Optimum Performance

The Do's & Don't of Nutrition (Part 2)

Over the next few weeks I will be adding to this list.

The Do’s of Nutrition

Whenever possible, eat organic foods

Organic farming differs from conventional farming in the methods used to grow crops. Where traditional farmers apply chemical fertilizers to the soil to grow their crops, organic farmers feed and build soil with natural fertilizer. Traditional farmers use insecticides to get rid of insects and disease, while organic farmers use natural methods such as insect predators and barriers for this purpose. Traditional farmers control weed growth by applying synthetic herbicides, but organic farmers use crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, cover crops and mulches to control weeds.

The result is that conventionally grown food is often tainted with chemical residues, which can be harmful to humans. Pesticides can have many negative influences on health, including neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression. Pesticide exposure may also affect male reproductive function and has been linked to miscarriages in women.

Conventional produce tends to have fewer nutrients than organic produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops.

Looking at the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nutritional values for fruits and vegetables today compared to 1975.3

Take a look at the loss of Vitamins and Minerals Since 1975:

• Apples, Vitamin A is down 41%
• Sweet Peppers, Vitamin C is down 31%
• Watercress, Iron is down 88%
• Broccoli, Calcium and Vitamin A are down 50%
• Cauliflower, Vitamin C is down 45%; Vitamin B1 is down 48%; and Vitmain B2 is down 47%
• Collards Greens, Vitamin A is down 45%; Potassium is down 60%; and Magnesium is down 85%

According to USDA’s own numbers, the vitamin and mineral content has dramatically plummeted – in just 30 years!

Notice minerals like iron and magnesium have dropped by more than 80 percent. That’s from commercial farming technology and powerful fertilizers that practically sterilize the soil – leaving it with little to no mineral content.

Supplement with Omega 3 Fish Oil

A study about the role fatty acids play in building the bone mineral density of young men found that concentrations of omega-3 fats were associated with positive bone mineral densities.

Researchers evaluated the bone health (hip, spine and body) and measured the concentrations of fatty acids in 78 teenage men over an eight-year span.

In addition to the other benefits, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was linked to better total bone densities, particularly in the spine, as well as positive changes in the spine for men between the ages of 16 and 22.

Flax Oil Compared With Fish Oil Many people have read that flax seed is ‘the answer’.

Contrary to advertising, Alpha Lineolic Acid (ALA), found in flax seed is only the precursor of Omega-3 fats, (not actually Omega=3 itself). It can be converted by the body to long-chain Omega-3 fats and so it may be substituted for fish oils.

However, ALA is not equivalent in its biological effects to the long-chain Omega-3 fats found in marine oils. EPA and DHA are more rapidly incorporated into plasma and membrane lipids and produce more rapid effects than does ALA. Studies suggest that intake of 3-4 grams of ALA per day is equivalent to 0.3 grams (300 mg) EPA per day. (around ten times more effective)

Relatively large reserves of Lineolic acid (not ALA) in body fat, found in vegans or in the diet of omnivores in Western societies, would tend to slow down the formation of long-chain Omega-3 fats like EPA and DHA from ALA.

Add Coconut Oil

Dietary coconut oil increases conjugated linoleic acid-induced body fat loss in mice independent of essential fatty acid deficiency. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2005 Oct 15;1737(1):52-60. Epub 2005 Sep 13.

Medium-chain triglycerides increase energy expenditure and decrease adiposity in overweight men. Obes Res. 2003 Mar;11(3):395-402.

Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.