Often times, I’m asked if there is a sure-fire way to get the optimal amount of nutrients from the food we are eating. In fact, there are a few "mini-rules" to follow, with some specific foods that I would like to address, however, it is important to note that simply healthy or clean eating is first and foremost when it comes to getting proper nutrition.
Eating clean constitutes a diet that actually works for your body, instead of pushing your body to work for the food you have ingested. Filtered water, vegetables, salad greens and protein are the top four diet musts to ensure you are getting enough nutrients. These nutrients, in turn, are then able to be properly used by your body. Anything that is not in those four categories (grains, fruits, nuts, sugar, and anything processed) will actually cause your system to work extra hard and become inefficient.
Now, please understand that I am not saying to completely avoid the foods in the parentheses; it is just very important to first get the optimal four, and use others sparingly. On the other hand, if you are in a healing or disease state, then it is my experience that completely avoiding anything not included in the "top four" is para- mount to your success.
Now that we know the basics, let’s look at some do’s and don’ts as far as pairing certain foods
Don’ts 1. Don’t mix alcohol with energy drinks. This combination will quickly cause heart palpitations and breath- ing difficulties, as it seriously messes with your ability to balance between your sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) parts to the nervous system. In severe cases, it can even lead to a heart attack or a stroke.
The stimulants in the energy drink rev up your sympathetic system, while the depressant and diuretic properties of the alcohol kick the parasympathetics in gear. Because these systems are exact opposites, this is a road to disaster.
2. Don’t mix alcohol with DIET sodas. This will actually cause your blood alcohol level to rise much faster, due to the quick uptake of aspartame into the nervous system. Remember, aspartame is a neuro-toxin that will accumulate in your brain and nerve cells over time. Studies show that ingesting aspartame (although lower in calories on the way in) will actually cause you to consume more calories throughout the day. Not only will you be eating more, but you may start to develop chronic head- aches, fibromyalgia symptoms and other nerve damage issues.
3. Don’t mix coffee with your breakfast cereal. Most cereals in our country are fortified with iron. Polyphenols in coffee (antioxidants) will actually decrease the body’s ability to absorb iron. Most black teas, as well as some herbals like Chamomile and Peppermint, have this same property. If you’re a "coffee and cereal" person, try to have your coffee at least an hour before or after your breakfast.
4. Don’t drink large amounts of fluids with any foods. This dramatically slows down your digestive processes. Your stomach has Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) in it, sitting in wait to digest your food. If you dilute this HCL with water, or any other liquid, the proper breakdown does not occur in the stomach, and this undigested food will continue down your entire digestive tract, causing not only discomfort, but an inadequate nutrient uptake. Try to drink your water between your meals instead of with them.
Do’s 1. Do mix your avocados with tomatoes. Tomatoes, which contain the potent antioxidant lycopene, and avocados, which are an excellent source of good fat, are both on my superfood list. When eaten together, the fat in the avocado helps the body absorb up to seven times more lycopene from the tomato! Along the same lines, adding extra virgin olive oil to any dark green veggies (zucchini, spinach, asparagus, etc.) will release lutein, an antioxidant that helps protect against age-related macular degeneration, among other great health benefits.
2. Do mix spinach and naturally occurring vitamin C. Squeezing half of a lemon or orange on your spinach salad will cause the iron in the spinach to convert into a much more bio-available form for your body.
3. Do mix grilled steak, chicken or fish with brussels sprouts, or any other cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). Certain compounds in these veggies help to rid the body of carcinogens that have formed on your meat during high-heat cooking. It is always best to cook meats at lower temperatures for a longer period of time to avoid these cancer-causing agents.