Healthy Mind ,Healthy body

        Food is medicine. Every piece of fruit, every sandwich, and every potato chip that you put into your mouth has complex biochemical messages for your body. Most fruits are anti-inflammatory and prevent heart disease and cancer. Potato chips (because they’re fried and they increase blood sugar) increase inflammation and the risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. When we choose to eat an anti-inflammatory diet—rich in dark-colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats, such as olive oil or avocados—we reduce our risk of all chronic diseases. And when we limit or avoid inflammatory foods, such as processed foods (especially those with hydrogenated oils), fried foods, and sugar, we further reduce our risk of all chronic diseases.

The first step in nourishing your body is to be choosy about what you put into it. It’s important to keep in mind that foods that work for someone else may not work for you! Be sure you use your own body intelligence to decide, for example, if whole wheat bread makes you feel fabulous (all those B vitamins and great fiber and protein content) or makes you feel ill (because you are gluten allergic or intolerant). The second step is to be sure your body can digest and assimilate those good nutrients. The normal functioning of your digestive tract is absolutely essential to your health, affecting your immunity, your nutritional status, and even your mood—so much so that I often refer to the digestive tract as your abdominal brain.

Several foods and supplements are helpful in maintaining our digestion. As we age, some of us produce fewer digestive enzymes and less stomach acid, which reduces our ability to absorb certain vitamins and nutrients. If you have surprisingly low levels of vitamins D or B12, you may suffer from a lack of stomach acid or digestive enzymes. This may also be the case if you have stomach upset with fatty meals or suffer from loose stools. You can purchase digestive enzymes at any reputable health food or vitamin store and try taking one to two before meals. If you note an improvement in your digestion, or even your energy level, you may want to consider taking them regularly, particularly with large or heavy meals.