So What is Health, Anyway -- Part II

This is a continuation of my previous post asking the question, "So What Is Health, Anyway?" If you haven't yet, please take a moment to read that post...

Now that we're thinking on the cellular level, we can talk about rebuilding health. I'll say at the outset that rebuilding health is totally possible. I have heard scores of testimonies about people completely recovering from MS, Endometriosis, Crohn's Disease, Cancer, Heart Disease... and the list goes on. These people made one very pivotal change in their thinking: they saw that health originates from the cell. Seeing that the cell was miraculously designed to reproduce itself healthy and strong according to the stored DNA, they decided that they needed to supply their cells with all the building materials necessary to regain health. And, it worked!

But let me also say at the outset that I am not a medical professional. I have done a lot of research, but I don't have a medical degree. What I am attempting to do here is compile masses of information for your benefit, not give professional medical advice.

So... rebuilding cellular health... what does that mean for you? Well, you may not have a debilitating disease. (If you do and you would like to hear thoughts geared specifically toward your condition, please email me.) But each of us needs to consider that we are either building future health or tearing it down according to the nutrients we are providing our cells. Our cells will have the proper building materials to replace themselves with vibrant copies, or they will be shortchanged and have to make weakened versions of themselves. This is true concerning our children as well -- even more so because they are not just maintaining their number of cells, they are rapidly growing! Consequently, it is especially critical for our children to obtain the proper cell building materials.

Where will we find these nutrients? Can't we just eat five fruits and vegetables a day, add in some whole grains and lean meats and be done with it? Unfortunately, in our modern era, complete nutrition from diet alone simply is not possible -- unless every single meal of every single day is a perfect nutritive power-house of organically produced, minimally processed, fresh from the farm foods totaling more than 3500 calories a day!

For several years, I thought diet alone was enough to supply our cells with ample building materials. Then, I was faced with a chronic health condition (stay tuned for more about this in future posts) that was obliterated with the introduction of some very real, very pure nutrients (more about this too). I began to see that while we live in a comparatively wealthy country, we also live in a malnourished country.


Did you know that:

• A USDA study showed that only 4% of Americans are getting even the minimum recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of all their essential vitamins.
• A US government survey found that out of the 21,000 people surveyed, NOT ONE OF THEM manages to eat the RDA of the ten basic nutrients studied.
• On any given day, 91% of Americans do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
• Because of modern agriculture, your food doesn't have the nutritional value it did in even the recent past. For example, you'd have to eat 60 servings of spinach to get the same amount of iron you would get from just one serving in 1948. And, you'd have to eat 25 cups of spinach to get one day's recommended allowance of Vitamin E.
• 65% of Americans don't get the minimum daily requirement of Zinc. Zinc is essential for your immune system and hormone production.
• In 1997, the Western Journal of Medicine published a study showing that $20 billion in hospital charges could have been prevented simply by taking vitamins and minerals. This doesn't include doctor visits or over the counter remedies... or missed work.
• Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling said, "Recommended daily allowances only give levels of vitamins and minerals that will prevent death or serious illness from vitamin deficiency. To get real health benefits from vitamins, you need to get more than just the minimal recommended amounts."

As a nation, we are not making good choices about our food. We are malnourished even though we are well fed. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet is comprised of

• over processed food with chemicals and preservatives added
• altered fats which create free radicals that damage our cells
• meats and poultry injected with hormones and antibiotics
• produce that is harvested early, sprayed, transported and stored nearly demolishing its nutrient content
• food, water and air that is contaminated with toxins and chemicals

We critically need to supply our cells with the proper building materials so that we can create a healthier life. Our food sources are just not measuring up. Supplementation has become necessary. But how do you pick a supplement? Supplements are not regulated by the FDA and are potentially very dangerous! I'll be answering this question in my next post... so stay tuned.