“A Walk On The Wild Side”

Nicholas P. Sita, PhD, MSOT, CPT, CES, CMT

One of the more confusing and least understood topics that I’m asked to discuss is the relationship of nutrition to health and human performance. So much misleading and outright erroneous information is presented in popular media by pseudo-experts that it becomes difficult to separate “the chafe from the wheat” (pun intended). The food production, food distribution, pharmaceutical, healthcare, dietary supplement, fast-food, fitness and weight-loss industries all have a vested, multi-billion dollar interest in making consumers believe that their products or services are the keys to health, happiness, and a convenient lifestyle. Don’t believe the hype! These industries profit from consumer ignorance and confusion.

The most frequently asked question and topic of this short article is “With up to 400,000 products on sale in my local supermarket, how can I be sure I’m buying the healthiest foods available for my family”? Although difficult, finding and preparing healthy nutritious food from your supermarket is far from impossible. Just follow these few rules and you’ll be well on your way to maximizing your family’s health potential.

·       Buy whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods whenever possible. Remember, if prehistoric man couldn’t have foraged or caught a food product, then it has been processed.

·       Use only whole grains and whole grain products.

·       Avoid foods high in sugar, corn syrup, salt and caffeine.

·       Do not eat lowfat, just make sure your dietary fats are mono and polyunsaturated (liquid at room temperature). Avoid saturated or trans fats like the plague.

·       Eat high-fiber, green, leafy vegetables as often as possible. The darker green, the better. Add red, orange, purple and yellow veggies to meals whenever possible. The more colorful your meals, the more phytochemical (phytochemicals are good!) you are likely to be getting.

·       Buy organic when it comes to meat, dairy, berries and soy.

·       Eat “wild caught” not “farm raised” fish and fish low in mercury (visit: nrdc.org/healthy/effects/mercury/guide.asp, grist.org/advice/possessions, or epi.state.us/epi/fish/safefish.html)

·       When it comes to “starchy carbs” like potatoes, rice and pasta - stick with brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa and sweet potatoes or yams.

·       Wash all fruits, vegetables, fish and meats thoroughly before storing in your fridge or freezer and again before cooking.

·       Stay with lean cuts of meat. Limit red meat consumption to twice weekly.

·       Eat meaty, high-fat fish such as salmon, mahi-mahi, tuna, etc. as much as possible. Always remember “wild caught” is best.