Nutritional healing

The modern solution to many physical and mental conditions is prescription drugs, but Guy Russell, fitness trainer and nutrition expert for The OnboardSpa Company, discusses the virtues of healthy eating and explains how an understanding of nutritional values can boost the immune system, increase energy levels and potentially decrease the number of visits to the doctor's surgery.

If I were to ask the doctors of the hundreds of clients I have worked with over the years if they have ever prescribed a nutritionist or a personal trainer to help with their patient's problems, I am 100 percent sure the answer would be no! And I'm sure any personal trainers and fitness instructors who are reading this would agree. Now I'm not for one minute suggesting we ignore doctors, or come off any medication, it's just a sad state of affairs that the first thought is to prescribe medication. I'm pleased with myself that the first thought I have when a client tells me they have high cholesterol or hypertension is 'right, let's find out what you're eating that's doing this'! After all, food is a major 'drug' we put into our body; it can change our sugar levels, improve our mental and cognitive abilities, strengthen (or in lots of cases, weaken) our immune system, or even improve our eye sight!!

In today's world of high chemical foods and over farming techniques, our nutrition is worse than ever. Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, hormones, steroids, antibiotics, colourings, preservatives, flavorings and sweeteners, to name just a few, all contribute to increasing obesity, allergies, cardiac dysfunction, depression and any number of other health related ailments, and are steadily on the rise. Fortunately, consumer awareness is improving, demanding the need for more organic foods and healthy restaurants. The down side of this is the price war; this better healthier option is often too expensive for a family of four whom, if they can get two whole chickens for five pounds, aren't going to look twice at the organic range which is double the price just for one.  In the long run, the resulting hospital bills that will add up in later life due to the health implications of the poorer alternative foods will outweigh the savings made earlier.

One of the major obstacles we have to overcome is that we are a society of convenience, everything has to be quick and easy, and nothing demonstrates this more than fast food or ready-made meals. If we look back to our ancestors thousands of years ago, was there food in the fridge waiting for us, or just a quick pop down the local garage for a bag of oven chips? The short answer is no; we had to go hunt and forage for our meals. Now this could lead me onto the topic of exercise, as the only reason we have gyms and go road running is we don't have to do this anymore, and these make up for our lack of human behavior. But for now lets leave exercise as this may turn into a book!

A lot of people worry about their bodies mainly due to vanity, especially in our younger years. It's only later on in life we realise we're not invincible, and the health aspects become our main concern. The problem we get today is foods do not have the nutrition value as they did even fifty years ago, let alone during 'caveman' times. Let's look at fruits, berries, nuts and seeds. The majority of us do not have these in our diet, and if we do the process of how these foods are grown, transported and packaged deteriorates the food so much that generally it could be counterproductive to eat them. Think about your five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, it's great that we are making the effort to do this, but if we are not eating pick your own organic produce then we are eating five servings of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and insecticides, and anything with 'cides' at the end of a word we need to be staying away from. Why do they recommend five portions a day? One of the reasons is to assist with the body's immune > system. Our immune system is not just responsible for protecting us against illness but also improving our energy levels and condition of our skin, hair and nails. Improving our immune system also helps us to age well! If we look at the process of getting older, it's the free radicals we are constantly attacked by that cause us to age and we know that most degenerative diseases are linked or caused by free radical damage. This means diseases like arthritis, diabetes, or in fact any disease where your body is slowly falling apart. They also attack the brain and central nervous systems, causing disorders such as Down's Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. These free radicals have been strongly linked to heart disease and all types of cancers.

Antioxidants are vitamins that protect cells from oxidation (free radicals). We all know the oxidation process; it causes metal to rust, fruit to turn brown and oils to go rancid. Inside the body, oxidation can severely damage cells and allow diseases to get a foothold. Free radicals, are produced both in our bodies when oxygen in metabolised and in the environment by factors like cigarette smoke and polluted air. Antioxidants seem to deactivate free radicals, thus protecting cells from damage.

Of course it's not just about what we eat but when and how much, especially when we look at metabolism. It's society, again, that dictates we should have three meals a day that supports a healthy balanced diet. In actual fact that is exactly the nutrition plan of a professional sumo wrestler who wants to put on weight. If we look at a body figure competitor who needs to strip body fat, they will be eating every three hours!! This is because your metabolism is like a fire, the more fuel you feed it the stronger and brighter it gets. In this instance it really is a case of eat more to weigh less. This is because of what we call anabolism. When your body goes into an anabolic state it builds muscles, strengthens our immune system and helps us to metabolise fat quicker and more efficiently. Keeping our body in the anabolic state is the key to a healthy life style. Eating protein regularly, drinking sufficient water, correct amounts of sleep and exercise all keep us in anabolism. The opposite of this is catabolism, which stops us from reaching our full potential. Catabolism actually decreases our muscle mass which slows down metabolism, resulting in fat weight gain. Any individual in a training environment will reduce natural levels of zinc and magnesium. This over time will lead to a reduction in the major 'anabolic' hormones (Those that allow reconstruction and growth of muscle tissue, essential for general recovery, health and adaptation).

Studies supporting the combination of Zinc, Magnesium and B6 have shown strength increases, an increase in anabolic (muscle building) hormones, reduction in muscle breakdown and an improved quality of sleep in participants. Now if we add into the health soup the Twenty-First Century epidemic – stress – our chances of being in this anabolic state are minimal.  There are a few nutritional supplements that can helps us beat stress, whilst at the same time improve our sleep patterns. L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP are two naturally occurring amino acids, both of which increase the levels of Serotonin and Melatonin in the brain. Serotonin and Melatonin are calming neurotransmitters and aid in restful sleep and recovery.

Tryptophan has been used for many years as a dietary supplement for this purpose. It has also been effectively in treating premenstrual dysphonic disorder and seasonal affective disorder. Tryptophan has also shown promise as an anti-depressant and an augmenter of antidepressant drugs.

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to nutrition is that fat is bad. This is not technically true. Essential Fatty Acids mean exactly what it says on the tin; they are essential, we need them. However, our diet is often very poor in these EFA's, especially Omega 3's and Omega 6's. These fats are essential as part of a healthy diet, reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, improving cognitive function and reduces blood triglycerides. The human body cannot synthesize Omega 3 or Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 9 can be created by the body but work synergistically with 3 and 6. Three and 6 must be obtained from external sources. Our natural diet is no longer high in Omega 3s, and certainly far from the optimal ratio suggested. Studies suggest this healthy ratio should between a 1/1 ratio, to a 4/1 ratio of Omega 6: Omega 3. Typical western diets provide ratio of 10/1 to 30/1

Another increasing ailment, generally attributed to poor diet and (especially) exercise, is arthritis in its numerous forms. Many medications can be prescribed for this, which unfortunately has a number of side effects. There are naturally occurring minerals which help us in the war against Arthritis, and can easily be obtained through supplementation, as opposed to eating fish bones! Extensive studies have shown that Glucosamine Sulphate provides relief from both Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis and also reduces joint pain and inflammation. Studies have shown that unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which provide systematic relief, GL plays a vital role in the production of cartilage and can actually help prevent the destruction of cartilage.

A naturally occurring amino sugar GL helps with joint damage through injury or age related problems.

Several studies have shown clear benefits for glucosamine treatment showing not only a benefit for treatment of symptoms but also joint space narrowing on radiographs. One such study suggested that GL, unlike pain relievers such as NSAIDs, can actually help prevent the destruction of cartilage that is a hallmark of osteoarthritis. Along with Glucosamine, Chondroitin sulphate has become a widely used dietary supplement for treatment of osteoarthritis. GC is supported by the arthritis foundation.

In a world of poor nutritional value foods, lack of exercise, over prescribed medication and misdirected government advice, it is more important than ever to supplement our diet to compensate for this. Maybe with the right education, our doctor's first questions when dealing with ailments will be "tell me about your nutrition and exercise".

Examples of amazing anti-oxidants

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

An amino acid, ALA is referred to as the ‘Universal Anti-Oxidant’ because of its unique ability to work on both water and fat soluble toxins. ALA improves all metabolic processes and also protects from the harmful oxidative by-products of that metabolism. It has also been used for successfully treating Diabetes & Hepatitis-C.

Vitamin E

Daily supplementation will significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Relieves symptoms of Arthritis and inflammatory disease and also reduces the risk of prostate cancer and inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells.

Co Enzyme Q10

Fat soluble COQ10 regenerates Vitamin E in the anti-oxidant network. For 20 years COQ10 has been used successfully to treat and prevent heart disease in the East. It rejuvenates brain cells and is thought to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. COQ10 is now being investigated in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Grape Extract

Scavenges free radicals in the brain and protects against radiation, pesticides chemical pollution and heavy metals. Grape seed extract is absorbed into the body in seconds, enhancing the effectiveness of other anti-oxidants with synergistic properties (A,E). It inhibits the formation of certain enzymes that break down collagen in the skin. This prevents the production of histamine, thereby reducing the risk and severity of allergic reaction.