Sharing a Gift From a Patient
September, 2004
I want to share some information from a great
book that was given to my by a patient (thank
you M.F.). The book is called, Healing With
Whole Foods, Asian Traditions and Modern nutrition.
The author is Paul Pitchford and the publisher
is North Atlantic Books. The book is full of
wonderful information and is a great resource
of 700 plus pages. I would like to share some
of the philosophical ideas to show you the
general building blocks from which the book
develops out of and possibly share more specific
information as well in the future. The main
theme is about whole foods.
So much of our food
is over processed and refined, which strips
many valuable nutrients that are necessary
for the proper health. Ironically, in the
United States, a land of plenty - indeed excess
- many people are highly deficient in minerals
as a result of our food production and processing
methods. This deficiency can unfortunately
leave us predisposed to many health conditions
and particularly those resulting in degenerative
diseases. It is difficult for all the biochemical
processes of our body to work efficiently if the minimum amount of needed nutrients
is not available. Another unfortunate development over the last 50- 100 years
has been the abuse of our topsoil from which all our vegetables and fruits
come from. For the sake of production many
chemicals such as pesticides have been utilized
which have affected the health of the topsoil
from which all our food is grown. In addition
without allowing the land to rest in between
a number of years of harvest, replenishing
our vital nutrients back into the soil does
not occur. In a sense, if our soil is deficient
and sick so are the foods that grow from them.
Further complicating this situation is genetically
modified foods along with hybridization.
Getting back to the finer points of the book,
we will discuss wheat(a grain) a little more
specifically. One important fact that is brought
out in the book is the nutritional value of
grain before it is milled into flour. Before
that point the process begins with wheat berries.
These whole-wheat seeds can be comprised of
dozens of minerals and micro minerals if grown
in rich soil. They can also contain immuno-protective
and phytonutrients as well as vitamins and
precious oils. In refining, as is done in the
milling of wheat berries to obtain “white” flour
used in common pastries, donuts, pastas and
breads, the majority of these nutrients are
lost. Of interest, while wheat is a common
allergen, many people do not demonstrate the
same allergic reactions to sprouted wheat,
which contains the same amount of minerals,
but more vitamins per berry.
To highlight these points the book uses two
minerals as an example that are lost in the
refining of whole-wheat berries, and the impact
of their loss.
Selenium: Whole wheat is one of the best food
sources of selenium, especially if grown in
selenium rich soil. It has been shown that
cancer rates are lower in areas where selenium
is abundant in the soil. In fact, a 1996 study
reported in The Journal of American Medical
Association suggests that selenium can cut
certain cancer death rates by 50%. Other important
functions related to selenium are the following.
Selenium deficiency can be involved in hypothyroidism
or low thyroid function. Please be aware that
when we discuss different nutrients, vitamins
and minerals that a single nutrient does not
work well in isolation. Each nutrient works
best in association with other vitamins, minerals
and trace minerals and especially as they exist
in unrefined whole foods.
- On the same note selenium influences
the transformation of thyroxin (a thyroid
hormone) into T3, which makes possible the
metabolism of nutrients. In this regard we
can see that selenium when deficient can
result in a “sluggish” metabolism
and in some cases possible weight gain.
- Toxic
heavy metals such as lead and mercury can
be bound up with selenium and thereby become
harmless.
- Viruses of many types, including
HIV, are often deactivated when adequate
selenium exists in the body.
- Premature aging,
heart disease, arthritis and multiple sclerosis
are frequently related to selenium deficiency.
Magnesium: This mineral is deficient in many
people who eat refined foods. Approximately
70% of the United States population suffers
magnesium deficiency, which is considered one
of the most under diagnosed deficiencies. Again
it is important to note that in a part of the
world where so much abundance of almost everything
is available, it is an interesting contrast
that in a number of economically poor countries
people consume a great deal of magnesium in
legumes (beans, soy products, peas and lentils),
vegetables- especially the green variety, and
most whole grains and seeds. So in countries
that seemingly have much less available technology
there is less refined foods available and in
a paradoxical way they at times may be getting
more nutrient filled foods then many people
in industrialized countries. Magnesium plays
roles in many of the following areas.
- Calming nerve function
- Important in emotional
and mental functions such as irritability,
depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders
and PMS.
- Relaxing muscles, including the
heart muscle
- Sooth erratic changes such
as migraine, cramps and spasms anywhere
in the body
- Create better flows in digestion
to decrease constipation
- Overcome the fast-cycling
blood sugar imbalances in alcoholism and
diabetes
- Important with fatigue syndromes,
fibromyalgia, arthritis and osteoporosis.
- Calcium absorption into the bone is greatly
impaired without adequate amounts of magnesium.
An interesting point in this regard is that
even though Americans ingest abundant calcium
generally they still have “weaker” bones
than those of people living in developing countries
that take in adequate but comparatively small
amounts of calcium. The main difference is
that the simpler unrefined diets are actually
richer in magnesium
We look forward to sharing more wonderful information
from this great book in the future but in the
meantime for those of you who are interested
learning more about your nutrition and how
to eat healthier, this is a great book to have
on hand.
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