As the owner of an IV therapy company, I’m always asked about vitamins and nutrition. Yes, we do a lot of “hangover helpers” but really, our main focus is health & wellness.
IV drips are a GREAT way to boost vitamin levels to help combat acute & chronic disease as well as maintain wellness, but the most important tool we have for good health is our diet. What we eat affects our mood, inflammatory markers, blood sugar, hormone levels, metabolism, nervous system, energy levels, our risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers, chronic pain, and so much more.
Most people follow the “S.A.D.” (Standard American Diet) of high carbs, processed foods and saturated fats. But where has that gotten us? It’s led to chronic illness, in part because our natural gut flora has difficulty processing these foods into digestible forms. More than half of American adults have been diagnosed with at least one chronic illness and millions more suffer nutritional imbalances as a result of these processed foods. This predisposes us to illness. For the first time in two centuries, our kids' life expectancies are SHORTER than ours due to childhood obesity and the sequela.
After over a decade in medicine, I can tell you that eating a well balanced diet of whole foods is THE key to health. We should be using food AS medicine and not waiting until we get sick to start. In addition to whole foods, I recommend avoiding gluten and limiting (or excluding) dairy. People ask me what they can eat without gluten and/or dairy. I’m gluten free but not dairy free so here’s a typical day for me:
Breakfast is a smoothie; my favorite.
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- Bananas contain key nutrients like potassium and antioxidants, can help you feel full faster and help regulate blood sugar (important after fasting).
- Pineapple has vitamin C which can boost immunity, lower cancer risk, and heal wounds. It also helps to improve gut & eye health, and can be used as a natural cough remedy.
- Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins A, B2, B6 and K as well as iron and potassium. This superfood reduces risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more.
- Coconut water is full of vitamins and minerals to help hydrate while improving skin's appearance. It can also help prevent kidney stones.
Lunch is a salad that’s a mix of veggies, fruits and protein.
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- While nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc.) and eggs are controversial for those with autoimmune Illness, I think the benefits outweigh the risk for most, but something to keep in mind.
- Avoid high calories dressings with saturated fat and stick to olive oil and lemon
Snack
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- Homegrown veggies & healthy fats (such as olive oil & nuts in the homemade pesto I use as a dip)
- Gluten free oatmeal & almond butter for extra flavor
Dinner is usually a protein & veggie, if I eat it all.
Of course, even with food prepping, avoiding all processed food is HARD. Some of my go-tos (the oatmeal & almond butter) are processed foods but considered minimally processed, which is better. The key is making good choices. Though these changes can be hard & the food often costs more than junk food, the time and money are much better spent now to avoid illness. It’s an investment in your health and there’s no price tag on that.
Two books I highly recommend to learn more about using food as medicine and achieving better health through diet are:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch
Prescription for Wellness by (my friend and Revive partner) D Lambrou.
Through these books you can learn what to eat to treat many illnesses and understand the role different vitamins and other supplements, such as probiotics, play in wellness.
