When it comes to your diet, what you don't know can hurt you. Here's what you need to know about modern foods before attempting to make any changes in your diet.
You don't have to be allergic to food for it to harm your mind and body. Some of the most troublesome digestive symptoms can be caused by sensitivity to even the healthiest foods you eat, such as strawberries or certain nuts. For more sensitive people, this is likely expected.
Additionally, some individuals are sensitive to oxalates and salicylates, natural chemicals in plants, and over-the-counter personal care products. Oxalates and salicylates, natural chemicals found in plant foods, can cause conditions like kidney stones, Tinnitus Syndrome, Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Irritable Bladder Syndrome, Vulvodynia, depression, panic attacks, headaches, and rashes). Holistic alternative suggestions for these conditions and more are freely available here.
Signs That You Need a Change in Your Diet
Sure signs and symptoms indicate a need for a change in your diet are headaches, insomnia, moodiness, brain fog, irritability, chronic cough or hoarseness, muscle pain, fatigue, depression, digestive problems (indigestion, acid reflux, stomach pain after eating, constipation/diarrhea, rectal leakage, gas, bloating), frequent herpes breakouts, anxiety/panic attacks, and hypoglycemia. A healthy, genetically appropriate diet can help you manage and, perhaps, erase these symptoms and others altogether.
Digestive Enzymes
Enzyme deficiency is a cause of stomach distress that mimics food sensitivity. Enzymes are little factory workers in the body created from protein-containing foods and are catalysts that facilitate every chemical process in your body. Over 2700 enzymes ensure everything inside your body works just right. They are not fuel (nutrients), but they make fuel work sufficiently, much like a gas or oil treatment for your car.
Some say you only have so many enzymes left after 35. However, there is a great deal of debate over this. It's undoubtedly true that enzyme deficiency is a problem if you have liver, gallbladder, or pancreatic insufficiencies. A dietary enzyme supplement, available at all health stores, can save you from a lifetime of digestive upset and pain.
Also, see Guarding Against Deficiencies & Toxicities for complete information regarding enzymes, including the enzyme that helps with allergies, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Intermittent Cystic Fibrosis.
Genetically Appropriate Foods
Up until one hundred years ago, humans did not eat processed foods. Foods were gathered, picked, caught, and hunted from backyards. Humans also ate according to the availability of food during each season. Your ancestors ate primarily fish, eggs, meat, nuts, vegetables, and low-sugar fruits. The human body has yet to evolve any further since these times. Refined sugar, chemical additives, and synthetic hormones did not exist. Thinking about eating like your ancestors will help you choose genetically appropriate foods. Eat as your grandparents did. Your genetic makeup is still like theirs.
People are following several different diets today, such as Conventional, Vegetarian, Paleo, and the popular Keto diet. Are any of these any better or worse for someone living with herpes? Let's take a look at each of these diets.
The Standard American Diet (SAD)
The very flawed Standard American Diet (SAD) follows the standard food pyramid and, when followed as advised, is 20% fat, 20% protein, and 60% carbohydrates, which is way too much sugar to maintain health and wellness. The SAD diet is truly sad, whether you live with herpes or not.
The Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarians eat plant-based diets. There are three types of vegetarians; hard core, those who eat some eggs and dairy, and those who occasionally consume meat. The vegetarian diet percentages of fat, protein, and carbohydrates are based on the foods chosen. Vegetarians don't have a problem getting enough protein. Many plant-based foods contain protein. The problem many vegetarians face is getting vitamin and mineral requirements met, especially their minerals, which can be remedied by eating plants that contain essential vitamins and minerals, such as seaweed, or adding supplements to their wellness regime.
By the way, a vegetarian diet is an excellent option for anyone with the herpes virus. However, it's necessary to maintain a good ratio between the amino acids L-lysine and arginine.
The Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet focuses on high-fat, moderate protein, and low-carb eating. The Paleo diet avoids gluten and refined sugar. It allows for red meat, organ meats, poultry, pork, fish and shellfish, processed meats, eggs and dairy, herbs and spices, legumes (soaked, sprouted, or fermented to absorb minerals better), some animal fats (lard), nuts and seeds, cacao, cooked veggies, fruit, plant fats from nuts, seeds, olives, avocado, and coconuts (eaten minimally), cooked grains and pseudo cereals (quinoa, millet, amaranth), canned corn (cooked or creamed), and a little dark chocolate. When followed as outlined in most Paleo guidebooks, the diet is 60% fat, 20% protein, and 20% carbohydrate. As far as I have read, it's up to you how often you eat throughout the day. The Paleo diet is also an excellent option for anyone coexisting with the herpes virus. However, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, it's necessary to maintain a good ratio between the amino acids L-lysine and arginine.
The Keto Diet
The Keto diet allows for beef, fish, seafood, shellfish, poultry, eggs, butter, ghee, heavy and sour cream, cheese, cream cheese, buttermilk, condensed and evaporated milk, cow milk, whey protein powder (egg white or plant-based), yogurt, nuts and kinds of butter made from them (except for cashews, pistachios or chestnuts, which are too high in carbs), and seeds (except for flaxseed, flax meal, chia seeds or soy products, which are high in phytoestrogens and can raise estrogen levels). It also allows almond oil, beef tallow, avocado oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, duck fat, extra virgin olive oil, hazelnut oil, high oleic sunflower oil, lard, macadamia nut oil, MCT oil, palm kernel oil (only the best), but no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, margarine or vegetable shortening. The Keto diet is selective about vegetables and fruits and contains some items to bake with, such as coconut and almond flour, baking soda, and unsweetened chocolate. The diet avoids sugar high in fructose and does not encourage snacking, but eating three meals each day and going through fasting periods instead. When followed as outlined in most Keto guidebooks, the Keto diet is 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.
Some individuals should refrain from following a low-carb diet. For instance, if you have hypothyroidism, your insulin levels are chronically low on low-carb diets, which leads to low T-3 levels. You can get around this by taking certain supplements and eating more carbohydrates.
- If you are pregnant, the baby needs more carbs.
- If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue (exhaustion), low-carb diets can make things worse.
- If you regularly have insomnia, you may need to add a few carbs.
- If you regularly engage in high activity levels, you will need a higher-carb diet.
Because no one can remain healthy on a Keto diet lasting longer than three months, it's my opinion that the Keto diet is not an option for anyone living with the herpes virus.
Keto Reading Resources
Why It's Important to Eat Live Foods
The whole purpose of eating natural foods is to feed your body the nutrients it needs to nourish every cell in your body. Live food is food that has not been heated, cooked, or refined in any way. Live foods contain their own natural enzymes. When you cook foods at higher than 113-degree temperatures, they lose their enzymes, and your body has to rush in extra backup enzymes to break down and digest the food you just ate. Your body is shortchanged elsewhere, as these little protein molecule factory workers must leave their posts from your major organs to assist digestion. When you eat live foods, you don't have to worry about this.
Disease-Fighting Foods
- Green tea and green tea capsules are excellent sources of antioxidants.
- Maitake, reishi, and coriolis mushrooms are great immune enhancers.
- Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric (a spice), affects cancer formation and progression.
- Red peppers, beets, squash, carrots, spinach, broccoli, plums, blackberries, apricots, grapes, cherries, and raspberries
The following foods have proteolytic ferments (Cancer fighters) found in their juices: Bananas, cabbage, cucumbers, coconut milk (fresh), grapes, green peas, lettuce (dark green), oranges, melons, onions, pears, pineapple, potato, tomatoes, and turnips.
Electrolytes
You've probably heard it's important to maintain electrolyte levels, especially during exercise and stress, but what are electrolytes? Electrolytes are soluble, ionized salts that transfer electrical energy in your body. With too few electrolytes, you electrically short out.
Keeping your mineral supply of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, sodium (salt), and others at optimal levels is essential. In fact, by keeping your minerals balanced, you will also support your pH. One way to do this is to incorporate seaweed into your diet, containing all these minerals.
Keep your salt intake between 1100 and 3300 mg daily. Anything less is too low, and anything more is too high. Overeating salt can cause the release of calcium and other minerals, causing high blood pressure, water retention, and other ills.
However, not just any salt will do. You need sea salt, which contains the minerals you need to stay healthy. Regular table salt is harmful to the body. You can buy sea salt at most grocery stores or online at SaltWorks.
The Truth About Dietary Fats
Fats are essential to the health of all of your body's cells. They provide a cushion to organs, balance hormones, regulate blood pressure and heart rate, provide energy in reserve, and supply soft hair and skin.
Over a relatively short time, without healthy fats in your diet, you can become very nervous, easily irritated, develop muscle aches and pains, have blood sugar issues, hormonal issues, and skin, nail, and hair problems. Menses may stop without enough healthy fat in your diet.
The fats your body needs are called essential fatty acids. They can be supplemented or eaten directly from your foods. Eating a few walnuts daily and fish three times weekly should cover your essential fatty acid needs.
The American diet creates an overabundance of omega-6, so balancing this with a good amount of omega three is essential. Krill oil has been found to work better than omega-3 fish oil capsules, as they are also full of antioxidants. Be cautious about taking omega-3s if you are on certain medications.
Avoid trans-fat. Manufacturers use these to lengthen a product's shelf life and enhance flavor. Research reported in The New England Journal of Medicine in November 1977 that trans-fatty acids in the diet are a more significant risk factor for heart disease than just being overweight.
Fat Label Reading Tips
- Light fat: Contains 50% less fat than comparable products.
- Reduced fat: Contains 25% less fat than comparable products.
- Low fat: Contains 3 grams (27 calories) of fat or less.
Hidden Sugars
The average American eats about 140 pounds of sugar and other sweeteners such as fructose and corn syrup yearly. Need some perspective? Americans only ate roughly 40 pounds each year, just 100 years ago. And they were free of dental, heart, cancer, degenerative, and digestive diseases.
The following is only a minimal list of where sugars hide:
- 3 Teaspoons of Sugar: Pre-sweetened cereals, 1/2 cup canned fruit, one tablespoon of jam
- 4-6 Teaspoons of Sugar: Frozen yogurt, applesauce, donut, hot chocolate
- 7-9 Teaspoons of Sugar: Fruit yogurt, milkshake, Coca-Cola
- 10-15 Teaspoons of Sugar: 1 slice of pie or a two-layer frosted piece of cake
- 16-18 Teaspoons of Sugar: Add ice cream to the above pie and cake
- 21 Teaspoons of Sugar: Banana split
NOTE: Corn syrup is a form of simple sugar that is the worst because it fools the brain into thinking we do not have enough sugar. We usually stop when we have enough sugar. Not so with corn syrup. We will keep eating it, and our brains will never tell us to stop.
Sweeteners are Not So Splendid
We all know that sweeteners of the past give you Cancer. New ones come along now and then, promising to be the dieter's latest dream, but are just as dangerous.
Sucralose is very damaging to your health. I encourage you to go online and read up on the side effects of sweeteners, which include flushing, redness or a burning feeling of the skin, rashes, acne, a panicky or shaky feeling (anxiety), nausea, forgetfulness, becoming uninterested or withdrawn from usual activities, moodiness, depression, unexplained crying, stomach cramps, headache, seeing spots, hypersensitivity, anger, pain, diarrhea, trouble concentration, seizures, and feeling faint.
NOTE: Never give synthetic sweeteners to children. Also, nursing mothers should abstain from using sweeteners until after they stop breastfeeding.
When you do use sugar, use stevia instead. It is truly safe. It is a plant-based, natural sweetener that contains fiber, an added plus. It is sweeter than sugar, does not affect blood glucose levels, you can cook with it, and it has no aftertaste. Nursing moms may also use it with no worry. You can find it in bulk or in convenient small packets. But here's the thing. Only the natural green bulk-leaf stevia is good for you. The white-powdered form of stevia is processed so much that no one knows the damage it can do when you use it regularly. Raw honey is also a sweet alternative.
NOTE: Never give honey to children under three years of age. It may cause an allergic reaction.
Fiber. That "F" Word.
You've probably heard that fiber will keep you "pooping" regularly. Still, fiber has other purposes, such as helping you lose weight, keeping your cholesterol down, and preventing cancer and heart problems. Any food item containing three or more grams of fiber is considered high-fiber, and you need 22-32 grams of fiber daily.
Some high-fiber foods are pears, fresh strawberries, whole wheat pasta, bran cereal, oatmeal, lentils, peas, Brussels sprouts, string beans, spinach, broccoli, and a potato (with the skin). Fiber One cereal is an excellent source of fiber, and it tastes good! Two-thirds of a cup provides 14 grams of fiber, half your daily need. However, it's better to get your fiber from fruits and vegetables, rather than grains.
Increase your fiber gradually. If you are not used to eating fiber, it can trigger Irritable Bowel Syndrome. For example, cook your veggies for the first week rather than eating them raw. Then, slowly begin to switch to raw. When you eat raw foods, make sure you chew them very well. You can juice or steam your fruits and vegetables if your stomach doesn't handle raw food well. Even if you need to continue to cook your vegetables, you will still benefit from vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Lean Red Meat Is Good for You
You need meat because you need protein. There are 23 types of proteins that your body needs to repair itself. These 23 types are called amino acids. Of these 23, your body makes only 13. You get the other ten from your food.
There are two classes of proteins, complete and incomplete. Proteins from meat sources (including dairy products) and dairy products are considered complete proteins. Proteins coming from grains, vegetables, and nut products are considered incomplete proteins.
Not taking in enough protein is the number one cause of aging too quickly and having no energy. Lean read meat is good for you, as long as it is organic. Without enough protein, your body cannot repair all its trillions of cells. If you have stress-related syndromes, you may not digest and absorb your protein as well as you should. For this reason, I suggest eating more protein than what others will tell you so that you get enough.
The meat portion of your proteins should be about 10% of your daily protein intake. And only organically-raised animals will do when it comes to eating meat. Studies show that anything over 10% of meat-protein derived drastically increases the chance of Cancer.
Furthermore, if your blood type is O, your energy may suffer if you skip red meat altogether. Why? Type O is the original blood type of the first humans on earth, who were also carnivorous.
A Little FDA FYI. On Meat
After only four years of research, the FDA has approved cloned steak, goat, and pork meat (and dairy products from these food sources) for public consumption, stating that there is no reason to label these products as such because they have determined there is no difference between cloned and conventional meat.
However, French researchers have found that clones do not reach puberty as quickly as conventionally raised stock and have a completely different fat metabolism. The USA is the first and only country to do this. Are you aware that other countries, such as Japan and China, have consistently refused to purchase meat and dairy from the United States because of the low safety standards?
From what I understand, cloning is not the same as genetic engineering. The following information describes the differences between conventional, genetically engineered, and cloned meat.
- Conventional is naturally conceived and born.
- Genetic engineering alters, adds, or deletes genes or DNA segments to produce specific traits. For example, wheat has been genetically modified to the point that it's near impossible to find the original wheat anymore. It's doubtful that you could even find the seeds to buy them. Today's wheat flour is not the one your parents or grandparents used.
- Cloning reproduces a twin by replicating it (being conceived in a dish, so to speak).
Seafood. How Safe Is It?
Your ancestors didn't have to worry about what they ate from the sea. They gulped down a lower food chain specimen and didn't give it another thought. Today, the world's waters are contaminated. Fisheries may use organic feed, but their fish and shellfish may still contain mercury, PCBs, and dioxins. Swordfish and tuna can contain very high levels of mercury, regardless of where they are from. When choosing tuna, choose albacore. Farmed salmon may have twice as many toxins as wild salmon.
Opt for wild seafood, such as wild Alaskan or Oregonian salmon (canned is fine). Other best seafood choices are sea bass, herring, trout, oysters, clams, and mackerel. So that you know, it's predicted there will be no more edible fish in the sea by 2034.
EDF Seafood Selector is a helpful reference to check up on what seafood is high quality and what is not.
The Trouble with Tap Water
There's so much debate over what kind of water is safe and what isn't that I almost didn't include this topic here, but the truth is, not all water is the same. And, not all water is safe just because it is fresh. Tap water contains "unfriendlies" that can make you sick. Even when you boil tap water, not all impurities are boiled away.
There are up to 141 unregulated chemicals (and an additional 119) for which The Environmental Protection Agency has set health-based limits. Two ingredients for which standards have been established are chlorine and fluoride. Both are known to cause serious ailments.
"Drinking water in the United States is among the top four public health risks posed by environmental problems." - Former EPA Administrator William K. Rilley.
"A Professor of Water Chemistry at The University of Pittsburgh claims that exposure to vaporized chemicals in the water supplies through showering, bathing, and inhalation is 100 times greater than through drinking the water." - The Nader Report, Troubled Waters on Tap - Center for the Study of Responsive Law.
You may not notice the smell of chlorine bleach in your tap water because you have been drinking it. Try this experiment. Drink nothing but purified water for two weeks. At the end of two weeks, pour a glass of pure water into a glass. In another glass, pour tap water. Now, do a sniff test.
Chlorine causes many side effects. The most common side effects are dizziness, headache, confusion, trouble breathing, stomach problems, and Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). And not just the chlorinated water you drink is hurting you. You are also bathing in bleach.
As I understand it, ozonated, distilled, and mineral water are good bets for drinking water. Adding a little lemon juice helps to balance pH levels, which makes your inner fish happy, calm, and content. Purchasing a machine that can purify your water is also an option.
When to Go Organic With Plant-Based Food
With all the prepared and processed foods the USA sells, not to mention the pesticides used on crops and hormones and antibiotics given to our livestock, Americans are fast becoming a nation of people suffering from Toxic Food Syndrome. 80% of processed foods contain GMOs.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) did not specify what organic meant until 2002. For food manufacturers to use the term "organic" on their food labels, they must prove they didn't make their product with fertilizers, pesticides, growth hormones, or artificial ingredients, including colorings or flavorings.
Pesticides keep bugs under control. However, they enter the soil and water and enter fruits and vegetables. The University of Washington State performed a study revealing that children eating "a conventional diet had six times the levels of a pesticide linked to leukemia and neurological damage than those who ate mostly organic foods." Additionally, organic produce can contain up to 50% more antioxidants than those grown with pesticides.
The United States raises cows using hormones to grow them faster and produce milk more quickly. The European government has outlawed this practice based on early research suggesting that the hormones cause early puberty in girls and may raise the risk of Breast Cancer in women and Prostate Cancer in men.
With antibiotics given to cows, sheep, and chickens to prevent disease, the incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans is rising. The government says people do not ingest these antibiotics as the meats do not contain leftover antibiotic residues, but that's up for debate.
You inherit the immune systems of the animals you eat.
To assume that eating anything labeled organic is better is only partially correct. Certain foods are better to go organic with than others. Eating only organic foods can be expensive as well. Here are some suggestions.
- Go organic with fish, fowl, dairy, grains, tofu, and some organic fresh foods.
- Stick with organic milk, cheese, and yogurt to reduce the hormone and antibiotic risk. Avoid foods containing molds. Molds and yeast may cause candida (yeast infection), eye infections, and hair, skin, and nail disease.
- Eat only organic beef, lamb, eggs, and chicken to reduce hormone and antibiotic risk. Purchase organic sausage, cold cuts, and bacon to avoid preservatives linked to bladder and brain cancers, such as nitrates and nitrites.
- All thin-skinned fruits and vegetables are prone to be high in toxins, especially potatoes, spinach, celery, bell peppers, grapes, apples, cherries, peaches, pears, strawberries, nectarines, and raspberries should be organic. By eating these 12 food items organically, you can cut your pesticide exposure by up to 90%.
- You should avoid frozen or canned fruits or vegetables belonging to this list. Frozen fruits are often coated in sugar. Canned fruits and vegetables contain preservatives and also absorb aluminum. Regarding fruits and vegetables, always choose fresh, then frozen, with canned being last on the list.
- Try purchasing items from your local farmer's market when choosing other fruits and vegetables. Smaller farms don't tend to use pesticides in the same way as conventional producers. Their foods may well be organic but not claimed as such due to the cost of getting USDA-certified organic.
- Eat products where the grain remains intact. As mentioned earlier, nearly all wheat has been genetically modified. Sprouted grain bread is best because they're less acidic. Spelt flour is most tolerated and contains more protein than other sprouted grain flour.
- Avoid corn. It contains carcinogens.
Natural & Organic Label Reading Tips
- "All Natural" – There is no such thing. However, no artificial preservatives or colors have been to a meat product when it's labeled natural.
- "Free Range" – There is no such thing. It is supposed to mean that animals are free to roam, but who's regulating? It says nothing about what they are fed.
- "Antibiotic and Hormone Free" – There is no such thing. Who's determining if this is true? The USDA has its hands full trying to determine the truth here.
- "100% Organic" - This product is proven to have no hormones, pesticides, or artificial ingredients.
- "Organic" - This product is 95% organic, with some other "stuff" added to process it.
- "Made with Organic Ingredients" - okay. This product is at least 70% organic.
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