[1] SMART is adapted from the book Make Success Measurable by Douglas K. Smith Copyright ©1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

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The Nature of Nutrition
Practical Alternatives for Optimum Wellness

By
Chuck Jumpeter

 Last month, we set out to create some S.M.A.R.T. goals for ourselves for 2006. This set us on the path to a fun, enjoyable and fulfilling life.

So, what do you do next? The next step is vitally important, because we must be able to "see" ourselves in this new reality. Lou Tice of the Pacific Institute says, “Human beings think in three dimensions: Words (or language) that trigger Pictures, which cause Emotions (or feelings). So, it is important that the words of your goals cause the exact picture of what you want.”

What is the most important investment you can ever make? To me, it is a simple question. The best investment you can make is the time and energy you spend developing and maintaining good physical and mental health. 

Mickey Mantle once said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." So an important question to ask is how long do you expect to live? My personal goal is to die young as late as possible, and, I suspect, that most of you would love to live to be at least 100 years old - provided you can get there in good health and with a sound mind. 

The questions then become:

q       Are you committed to the lifestyle and self-discipline it will take to get there?

q       Do you eat a well-balanced diet and keep an eye on your weight?

q       Do you exercise regularly and get regular medical checkups at least once a year?

q       Do you get enough sleep?

q       Do you keep toxins like cigarette smoke and excessive alcohol out of your body?

q       Do you take accountability for your own health? 

If you can answer "yes" to these questions, you are making a risk-free investment in yourself today that will pay great dividends in the future. And, while the answers to some of these questions are obvious, others may require some additional information so you will have the necessary knowledge and skills to change your “no” or “maybe” into a solid yes, and that’s where I’d like to start. Over the next few issues, I’ll provide a quick refresher of The Nature of Nutrition and provide some practical alternatives to optimum wellness. So let’s get started. 

What is Nutrition? I asked this question to a group of people attending one of my seminars and, not too surprisingly, got nearly as many different responses as there were people in the room. These ranged from a very generic, “our diet” to detailed and specific dietary recommendations complete with portion sizes and content. While our individual nutritional needs are supplied from what we eat, diet does not equal nutrition. Simply stated, Nutrition is the relationship of foods to the health of the human body. Taking that definition one step further, Proper Nutrition is having all essential nutrients – carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, water and air – supplied in adequate balance, and utilized to maintain optimal health and well-being.

Proper nutrition must occur at the cellular level and is essential for:

q       Normal organ development and functioning

q       Normal reproduction

q       Growth

q       Maintenance

q       Optimum activity level and working efficiency

q       Resistance to infection and disease and

q       The ability to repair bodily damage and injury

Each of us is made up of about 60 to 100 trillion cells. Most of these cells don’t live for more than about 90 days…many are replaced every 30 days. Essentially, you are a new you about every 90 days! The new cells that comprise the new you are manufactured from the raw materials you provide through the dietary choices you make.  

You are all familiar with the old adage G.I.G.O. which means Garbage In, Garbage Out. This is especially true when it comes to nutrition and wellness. You are what you eat. The story of your life is reflected in the choices you make each day. You are who you are and where you are today as a result of the choices you made over time. Ask yourself this question, “90 days from now, do I want to be a Big Macä?” 

So how do our cells actually use the nutrients we supply? There are three (3) basic processes in play here: 1) Digestion; 2) Absorption; and 3) Metabolism. This may seem to be an over-simplification of how we function, but it does set the ground rules. Let’s take a quick look at each of these functions. An appropriate place to start is with a few definitions. 

Digestion: A series of physical and chemical changes by which food what is taken into the body is broken down in preparation for absorption.

Absorption: The process by which nutrients are taken up by the intestines and passed into the bloodstream to facilitate metabolism. 

Metabolism: The conversion of the digested nutrients into components for energy or for building material for living tissue.

These processes begin as soon as we place food into our mouths. Our teeth start the process by grinding the food into smaller, more manageable pieces. Saliva begins to dissolve and process the food. Once we swallow, all those wonderful gastric juices begin to do their work in our stomachs, and some absorption takes place at this level. Then, this partially digested mass passes into the small intestine where additional digestive hormones are introduced and absorption of nutrients is completed. If we have eaten a balanced and complete diet, then our metabolism will provide us with the necessary amounts of energy and well being to function as we should.

OK, so far we’ve further identified how to enhance our goals, defined nutrition and proper nutrition and noted that these must take place at the cellular level, and started to explore some basic information on how we convert our food to energy. That’s a pretty good start.  

In our next issue, well take a much closer look at what we mean by “cellular level” and begin to address specific foods and the food guide pyramid…and see if we can change Mr. Twain’s mind.

Cj

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The Nature of Nutrition – Practical Alternatives for Optimum Wellness

Part II

By
Chuck Jumpeter

Our Cells – Ourselves

One of my favorite philosophers is the a professional athlete lovingly known in hockey circles as “The Great One.” Of course I’m referring to hall-of-famer, Wayne Gretzky. Wayne always seemed to be right where he needed to be to make the play. His timing was exquisite. When asked during an interview how he managed this feat, he simply said, “You don’t skate to where the puck is, you skate to where it is going to be.” The simplicity of this statement is beautiful and exemplifies what we’ve been discussing in our first two articles. Planning, vision, specificity, anticipation, a clear picture, action and emotion are all captured in one simple sentence. That’s what great ones seem to do, take complex ideas and simplify them so that we can all understand. 

How can we incorporate this concept into our nutritional future? What is our nutritional puck? Where will it be in a week? A month? A year? 10 years? 50 years? How can we get to that point? It all starts with the smallest building block called a cell, and our story begins at this cellular level. 

In my last article I noted that each of us is made up of approximately 80 trillion cells. There are numerous different types of cells. We have brain cells, red and white blood cells, skin cells, muscle cells, heart cells, etc., etc. Some of these cells live for years while others only a few days. For the most part, 90 days is the average life of a cell. So, as we pointed out previously, you are a “new you” about every 3 months. These new cells are made from the food you eat. Remember last time I asked if you wanted to look like a Big Macä? Well, I wasn’t kidding.

So, what do our cells need? What should we eat and how much? How do we go about deciphering all those confusing labels? What’s better, high carb or high protein? Everyone says their product/idea/approach is best…who can we believe? It’s all so confusing…do we really have the time to do it right?  

It can be a somewhat daunting task to decipher all this information, but let’s try to break it down and simplify it. How effective do you think Mr. Gretzky would have been if he focused on all the minutia of the game of hockey? Suppose his mind set focused on those two big defensemen on the other team…what about their goalie? And, let’s not forget that the ice is getting a bit chipped up and the tape on my stick is coming loose, etc., etc. Focusing on all the details rather than the big picture confuses more than it helps. Rather than allowing the paralysis of analysis to confuse his game, he simply skated to where the puck was going to be and played on from there. He had a second great approach and said it this way, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” No that’s simply B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! In other words, start with a clear vision and then, as the Nike ads tell us, “Just Do It!”ä 

So? What’s your big picture…your wellness vision? If, like me, your goal is to die young as late as possible, then here’s where to start.

In order to ensure that we are producing new cells that are as good as, if not better than the ones we are replacing, we need to provide all of the nutrients necessary and in proper balance. What does that mean? Well, while there is a lot of information out there about what is or is not good for you, most experts agree that a balanced diet would be comprised of 15% protein, 55% complex carbohydrates, and 30% unsaturated fats. If we use the food guide pyramid (see this web site for the most current U.S.D.A. data on the pyramid http://www.mypyramid.gov) and make wise choices, we will also get all of the vitamins, minerals and fiber we need from these three basic components. 

I’m going to get a little technical for a bit here so you won’t have to concern yourself with this later. The basic building block for our cells is protein. Without a good, high-quality protein in our diets daily, the new cells we produce will be inferior to those that are being replaced. That’s what aging is all about. The new cell isn’t quite as good as the last one and we begin to look and feel older.  

Protein is a funny thing. Some experts say we eat too much protein, while clinical studies show that most of us are protein deficient. How can these two things exist at the same time? Simple. Our bodies cannot metabolize the protein we consume, and, therefore, nutritionally, we become protein deficient. 

Proteins, commonly called amino acids, come in two forms: essential and nonessential. Essential amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body and must come from our diets. Nonessential amino acids are produced within our bodies as a result of our bodies metabolizing the nine essential amino acids. If we do not consume a proper balance of the nine essential amino acids daily, then our bodies will not manufacture the other amino acids and we begin our road to protein deficiency. Lets look at it this way; we all know that the formula for water is H²O. That means that when we combine 2 molecules of hydrogen with one of oxygen we get one of water. Suppose we had 20 molecules of hydrogen and still only one of oxygen, how much water would we get? Still only one and the other 18 molecules of hydrogen would be wasted. 

That same analogy applies to protein. We need all nine essential amino acids in balance daily…no exceptions. I know that many of you out there are engineers, so I won’t tease you any more, the nine essential amino acids are: Histidine, Lysine, Theonine, Isoleucine, Methionine, Tryptophan, Lucine, Phenylalanine and Valine. Depending upon which “expert” you speak with, there are 13 – 18 nonessential amino acids, and NO, I am not going to list them because it simply doesn’t matter. 

Any protein that contains the nine essential amino acids is said to be a “complete” protein. Meats, poultry and fish and whey are good sources of complete proteins, as are some vegetables like soybeans. However, when proteins are heated to 110° and above, the enzymes needed for protein utilization are destroyed. Most vegetables do not contain complete proteins and, those who choose a vegetarian or vegan diet need to be very cognizant of the combination of veggies they consume to insure they get enough complete protein daily. 

Personally, I take all the guesswork out of it and start each day with a non-GMO (not genetically modified) soy protein drink that has the balance needed. Don’t get me wrong, I love to have bacon and eggs once in a while and I also like some cereals. However, as a protein choice, I prefer soy because it does not have all of the saturated fat, cholesterol, and other undesirable components that animal protein contains.  

I also prefer to start my day with protein rather than end it with protein. Why? Simple, breakfast really is your most important meal. Look at it this way, when we get up each morning, our bodies are coming off a fast of anywhere from 12 to 14 hours since our last meal…and no, I’m not talking about that bag of chips you ate while watching the tube last night. Our bodies need the energy supplied from protein to get started and take on the tasks of the new day. Studies show that children, who consume complete protein for breakfast rather than the typical high carb breakfast of cereal or pastries, etc., perform better in school and have higher IQ’s. That works for grownups, too. 

The next question is how much protein should we consume? Well, that varies from individual to individual, but let’s look at some ground rules. Each gram of protein contains 4 calories. If we use our balanced diet percentages, and assume a 2000-calorie diet, then 15% or 300 calories should come from a complete protein source. That would be about 75 grams. In future issues we’ll discuss how many calories we should consume to achieve and maintain our ideal weight. 

OK, in this issue we’ve identified that protein is the basic cellular building block, what type of protein we need, and what quantity should we consume daily. In our next issue we’ll look at the micronutrients that our bodies need to utilize the protein effectively and ensure that our new selves are as good as if not better than our old cells.

In the meantime, if you have any questions you can write me at healthyone@gmail.com or visit my web site at www.shaklee.net/jumpeter.  

Yours in Good Health, 

Cj 

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The Nature of Nutrition – Practical Alternatives for Optimum Wellness

Part III

By

Chuck Jumpeter  

Our Cells – Ourselves – The Micronutrients

There is an old saying that boldly pronounces, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Well, duh! Who doesn’t know that? The answer is no one. Most of us tend to gloss over a statement like this and pay little or no attention to the critical nature of what is being said. “The first day of the rest of your life” clearly implies a new beginning, a foundation. If you were going to build a new house, you’d start with a good solid foundation, wouldn’t you?

In my last article I discussed protein and noted that it was the basic building block for our bodies. The foundation upon which our “New selves” will be built. Just as reinforced concrete would provide a solid foundation for a new house, a biologically complete, and bioavailable protein provides the foundation for our new cells. But is protein enough? How do our bodies utilize the protein we supply in order to create these healthy new cells? What all is involved? Let’s start with a quick review.

In a previous issue (Volume 1; Issue 2 – Feb 2006) I noted that there are three basic processes that help us utilize the food we consume:

Digestion: A series of physical and chemical changes by which food what is taken into the body is broken down in preparation for absorption.

Absorption: The process by which nutrients are taken up by the intestines and passed into the bloodstream to facilitate metabolism.

Metabolism: The conversion of the digested nutrients into components for energy or for building material for living tissue.

In order for these processes to occur, we need the featured characters of today’s story – The Micronutrients! When I say micronutrients, I am simply referring to the vitamin and mineral components of our food. They are called micronutrients because, unlike things like protein and fiber, which we consume in larger quantities – grams and ounces - vitamins and minerals only need to be consumed in small quantities – milligrams and micrograms and IU’s (International Units) for fat-soluble nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, & E. Don’t let the small quantity fool you. These elements are essential and powerful. What’s also important, and often confusing, is the balance required within the micronutrient family.

Some of the confusion comes from similar looking terms. For example, the U.S.RDA’s should not be confused with the RDA’s. Huh? What’s that? Well, the latter (RDA’s) represents the Recommended Dietary Allowances and is set by the National Academy of Sciences; while the former (U.S.RDA’s) are derived from the RDA’s by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are now being called RDI’s.

Is your head spinning yet? Let’s see if we can make the alphabet soup more appetizing. Here are the acronyms you’ll be seeing on your food labels and what they represent. I’ll show you a simple way to avoid the confusion later in this article.

DV’s (Daily Values): a new dietary reference term that will appear on the food label. It is made up of two sets of references, DRV’s and RDI’s.

DRV’s (Daily Reference Values): a set of dietary references that applies to fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, sodium, and potassium.

RDI’s (Reference Daily Intakes): A set of dietary references based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances for essential vitamins and minerals and, in selected groups, protein. The name “RDI” replaces the term “U.S. RDA.”

RDA’s (Recommended Dietary Allowances): as set of estimated nutrient allowances established by the National Academy of Sciences. It is updated periodically to reflect current scientific knowledge.

How do we get our micronutrients? Well, as with protein, they come along with the food choices we make. Vitamins and minerals come from plant-based foods rather than animal based foods. Oh, sure, I know the old argument that cows eat grass, and grass is a vegetable, so when I eat a steak I get my veggies. Rationalize all you want, it just ain’t so.

The best source for vitamins and minerals comes from fresh fruits and vegetables. Plants extract minerals from the soil and produce vitamins in their roots, leaves and fruit. When we consume those plants, we also are consuming the micronutrients they contain. Organic and freshly picked is best with a minimum of processing and cooking. Can’t get that? Then shop the peripheral isle of your supermarket and choose the fresh variety of fruits and veggies. If you’re still having trouble, go for frozen and then, as a last choice, canned. They key here is to minimize the amount of processing to which the food is subjected.

Why are the micronutrients necessary? Vitamins and minerals regulate and control almost every function in the human body. They assist in the utilization of protein and building healthy muscle and other tissues; they regulate our heartbeat, the interaction of brain cells, all aspects of our metabolism. Quite simply, without the micronutrients we would die. However, our problem is not a complete lack of the micronutrients, it is an imbalance. While we may not all eat according to the food guide pyramid that I discussed last month, we all manage to get some fruits and veggies each day…maybe not what we need to thrive, but enough to survive. Lets look at it this way, if you continually ran your car with the crankcase 2 quarts low on oil, the engine would begin to wear more quickly and you may only get 30 or 40 thousand miles rather than 100,000 plus.

So what happens when your personal crankcase is running low? Many of the vitamins have specific diseases related directly to them. Extended periods of insufficient vitamin C results in scurvy, Missing vitamin D? Then watch out for rickets. Even if we don’t develop the associated disease, other symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies are tiredness, headaches, frequent colds, general malaise, constipation, diarrhea, allergies, and asthma, just to name a few. You can find reams of data concerning vitamin deficiency and disease. The Nutrition Almanac is a good source for this information, and will also provide the current DV’s as well as the nutritional content of all the different foods. You can pick up a copy at your favorite bookstore, or check out www.amazon.com. 

The key is balance; we should get a minimum of 100% of the DV’s for all the essential vitamins and minerals every day. The following chart lists those micronutrients with established DV’s. 

Given all of this, the next time someone tells you that a particular product is good or bad because they read the label, ask them what they were looking for and what they found. (Note: Try not to make any negative comment on the dumbfounded look they will give you J)

Here are some guidelines. The values are related to a 2000 calorie/day diet. A person with an average lifestyle requires approximately 15 calories/pound to maintain their weight. Therefore a 2000-calorie diet would sustain a 133-pound person. Adjust the quantities for your size and weight. Most seem to think that more is better. More is OK as long as the ratios are maintained. Some products like to add lots of the cheaper vitamins and skimp on the expensive ones. For example, you may see products with 1500% of the DV for Vitamin B₁, and little or no Biotin or Folic Acid. Stay away from these. 

Also, when is the last time that you asked yourself, “Did I get enough riboflavin today?” My guess would be that you have never entertained that question. Each of us is unique. We are all different sizes and shapes and have different activity levels and exercise habits. The result is that our nutritional needs are different and unique. I can provide personal nutritional consultations for anyone who is interested and help you assess your specific requirements. Simply drop me an e-mail to set up a phone appointment and we’ll get you started.

Personally, I start each day with my Protein drink and I add a few basic supplements to cover all my needs. Then, whatever I get from my food throughout the day is a bonus. It takes all then guesswork out of it and simplifies my life. I strongly recommend you follow my lead and do likewise. The Shaklee Basic’s program is the best I’ve found. One blister strip daily is all you need. You can get these at my web site or drop me an e-mail.

 OK, so there’s your quick overview course on nutrition. You now have a basic understanding of the essentials of digestion and the building blocks of protein and micronutrients necessary to make the new you even better than the old you. In our next issue we’ll begin to address some of the more common problems and how nutrition and lifestyle can help. With spring coming on and so many allergy sufferers out there, our next issue will address how we can minimize the discomfort associated with allergies. Believe me, this will be nothing to sneeze at! 

Remember, today really is the first day of the rest of your life. Make it the best day it can be.

In the meantime, if you have any questions you can write me at healthyone@gmail.com or visit my web site at www.shaklee.net/jumpeter.

Cj

 

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