Good Nutrition Is the Foundation of a Successful Life

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

I'm excited to share some of what I've learned about nutrition to help you feel better and accomplish more with less effort.

Is anything ever difficult when you feel great and have lots of energy? Very few things except those that bring up negative emotions. With that kind of a positive base for your day, you will want to and be able to move mountains. Here's some advice to help you.

I once read that billionaire Warren Buffett (reportedly the second richest person on Earth) likes to eat fried hamburgers, French fries and drink Coca-Cola as one of his favorite meals. As you can imagine, Mr. Buffett could certainly afford to enjoy a healthy buffet instead . . . but he usually chooses not do so.

Why? I wonder. I suspect that it's mostly about convenience. You can buy a fried hamburger anywhere and anyplace to sells fried hamburgers probably offers French fries. Mr. Buffett is also a huge investor in Coca-Cola's stock so he probably also likes to keep track of his investments by being an avid consumer of the product. Coca-Cola is probably also available at the places where Mr. Buffett buys his hamburgers and French fries.

I have also found that good nutrition is about convenience. Find ways to easily find and consume the food and beverages that are healthy for you, and your nutrition will rapidly improve.

There are two aspects to this improvement. Learn to avoid certain foods and beverages. Learn to seek out other foods and beverages.

Yesterday, I spoke about weight control. That's not my subject today. I simply want to help you provide your body with healthier ingredients to build new cells and to allow your body to function better.

Dr. Koop, former surgeon general of the United States, once observed that disease is always related to bad nutrition. So, unless you like being ill, perhaps you should improve your nutrition.

Beverages are the easiest. Favor water (8 eight-ounce glasses a day for most people) and beverages with low levels of any kind of sugar (low glycemic). Why? Our bodies are mostly made up of water. If we don't replenish that water, most bodily processes simply don't work right from digestion, to thinking to exercise. Added sugar (or high levels of natural sweetness) causes our blood sugar to go up and down like a yo-yo. When that happens, we run the risk of developing diabetes (do you really want to have to take insulin shots and run the risk of having to have your limbs amputated?). Many researchers also encourage you to avoid artificially sweetened beverages because they fool the brain into making you feel hungry sooner . . . thus encouraging obesity. I suggest that you go by your own experience in that area. Here's a simple guideline for most people: If it tastes really sweet, don't drink it!

Food is an issue primarily in three areas:

1. Some foods have ingredients that do a lot of harm.

Most baked goods, commercially made candy and fried foods are prepared with trans-fats (any oil that's solid at room temperature). When you eat those foods, it's a little like putting concrete into your arteries. Unless you think heart surgery is fun, you would do well to avoid trans-fats. Too much fat can also be harmful so limit your intake of foods that have unhealthy fats.

You also have to limit your intake of large ocean fish like tuna and swordfish because they have lots of mercury in them which will poison you in unpleasant ways.

2. Some foods bring health benefits by offsetting the harm from other foods.

Old-fashioned oatmeal is a good example. Many people can cause their unhealthy cholesterol level to drop more by eating oatmeal and walking a little every day than they can by taking expensive, dangerous medicines. Most vegetables and pithy fruits provide similar benefits, but to a smaller degree.

Harm from "bad" fats can be offset with omega-3 and omega-4 fatty acids (almost everyone is deficient in these) which help your heart and arteries to be healthier. Fatty fish (like salmon and tuna), canola oil, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and avocados are good sources.

3. Be sure you get the vitamins and minerals you need.

Our bodies are designed to work best when we obtain enough vitamins and minerals. Without minerals, we cannot absorb vitamins and employ them. Most people are deficient in either minerals or vitamins. Taking a commercial supplement often doesn't work. Unless the supplement is "chelated" (bonded to a protein), you will probably only be able to absorb 1-3% of the pill you take. Chelated products are better absorbed (usually 20-40%). But vitamins and minerals in food are absorbed about 98% . . . and you don't have to buy both supplements and food that way. A well-balanced diet without extra sugars, fats and trans-fats in it will provide most of what you need.

You get vitamin D from the sun. If you go outdoors for 20 minutes a day, that will take care of you. For people over 35, you stop making co-enzyme Q10, which is essential for heart health. I recommend you take a high quality supplement. I use the version provided by Cell Tech which also produces algae-based supplements that are very dense in minerals and vitamins (see http://www.celltech.com/).

A good way to ensure a sound nutritional foundation is to begin by tossing everything from the pantry that doesn't fit this profile. Be sure that new purchases avoid adding "harmful" foods.

Next, examine where you acquire your food away from home. Don't go anywhere you are denied having at least three healthy choices. Choices of healthier foods are improving. You can even get a pretty healthy salad at McDonald's now. Watch out for the dressings you use for salads in restaurants. Many low-fat dressings are loaded with sugar. Balsamic vinegar (but not low-fat vinaigrette) is always a safe choice.

If you follow these few guidelines, you will find yourself enjoying better health, having more energy and living better than billionaire Warren Buffett on five dollars extra a day!

Friday, I'll tell you about more mansions and estates that you can visit that will bring you great joy.

Saturday, I'll give you an update on how to enjoy the football season better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day.

On Sunday, I will explore the spiritual joy and meaning of selflessly serving others.

Monday, we'll explore ways that you can find new estates and mansions to visit that you have never seen before.

Tuesday, I will describe how you can organize an ideal trip to the western United States to see the best sights and sites that most others miss.

Wednesday, we'll explore how you can enjoy foreign travel without spending much money.

Next Thursday, I'll look at providing child care for your family that's both great quality and affordable.

Next Friday, I will discuss ways you can use books from the library to improve the quality of your life.

Next Saturday, we'll take a walk together to look into the easiest, cheapest ways to enjoy healthy exercise.

Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

If you are new to this blog, be sure to check out the updated table of contents entry that was posted on August 17. It will help you find earlier entries that may be of interest. I'll update this table of contents every week or so for your convenience.

August 17 was the most frequently read blog entry to date. Be sure to check it out!

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell