Alamo Acucare

If you have ever visited a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, you know that in addition to the acupuncture treatment, and the herbal supplement we always make dietary suggestion. The reason is simple we believe that disease is caused by both external and internal factors, and here in the west the most common factor of disease is a poor diet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Chronic Disease will claim 7 out of 10 Americans. Poor nutrition is one of the four contributing factors of Chronic Disease, the other three are:

• Lack of physical activity
• Tobacco use
• Excessive alcohol consumption.

So how do you know that you are a candidate for Chronic Disease? Well here are a few questions that can help you decide if you are at risk:

Are you overweight?

Are you taking cholesterol medication?

Are you using a birth control pill?

Are you waking up feeling groggy?

Are you constantly craving carbohydrates?

Do you have brittle fingernails?

Are you feeling constantly fatigued?

Do you smoke?

Are you binge drinking? (Consuming 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women, 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men in the past 30 days)

If the answer to any these questions is “yes” you are probably living with a silent killer known as inflammation.

Inflammation is the leading cause of Chronic Disease such as:

Heart disease and stoke

Cancer

Type 2 diabetes

Neurological diseases (Alzheimer’s, depression, attention deficit disorder, Parkinson’s)

Autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis)

Pain (fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic pain, arthritis, etc.)

In order to prevent Inflammation, and therefore Chronic Disease you need to make a few changes.

Stop smoking

Don’t drink in excess

Exercise regularly

Eat a nutritious diet

Which takes me back to the nutritional advice I give my patients.

Eat at least 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday. If you don’t get enough of these in your diet consider an anti-inflammatory supplement.

Eliminate dairy and excessive consumption of sweet foods from your diet

Avoid grease and fried foods (fatty meats, Peanuts, hydrogenated oils, butter, and ice cream)

Avoid excessive amounts of spice foods (curry, alcohol, lamb, beef, or spices)

Reduce your caffeine intake

Add a 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil everyday

Drink enough water

Chinese Medicine considers not only what you eat, but also how you eat it. You can eat the best quality food but if it is eaten under the wrong circumstances, it will also lead to disease. All these habits interfere with proper digestion of food:

Eating in a hurry, take your time

Discussing work while you eat

Going straight back to work after eating

Eating late in the evening

Eating on a state of emotional tension

I know I gave you a lot of don’ts, so I like to close this article with a list of the benefits of reducing inflammation:

Better health

Greater longevity

Reduce symptoms of chronic diseases

Improved emotional control

Greater mental acuity

Improved physical performance

Yours in Health and Wellness

Roberto G. Guerrero,TX.,Lic.Ac.