Healthy, Whole, Organic Foods the Highlight of Library Seminar

Certified clinical nutritionist and chiropractor Robert Newman brought his knowledge of healthy eating to the recently. Attendees had the chance to learn about how to make wise food choices, as well as how to incorporate a fitness routine to optimize their results.

The basis of the discussion centered on whole and organic food choices, going back to the sort of caveman approach to eating. “Basically you should be looking for food choices that you can hunt, gather or pick,” Newman said.  “When you go to the supermarket, you should just be shopping around the perimeter of the store.”

Optimal protein choices include free range, cage free, grass fed, no hormone added sources. Lean chicken, turkey and red meats are good choices and when having fish, opt for cold water fish (always avoid farm raised). Raw nuts (aside from peanuts) and seeds are a great source of fat as is coconut milk and flaxseed oil. “Coconut oil is also a great item to cook with,” Newman said. “Fat is an important part of your diet – you need it to absorb nutrients.”

When it comes to vegetable choices, fresh is always best, Newman said. “Always think green; it is best for antioxidants. Cruciferous vegetables should be steamed lightly to release their nutrients,” he added. Some good high fiber carbohydrates are black beans, barley, squash and whole grain breads.

The best picks when it comes to fruits are ones that have a low glycemic index, mainly berries. Moderate glycemic index fruits include melons, oranges, cherries, plums and apricots. High glycemic fruits, such as bananas, mangoes, pineapples, papayas, grapes and watermelon, should be eaten sparingly or after a workout.

Three other foods to try to add into your diet are sea foods, as in from the ocean. They include dulse flakes (that can be sprinkled on a salad), nori (toasted) and wakame. They have a tremendous health benefit due to their high iodine content. It’s also wise, Newman said, not to overeat soy foods; try to enjoy them in their fermented form (miso, tempe) in moderation.

“Diet and lifestyle is the best medicine,” Newman said. “We basically need to be vegetarians who eat animal products once in a while.” In terms of exercise, Newman believes it is the “magic elixir for longevity.”

Exercise can be therapeutic or destructive depending upon the type, frequency and duration. It can be just as damaging to over exercise as it is to under exercise. He feels that resistance training, flexibility and aerobic exercise should all be balanced into a weekly routine.

Resistance training could be lifting weights, doing yoga or using weight machines. Flexibility training involves the core with activities like swimming, walking, Pilates or stretching. Aerobic training, Newman believes, should be done in short bursts to maximize the cardiovascular benefit. For example, jog for two minutes, do a 10-15 second burst as fast as possible, and then go back to jogging. Repeating this several times over the course of the workout will create oxygen debt and raise your basal metabolic rate.