While Dr. Sheperd and I were at SaJune Medical Center for our last preceptorship, we discussed nutrition as part of an integrative approach to offer our patients.
Margaret, the director of nutrition, gave us many tips that we will continue to incorporate in our daily practice. From adding spirulina, lemon and pink salt to water to checking your daily pH, we discussed small steps to take to allow for metabolic balance and general well-being.
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Margaret certainly has a realistic approach to nutrition as a mother herself. She said, “you can have a root beer, but then measure your pH.” Remember which foods are acidic, including coffee, white flour, sugar, wine, alcohol, etc.
Along the lines of alkalizing the body, we also discussed the breath. Margaret feels that we are not taught in this country how to breathe. Most of us breathe with the upper 1/3 of our chest only.
She suggested, make yourself a note:
“Breathe.”
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Think of breathing exercises as working-out your lungs.
“Less is more.”
Some people stress out about getting to the gym at 5am to run. But what if their cortisol (stress hormone) is already out of whack? It may be more beneficial to do 5 minutes of deep breathing when already stressed out. If you are experiencing stress or hair loss, this may mean that your adrenal glands need a rest.
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In this case, she said, consider uncommiting your time for 3 weeks. Learn how to say “no.”
“If man made it, try not to eat it.”
This can be a good motto when starting to make dietary changes. Think about eating from the plant kingdom instead. Eliminate anything that you can’t pronounce. Remember,
“We’re not perfect.”
If you drink a lot of coffee, try slowly replacing it with ChyaPro. (an ayurvedic tea-like formula). Cut back on hydrogenated oils.
Congratulate yourself for passing up fast food today.
If you drink soda, switch to Zevia drinks flavored with Stevia.
Sometimes people may want to consider undergoing a cleanse. Before doing so, it is important to make sure your energy level is good, as a cleanse takes planning and prepping.
Margaret went on to say,
“Focus on what you can have, not what you can’t have.”
Try nutritional flakes. You can flavor your foods withs cilantro, lime, pink salt, olive oil, and hemp seeds. Think about ways to get superfoods into the diet. Adding pink salt to water softens the water molecules and allows them to absorb more intracellularly.
We carry a variety of supplements at our office that facilitate bowel cleanses. Premier cleanse and galactan powder work by regulating the water in the bowel. Adding fiber, they will make you more regular. Patients with acne should consider a bowel cleanse as there is a direct link of the skin to the gut.
For constipation, Bowel I and II can be helpful.
Think of a cleanse as taking the junk out of the bowel. If the intestinal wall is covered with mucoid plaque, then it is not absorbing.
Acne patients will also benefit from a Purebiotic, which is a probiotic supplement that we offer.
Alternatively, one can consider a 5-7 day veggie cleanse. Start with meatless Mondays and go from there!
Instead of a snickers bar, grab an apple!
Margaret taught us that is important to talk to patients about their bowels. It will open-up dialogue that is important for getting them feeling their best!