Practical Practitioner
By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE
Foods That Heal
Healing Foods are the Foundation of a Healthy Lifestyle
By: Pamela Egan, NP, ABAAHP Diplomat
The food industry has lured us with thousands of easy-to use processed food products, loaded with sugar/simple carbs, bad fats and salt. These foods have turned us into a nation of over-eaters and fast food/processed food junkies. We crave fattening burgers, fries, and lots of soft drinks.
Every calorie and every gram of carbohydrate, protein and fat that you take in has to go somewhere. You burn calories in your everyday activities, but every extra calorie you consume that is not immediately burned is stored as body fat and leads to diabetes and obesity.
Diabetes and obesity are frequent causes of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, arthritis and strokes. Most of us consume far more calories than can be immediately burned. Since we are not out working 10 hours a day in the field, we need fewer calories since we won’t burn them off. Studies show that for optimal weight and maximum disease-free longevity, we should be eating about 1200 calories a day, but the average American eats two to three times that much.
The first step to achieve your ideal weight is to reduce your caloric intake. Many Anti-Aging Specialists recommend a day of fasting for health & longevity.
There are healing foods that you should eat every day. These foods are the foundation of a healthy life. They are the true natural cures from the earth. Your cells require large amounts of antioxidants and nutrients and will be protected from premature aging. Many of these foods can reverse many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Eat organic foods if you can to reduce the load of toxins, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides and herbicides added to most commercially grown food. Eat these foods daily, and they will help you maintain a vigorous, healthy disease free life.
Foods that heal include:
- Broccoli
- Cruciferous vegetables
- Berries
- Apples
- Spinach
- Other dark green leafy vegetables
- Pomegranate
- Cold-water, wild-caught fish
- Olive oil (and other healthy oils)
- Whole grain breads and pastas
- Beans & other legumes
- Lentils
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Onions
- Lean meats and poultry
- Red wine
- Green tea
- Dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa)
- Nuts
- Water
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On the other hand, there are foods that kill. They kill because they replace the healing foods and overload your body with toxins of bad fats, chemicals and sugars. Sadly, they are foods that almost all Americans consume nearly every day. It’s time for you to abandon them. If you make the choice to eat from this list, dos so extremely sparingly and with the awareness that you are literally shortening your life every time you do so. They are just as harmful as smoking, which can take 20 years or more off your life. And just like smoking, these foods can cause heart disease, strokes and cancer. Make a choice for a long, healthy life.
Foods that kill include:
- Sugar
- Sodas (including diet)
- Trans fatty acids
- French fries
- Deep fried fish (or deep fried anything)
- Refined grains (white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc.)
- Donuts
- Processed meats
- Processed snacks (and processed food in general)
- Foods high in gluten
Your body has amazing natural healing power if you support it with the foods and nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
Wellness & Anti-Aging Clinic
1116 W. 21’st Ave.
Covington, Louisiana 70433
Phone: (985) 892-3031
Fax: (985) 892-9504
Email: info@pamelaegan.com
Pamela Egan, MN, NP, CDE, ABAAHP Diplomat is a board certified Adult & Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Diabetes Educator, and has completed a Fellowship in Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. She can be reached at 985-892-3031 or www.pamelaegan.com.
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