Article Contributed on: 10/27/2007 11:08:01 AM
Dr. Connie Sanchez, ND
Licensed Naturopathic Physician
www.TheNutritionDoc.com
Doing All the "Right Things" - But Still Not Feeling Well?
The systems of the body are elegantly designed to work together to promote good health and longevity. So if that is true why do so many of us feel so unhealthy? We may be eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising daily, taking nutritional supplements and making all-important changes in our lifestyle - yet we often still feel fatigued and not as healthy as we would like. What's going on here?
You are Unique; There is No One Else on This Planet Exactly Like You.
Life is truly amazing and mother nature creates lots of variety in this world. Want proof? Just look around. As a result, mother nature designed us to be biochemically different from each other to increase our chances of surviving and multiplying on this planet. It then stands to reason, because of our unique biochemical individuality, that we would each have differing nutritional needs. In other words; the diet and/or nutritional supplements that are working for Jane are not working for you.
If good health is a priority in your life - then you are probably taking the advice of your physician and making important lifestyle and nutritional changes. Unfortunately, the advice that is often given are recommendations for the "general" population and are not specific enough to address your unique nutritional needs in order to promote you toward stellar health.
How Efficient is Your Metabolic "Engine"?
Everything we consume as food and drink is fed into our "metabolic" engine to make energy for our cells so they can do their work. The work of the cells is to transform the food we eat into energy, growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues. Like spark plugs that ignite fuel in a car engine, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients are necessary for these chemical reactions that power our metabolic machinery. Thousands of these reactions occur in our body every second and are the basis of our level of health and vitality.
In the process of doing this work; the cells produce metabolites or byproducts of metabolism. These metabolites can be measured in our urine and are known as organic acids. It is much like an emissions test that is performed on your car - the exhaust is examined to see how efficiently the engine is burning fuel. Similarly, organic acids that are excreted in your urine reveal how efficient you are in "burning" your fuel.
If specific vitamins and other important nutrients are not available in adequate amounts these important reactions will not occur as well as they should.
B-Vitamin Insufficiency -
To B or Not to B?
Insufficiency of B-vitamins tends to be common in our society since they are not stored as efficiently as other vitamins in the body and are used up when we are under stress. B-vitamins are involved in many critical process including energy production, digestion, and muscle and nerve function. Even modest B-vitamin insufficiencies can compromise our energy production which leads to fatigue and impaired health.
Cellular Energy
All the body's processes depend on how efficiently our cellular engines ( mitochondria) make energy. Inadequate energy production at the cellular level can affect all aspects of our body's function and can have a dramatic impact on a wide range of health conditions.
Detoxification
Not only does the body use essential nutrients to actively build, repair and maintain itself, it also uses them to eliminate environmental toxins and certain chemicals that are created in the body as well. This process of detoxification is crucial to our health. Like a backed-up sewer, an impaired detoxification system can lead to many problems such as brain fog, headaches, insomnia, nausea, chemical sensitivities, and a variety of chronic health problems.
Food Sensitivities
I often tell patients that the "foods you eat most often are probably the ones you are most sensitive to". Food sensitivities are not true allergies; nevertheless, they seriously compromise our health. Symptoms of food sensitivities may include gas, bloating, indigestion, constipation, loose stool, headaches, muscle aches, joint pains, rashes and brain fog, the list can go on and on. If we are eating foods that are deemed "good" for our health, yet we have a sensitivity toward that food - that so-called "good" food may not be good for you. Some of the most common food sensitivities are wheat (gluten), dairy (casein), soy, and eggs. If we continue to eat foods that we have sensitivities toward this adds to the heavy burden of toxic load that our body has to carry and compromises every aspect of our health.
Learning what foods you are sensitive to and then avoiding them once you know what they are is one of the best things you can do to improve your vitality and health.
Your unique nutritional program should be designed with these factors in mind.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of a qualified nutritionally-minded physician, licensed Naturopathic Physician (N.D), or certified nutritionist for evaluation.
FREE LECTURES IN NOVEMBER -
VITAMIN COTTAGE NATURAL GROCERS
THYROID HEALTH: Reving Up Your Metabolism
Dr. Connie Sanchez, ND
Go to www.NaturalSpeakers.com or www.TheNutritionDoc.com for locations, dates and times.