Our health greatly depends on the finely balanced chemistry within our bodies, and the concentration of various minerals within and outside our cells plays a crucial role in this. When the balance of these minerals is disrupted, our cells die, and over time, so do we. The good news is that our bodies possess powerful self-correcting capabilities, which can even reverse the damage caused by chronic diseases.
As a professor of medicine and a practitioner at a therapeutic lifestyle clinic, I regularly witness the incredible healing effects that proper nutrition can have on patients with a range of chronic diseases. In fact, this is the foundation of our approach at the clinic: addressing the root cause of diseases by fixing patients’ broken biochemistry, primarily through adjustments to their diet.
Conventional Approaches: Falling Short
Many doctors still turn to the latest drugs or surgical procedures to treat the chronic diseases plaguing our society. These approaches result in ever-increasing healthcare costs, with little to no improvement in the nation’s overall health status. As the rates of obesity, dementia, autoimmunity, and autism continue to soar, it’s clear that a different approach is needed.
The Diet – Disease Connection
Broken biochemistry, the root of many chronic diseases, is largely the result of a poor diet. The typical American diet, filled with sugar and white flour and lacking in vegetables, wreaks havoc on our bodies at the genetic level. The consumption of around 150 pounds of sugar and 130 pounds of white flour per year, as the average American does, activates disease-promoting genes. In contrast, a diet rich in vegetables encourages health-promoting genes, which can prevent and reverse many chronic conditions.
A Recipe for Better Health
To begin the journey to better health, I advise my patients to cut out sugar and flour-based products and adopt a healthier, more balanced diet. Here’s a breakdown of the essential components of an optimally healing diet:
- Three cups of green leafy vegetables: Examples include kale, spinach, or Swiss chard, which are packed with essential nutrients and minerals.
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Sulfur-rich vegetables: Vegetables in the cabbage or onion families, like broccoli or garlic, help support proper liver function and detoxification.
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Deeply colored vegetables: Incorporate more brightly colored veggies like carrots and beets, as well as dark, richly pigmented berries, which are high in antioxidants.
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Seaweed: Including mineral-rich seaweeds in your diet can help support your body’s natural self-correcting abilities.
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Organ meats: Liver, oysters, and mussels are good sources of essential nutrients, including easily absorbable forms of vitamins and minerals.
Witnessing the Healing Powers of Nutrition
When my patients adopt these dietary changes and begin consuming six to nine cups of vegetables a day, amazing transformations take place. Blood pressure and blood sugar levels return to normal, pain subsides, brain fog lifts, and mood improves. They look and feel years younger, even experiencing relief from debilitating autoimmune symptoms. Memory and athletic performance also see significant improvements.
In short, when we choose a diet and lifestyle that promote the optimal function of our cells, our bodies reward us by rediscovering health and vitality. If you’d like to learn more about the dietary programs that we use in our clinics, you can visit www.terrywahls.com.
