Dr. Chris Jones Health 360 » Healthy Celebration

Healthy Christmas Gifts

Chris Jones — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:40:33 +0000

Christmas is a very special time of the year when Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and the impact that he has on their lives. The Christmas message is one of joy, peace on Earth and good will to all people. At Christmastime, we express our love and appreciation of family and friends by giving them gifts and cards. With good health in mind, I have some ideas for gifts that can provide a lasting benefit for those special people in our lives, gifts that can promote their health and well being.

1) A daily devotional book. For those who are spiritually minded, spending time each day in prayer and meditation is a very worthwhile and highly rewarding experience. Quiet time spent in devotion puts daily concerns into perspective and serves to relieve stress. The gift of a daily devotional book according to a person’s faith will lift and inspire, provide spiritual guidance, daily encouragement and peace of mind.

2) Gifts that promote healthy outdoor activities and exercise. These could include walking shoes, suitable clothing, and gardening tools. For the even more energetic, you could consider sports equipment, hiking boots and camping gear. From the point of view of our health and wellbeing, it is very important to spend more time outdoors engaging in regular low-intensity exercise. Gardening and frequent walks are highly recommended.

3) The Brita Water Filtration Pitcher/Dispenser. This is available in three different sizes, each of which is fitted with an interchangeable filter certified to reduce the levels of benzene, cadmium, chlorine, copper, lead, mercury and zinc that may be present in tap water. It is not generally known that tap water is required to meet more stringent standards than bottled water and the addition of the Brita filtration system makes it even purer. Please note that the plastic from which the Brita pitchers and dispenser are made does not contain bisphenol A (BPA) so there is no risk that this product will leach into filtered water stored in the containers.

4) The “Magic Bullet”. This is a high-speed blender that comes with lots of accessories and is very reasonably priced. I prefer blending to juicing in the case of fruit. With juicing, the calories are concentrated and the fiber removed. Blending achieves the opposite result and the “Magic Bullet” serves its purpose well. It is quick and easy to use and simple to clean afterwards. Suggested recipe: Blend one half-cup of organic soy milk, with one chopped sweet apple and some strawberries and/or grapes, all of which are certified organic or are pesticide-free. The result is a delicious shake, rich in antioxidants, fiber, isoflavones and vitamins.

5) The Breville Juice Fountains. This family of juicers is highly recommended for their speed and ease of use. They are centrifugal juicers which first grate the fruit or vegetables and then separate the juice from the pulp using centrifugal force. The most expensive model costs $300.00 and is made of stainless steel but a budget plastic version is available, for around $100.00. Juicing is an excellent way to obtain nutrition from fresh vegetables, some of which such as chard and kale are difficult to consume raw. The only drawback with juicing, apart from concentrating calories in the case of fruits, is the removal of fiber. It is therefore important to ensure an adequate fiber intake in the diet by consuming some whole fruit, vegetables and grains also.

6) A Steamer. Whenever vegetables are to be cooked then it is best to steam or lightly stir-fry them. More of the goodness is retained this way. Boiling is not advisable because water-soluble vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals will leach out from the vegetables and be lost when the water is drained off. A steamer is therefore a very important addition to the healthy cooking inventory.

7) “The Spectrum” by Dean Ornish, M.D. This book is a successor to “Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease” which presented his ground breaking studies on reversing coronary heart disease without drugs or surgery but instead with the adoption of a very low-fat vegetarian diet coupled with a regular exercise program, relaxation techniques and group support. Now, he has followed this work with “The Spectrum” which helps the reader assess their current health status and then offers a range of dietary and exercise options to improve their health and well being. The book includes some of the latest information on preventive medicine and there are also some excellent recipes by the celebrated chef Art Smith.

“Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes” by Neal D. Barnard, M.D. If you know someone who is suffering from Type 2 diabetes or is pre-diabetic then this would be a wonderful gift for them and one whose recommendations they could discuss with their physician. Tragically Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called Adult-Onset diabetes but is now also seen in children, is becoming all too common, largely as a result of the current obesity epidemic. Recipes are also included with the book.

9) “The UltraMind Solution” by Mark Hyman, M.D. Eating a healthy diet is not only important for our physical health, it is also essential for our mental wellbeing, a fact that is often overlooked. In this book, Dr. Hyman presents many case studies where behavioral problems were found to be associated with poor diet, chemical toxicity, abnormal intestinal microflora and deranged metabolism. By prescribing a program of cleansing and dietary improvement, including supplementation tailored to the patients’ needs, Dr. Hyman reports dramatic success with cases of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD) and even autism and early dementia. His work breaks new ground in the emerging field of Functional Medicine.

10) “Eat to Live” by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. This is an excellent no-nonsense book that describes the dangers of the current Standard American Diet and gives clear and uncompromising advice about what we should do to lose weight and achieve optimum health by eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and grains. More than 80 percent of Dr. Fuhrman’s chronic headache and migraine sufferers recovered without medication when they changed to the new diet. Also, many of his patients with autoimmune diseases such as asthma, hyperthyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis were able to recover and renounce their medications once they adopted his recommendations. Recipes are included.

The books can all be obtained online from Amazon.com or you could try your local bookstore.

Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas and a Joyful New Year!

Books

1) Ornish, D. (2007) The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health. Ballantine Books, New York, 386 pp.

2) Barnard, N. (2007) Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs. Random House, New York, 466 pp.

3) Hyman, M. (2009) The UltraMind Solution. Scribner, New York, 447 pp.

4) Fuhrman, J. (2003) Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 292 pp.

Give Thanks and Stay Well.

Chris Jones — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:58:07 +0000

As we approach Thanksgiving, this uniquely North American holiday, the nation gives thanks and commemorates the deliverance of the early settlers, the help they received from the native population and the success of their first harvest.

Thanksgiving is a time of great feasting, probably the largest feast of the year, when families come together and sit down to the traditional, rich Thanksgiving dinner, after which they usually retire, substantially heavier, to comfortable chairs where they collapse and fall asleep. I often think that this would be the perfect time for an enemy to attack, when the nation is collectively comatose upon the sofa. A similar overindulgence occurs at Christmas and New Year and it is no coincidence that many people become ill with colds, flu and other infections at this time of the year. Why is this? I believe there are several reasons.

During the fall and early winter season, the nation consumes an excess of foods rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates, above and beyond the average consumption for the rest of the year. The sugar consumed is not just in candies, cookies and desserts but also in drinks and even in main courses, for example the cornbread, cranberry jelly and candied sweet potatoes that now form part of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Sugar added to foods can come in several guises including corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup and, more recently, evaporated cane juice. Honey is also essentially sugar and should never be given to children under 12 months of age because it may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum to which they are not fully resistant.

Sugar is sweet but, in excess, it is not our friend. It has many adverse effects upon our health, one of which is the weakening of our immune system, our body’s defense mechanism. Consuming 100 grams (25 teaspoons) of sugar has been shown to reduce the ability of our white blood cells to engulf bacteria by over 40% (1). This suppression of our defenses begins less than 30 minutes after the sugar is ingested and it takes over five hours to return to normal assuming no further sugar is consumed during that time. In contrast, when we ingest complex unrefined carbohydrates, there is no deleterious effect upon our immune system.

The solution to the problem is to greatly reduce our intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, not just during the holidays but at all times. Read food labels to ascertain if sugar or one of its surrogates is present and in what quantity. Avoid ruining perfectly good dishes such as carrots and sweet potatoes with added sugar. Refrain from drinking sodas, lemonade, apple and grape juice loaded with sugar. Also limit the consumption of fat, particularly saturated fat, which can make the circulation sluggish and promote arterial disease. Make your Thanksgiving dinner as healthy as possible with the inclusion of a salad course, whole grains, legumes, for example peas, and fresh fruits. You will certainly feel much better afterwards. If you would like to have pie, then make it a special treat and enjoy it in moderation.

Another reason why we are more sensitive to infections during the late fall and winter months is that we get less exposure to sunlight. This is partly because there is more cloud cover and also because we tend to spend less time outside when it’s cold and wet. As a result, the prime mechanism whereby we make vitamin D, namely exposure to sunlight, is significantly limited. Also, in our busy lives today, we rarely spend enough time outdoors, even in the sunshine states regardless of the season. It is therefore important to ensure that we receive enough vitamin D in dietary and supplement form. As well as helping to maintain bone integrity, vitamin D has been found to increase the production of a class of proteins known as antimicrobial peptides, which interfere with the action of certain bacteria and viruses, including the flu virus, thereby inactivating them and keeping us symptom-free.

Food sources that contain natural vitamin D are egg yolk, fish and liver, including cod liver oil, but these may not provide enough and are excluded in vegan and many vegetarian diets. Some rice and soy beverages, orange juice and many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D but the amounts present are not sufficient to protect against infections. Daily multivitamin supplements contain only 400 IU of vitamin D, sufficient to prevent rickets but inadequate for maintaining optimal health. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola (2), we should be taking 35 IU (International Units) of vitamin D per pound of body weight per day if we don’t get enough sun exposure and Dr. Mark Hyman (3) recommends 5,000-10,000 IU per day for optimal health.

A third way to stay healthy during the fall and winter months is to exercise regularly. Provided we spend time outdoors walking, cycling, jogging or working in the garden during early morning or late afternoon when the sun is not too strong, we should be able to make some of the vitamin D that we need, and we can supplement with the rest. Regular exercise will also help to control our weight, stimulate our cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and strengthen our immune system, thus increasing our resistance to infections. It is good to get out of doors and into fresh air rather than being cooped up indoors where infections are more easily transmitted. Keeping the house clean, aired and fresh will also help to keep us and our families healthy. Happy Thanksgiving and Good Health!

References

1) Sanchez, A. et al. (1973) Role of Sugars in Human Neutrophilic Phagocytosis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 26, 1180-1184.

2) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/10/Vitamin-D-Experts-Reveal-the-Truth.aspx

3) Hyman, M. (2008) The UltraMind Solution. Scribner, New York, NY 10020, page 135.