ANTIOXIDANT AND NUTRITIONAL THERAPY

Your Diet Is a Major Factor in Your Health

Axiom Chiropractic offers antioxidant and nutritional therapy for arterial sclerosis. The anti-inflammatory diet is a multi-purpose diet designed to reduce and eliminate the dietary intake of those substances known to be pro-inflammatory to our cardiovascular, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems and replace them with the anti-inflammatory nutrients that will restore optimal health to each of these systems.

This diet is ideally suited if you have chronic joint, muscle, or spinal-related pain; cardiovascular disease; and neurological dysfunctions. While this is not intended to be a weight-loss diet, strict adherence may result in a significant reduction of weight.

Recent research has demonstrated that an imbalance in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is pro-inflammatory and is a promoter of heart disease; all types of cancer; pain; neurological and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and many other inflammatory, metabolic, and degenerative diseases.

Today's diet which is typically very high in grains, trans-fatty acids, and hydrogenated fats and oils, results in an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of between 20:1 to 40:1 when ideally, it should be 2:1 and certainly less than 4:1. The presence of too many omega-6s causes cell membranes to become too stiff to function properly and also results in an imbalance in the production of hormones known as eicosanoids which include prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes.

These substances are essential for normal bodily functions and can either be anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory. In general, omega-3 fatty acids are converted to anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, and omega-6 fatty acids are converted to pro-inflammatory eicosanoids.

An imbalance of these hormones or the presence of too many pro-inflammatory eicosanoids has been linked to many immune system disorders and inflammatory diseases. Since omega-6s are significantly more abundant in many of the foods we eat an imbalance in these fatty acids is easy to obtain. It is essential that we identify and avoid these omega-6-rich foods and replace them with omega-3-rich foods.

Omega-6 fatty acids are most prevalent in highly processed and refined foods, such as but not limited to margarine, shortening, prepared mixes, deep-fat fried foods, commercial baked goods, bread, cakes, cookies, crackers, rice, pasta, processed cheese and deli goods, candies, fast foods, and snack foods.

Most of these foods contain high amounts of trans-fats and or hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Potato chips and French fries, which are usually cooked in these oils, are among the top producers of omega-6s with a ratio of over 60:1.

Omega-3s are most abundant in fish and shellfish and to a lesser extent, in dark green leafy vegetables, walnuts, wild game meat, grass-fed beef and poultry, and omega-3-rich eggs. As it can be difficult to obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids through food intake alone, supplementation with fish and flax seed oil is highly recommended.

Here is a list of those foods that contain significant amounts of omega-6s and need to be eliminated or significantly reduced from your diet. There is also a list of the omega-3 rich foods that should be an integral part of your diet. Your ultimate goal is for an omega-6 to 3 ratio of about 2 to 1. As mentioned above, supplementation is important.

The more omega-6 foods you eat, the more omega-3 supplements you will need. Following the foods-to-avoid list is a suggested supplementation guide. As we will be eliminating a substantial amount of grains from the diet, fiber intake may need to be increased somewhat and this can easily be accomplished by eating more fruits and veggies or adding a little flax meal or psyllium powder to your food, salads, or shakes.

Foods to Reduce or Eliminate From Your Diet

• Bad fats - Do not eat anything that contains damaged or altered fats which include trans fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, margarine, or shortening. Bad fats are also found in most fast foods and in many bottled salad dressings, buttermilk, cream substitutes, half and half, imitation mayonnaise, imitation sour cream, whipped cream and dessert toppings, sandwich spreads, corn oil, palm oil, and most vegetable oils.

• Processed meats and cheeses - Virtually all processed cold cuts including bologna, salami, corned beef, sausage, honey loaf, pastrami, pepperoni, pork, headcheese, Vienna sausage, aged cheeses, yellow cheeses, and processed cheese and meats.

• Refined grain products - Bread, pasta, and rice products including bagels, biscuits, bread stuffing, cold cereal, corn cakes, corn tortillas, popcorn, croutons, dinner rolls, doughnuts, commercially-baked goods, flour tortillas, macaroni, noodles, spaghetti, pizza, pancakes, waffles, English muffins, pita bread, pie crust, pastries, cakes, popovers, and ice cream cones. In limited quantities, you may have the oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice, and brown rice.

• Processed, sweets, and snack foods - Potato chips, corn chips, banana chips, pork skins, pretzels, sesame sticks, candy, cookies, crackers, frosting, frozen desserts, jams and jellies, granola and other high-energy bars, protein bars, canned foods (except for tuna), pudding, French fries, cocoa, gelatin desserts, sherbet, ice cream, and syrup.

• Other harmful food ingredients - Alcohol (accelerates the aging process), caffeine, high fructose corn syrup (present in most juice drinks and protein/energy bars), cornstarch, Olestra, Saccharin, salt, white sugar, and the sugar family of sucrose, maltose, dextrose, polydextrose, sorbitol, and maltodextrin (sugars cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies and also accelerate the aging process).

Omega-3 Supplementation

Even if you have eliminated the above you will still need to add some omega-3 fatty acids. If you eat out a lot, you will need more and if you still want to cheat a bit on the list above, you will also need more. The following is recommended. Use depending on your eating habits.

• Flax oil - 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day (2-6 capsules or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon). Flax seed can also be used.  Mix it into salads and veggies. It's generally tasteless.

• Fish oil - EPA/DHA (should read "heavy metal free" on the label) 5,000 to 8,000 mg per day.

• Multiple vitamins - A whole food multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that provides the daily requirements and includes phytonutrients will prevent deficiencies and enhance omega-3 fatty acid production.

• Co Q 10 - A powerful antioxidant that you can not afford to be without - 100 mg per day.

Best Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Fruits - Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, apples, blackberries, concord, and red grapes. Although these are best, all fruits are generally ok and the more colorful the fruit is, the better it is for you.

• Vegetables - Kale, broccoli, brussels sprout, cauliflower, carrots, celery, onions, spinach, tomatoes, collard, mustard and turnip greens, peppers, arugula, field greens, spring mix, or California greens. Sweet potatoes are ok in limited quantities, although they do contain some carbs so if your trying to lose weight you may want to eliminate these and carrots from this list.

• Seafood - Salmon, mackerel, tuna (if canned: in water or olive oil only), herring, crab, oysters, shrimp, and lobster are best although most fish contain good amounts of omega-3.

• Meats - Wild game such as venison, elk, pheasant, and quail are best. Grass-fed or free-range beef, lamb, pork, and cage-free poultry are also good and can be bought in most whole food health stores. Most grocery store meats have been grain and corn fed which means they are probably high in omega-6s and also contain high amounts of hormones and antibiotics.

• Cheese in limited quantities only - Cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, goat, mozzarella, and ricotta.

• Nuts - Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and flax seeds. Most other nuts contain too many omega-6s.

• Eggs - Omega-3-rich eggs are available in most grocery stores, with some having as much as 400 mg of omega-3 per egg. It is perfectly fine to eat several of these eggs every day if you wish. These chickens have been fed flax seed, and are also the best ones to eat. The less you cook them the better.

• Cooking oils - Virgin olive oil (cold pressed), flax oil, or coconut oil. No other oils should be used. Olive oil actually contains antioxidants that are more potent than vitamins C and E. Flax oil contains high concentrations of omega-3s and can easily be used in salads and added to foods during cooking. Keep your flax oils and butter refrigerated to prevent oxidation.

• Beverages - Water and green tea are the best. Avoid all ready-made fruit juices that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Alcohol, especially beer, should be kept to a minimum. Red wine can be used sparingly. Add fresh ginger to hot green tea for a supercharged anti-inflammatory drink.

• Cooking - As mentioned above, use virgin olive oil and flax oil as your primary cooking and salad oils. Avoid deep frying using flour-type batters, and avoid using heavy sauces and gravies on fish and meats that are high in animal fats. A little butter is ok. All veggies should be either eaten raw or only lightly steamed or sautéed in olive oil. Meats should be cooked slowly on low heat to prevent damaging the fats, rare to medium. Be careful using marinades and meat tenderizers as well, as many of these contain harmful chemical additives that tend to destroy the omega-3 fatty acids.

• Condiments and spices - In limited quantities: mayonnaise (the real kind, try to find the one made from canola oil, most are made from soybean oil.) and mustard. The other condiments contain too much sugar and chemical additives and therefore should be avoided. Spices - garlic, rosemary, basil, and parsley.