April 2010

HOUSTON EdiTiONRead us online at www.changemediaonline.com

Start a (Kitchen) Counter-Revolution | Cow-Pooling | Capturing Rainwater | Secrets to Longevity Part II

GROWin’ his OWnCatalyst of Change

FEDERICO MARQUESon Food and the Next Great Thing

18 www.ChangeMediaOnline.com

Follow the 80/20 rule, drink lots of water and understand how the food you eat affects your first line of immune system defense: your diges-tive system.

By tracey timpanaro

We’re all familiar with the old adage “you are what you eat.” but when most of us hear it, we think it has to do with what we look like. however, there’s so much more to it than that. You might be amazed to discover how much food has to do with the proper functioning of your immune system.

And of course, i’m happy to make that connection for you, but we’re going to have to go through quite a bit of fascinating information to get there. so let’s get started.

First we must wade through one boring, scientific definition of the immune system, which reads as follows: it’s a system of biologi-cal structures and processes that protect against disease. it’s made up of many types of proteins, cells, organs and tissues that interact in an elaborate and dynamic network. (Thank you Wikipedia.)

The more pedestrian definition of the immune system is that it pro-tects you from all the crud you’re exposed to every day, and therefore keeps you healthy. At least, that is what is supposed to happen in a perfect world.

here in the real world, however, we tend to ask too much of our immune systems. And this is where most problems, i.e. disorders and diseases, begin. Very often, food is the initial culprit down this danger-ous path. it seems silly to state the obvious, but what you put in your body affects your body. While most of us know that intuitively, we typi-cally don’t give it a lot of thought.

P a r t I I Y O U A R E W H AT Y O U E AT

18 www.ChangeMediaOnline.com

Wellness

Time to Clean Up Your “Tract”

19April 2010 • Houston

First line of defense“The digestive system is the body’s first line of defense,” says Michelle Gregovic, a Katy-based holistic health consultant and yoga teacher. “it absorbs the proper nutrients out of the food we eat and effectively eliminates toxins and the other byproducts that we don’t need. The gastrointestinal tract almost constitutes a second brain because it has so many nerves.”

One the problems with our society of convenience today is that it leads to an assault on our digestive systems; our diets often contain excess sugar, saturated fats and processed foods (which are rife with additives and preservatives). We also take antibiotics far too often, and they wreak havoc on our Gi tracts.

so what happens is that we flood our digestive system with all this crap (to use a technical term), and the system becomes overwhelmed. And when it’s taxed like that, obviously it’s not going to function properly. “it’s like a machine that has to be kept at an efficient level,” Gregovic says. “We need to focus on what we can eat and do to keep it healthy, and also what we should not eat and not do that would inhibit it.”

eating poorly is actually a double whammy for the digestive system. To function normally, it needs a certain amount of vitamins and miner-als. if the foods we eat do not have sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals we need, then the body will have to draw those elements from its own stores. What this means it that not only are we not sup-porting our body’s functionality, we’re depleting it at the same time. Clearly, this is no bueno.

The problem is compounded by the fact that even foods that are good for you do not contain the nutrients they used to. This is due to two main reasons: “same crop” farming and the lengthy timetable (and geographic distance) between their harvest and your table.

Many foods are grown on industrial-type farms where there is just one crop. When you’re not rotating crops, the soil gets depleted and doesn’t hold nutrients well. This isn’t good news for the food either.

Food also gets clobbered when it has to travel long distances. some foods are pumped up with gas or hormones, and they’re exposed to a lot more toxins. so when they arrive, their vitamin and nutrient con-tent has been reduced significantly.

Give your body a breakAnd now we can bring the immune system into the equation. Accord-ing to WebMD, the Gi tract contains the largest number of immune cells of your whole body, constituting approximately 60 percent of your entire immune system. so if you’re eating poorly, you’re compro-mising both your digestive and immune systems, and you’re making the body work too hard. These systems need a proper balance of good bacteria to ward off illness. “if the digestive system is weak, it can’t protect the body against the invaders and toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis,” Gregovic adds.

And here comes the second double whammy. unhealthy eating means you’re weakening your immune system while you’re flooding it with toxins. it’s not a pretty picture.

“When your body is overloaded with toxins, it has trouble flushing them out,” Gregovic ex-plains. “The food sits in your intestine, and there is a putrefaction process that occurs. because you can’t move the toxins out, they end up seeping through the colon and leeching into the body. They end up being deposited in various places in the body, and often will manifest in diseases like cancer or other chronic illnesses.”

It’s all about balanceso if you’ve ever needed sufficient motivation to clean up your “tract,” this would be it. but don’t be discouraged; you don’t have to give up all your favorite bad foods. Gregovic says she feels like people get too caught up in beating themselves up over the bad things they eat. “That creates a lot of negative energy and stress. i prefer to flip that to a more positive mindset. use an 80/20 rule, and focus on filling

While they look nutritious, most vegetables are grown in nutrient depleted soil and pumped with gases and hormones. they often travel long distances before reaching consumers and lack the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function optimally.

Our digestive and immune systems require good bacteria to protect against toxic and harm-ful invaders. a good probiotic, taken daily, can help increase good bacteria activity.

When your body is overloaded with toxins, it has trouble flushing them out.

20 www.ChangeMediaOnline.com

your body with high quality, clean foods that support your digestion.” That would be the 80 percent, and while she doesn’t exactly endorse eating junk food, she realizes that no one can eat perfectly all the time.

so what does healthy eating look like? it’s actually pretty simple. Organic low

fat meat and poultry. Fish. Whole grains. lots of fruit and vegetables, organic where possible. And lots and lots of water. Think about the latter from a logistical standpoint – if you don’t have water, your body can’t flush out toxins.

supplements play a role here as well. because today’s foods are so depleted of nutrients, Gregovic recommends taking a good multivita-min and mineral every day just to make the body whole, and to get 100 percent of what it needs. she also suggests taking two other products daily that provide fantastic support for your immune system. The first is a probiotic like acidophilus, and the second is an Omega 3 fatty acid like flax oil; both can be found in most grocery stores.

When it comes to boosting your immune system, there are two schools of thought on the subject. One camp, which includes Gregov-ic, believes in taking additional dosages (i.e. above the recommended

Daily doses of vitamins C and D, along with minerals zinc and selenium, boost immune system function.

Because you can’t move the toxins out, they end up seeping through the colon

and leeching into the body.

Hiqh quality foods like fish, low fat meat and poultry, whole grains, organic fruits and veg-etables and lots of pure water promote immune system and overall health.

21April 2010 • Houston

Fun WITH germsThe immune system can be significantly compro-mised with even a 25 percent reduction in ad-equate protein intake. (WebMD)

Two sugary sodas a day can lower the power of your cold-busting immune cells by 40 percent. (www.lifescript.com)

More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms. (www.lifescript.com)

Each day you inhale thousands of germs (bacteria and viruses) that are floating in the air, and you eat hundreds of germs. (www.howstuffworks.com)

Your skin is the primary boundary between germs and your body. (www.howstuffworks.com)

daily allowance) of vitamins C, D and e, as well as zinc and selenium, to accomplish this purpose.

The other camp believes that boosting the immune system is not necessary. “if you’re giving your body all it needs on a regular basis, your immune system is strong enough to handle whatever comes along,” says Dr. Vanessa esteves, ND, whose title is continuing educa-tion and alumni affairs officer at the National College of Natural Medi-cine. “The basic elements of this are that you eat high quality food, drink plenty of water, moderate your intake of caffeine and alcohol and that you do not abuse your body. You should exercise four times per week, have a good stress management plan in place, and get good, high quality sleep. You have to make sure that your life in general supports your immune system.”

And it all starts with what you put in your mouth. if you’re eating foods that are good for you, you will keep your body healthy. but the added bonus is that it will also make you feel fantastic. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Editor’s notE: This article is part II of a three-part series on the Secrets to Longevity. The May issue will feature a primer on breathing, as 80 percent of Americans suffer from severely restricted breathing patterns.