perfect beings and cannot possibly expect to behave in a perfect rational manner at all times.

Transitional eating is just a stepping stone for us to get to higher grounds at a later date. Adjustment to lifestyle is important in that it is made with little effort so one has a feeling of grace and comfort for which they are doing.

If you are uncomfortable with what you are doing, chances are you will not like or continue your path. So a little bit here and a little bit there and pretty soon you will find that your self esteem is rising and you feel good about what you are doing and will want to continue in a positive direction with new found lifestyle, health and well being. You set your pace, by your desire and effort to adhere to these principles.

Here is to GOOD EATING, GOOD HEALTH, GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS.

Dr. Colette M. Dowell, N.D. © 1991

Naturopathic Doctor

MOVING FORWARD ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE

20 BATTERY PARK AVE. SUITE 612

ASHEVILLE, NC  28801