Nutrition: The first line of defense

March 9, 2012 — The first line of defense in maintaining good health is proper nutrition. During “Nutrition Awareness Month” the Minnesota Chiropractic Association (MCA) encourages you to adopt healthy eating habits that have a positive impact on your health now and in the future.

The MCA offers the following lifestyle changes:

Dietary changes

• Eat more raw foods. Cooking, canning, microwaving, and pasteurizing destroys much of the micronutritients and enzymes needed to digest and absorb our foods.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are a great place to start.
• Select organically grown foods whenever possible.  Non-organic foods many have chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals. Refer to the Environmental Working Group’s website for more information.  www.ewg.org
• Consume healthy fats.  Great choices include avocados, olives and olive oil, raw nuts and seeds, wild fish from clean waters, grass fed animals, free range eggs and high quality Omega 3 supplements.
• Drink at least one half your body weight of water in ounces per day.   For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, your minimal water requirement is 100 ounces.  Beverages made with water do not substitute for water.

Lifestyle changes

• Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes every day.  Even a brisk walk counts!
• Make more meals at home and brown-bag your lunch.  Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve higher calories, excess sugar and the wrong types of fat.
• Limit your intake of alcohol and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking has multiple negative effects on your health.

Good nutrition combined with regular chiropractic adjustments can help return the body to its natural state of health and wellness. Chiropractors are uniquely trained in identifying and correcting spinal subluxations and dysfunction, which can be the root of ‘dis-ease’ and long-term health problems.

Simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health and can also aid in preventing a variety of health problems in the future.  If you have questions about nutrition or other health care concerns, contact the MCA or visit our website (mnchiro.com ) to find a Doctor of Chiropractic near you.

Source: Minnesota Chiropractic Association, mnchiro.com