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Whole Food Nutrition
Dr. Orlowski has taught a variety
of classes in nutrition at the post graduate level. With practice, she
helps patients with dietary analysis, nutritional counseling, supplementation
and intravenous nutritional therapies. A large part of nutritional counseling
is dependent upon evaluation of digestion and absorption of nutrients.
You can spend hundreds of dollars on the right supplement, but if you can't
absorb it, you are wasting your time and money. Dr. Orlowski often has
to start patients on intravenous nutritional therapies because they are
too depleted to benefit from oral doses. The IV's give the patient the
"jump start" that is needed for their body to heal enough so that it can
absorb nutrients from food and supplements again.
One of the most frequent problems
seen with digestion and absorption comes from a lack of hydrochloric acid
(HCl)
in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid decreases with acute or chronic stress,
age and in the presence of the Herliobacter pylori bacterium. Oddly, the
symptoms of low hydrochloric acid are often mistaken for signs that there
is an excess of acid. Heartburn, gas, bloating, belching, constipation
or diarrhea can all be signs that hydrochloric acid is low.
The functions of hydrochloric
acid are to:
• Digest proteins.
• Signal the stomach to release
intrinsic factor needed for vitamin B-12 absorption.
• Kill unwanted bacteria,
parasites and fungus that may be in our food.
• Chelate vitamins and minerals
for maximum absorption, especially B complex, magnesium.
Calcium, iron and zinc.
• Stimulate production and
release of pancreatic enzymes for carbohydrate digestion.
• Create the correct pH for
the gut for proper bacterial colonization and to avoid leaky gut syndrome.
When antacids are given to
alleviate the symptoms of heartburn the problem can be compounded over
time leaving patients in a malnourished state which sets them up for a
variety of health problems including: osteoporosis, anemia, candida overgrowth,
parasites, gastritis, IBS, depression, weight gain, cardiac disease etc.
A common mistake is to give enzymes to patients that are hypochrlohydric,
(low in hydrochloric acid) this helps with protein absorption, gas and
bloating, but does not help with vitamin or mineral absorption or any of
the other functions of HCl.
It is amazing how common nutritional
deficiencies are seen in practice and often overlooked due to deficiencies
not expected in a rich country like the US and because the patient usually
doesn't look as if they are starving. Due to poor quality foods and poor
food choices, many Americans are overfed and undernourished; add poor absorption
to the mix and we don't stand a chance.
Dr. Orlowski evaluates nutritional
status from signs and symptoms in the patient through use of laboratory
tests, pysysical exam, including traditional chinese medical diagnostics
and by measuring the patient's response on an energetic level.
What to Eat:
Recently the news has been
filled with stories about our food and obesity in our country. As the industry
vows to make foods healthier, we are left with serious questions about
our health. No one wants to be over weight but obesity is just the tip
of the iceberg; as a nation, we are plagued with illness, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, auto-immune disease, depression and the list
goes on. Despite our wealth and our technologically advanced medical system,
measurements of health in this country are lower than many third world
countries. We are overfed and undernourished. Our standards of health are
low, many of the patients the doctor sees consider themselves healthy even
though they suffer from chronic headaches, allergies or insomnia and need
to take medication just to get through the day. The problems of health
get to be complicated but the reasons are simple and there are many cures.
The majority of our health
problems come from diet and lifestyle. Our food is low in nutrients due
to farming techniques that focus on profit rather than quality. We tend
to eat foods that are processed to the point of being very low in nutrition.
Few Americans exercise enough and our life style has become sedentary.
Our lives are unbalanced, full of work and stress and are low on community,
play and quiet time. The disharmony and stress creates physical problems
such as poor digestion, poor absorption, leaky gut syndrome, insomnia,
depression, and high blood pressure. Many of the physical problems are
easily alleviated if the proper nutrition gets in to the system.
So what can we do to make a
change and not succumb to poor health?
• Exercise - Either find the
time to develop a routine or better yet, stop leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Walk, take the farthest parking space instead of the closetes, go out to
dance instead of seeing a movie, hike, garden, run around with your pets
/ children or borrow someone else's children to play with.
• Take vitamins and minerals.
Even if you are eating enough healthy foods, the chances are low that you
get optimal levels of nutrition in your food. Our needs for nutrition increase
as we are exposed to stress and pollution. Supplements give your body a
fighting chance.
• Eat your vegetables. If
there is one food that can make a difference, it is probably leafy green
vegetables. They are high in fiber and nutrients, but few people eat them.
Try to add a few servings a day and see how much better you feel. Explore
the produce isle - kale, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, all are
delicious sautéed in olive oil with garlic or onions. Try them for
breakfast with an egg, add them to soup, be creative.
• Eat whole foods. The closer
it looks to what grows in nature, the better it is. Avoid white flour and
sugar products as much as possible, they have very little nutritional value,
but are great at making us fat and leeching the vitamins and minerals that
they are missing from our bodies. Whole grains, simple fruits and vegetables,
fish and meats are good choices.
• If possible eat organic.
Its better for the earth, better for your body and better for our children.
Organic foods are free of harmful pesticides, have more natural nutrition
and are grown using sustainable farming methods.
• Bless your food. We are
bodies of light and energy. Blessing and giving thanks for what we eat
raises the energy of the food to a higher level and raises our energy as
well. This helps us grow on all levels, mental, emotional, physical and
spiritual. |
