What if, 10 Simple Dietary Factors Can Help Restore Innate Wellness?

A few questions stand on the frontline:

1. Why are so many people sick?
2. Why does one person succumb to symptoms and another person does not?
3. Why do people living a western life style have more diseases than other human beings around the globe?

Even a short unit of study about cellular nutrition opens your eyes to respect the body's innate systems to preserve health.

1. WELLNESS is the natural state of being, not sickness. It is against human nature to be sick; and nature provides us with abundance to ensure that we do not sicken. The sad realization is that few of us realize the importance of a few factors. Most do not have the aspirations to be nutritional specialists or doctors which require years of study and training but even a little awareness, a few changes, can go a long way in balancing the odds of vibrant health against debilitating sickness.

2. CELLULAR DEGENERATION disrupts the metabolism of microscopic cells first. It would seem that the majority of illnesses are self-inflicted caused by a cellular breakdown inside the body. It would seem that a weak immune system does not function normally to deter the array of harmful agents attacking the base and energy of cells. Degenerative disease begins in young children and bad habits mature into adulthood. In spite of scientific progress and medical technology, our society is full of people living longer in ill health where total health care spending will double because of the epidemic of cellular diseases.

3. PRINCIPLE OF NUTRITION is UNIVERSAL. The body needs a full spectrum of 100 or more nutrients daily made available to every cell to repair and regenerate itself as well as to protect the cells from infectious agents or oxidative damage.

4. CELLULAR NUTRITION is emerging as an integral study. Critical molecules inside each of the tiniest structures in cells need to have all the capabilities to metabolize and feed themselves as well as produce immunological defense factors within their walls and then pass their matter to following generations. For example, the health and function of each cell is highly dependent on the structure of the phospholipids layer ( a double layer membrane surrounding each cell). How can we keep them healthy? The term "cellular membrane fluidity" comes up all the time and can be influenced by diet. What an interesting diagram it would be to see what happens when french-fry debris confront a typical cell.

5. CELLULAR INTEGRITY is our most important focus. Disease and health begin and end in an individual cell. We need a basic educational primer for lay people on what constitute a cell's structure and function if only at a primary level. We need to make the invisible visible so we don't take for granted these fundamental units of life. We need to marvel in awe at these submicroscopic atoms and electrons that regulate our functions of living, thinking, feeling and reasoning. Billions of new cells are produced daily and trillions of cells work in synthesis. Cells degenerate for two main reasons: a. nutrient deficiency b. oxidative damage

6. INFLAMMATION is the number one killer in the industrialized world. The root cause of cellular degenerative disease begins in response to some damaging action done to cells. The purpose of our inbuilt immune system is for immunological response with multiple teams to try and fix the problem. If not remedied, the symptoms continue and it may take decades to surface as a serious disease with few, if any, cures. The benefits of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients often appear as anti-inflammatory. Prevention is the key. Make nutritional choices that regenerate cells not inflame and degenerate.

7. FREE RADICALS, OXIDATIVE STRESS, ANTIOXIDANTS are terms that consistently explain the incidences of various cellular degenerative diseases. Are your cells armed with more anti-oxidant agents to combat free radicals? Or is oxidative stress overcoming the number of anti-oxidants and damaging cellular membranes, proteins, nucleic acids causing more and more inflammation?

Free radicals are tiny scrap of energy, usually an unpaired electron, with electrical charges. This unstable electron reacts with other nearby compounds (proteins, lipids, DNA) to try and take an electron which can cause a chain reaction which disrupts the routine of the living cells. Normally the body can handle free radical damage by innate immune systems but they may be swamped from environmental factors including food choices.

Antioxidants, enzymes and co-factors work together in neutralizing free radicals by supplying the extra electrons they need.

The exciting news as we learn more and more about the natural molecules of vegetables and fruits called phytonutrients, the more thousands of allies we incorporate to help overcome environmental damage both inside and outside our bodies.

8. BIONUTRITION is also an emerging science which is defined as the body's ability to defend itself against cell damage. "The cells need essential micronutrients daily to provide health benefits." There is a shift in the medical paradigm to a "multi-target" therapy aimed at protecting, repairing and stimulating the immune system rather than a monosubstance treating a single cause. In that order to stop deficinceis and inflammation and progressive disease these nutrients remain constant in synergy…vitamins, minerals, essential fats, amino acids,probiotics

9. DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS could save billions in drug and health costs. Jeffrey Blumberg, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science at Tufts University pointed out: "As our country faces an ever-growing crisis in health care, it is important to acknowledge the role that proper dietary supplements can play in reducing our burden of disease and the cost to manage it." (Usana updates Sept. 30, 2004)Many studies are yielding promising results but more long term, well controlled studies are need. There is a focus on multi targeting a range of interdependent conditions in the body rather than looking for that one magic bullet or drug.

10. YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU EAT...YOU ARE WHAT YOUR CELLS CAN ASSIMILATE is the new slogan… Who controls your spoon and fork? What is the link between chronic poor nutrition and chronic degenerative disease? Bad food will harm your cells; good food will enhance cells' vitality. Be able to differentiate between commercial hype for profits and sound nutritional science recommendations. Our lifestyle needs to integrate an individual responsibility to say, "Here is what I'm doing and I'm part of the solution, not part of the problem."

Finally, what will determine your future choices of food and supplements?

a) Will you have an international directive tell you that supplements may only be purchased from registered doctors?

b) Will you get multivitamins as highlighted on boxes of Wheaties because the Breakfast of Champions promotes them?

c) Prepare a fresh green salad with olive oil, salmon, tomatoes, celery with a sprinkle of walnuts for lunch and appreciate that science is now confirming the millennia-old holistic power of Mother Nature.

In conclusion, consumers need more information. We must be able to draw a simple diagram to explain the miracle of a single cell, some basic structures and functions. We must be able to draw simple pictures to understand what happens to a cell when encountering "good guy" nutrients versus "bad guy" nutrients. We must believe that our body is programmed to live healthy and we must avoid unhealthy lifestyles that bring pain and financial gain to big business that thrives on sickness.


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AnneMarie Berukoff is certified Nutritional Supplement Distributor and retired teacher. Her WELLNESS mission is whole food preventative health 101 Reasons to Plug Into Powerful Phytonutrients for Health. It is your turn to learn more about doctor-formulated chewable supplements land and sea plus unique chewable weight loss product. 212 990 6438