Research is increasing our understanding between the health needs of men versus women. The truth is, your gender impacts your predisposition to certain health concerns.
Here are some of the most common health issues facing women, and what you can do to use food as medicine to take preventative measures against these issues:
Heart disease is a game of good fat, bad fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are an essential supplementation for any heart healthy diet. Molecularly distilled fish oil, cod liver oil and krill oil are all exceptional and necessary supplements. It is also important to eat other foods high in Omega 3s like flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and fatty, cold water fish like salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel.
Avoid margarine, trans fats, hydrogenated oils and shortening at all costs. Instead incorporate monounsaturated oils like olive, canola, sesame and avocado.
If you would like to learn more about foods for heart health, watch our show where we discuss studies on 5 foods you can start consuming now that will work synergistically to lower small particle LDL, improve circulation and strengthen your blood vessels.
When it comes to osteoporosis, dairy products are not the answer. As a nation, we consume an incredibly high amount of dairy products, yet we still have a 25% rate of osteoporosis. This means that the calcium we are taking or drinking is not reaching our bones, but is likely instead getting deposited in our soft tissue. That combines with things that leach calcium like soda and carbonated beverages, sugar, white flour products, an excess of animal protein, and lack of vegetables and fruit and it’s easy to see why one out of four Americans have to contend with this
Alkalizing foods and a low stress life are the answer. The top alkalizing foods are dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens and broccoli. Beet greens, swiss chard and spinach contain oxalic acid which leach calcium from the bones and should best be avoided in the case of osteoporosis. Lemon and lime have an alkalizing effect in the body as do raspberries, mango, sea vegetables, daikon radishes, lentils, sweet potatoes and yams, garlic, onion and apple cider vinegar.
My clinical research over the past few years draws a direct parallel between autoimmune disease and the health of the gut. Most of the time, those with an autoimmune disease need to do some gut repair because they have a certain level of permeability causing microscopic particles of food to escape the gut, lowering the immune system considerably.
To support intestinal lining naturally, I use the amino acid l-glutamine combined with licorice and aloe vera. The second step to overcoming immune issues is to know and avoid foods allergies and sensitivities.
Then, we add in powerhouse foods to support the immune system like local bee pollen, medicinal mushrooms like shitake and maitake, oregano, and garlic.
Foods high in zinc are necessary as well. 3oz lean red meat one time per week will suffice. If you are not a red meat eater, you can get dietary zinc from poultry, pork, yogurt and especially from oysters.
With depression, serotonin, our feel-good neurotransmitter is considerably low, causing a low mood, lethargy, sweet and carbohydrate cravings and likely even digestive disturbances.
Depression can be caused by any number of factors; life circumstance, a traumatic event, poor diet, lack of exercise, or over use of birth control pills or antibiotics. To improve our serotonin, we must feed the body the foods it needs to convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin.
Fantastic food-based sources of tryptophan are baked potatoes with the skin on, bananas, beans, eggs, fish, hazelnuts, hummus, lentils, kelp, animal meat, brown rice and roasted pumpkin seeds.
If you are struggling with depression, watch our show on “Overcoming Low Vitamin D and Depression”.
Antioxidants are most helpful to minimize our chances of breast cancer. There are direct and indirect antioxidants. Direct antioxidants come from vitamin E and vitamin C. While these nutrients are helpful, they act much like a bee does, dying after it stings. Immediately after ingestion, C and E zap free radicals and then wear off.
Indirect antioxidants actually promote our body’s own production of antioxidants for hours after they have been eaten. They are found predominantly in organic berries (anthocyanins), curcumin found in the root turmeric which is found in Indian curry and broccoli sprouts (sulforane), found in the sprout section of your health food store. Many cruciferous vegetables also contain these powerful indirect antioxidants
Watch our show “Using Antioxidants to Reduce Inflammation” to learn more about how antioxidants.
As a lifestyle suggestion to help prevent breast cancer, one can get a dry skin brush at the health food store and brush their skin before a shower, which will circulate lymphatic fluid throughout the body, promoting consistent lymph detox.
Learn more about this technique and in our blog “9 Solutions To Prevent Breast Cancer, Recurrence & Supportive Cancer Care”.
