16

'
Eating for
Optimal Health

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature
may heal and give strength to body and soul.
Jon Muir

M ore than ever, the old adage “You are what you eat” is being proven valid;
this simple aphorism is fundamental to natural healing. It is balanced by a
complementary slogan, “You are what you don’t excrete,” or perhaps more
appropriately, “You are what you absorb.”
Treating illness and maintaining health through diet is central to my wholistic phi-
losophy and practice and is the key to living a vital life, no matter what your chronologi-
cal age. Our bodies are designed to thrive on a varied diet of whole, unprocessed foods:
fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs; proteins from sea and land animals; naturally grown
and processed grains and beans; and fermented foods. Despite regional and cultural
differences, traditional diets throughout the world are all based on some combination
of these basic foods. These foods are tied to our human evolution—they are the nour-
ishment that has kept us healthy for eons.
Every calorie we ingest either fuels the inward energy that creates, nourishes, and
heals every cell in our bodies or is used to generate the outward energy that helps us
act in the world. In the process of transforming food into inward or outward energy,
toxic by-products are formed that are oxidative and proinflammatory. Nutrient-dense,
healthful foods can efficiently make healthy cells, produce balanced energy, and at the
same time reduce the creation and promote the excretion of waste by-products.
Science is delving ever more deeply into the intricacies of dietary choices, and in
the process researchers are finding that there is much more to the relationship between
food and health than simply calculating the minimum daily requirements of protein,
fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A growing field of study, nutrigenomics
considers the relationship between diet and genetics and identifies the beneficial or
detrimental health effects of various dietary components. Researchers are discovering
that variations in genetic makeup, gene expression, and ethnic background contribute
to and to some extent define our individual nutritional requirements. Other factors
include how well we digest, absorb, and utilize nutrients and the total amount of food
we need to eat to function properly. Conversely, nutrition can alter both gene expres-
sion and variations in our genetic makeup, so it is obvious that a cookie-cutter approach

­290

to nutrition is not the best way to support health
and healing, because genetic variations determine the
specific ways in which people adapt to environmental
challenges, diseases, drugs, and therapies.1
Conventional thinking holds that health is deter-
mined genetically, and for this reason little can be
changed. In other words, whatever cards we’re dealt at
birth becomes our immutable destiny. Well, that sim-
ply is not true! The genes that we each inherit are only
one factor in the manifestation of health or disease.
Many other factors, particularly diet, play a signifi-
cant role in gene health. There is no question that we
affect the expression of our genes through our dietary
choices; the logical conclusion is that we can tailor our
diets to influence our genes. For example, one defec-
tive copy of the tumor suppressor gene p53 is thought
to predispose a person to developing cancer. With age,
if we lose function in the second copy of the gene, cell
proliferation may become irregular. The most com-
mon genetic mutation in human cancers, that of the
p53 gene, is responsible for 30 to 70 percent of all can-
cers. However, cancer requires the alignment of many
factors. A cell may not actually become cancerous
until ten or more mutations occur in several critical
genes. Another common gene (also a tumor suppres-
sor gene) that is frequently tested is the BRCA1 and/
or 2, which is associated with an increase in breast and
ovarian cancers.2 Studies show that the foods most
strongly associated with p53 mutations include fast
food, high-glycemic-index foods, red meat, and foods
containing trans fats.3 Studies show that diets rich in
fruits and vegetables, along with weight control in
adulthood, are important in the prevention of BRCA-
related cancers.4
In my approach I try to outline a balanced diet for
a person based on the following factors: geographic
location, season, energetic type (deficiency/excess,
yin/yang, organ system weakness, etc.), traditional
diet (ethnic background, taste preferences), the pres-
ence of chronic and/or acute condition(s) or dis-
ease, nutrigenomics (diet-gene interaction), lifestyle
(work/exercise), and environmental influences (toxic
exposure).
Human diets of plant origin contain many hun-
dreds of compounds that cannot be considered nutri-
ents but appear to play a role in the maintenance of
Eating for Optimal Health n 291
health. Nutrigenomics examines the effects of these
dietary chemicals, called phytonutrients or nutraceuti-
cals. In some cases where the disease process is at least
partially understood, elements of protection can be
related to a single compound or structurally related
group of compounds in the diet. Some of the bioac-
tive components of foods, spices, and beverages of
special interest include the following groups: polyphe-
nols, phytoestrogens, saponins, terpenoids, isothio-
cyanates, phytosterols, phytates, and omega-3 fatty
acids.5 Nutrigenomics applies the science of genomics
to study diet-gene interactions and identify these and
other dietary components’ beneficial or detrimental
health effects.6
On a positive note, defects (mutations) in the p53
gene can be prevented or even repaired by foods or
food concentrates, which include “superfoods” that
have been concentrated and can be added to smooth-
ies or foods themselves. These food concentrates are
rich in specific compounds: for example, the flavone
quercetin, which is found in apples, black and green
tea, broccoli, and red onions, as well as other plants;
and proanthocyanidins7 and resveratrol,8 which are
found in grape seed and skin; and isothiocyanates,
derived from cruciferous vegetables.9
The phytonutrients in food act as pleiotropic
disease-suppressing agents, able to produce multiple
beneficial and synergistic effects to suppress chronic
disease, promote optimal health, and extend life. An
important action of these foods is that they activate
cellular defenses in response to oxidative damage
as well as inflammation, thereby potentiating the
cellular antioxidant and/or detoxification capacity.10
Such food compounds regulate oncogene and tumor
suppressor gene expression by multiple mechanisms,
including epigenetic processes.11
As humans age, there is a systemic increase in
inflammatory cytokines (destructive cell-signaling
chemicals), a situation that contributes to the onset
of many degenerative diseases. Chronic inflammation
disrupts the linings of our arteries, mutates DNA,
degrades brain cells, and is a major cause of cancer,
cancer progression, and chemotherapy and radiation-
therapy resistance.12
Aging people with multiple degenerative diseases
often have elevated blood levels of C-reactive protein,
­292 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
indicating the presence of an inflammatory disorder,
which usually means there are excess levels of one or
more of the proinflammatory cytokines. The most
common of these are nuclear factor–kappaB (NF-κB),
tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and the inter-
leukins IL-6, IL-1β, and/or IL-8.13
Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids in the
form of cold-water fish (rich in EPA/eicosapentae-
noic acid, and DHA/docosahexaenoic acid), chia
and flax seeds (abundant in alpha-linolenic acid),
and foods rich in healthy omega-6s (linoleic acid),
which can convert into GLA (gamma-linoenic acid),
provides a cellular environment that reduces inflam-
mation, including cancer-related inflammation, and
can also down-regulate cancer growth factors such as
HER2/neu and suppress cancer growth.14 You see, the
food we consume can turn on cancer or other disease-
inducing genes, or it can do little to nothing to affect
these genes, or it can turn them off. Phytonutrient-
rich foods and many common herbs (teas and spices)
can help maintain genes that inhibit cancer and other
diseases that often go awry as we age. The science
of nutrigenomics can lead to evidence-based dietary
intervention strategies for restoring health and fitness
and preventing diet-related diseases.
The other pathological aging mechanism, which
is exacerbated by eating foods cooked at high tem-
peratures, is the formation of advanced glycation end
products, or AGEs. Glycation can be described as the
binding of a protein molecule to a glucose molecule,
resulting in the formation of damaged protein struc-
tures. Many age-related diseases such as arterial hard-
ening, cataracts, and neurological impairment are at
least partially attributable to glycation. These destruc-
tive glycation reactions render proteins in the body
cross-linked and barely functional. As these degraded
proteins accumulate, they cause cells to emit signals
that induce the production of inflammatory cyto-
kines, which in turn promotes oxidative damage.15
Which Diet is Right?
With an abundance of foods to choose from, we have
the luxury of crafting the perfect health-supportive
diet. The question is: which diet is best? The choices
are often contradictory, ranging from veganism to a
hunter-gatherer Paleolithic diet; grain-centered mac-
robiotics to gluten-free; dairy-free, high-carb, and
low-fat to high-fat and low-carb.
It’s little wonder that people are confused. Note
that there is no diet that is perfect for everyone all the
time; individual adjustments are always required.
Although it’s often overlooked, ancestral heritage
is an essential component of finding a diet that will
keep you healthy. This approach takes into account
classic Darwinian principles of evolution and adapta-
tion, natural selection, and genetic mutation. Over
thousands of years of evolutionary history, people in
different parts of the world developed very specific
dietary needs as an adaptation mechanism in response
to the unique aspects of their habitats and lifestyles,
including climate, geography, vegetation, and natu-
rally occurring food supplies. For example, people
from cold northern regions of the world have histori-
cally relied heavily on animal proteins, simply because
that’s the primary food source available there. Thus
they have radically different nutritional needs than
people from tropical regions, where the environment
is rich in vegetative diversity year-round.
Five Basic Categories for Planning Your
Daily Meals and Snacks
Category 1: This category includes supermedicinal
foods rich in phytonutrients that protect against
cancer and are in fact regarded as anticancer foods.
Strive to have these foods make up 20 to 25 percent
of your diet. Medicinal smoothies, which I often rec-
ommend, are a good way to get a high intake of these
supermedicinal foods and concentrated botanical and
nutritional compounds. They are also a great way to
start the day. Examples are broccoli sprouts (whereas
plain broccoli is a category 2 food); watercress and
nettles (whereas romaine and red leaf lettuce are
category 2 foods); wild berry concentrates such as
frozen acai, or concentrates that include huckleberries;
pomegranates; chlorella-dense supergreens (chlorella
is a genus of single-cell green algae); and green barley
grass. In addition, anthocyanin-rich extracts from
bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), chokeberry (Aronia
melanocarpa), and grape (Vitis vinifera) have potent
protective abilities against chronic diseases, including
cancer.16
 Eating for Optimal Health n 293

Category 2: These foods are generally very good for Within the ETMS system is a primary dietary
you but may not be considered superconcentrated and toolbox. It is not to be taken lightly, as how you eat as
medicinal. Wild salmon and tempeh are great choices a child, adolescent, or young adult affects your health
for protein and would fall into this category. A wide later in life, as well as the health of your offspring.
variety of organically grown fruits and vegetables, espe-
cially those that are brightly colored—dark leafy greens; The Four Golden Rules of Eating:
bright orange yams, carrots, and winter squashes; and Quality: Eat a whole-food diet rich in fresh, organic,
deep red, blue, or purple fruits, such as blueberries and or wild, and preferably local food whenever
plums—are all category 2 foods. [AU97] Strive to have possible.
these foods make up 35 to 50 percent of your diet. Balance: Eat a balanced diet filled with a variety of
fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and
Category 3: These are neutral foods—neither healing
seeds and a moderate amount of high-quality
nor really bad for you. Hybrid commercial whole-
protein and fats.
grain products, such as whole-grain wheat crackers,
Quantity: Don’t overeat to the point that your total
or 50 percent whole-wheat bagels, are examples of the
daily caloric intake greatly surpasses your calorie
kinds of commercially prepared foods that fall into
expenditure.
this category. A category 3 meal might consist of egg
Relationship: Have a healthy relationship with the
salad with lettuce and tomato on whole-grain bread,
food you eat; enjoy it and be thankful. Eating
made with commercially prepared mayo and commer-
healthy food, grown from the earth and prepared
cially raised eggs. Neutral foods should comprise only
with love, can bring such inner and outer
between 10 and 25 percent of your diet.
pleasure.
Category 4: These foods do not promote health but
do not destroy it, either. [AU98] Category 4 should
The Mediterranean Diet
always be kept under 10 percent of your diet but does
I myself am primarily of Italian descent and have a love
not need to be an absolute zero. Such foods as “natu-
of a healthy Mediterranean diet that consists mostly
ral” breads marketed as being “just like homemade”;
of Italian cuisine. I do not eat any meat (personal
organic, whole-grain-based sweets; and pasta fall into
choice), but I believe that people can be healthy and
this category. The category does not include any foods
eat meat, and they can be unhealthy and not eat meat.
containing white sugar, bleached white flour, or com-
I believe that for optimal health for both yourself and
mercial fats.
the planet, you should eat primarily a plant-based
Category 5: These are poisonous foods and should be diet, with the addition of small amounts of dairy, eggs,
completely avoided. Most commercial sweets, baked fish, and even meat. Meat should be limited for most
goods, potato chips, commercial French fries, black- people (unless you are blood deficient) to one to three
ened meats, candy, soda, doughnuts, and commercial times per week—and this is optional. Most important,
salad dressings made with soybean oil fall into this cat- if you are going to eat meat, it should be from the
egory of foods and should be eliminated from the diet. healthiest animals, grass-fed and organically raised, or
wild game meat.
The three basic building blocks of nutrition for energy
I try to eat primarily locally grown food and wild
and health are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. A
foods, including greens like nettles and dandelion,
healthy diet consists of an appropriate intake of high-
wild berries, and wild mushrooms (which I love),
quality protein, unrefined fats, and whole-food com-
along with other common garden vegetables such as
plex carbohydrates. This balance is essential for an
cabbage, leafy greens, root vegetables, bitter greens
efficient metabolism. In addition, we need an abun-
(including arugula, radicchio, and endive), tomatoes
dance of fruits and vegetables to supply the phyto-
and other fruiting vegetables, grapes, and berries. I
chemicals that are indispensable for disease prevention
enjoy fish (mostly from the Oregon and Washington
and management, health promotion, and longevity.
­294 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
coastline or from our rivers), dairy (goat, sheep, and
cow, in the form of yogurt and mostly hard cheeses),
and whole grains, including whole-grain breads.
Olive oil is a staple of my diet. I do eat pasta, most
often fresh and organic; however, I eat it not as a
primary part of my meal, but rather combined with
an equal amount of a protein food such as a piece of
fish and a plate of vegetables. I also eat brown rice
and other whole grains, but because of my love of
Italian food, I just need to have a little fresh pasta
with some homemade pesto, “food for my spirit.” I
eat eggs several times a week, and plenty of vegetar-
ian protein foods such as tempeh and black beans. I
truly believe variety is important when it comes to
eating.
Americans between the ages of seventy and
ninety who eat a Mediterranean diet display consis-
tently lower rates of all cancers, in particular, stom-
ach cancer, colorectal cancer, breast and prostate
cancer, and cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, and
liver; there is also a reduction in heart disease by
50 percent.17 Older men in the United States who
eat more than two servings a day of any dark green
or deep yellow vegetable have a lower rate of heart
disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agri-
culture, as well as a 70 percent lower risk of cancer
than men who eat less than one serving a day.18 The
Mediterranean-type diet is associated with a signifi-
cant reduction in the incidence of not only cancer19
but cardiovascular disease20 and chronic neurode-
generative diseases21 as well.
A Mediterranean diet can even help people avoid
brain damage that can lead to problems with think-
ing and memory. Researchers assessed the diets of
712 people in New York and divided them into three
groups based on how closely they adhered to a Medi-
terranean diet. Six years later, the scientists conducted
MRI brain scans on the test subjects and discovered
that 238 people had at least one area of brain damage.
However, those who were most closely following a
Mediterranean-like diet were 36 percent less likely to
have areas of brain damage than those who were least
following the diet, while those moderately following
the diet were 21 percent less likely to have brain dam-
age than the lowest group.22
The Cretan (island of Crete) diet, in particular,
has been proven to promote health and longevity.
An ongoing comparative study, which began in
1960 and included seven countries, had a group of
about 700 Cretan men from the countryside under
medical observation, regularly checking the state of
their health. Of the populations in the seven coun-
tries, the Cretan group had the lowest percentage
of deaths caused by heart attacks, dementias, and
different kinds of cancer. This study also showed
the Cretan population to be the longest-living one.
In 1991, thirty-one years after the beginning of the
study, about 50 percent of the Cretans were found
to be still alive as opposed to the rest of the six par-
ticipating countries, in which there wasn’t a single
survivor (even in the rest of Greece)! The traditional
diet of Crete is simple and wholesome: olive oil
(which accounts for one-third of a Cretan’s daily
energy needs), mainly whole-grain cereals (princi-
pally bread), vegetables, and fruit, and, to a lesser
degree, fresh local cheese, milk, eggs, and fish. A little
red wine is consumed with every meal.23 [AU99]
The Personalized Diet
Once you gain a good understanding of the general
concepts of eating well for optimal health as well as
disease prevention and/or treatment, the next step is
to personalize your diet. My approach to diet is to first
focus on eating a wide variety of fresh, organic foods
and to avoid, or at least minimize (less than 5 percent),
all processed and refined foods. Making food choices
based on these simple parameters goes a long way
toward creating a health-supportive diet. From this
foundation, dietary choices can be refined to address
each person’s specific needs.
The ETMS approach to a personalized diet starts
with an assessment, which includes the following:
1. Nutritional status
2. Age
3. Body composition and shape
4. Work and physical activities
5. Endocrine status
6. Stress and sleep patterns
7. The diseases (acute and/or chronic) a person
might have, or be prone to
8. Genetic factors
 Eating for Optimal Health n 295

9. Organ system status level; it is simultaneously a redefinition of traditional

10. Energetic type based on an ETMS assessment of medicine and a methodology for refining the dietary
the three main branches: and herbal elements into protocols. It is the driving
• The endogenous or human branch force of ETMS therapeutics in clinical practice. This
• The exogenous environment revisiting of traditional medicine is unique to the
• The biological terrain ETMS system and makes it possible to incorporate a
dietary and herbal approach seamlessly and synergisti-
Targeting such pathways with phytonutrients
cally with modern oncology in precise, scientifically
often involves the use of superconcentrates and falls
guided, but until now unexplored ways.
under branch 3 of the ETMS system. Branch 3 assesses
Note that energetic typing can be applied to
and targets the biological terrain in terms of the mod-
a person as well as to food. For example, a person
ern scientific understanding of the molecular biology
with a cold constitution may benefit from foods of a
of the cancer or other chronic disease the person has,
warming nature, particularly aromatic spices , such as
as well as the pharmacological influences of natural
ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper. A person
compounds on cancer at the molecular, biological,
with signs of excess heat in summertime may benefit
and genomic levels. At the same time it recognizes that
from fresh watermelon and cucumber juice, which
the cancer energy (tumor) interacts with and affects
will cool the body and cleanse the liver and kidneys.
both the individual (branch 1) and his or her relation-
A person with weak lungs will benefit from sautéd
ship to the environment (branch 2). This “hybrid”
nettle greens with garlic and onions; lotus root
interactive characterization of branch 3 as a biologi-
added to soups; or pears cooked with fresh ginger,
cal terrain is therefore much more than the interface
orange peel, and raw honey. Diet, as you will learn,
of the biology of plants and of cancer at a molecular
is foundational to cancer prevention and treatment.

Energetic type, deficiency or

excess, organ system
weaknesses, yin/yang
Traditional diet ancestry,
Lifestyle and environment
ethnic background,
(energy expenditure)
preferences

Nutrigenomics
(diet-gene interaction)

Type and location of

(acute or chronic) cancer
Conventional therapies or other diseases
(surgery, radiation, chemo,
medications)

Seasons: winter, spring,

Geographic location
summer, fall

Fig. 16.1. In the Eclectic Triphasic Medical System (also known as Mederi Care®), all of the
factors noted in this illustration are considered when using food as medicine to prevent or
cure cancer or other serious diseases.
­296 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
The Energetics of Food
Each of us manifests our own energetic makeup, and
this determines the balance of foods that promote
vitality and health with the foods that detoxify and
eliminate cancerous agents. The dynamics of the yin
and yang aspects of different foods and how they
relate to each person and the five energy networks in
traditional Chinese medicine—that of the Kidneys,
Spleen, Liver, Lung, and Heart—are also significant.
Whether or not we are deficient or have an excess in
any of these networks is also very important.
For example, a person who is blood deficient
needs blood-building Kidney and Spleen foods,
and should eat eggs, shrimp, blackstrap molasses,
and wild meat like bison, along with blood- and
lymph-purifying foods like beets, watercress, nettle
greens, and chicory. Unless you are extremely blood
deficient, meat, and red meat in particular, has many
drawbacks with regard to gene behavior and cancer
as well as other chronic diseases. Moderate intake of
wild or organic grass-fed meat really isn’t a problem,
but high intake (more than three times a week) of
commercial meat can be problematic.24 In addition,
consuming well-done meat cooked at high tempera-
tures, which contains high mutagen levels for sure,
can cause and promote cancer as well as advance the
aging process.25 Overall, meat consumption in rela-
tion to cancer risk has been reported in over a hun-
dred epidemiological studies from many countries
with diverse diets.26
Another person may need to emphasize foods
that strengthen and cleanse the kidneys, such as cel-
ery, dandelion greens, and asparagus in the spring,
or watermelon during the summer. As a person gets
older, as part of the natural aging process, the energy
reserves of the kidneys are depleted. This energy can
be restored by taking herbal remedies (adaptogen for-
mulas plus Kidney Qi–enhancing herbs) that tonify
the kidneys. Food can also have a positive impact on
the health of the kidneys.
Foods That Support the
Kidney Qi Network
The Kidney Qi network involves all physiological
actions of the kidney-urinary system plus the neu-
roendocrine and endocrine systems. The Kidney Qi
network and the Spleen Qi network are central to
the enhancement of core vitality, the central starting
and ending point in treating and preventing cancer as
well as other chronic diseases. The kidneys, like all the
body’s organs, store energy, or essence.
Since the kidneys are a yin organ system, they are
all about moisture, so drink plenty of water. Each of
the five elements in TCM has a flavor attributed to
it, and the water element that governs Kidney Qi is
salty. Recommended salty foods include miso, sea salt,
tamari, and salted raw sauerkraut or kimchi (Korean
cultured vegetables). To support the water element, I
recommend a healthy amount of salt, as too much will
have the opposite effect. Check to make sure you are
not getting too much, and that you replace commer-
cial table salt with unrefined sea salt. Sea vegetables
(seaweeds) and high-quality unrefined salt are also
good for Kidney yang deficiency (low blood pressure,
frequent urination, dry skin, etc.).
Because beans are kidney-shaped as well as seeds
with potential for new life, these foods have long been
considered especially nourishing to the kidneys; they
include black beans, kidney beans, and most beans in
general. As well, blue and black foods are best, includ-
ing blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, and black
beans—the colors blue and black correspond to the
water element of the kidneys.
Among vegetables, eat sweet potatoes and yams,
celery, asparagus, and string beans—all examples of
good Kidney Qi foods. Fish, shrimp, and seaweeds all
support the water element, as do various seeds, includ-
ing flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and black sesame—all
related to fertility and growth, which is governed by
Kidney Qi. Nuts are seeds. Walnuts and chestnuts
are particularly recommended for Kidney Qi. Finally,
small amounts of animal products such as lamb, eggs,
and cheese are especially important if your blood is
also deficient.
Foods That Support the
Spleen Qi Network
In TCM, Spleen Qi is responsible for extracting nour-
ishment from food and also for supporting Wei Qi, or
immune energy. The spleen is the largest lymph gland
and subject to congestion or stagnation. Foods that

nourish and strengthen the Spleen Qi network are
warming, harmonizing, relaxing, sweet, and moisten-
ing. Some of these include sweet potatoes and yams,
carrots (cooked with ginger), celery root, beets cooked
with cabbage (white, purple, or Chinese/Napa cab-
bage), sugar snap peas, and peas. Among seafood, wild
salmon and/or halibut from Alaska or other clean
waters is recommended. Good spices for Spleen Qi are
caraway seed, anise (or fennel), and coriander. Among
the grain foods, barley (especially pearled barley), mil-
let, oats, rice, black and white beans, chickpeas, and
fava beans are all Spleen-nourishing foods. Figs are
excellent as well.
Foods That Support the
Liver Qi Network
From the perspective of modern Western medicine,
the liver is the largest internal organ in the body. Its
weight varies from roughly two and a half to five
pounds in a healthy adult, and up to 25 percent of
the blood may be in the liver at any given time. The
liver is a complex organ in that it plays a vital role
in regulating the processes that keep you alive and
performs many complicated tasks that are essential to
the proper functioning of the entire body. Just about
everything you swallow and absorb into the blood-
stream will eventually pass through the liver. It works
twenty-four hours a day and performs a wide range of
activities involving regulation, metabolism, synthesis,
and detoxification. Some of this occurs during the
day, when the liver functions in catabolic processes
(breaking down), but much of what the liver does in
the way of detoxification occurs while we are sleeping,
as it rebuilds, an anabolic process. This is why sleep is
essential for optimal liver function. In TCM, Liver Qi
is associated with the wood element, with sourness,
and with anger.
Foods that cool and support liver function are
generally dark green vegetables that are bitter, such
as kale, collards, spinach, turnip tops, beet tops, dan-
delion greens, romaine lettuce, endive, radicchio, and
arugula. Bitter foods contain many important phy-
tonutrients, and if we could eat at least a half cup a
day, I believe this would lower the incidence of many
chronic diseases.
Eating for Optimal Health n 297
Foods That Support the
Lung Qi Network
Certain foods can help heal the Lung Qi network.
For instance, pears cooked with honey and ginger are
very beneficial, as are white mushrooms and lotus root
(available at Asian stores). Generally, all fresh greens
are good for the lungs because green food is rich in
chlorophyll, which improves cellular oxygen uptake.
Nettle greens (Urtica dioica) are my favorite green
food in the world, and they are the best of all foods
for strengthening the lungs. Alfred Vogel, the famous
Swiss doctor and pioneer in natural health, had all his
patients with weak lungs consume nettle greens in
the spring when they are young and best for cooking
and eating, and he included nettles in tea and in fluid
extract form. Garlic and onions, root vegetables, and
green vegetables in soups also are wonderful for the
lungs.
Foods rich in carotenoids also improve the Lung
Qi network. Persimmons are one such food, and they
not only contain an abundance of carotenoids, but also
moisten the lungs. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxan-
thin enhance lung function. High carotenoid intake
appears to reduce the signs of lung aging by about
one to two years, according to one population-based
study.27 Another study showed that high serum levels
of the carotenoids alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and
lycopene were positively associated with lung function
in the elderly.28
Carotenoids are found in green leafy vegetables,
and beta-carotene is the predominant carotenoid.
Among orange-colored fruits and vegetables such as
carrots, apricots, mangoes, yams, and winter squash,
beta-carotene concentrations are high. Yellow veg-
etables have higher concentrations of yellow carot-
enoids (xanthophylls), hence a lower pro–vitamin A
activity than beta-carotene. However, some of these
compounds, such as lutein, have significant health
benefits, potentially due to their antioxidant effects.
The red and purple vegetables and fruits such as
tomatoes, red cabbage, berries, and plums contain a
large portion of non-vitamin A–active carotenoids.
Legumes, grains, and seeds also are significant sources
of carotenoids. Carotenoids are also found in various
animal foods such as egg yolks, salmon, and shellfish,
in addition to such spices as paprika and saffron.
­298 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
Foods That Support the
Heart Qi Network
According to TCM, summer is the season linked to
Heart Qi, which is represented by the element fire and
the color red. Bitter and cooling foods are nourishing
to Heart Qi. Try dandelion greens, an arugula salad
with radishes, and some sardines with lemon and olive
oil. Other healing foods for the Heart Qi network
include omega-3-rich fish, red lentils, rhubarb, and
fresh plums and dates. The optimal diet for the pre-
vention of chronic heart disease would also need to
take into account two important exogenous (stress)
factors:
1. The type of work you do. Physical labor or being
active on the job (as compared to working in an
office or in a sedentary job) changes the amount
of protein you should be eating.
2. The toxins you are exposed to. The person who
works in a beauty salon, or who runs a photo-
copier, or who lays carpet or installs drywall, or
who lives or works in a crowded, polluted city
experiences an increased exposure to environmen-
tal toxins. Such a person would need a diet rich in
antitoxins—protective foods and plant com-
pounds such as flavonoids and other phenols,
carotenoids, and sulfur compounds known as iso-
thiocynanates, found in Brussels sprouts, water-
cress, and horseradish.
The Components of
an Excellent Balanced Diet
Many books and theories on diet therapy for cancer
emphasize the need to eat lots of raw foods. However,
it is important not to generalize and to consider each
person’s individual needs. What is practical and plau-
sible? What is the constitution of the person? What
are the religious or food-preference restrictions of the
person? These differences of raw over cooked must
also depend on where you live—for example, Florida
versus Alaska—and the season. As good as coconuts
and coconut oil are for some people, they should not
be a staple for someone living in a cold climate, because
coconut is a highly saturated fat that comes from trop-
ical regions of the world. Because it is saturated, it is
very stable in hot weather and when cooking at higher
temperatures. However, during the winter months our
need for polyunsaturated fats in the form of omega-3s
and omega-6s goes up. Nature is our best teacher. Just
think about it: the further north you go, the more
the foods have different fatty-acid profiles. Flax seeds
grow in the north, and they are rich in alpha-linolenic
acid and omega-3; coconuts grow near the equator
and are a staple for the people around the world who
live in areas that are hot and sunny all year round. I do
like to vary people’s diets seasonally, recommending
more coconut during the summer months and walnuts
added to salads in the fall and winter, as well as more
omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish. Olive oil, a
predominately monounsaturated fat, is a year-round
stable source of fat.
Taking into account the conditions of today’s life,
I recommend a return to traditional eating habits with
the following ten basic tips:
1. Incorporate an abundance of food from plant
sources, including fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, whole-grain breads, beans, nuts, and seeds.
2. Eat minimally processed and mostly seasonal
fresh and locally grown foods.
3. Use olive oil as the principal fat, replacing other
fats and oils, and eat olives daily.
4. Drink a moderate amount of wine, normally with
meals; about one to two five-ounce glasses per day
for men and one glass per day for women.
5. Eat fresh fruit as a typical daily dessert; limit
sweets with a significant amount of sugar and sat-
urated fat, and make sure sweets contain only
whole grains and whole-food sweetening agents
such as raw honey. For those wanting to avoid any
added sweetener (calories), use stevia or Lo Han,
which is a medical fruit for the lungs in TCM that
is similar in sweetness to stevia but without the
potential bitterness.
6. Your total dietary fat should range between 25
and 35 percent, with saturated fat comprising 7 to
10 percent of your total caloric intake.
7. Eat moderate amounts of high-quality cheese and
yogurt daily.
8. Consume moderate amounts of fish, eggs, and, if
desired, poultry and/or wild meats, up to three

servings per week. There are plenty of sources of
sustainably raised or caught fresh-frozen fish, and
even some canned fish (sardines and salmon), that
are acceptable. [AU100]
9. If you are a red meat eater, eat it only one to three
times a week, or just one time per month if
desired, unless you are iron deficient; then you can
eat it a few times per week until iron levels reach
normal. Eat only grass-fed, organic meat or wild
game meat, not commercially raised meats.
10. Eat organically grown or wild-harvested foods.
Protein
Protein is an essential component of every cell in the
body and is crucial for the growth, maintenance, and
repair of all cells. Not only is protein necessary for
body structure (blood, bones, hair, muscles, nails,
organs, and skin are all made of protein), the meta-
bolic activity of enzymes and hormones also depends
on protein.
There are many different types of protein, but
all are long chains of amino acids made up of carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Of the twenty-two
types of amino acids, fourteen are considered non-
essential because the body can manufacture them.
The remaining eight essential amino acids must be
obtained through the diet. Foods that contain all
eight of the essential amino acids are called complete
proteins. These are primarily animal proteins such as
dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry. Other
foods such as beans, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and
vegetables also contain protein to varying degrees (for
example, avocados are 9 percent protein), but because
they lack one or more of the essential amino acids
they are termed incomplete proteins. Combining two
or more incomplete proteins can create a complete
protein if all of the essential amino acids are supplied
by the combination.
Maintaining an adequate daily intake of high-
quality protein is vital to anabolic metabolism (the
building up of the body) and for preventing the loss of
muscle mass, a common effect of age-related decline
and diseases. In the absence of sufficient protein or cal-
ories, the body will burn lean tissue to obtain protein.
Although protein needs vary, a commonly accepted
recommendation is for 0.8 grams of protein for every
Eating for Optimal Health n 299
kilogram of body weight, which is approximately 64
grams of protein for a person weighing 160 pounds.
Most Americans eat this much protein or more; adults
in the United States average about 15 percent of their
calories from protein. Thus a typical dietary intake
of 2,000 calories supplies about 75 grams of protein.
Increasing protein intake to as much as 25 percent
of the diet has been shown to have beneficial effects
on weight loss and maintenance, but only if the extra
protein replaces refined sugars and carbohydrates in the
diet. If too many calories are consumed, much of the
excess—including protein—will be converted to fat
and stored in adipose tissue.
As mentioned previously, a wide variety of ani-
mal and vegetable foods contain protein. My belief
is that a natural diet consisting of moderate protein
content, from a variety of sources (fish, eggs, dairy,
and vegetables), together with potassium-rich fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains, is best. A diet too rich in
animal protein, particularly meat, is not conducive to
living a healthy and long life; besides, its impact on the
environment is huge (although balancing the choice
between grass-fed beef or antibiotic-free poultry sup-
plied by your local rancher or farmer and purchasing
animal protein, however “sustainably” raised, from a
big-box food wholesaler who has it trucked in over
many miles may be an issue for some folks). In general,
we should eat more vegetarian sources of protein and
less animal meats. As a matter of fact, unless a person
is blood deficient, meat should be avoided or kept to
one or two servings per week; high meat consumption
is associated with an increased risk of several different
forms of cancer.29
Again, be sure that if you are going to eat meat,
you avoid processed and commercial meats, and keep
in mind the diet of many people in the Blue Zone
areas as well as the diets of traditional peoples, who
eat meat as a celebration food, and not daily. New
research reveals that children who eat processed
meats like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage are 74 per-
cent more likely to develop leukemia than children
who avoid such processed meats and who eat more
vegetables.30 In Blue Zone regions, the areas around
the world associated with low incidences of chronic
diseases and a high state of wellness, where even the
elderly lead high-quality lives and boast long life
­300 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
spans, people eat a natural diet of low to moderate
protein content. For example, the typical Sardin-
ian diet contains beans, whole-grain breads, fruits,
vegetables, cheeses (goat, sheep, and cow, most likely
raw), raw goat’s milk, fish in those areas close to
the coast, and little meat. Of course, they also have
strong family values and a close community, they are
physically active, and they laugh and pray a lot, too,
so their health and longevity can’t be attributed to
diet alone.
Healthy Protein Sources
Free-range eggs: Eating up to two eggs a day not only
does not increase the risk of heart disease, it may in
fact reduce it; eating eggs is associated with reduced
mortality,31 and eggs are excellent for your entire body,
particularly your eyes.32 One large egg contains only
seventy-five calories and provides excellent-quality
protein. Eggs are also a good source of phospholipids,
sphingolipids, carotenoids, choline, sulfur, chromium,
folate, iron, and vitamins B12, D, and K. Sphingolip-
ids, which are abundant in eggs and soybeans, have
been shown to inhibit colon cancer, reduce serum
LDL cholesterol, and elevate HDL “good” choles-
terol.33 Be sure when preparing eggs to not cook them
on high heat, such as frying, for you can potentially
damage the valuable fats.
Seafood: Low in calories and total fat, fish and shell-
fish are high in protein and vitamins B6, B12, and
B3. Choose wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish
and shellfish, and emphasize seafood that is rich in
omega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines, shrimp, tuna,
and salmon. Sardines are one of the best options
because they are small and don’t accumulate mercury,
and they are plentiful, inexpensive, and a super health
food. If their taste is too fishy for you, try soaking
them in lemon juice ahead of time and pan-sautéing
them at a moderate temperature.
Meat and poultry: Although I personally choose not
to eat any meat (haven’t since I was eighteen years old)
and believe that most people can live a long, high-
quality life without it, for those who either choose to
eat it or are blood deficient (iron anemic) or otherwise
need to eat it, I recommend only the highest qual-
ity. Buy only grass-fed or free-range meats, including
beef, bison, or lamb. Poultry should be organic and
free range. Wild game meats such as wild turkey or
elk are also excellent choices. For those who choose to
eat meat, I believe it should be eaten only one to three
times per week. Meat and poultry are terrific sources of
iron, niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc.
Dairy products: Cheese, milk, and yogurt are con-
centrated sources of protein and also deliver a hefty
dose of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus for
building strong bones. Whole-fat dairy products are
a healthier choice than reduced-fat varieties. I believe
in a whole-food diet; when it comes to dairy it should
be full fat and whenever possible raw, meaning not
pasteurized or homogenized, and from free-range,
grass-fed animals. Homogenizing milk is major con-
tributing factor to why commercial milk is bad for
you. Xanthine oxidase (XO), an enzyme present in
large amounts in homogenized milk, has the capac-
ity to oxidize plasmalogen, a substance important to
the health of heart and artery tissue. When milk is
homogenized, small fat globules surround the XO and
it is absorbed intact into your bloodstream. It is clear
from research dating all the way back to the 1960s that
there is an association between this absorbed enzyme
and an increased risk of heart disease.34 Another
effect of homogenization is that there is a tremendous
increase in the surface area of the fat globules. During
homogenization, the original fat globule membrane
is lost and is replaced by one that contains a much
greater portion of casein proteins, which may account
for the increase in people being allergic to modern
commercial cow’s milk.35
Dairy is a rich food and should not be eaten in
excess; think of it almost as a condiment. It is impor-
tant to include goat and sheep as well as cow dairy in
your diet. I use goat milk yogurt in my smoothie every
morning. Fermented dairy foods such as kefir, yogurt,
and cheeses like Gorgonzola are especially beneficial.
Natural butterfat aids in the absorption of nutrients,
including calcium, zinc, and many B vitamins, and
it contains important cancer-inhibiting compounds,
including butyric acid and CLA (conjugated linoleic
acid). There has been a great deal of research linking
the consumption of CLA with a reduction in several
forms of cancer, a decrease in the formation of already-

formed atherosclerosis, a reduction of body-fat accu-
mulation, and the prevention of diabetes.36 Nonfat
dairy is associated with an increased risk of pros-
tate cancer,37 heart disease, and diabetes. When you
remove the fat, you also remove many of the nutrients,
and you get more milk sugar. Another reason to only
consume whole-fat dairy is that nonfat dairy doesn’t
taste as good and therefore is often much higher in
added sweeteners. Because environmental toxins are
concentrated in fats, along with bovine growth hor-
mone (rBGH, a genetically engineered drug given to
industrially raised cattle to increase production) and
antibiotics in the animal feed, not to mention the
GMO corn and soybeans given to dairy cattle at com-
mercial operations, it’s especially important to buy
organic dairy products.
Beans and legumes: Black beans, garbanzo beans,
lentils, peas, and other beans and legumes are inexpen-
sive, rich in fiber, and a reasonable source of protein
when combined with grains to complement their
amino-acid profile. The protein value of beans and
legumes can be greatly enhanced by a small portion
of animal protein, such as pairing black beans with
grated cheese. Soybeans are unique in that they are
a complete protein. Avoid processed soy foods and
choose instead whole, traditional soy foods such as
tofu; best are fermented soy products like tempeh,
miso, tamari, and nattō. Tempeh is an excellent pro-
tein food, while miso, tamari, and nattō are not pri-
mary foods but rather condiments. .
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, pecans, pine nuts, cashews,
pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, wal-
nuts, Brazil nuts, and other nuts and seeds add a
satisfying crunch to meals, and when paired with
beans, grains, or salads (with feta cheese and salmon),
they help to supply amino acids to create complete
proteins. Nuts and seeds are also excellent sources
of healthful essential fats, including omega-3 and
omega-6 fatty acids; minerals such as calcium, magne-
sium, zinc, and selenium; and vitamin E. Two Brazil
nuts provide the daily requirement of selenium, which
is one of the most important minerals for good overall
health and disease prevention, but which is deficient
in most people.38 A small handful of nuts and seeds,
together with a piece of fruit, is an excellent alterna-
Eating for Optimal Health n 301
tive to snacks of chips, crackers, or sweets, but limit
your intake to a modest amount to avoid unwanted
weight gain.
Scientific evidence for nuts’ ability to lower cho-
lesterol levels and protect against cardiovascular dis-
ease is growing. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and
pecans all contribute to an overall heart-healthy diet.39
Fats
Despite the popular emphasis on low-fat diets in
recent decades, fat is not an optional nutrient. Fats
are necessary for cellular structure, energy, fat-soluble
nutrient absorption, hormones, insulation, and organ
protection. Adopting a nonfat or low-fat diet inevi-
tably results in a deficiency of the essential fatty acids
that are vital for good health.
Healthy dietary fats, from nuts, seeds, vegetables,
and fish, contain key components for the formation
of eicosanoids, including prostaglandins, which par-
ticipate in the modulation of inflammatory processes.
Like many substances in our body, there are both
“good” and “bad” eicosanoids, and the balance of the
two depends on many factors, but one major factor is
the intake of dietary fats. In addition to weighing your
diet in favor of healthful fats, you can include such
adaptogen companions as ginger and turmeric to help
to balance eicosanoids and thereby reduce inflamma-
tion. Also keep in mind that many healthy fats and
unprocessed oils contain other substances that help
preserve the oil and reduce oxidation: pine seed oil
contains vitamin E, olive oil contains phenolic com-
pounds, and sea buckthorn oil contains carotenoids.
Olive oil’s phenolic compounds contribute to its
health-promoting and cardioprotective effects.40 The
carotenoids in sea buckthorn oil contribute greatly
to its health-promoting, antioxidant,41 cardioprotec-
tive,42 and anticancer43 effects.
At the molecular level, fats are carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen atoms that occur in chains of various
arrangements of length, order, and shape. All fats con-
tain both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids and are
categorized according to the ratio of each that they
contain. Polyunsaturated fats are comprised of the
highest proportion of unsaturated fats, while saturated
fats are at the opposite end of the spectrum; monoun-
saturated fats fall somewhere in between the two.
­302 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
Monounsaturated fats are generally liquid at
room temperature and are found most abundantly
in olives and olive oil. Research supports the gener-
ous use of good-quality monounsaturated fats in
the diet—in fact, many experts recommend a Medi-
terranean diet (rich in olives, olive oil, and other
monounsaturated fats) as an example of an ideal
health-supportive diet. Extra-virgin olive oil contains
much more than just monounsaturated fat; it is rich in
another fatty acid compound called sqaulene as well
as many other health-promoting anti-inflammatory
phenolic compounds.44 Extensive research looking
at diet and longevity has revealed that the Mediter-
ranean diets highest in olives, olive oil, fruits, and
vegetables, including the diets of Crete and Sardinia,
boost health and support the longest lives compared
to other diets and even compared to other Mediter-
ranean diets.45
Saturated fats occur abundantly in animal fats
and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. For
decades, saturated fats have been considered to be the
primary cause of atherosclerosis and heart disease, and
extensive campaigns have been waged against them.
Researchers are recognizing, however, that saturated
fats play a critical role in health; they are essential
for the creation of cell membranes, and they enhance
immune function, provide fat-soluble vitamins, and
supply cholesterol—another substance that was vili-
fied for decades but more recently has been recognized
as essential for health. Also, remember that saturated
fats can withstand high heat, while polyunsaturated
cooking oils, such as corn and soy, so widely used in
the fast-food industry, become rancid when exposed
to heat, light, and air—and rancid oil, like margarine,
is highly toxic. Rather than avoid saturated fats, we
should use them for high-heat cooking, and, like dairy,
they should be consumed in moderation, within a bal-
anced diet.
For decades, polyunsaturated fats were vigorously
promoted as the best fats to eat for cardiovascular
health, at the same time that saturated fats were labeled
as unhealthy and even dangerous. Common thinking
held that because polyunsaturated fats remain liquid
even when refrigerated, they would not contribute to
atherosclerosis. As it turns out, polyunsaturated fats
are highly unstable and oxidize readily when exposed
to heat, light, or oxygen. When ingested, these unsta-
ble molecules damage cells, initiating a chain reaction
that triggers not only atherosclerosis but cancer and
other degenerative diseases. Much of the reason for
this is not entirely the fats’ fault, but rather the way
these fats are manufactured and used. Their process-
ing and storage makes them very unstable, and the use
of them in cooking contributes to their damaged state
and the damaging effects they have.
Trans fats are a particularly health-damaging type
of fat found in partially hydrogenated oils, which are
made by adding extra hydrogen to polyunsaturated oils.
Manufacturers use these artificially created fats instead
of natural fats in many processed foods because they
extend shelf life. Trans fats have been shown to nega-
tively affect cardiovascular health by increasing levels
of LDL cholesterol, decreasing levels of HDL choles-
terol, and increasing triglycerides. Trans fats also trigger
inflammation throughout the body and are thought to
initiate the cellular damage that can lead to cancer.
In discussing fats in the diet, it’s important to
also consider omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty
acids, which the body cannot make and thus must
be obtained directly from the diet. Foods contain-
ing omega-3 essential fatty acids are especially ben-
eficial for health because together with a balance of
omega-6s they help control inflammation and as
a result provide protection against a wide variety
of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, arthritis, can-
cer, depression, heart disease, and hypertension.
Omega-3 fats have also been shown to boost immune
function. These beneficial fats are found primarily
in cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, trout,
and tuna, as well as in omega-3-enriched eggs. Flax
seeds and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids,
as alpha-linolenic acid, but not in a form that is as
readily available to the body as the form found in fish
(sardines and salmon).
Omega-6 fatty acids occur abundantly in the diet
and are found in eggs, grains, meats, poultry, and veg-
etable oils. Although both omega-3 and omega-6 fats
are necessary for health, problems arise when there
is an imbalance in the ratio between the two, which
commonly occurs in the modern diet. Ideally, we
should consume approximately two parts omega-6 to
one part omega-3 fats. But instead, the typical Ameri-

can diet consists of twenty parts omega-6 to one part
omega-3. This imbalance is thought to be the cause
of the rise in many of the inflammatory degenerative
diseases of modern life. But an even more significant
factor in the proliferation of these diseases is that the
source of omega-6s in the typical American diet comes
mostly from poor-quality food; when this is factored
in with the refined sugars and starches that dominate
our diet, the negative effects are compounded.
Oils rich in omega-3s and omega-6s are very
delicate, and therefore they need to be of the highest
quality and should be kept refrigerated and never used
for cooking. Sunflower oil and sesame oil are the only
oils other than olive and coconut oil and organic raw
butter that I use. Sunflower oil contains both omega-6
and omega-9 and is the best oil to use for baking when
you do not want to have the flavor of coconut or but-
ter. I use sesame oil for Asian food (miso salad dress-
ing and low-heat sautéing) with coconut oil. Olive oil
is what I mostly use for salad dressings and for low/
medium-heat cooking and sautéing; for high-temper-
ature cooking such as frying, coconut oil is best. For
baking I use either coconut or sunflower oil, or raw-
milk butter. As a matter of fact, 90 percent of the time
I use olive oil for salad dressing and cooking. I use olive
oil from olive trees that grow in hotter climates (Spain,
Greece, southern Italy), which is higher in omega-9s,
for cooking and summer usage, and olive oil from
olives grown in cooler climates (northern Italy, south-
ern France, central and northern California), which
still are rich in omega-9s but also contain omega-3s,
for salad dressing and winter use. The colder the cli-
mate, the more omega-3s and omega-6s you want to
get into your diet, and the hotter the climate the more
omega-9s and saturated fats you should consume. This
is why, as I said, flax seeds and pine seeds grow in the
north and coconut grows in the south. Nature has a
lot to teach us, and we would just listen to her more!
Healthy Fat Sources
The following are some of the healthiest fats to incor-
porate into your daily diet:
Avocados: A nutrient-dense food, avocados are rich
in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and
folic acid. They have the highest content of lutein
Eating for Optimal Health n 303
among all commonly eaten fruits, as well as other
carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, alpha-carotene, and
beta-carotene. A rich source of healthful monounsatu-
rated fats, avocados are also a good source of protein
and fiber, as well as beta-sitosterol, which helps lower
cholesterol. Over the past several years there has been
a steady stream of impressive research on the antican-
cer potential of avocados.46
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Brazil nuts (rich in sele-
nium), flax seeds, hazel nuts (which contain the can-
cer toxin taxol, a common chemotherapeutic drug),
pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (black
and white), sunflower seeds, and walnuts are excel-
lent sources of essential fatty acids. Buy them fresh
and keep them refrigerated to protect the fragile oils.
Nuts can be soaked or gently roasted to improve their
digestibility.
Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil supplies a variety
of cell-protective nutrients, including oleic acid and
squalene, and health-promoting phenolic compounds
(oleuropein, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol), which
together contribute to the oil’s wonderful health ben-
efits. Use olive oil in low-temperature cooking and on
salads.
Organic butter: With a healthy balance of omega-3
and omega-6 essential fatty acids, organic butter is a
beneficial addition to the diet when used in modera-
tion. Butter from pasture-raised animals also contains
conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which may help pro-
tect against cancer. Butter is also the richest dietary
source of butyric acid (3 to 4 percent), a short-chain
fatty acid that is proving to be highly beneficial.
Butyric acid has profound gut health–promoting and
cancer-inhibiting effects, and it may even have weight-
regulating capablilities as well. Parmesan cheese, a
favorite of mine, is also a rich source of butyric acid.
Organic coconut oil: Including coconut oil in the diet
has a variety of beneficial effects, including improving
blood lipid levels, enhancing immune function, and
alleviating inflammation. Coconut oil can be used
for both baking and sautéing foods. [AU101] Many
people believe that coconuts are generally not healthy.
However, raw coconut contains many naturally occur-
ring, health-promoting qualities. Coconuts are an
­304 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
amazing food. Did you ever think about how many
cultures use the coconut not only as a staple of their
diet, but also in soaps, creams, shampoos, and hair-oil
treatments?
Coconut oil is unusually rich in short- and
medium-chain fatty acids. Shorter chain length allows
fatty acids to be metabolized without use of the
carnitine transport system. Some of the important
compounds in coconut include lauric acid and caprilic
acid. Lauric acid, the major fatty acid from coconut
fat, has been recognized for its unique properties in
food use, which include antiviral, antibacterial, and
antiprotozoal functions. Caprilic acid is widely known
as an antifungal agent. Also, natural coconut fat in
the diet may lead to a normalization of body lipids,
including a cholesterol-lowering effect.47
Much of the confusion about coconut relates to
the saturated-fat issue. As I have stated on many occa-
sions, it is the refined oxidative polyunsaturated trans
fats that are the problem, not saturated fat. Coconut
oil is 92 percent saturated; it is liquid in the tropics but
hard as butter in northern climes. Vegetable oils are
more saturated in hot climates because the increased
saturation helps maintain stiffness in plant leaves.
Coconut oil is an excellent mild but great-tasting
oil for pastry use and for the occasional frying you
might do. The medium-chain triglycerides present
in coconut oil are a good source of readily available
energy; they are broken down into medium-chain
fatty acids, some of which are converted into ketones.
Nerve tissue, including the brain, relies on glucose
for energy. Nerve cells can also convert ketones into
energy. When food is restricted and adequate glucose
is unavailable, the body converts fat into ketones,
which supplies the brain with the energy it needs to
function properly.
Finally, coconut water is nature’s perfect electro-
lyte drink after a workout. And drinking fresh coco-
nut water, particularly from the young green coconut,
is an excellent way to prevent both dysentery and
dehydration if you are traveling in tropical countries.
Carbohydrates
The primary function of carbohydrates is to supply
energy to the body by providing fuel for muscles and,
equally important, energy for the brain and nervous
system. Carbohydrates are also necessary for the body
to use fat efficiently. Dietary carbohydrates that are
not immediately used for energy are stored in the
muscles and the liver as glycogen. When those storage
sites are full, excess carbohydrates are stored as fat in
adipose tissue.
Carbohydrates fall into two broad categories:
simple and complex. Their classification depends on
the chemical composition of the food (simple carbo-
hydrates contain one or two sugars, while complex
carbohydrates contain three or more) and on how fast
the sugar in the food is digested and absorbed into
the bloodstream. Simple carbohydrates are primarily
found in table sugar and other sweeteners (including
fructose, honey, and maple syrup) and in refined foods
such as white flour and white rice. Complex carbohy-
drates occur in whole foods such as beans, legumes,
starchy vegetables, and whole grains, as well as in
broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant,
carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers,
cabbage, artichokes, and asparagus. The differences
between complex and simple carbohydrates are many.
For example, brown rice is a wonderful whole food
filled with abundant vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber,
and many health-promoting phytonutrients, while
white rice is devoid of most of this and therefore not
only does not provide us with nutrition, but actually
causes stress on the metabolic system. Fruit contains
fructose, which is a simple sugar, but the vitamins and
minerals in fruit make it a healthy addition to the diet
when eaten in moderation.
Eating too many refined carbohydrates (i.e., foods
that have been processed by machinery that strips the
bran and germ from the whole grain), or even complex
carbohydrates that are not balanced with enough pro-
tein and fats, can lead to weight gain and a panoply of
health problems, including blood-sugar imbalances,
fatigue, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and
mental fogginess. Remember, not everyone is the
same, and energy expenditure also changes how many
carbohydrates each of us can and should eat. There
are many genetic factors that contribute to intolerance
and insulin resistance, which determines who should
be much more careful about avoiding refined carbohy-
drates, and this should start at an early age.
Eating refined carbohydrates over a period of

several decades puts tremendous stress on how we
create energy and build lean muscle mass. This causes
insulin resistance to slowly develop over time, altering
insulin signaling and sensitivity and creating dysfunc-
tional insulin binding proteins, the cellular receivers of
insulin.48 The response is for the body to keep pump-
ing insulin out until the job is done, and this leads to
insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, which is
an underlying cause of most, if not all, major chronic
diseases today. Refined carbohydrates, including white
breads, white rice, and simple sugars, have a high glyce-
mic load and are rapidly metabolized to simple sugars.
Many popular books such as the Sugar Busters and
The Zone series give a list of foods based on glycemic
index; both these sources recommend avoiding all
foods that have a high glycemic index. But the truth
is that glycemic index is not nearly as important as
glycemic load.
Glycemic load measures carbohydrate absorption
in relation to insulin demand—in other words, it mea-
sures how quickly a food’s carbohydrates are turned
into sugars by the body (glycemic index) in relation to
the amount of carbohydrates per serving of that food.
Some examples of foods with a high glycemic load
are white breads, white rice, and some of the refined
pastas. Some pastas are made with whole durum
semolina, which are the only kind I recommend, while
others are completely refined. (My favorite brand is
Bionaturae, which also makes the best organic canned
tomatoes, jams, and juices.) A meal of highly refined
carbohydrates causes an immediate rise in blood glu-
cose levels, which in turn triggers the pancreas to
release insulin to lower glucose to safe levels. Because
high blood glucose and, even more so, high “resistant”
insulin damages tissues and organs, the body has
evolved a finely tuned system for maintaining blood
glucose within fairly narrow parameters.
Insulin removes glucose from the bloodstream by
initiating the storage of excess calories as fat. This bril-
liant solution allows the body to squirrel away calories
in times of abundance to be drawn on in times of fam-
ine. But in modern life, with the continual availability
of food, stored calories are never needed and fat accu-
mulates. To add to the problem, high insulin levels
suppress the hormone glucagon (which stimulates the
burning of fat and sugar) and inhibit the hormones
Eating for Optimal Health n 305
that encourage muscle growth. The unfortunate result
is that eating too many carbohydrates not only stock-
piles fat, it inhibits the mechanisms by which the body
burns fat and builds muscle.
Eating the wrong kind of carbohydrates or too
many carbs generally triggers a vicious cycle of craving.
If blood glucose levels quickly rise, the pancreas floods
the bloodstream with insulin, dropping blood sugar
and prompting the desire for more carbohydrates.
People vary in their need for dietary carbohydrates,
with some people flourishing on a diet that contains
very little carbohydrates other than those contained
in vegetables, and others requiring up to half of their
caloric intake in the form of various carbohydrates. In
general, the more active you are, the more carbohy-
drates you need to provide fuel for your muscles.
Whatever percentage of your diet you consume as
carbohydrates, make your first choice those that occur
naturally in whole foods such as beans, legumes, starchy
vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, and
yams), and whole grains (including barley, brown rice,
oats, quinoa, and wild rice). If you eat processed grain
products such as breads and cereals, choose only those
that are made from whole grains. Whole, fresh fruits
are a concentrated source of carbohydrates and most
people can enjoy up to three servings daily. However,
to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, fruit should
be paired with protein and fat, such as an ounce of
cheese or a small handful of nuts.
The Mediterranean diet is a balanced diet that
includes complex carbohydrates. Many studies have
demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet offers sig-
nificant protection from heart disease and cancer
and substantially increases life span.49 Most cultures
around the world have at least one starch as a staple in
their diet, and this not only contributes to a healthy
and balanced diet, it has little negative impact on the
environment and is cost-effective as well.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but rich
in fiber, minerals, phytonutrients, and vitamins and
should be enjoyed in abundance. The wealth and
complexity of nutrients found in produce shields cells
from damaging free radicals, preventing the inflamma-
tion and cellular oxidation that initiates degenerative
­306 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health

diseases. Many familiar antioxidant nutrients such
as beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C occur
abundantly in fruits and vegetables. But fruits and
vegetables also contain many lesser-known phytonu-
trients that yield even more powerful health benefits.
For optimum health, eat preferably ten servings
of fruits and vegetables every day. Frozen fruits and
vegetables are acceptable substitutes for fresh produce
because they retain most of their nutritional value.
Be aware of which foods are local and in season when
choosing fruits and vegetables. There are many ben-
efits to eating locally grown, seasonal foods, not to
mention the fact that they tend to be much fresher
and taste far superior to foods that have traveled long
distances to get to the store.
Fruits to Emphasize
To obtain the widest variety of phytonutrients, eat a
variety of fruits and emphasize those with the dark-
est, richest colors (for example, choose purple or red
grapes over green). Because fruits are high in natural
sugars, limit consumption to no more than three serv-
ings daily.
Apples: There apparently is truth in the old saying
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples con-
tain more than a hundred phenolic compounds, with
antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effects that have been
found to inhibit chronic disease, including cancer-cell
proliferation50 and tumors.51 Apples are great foods for
the fall and winter. Try to eat the old heirloom variet-
ies rather than the common Delicious and MacIntosh
types. Apples and pears are both excellent for liver and
gallbladder health.
Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspber-
ries, and strawberries are all delicious healing super-
foods. Wild berries are even better than the cultivated
varieties. Dark purple berries like blueberries and
blackberries are rich sources of proanthocyanidins,
antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease,
and macular degeneration. Some lesser-known berries
such as black currants, elderberries, huckleberries, and
chokecherries contain even greater amounts of proan-
thocyanidins. Raspberries and strawberries contain a
unique anticancer compound called ellagic acid. Pome-
granates and walnuts are also rich sources of ellagic
acid. Freeze-dried strawberries have even been found
to inhibit lung cancer induced by cigarette smoking.52
Strawberries contain high levels of antioxidant com-
pounds and inhibit epigenetic damage and cancer-cell
transformation.53 Eat organic berries fresh in season, or
add frozen organic berries to smoothies. I add berries as
well as organic fruit anthocyanins, a berry concentrate,
to my daily smoothie every morning.
Citrus fruits: Grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, and
tangerines contain abundant carotenoids, flavonoids,
and terpenoids, which are potent activators of detoxi-
fying enzyme systems in the body. The peels of citrus
fruits are especially rich in monoterpenes, which are
proving to be potent anticancer and liver-protective
phytonutrients. D-limonene, a terpene found in citrus
rinds, has been shown to dissolve gallstones, lower
cholesterol, reduce mucus in the lungs, and relieve
nausea.54 An easy way to include citrus peel in your
diet is to add a small amount of finely grated organic
citrus peel to salads or teas.
Pomegranates: The richest source of the cancer-
suppressing and cardioprotective ellagic acid is the
juicy seeds of the pomegranate, which should be
consumed regularly in early winter when they are
in season. Recently, pomegranate55 and cranberry56
were both found to have cardioprotective effects even
against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Pomegranate
seeds are delicious sprinkled onto salads or added to
fruit salads. A great way to make fresh pomegranate
juice, which goes nicely with tangerine juice, is to roll
the ripe pomegranate back and forth as if it were a roll-
ing pin, until all the berries inside have been crushed,
then simply punch a hole in the fruit and squeeze out
the fresh juice. Pasteurized juices have lost most of
the fruit’s beneficial substances, so it is best to make
or buy fresh juices whenever possible. Juice should
be kept to a minimum, however, as the sugar is more
concentrated.
Red grapes: Dark red and purple grapes contain an
abundance of important health-promoting phyto-
chemicals, including anthocyanins, resveratrol, and
quercetin, which not only protect against free-radical
damage and inflammation but also help reduce plate-
let aggregation, thus helping to prevent blood clots

and strokes. Resveratrol also stimulates the production
of nitric acid, which helps keep arteries healthy and
flexible.
The More Vegetables the Better
When it comes to vegetables, the more you eat, the
better. As with fruits, choose bright or deeply col-
ored varieties over their paler counterparts (dark leaf
lettuces instead of iceberg, for example). Include an
abundance of both raw and cooked vegetables in your
daily diet. Raw vegetables supply healthful enzymes,
but cooking neutralizes some unhealthful compounds
(such as the goitrogens found in cruciferous vegetables,
which can inhibit thyroid function) and enhances the
bioavailability of other nutrients (such as carotenoids
in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes).
Bitter greens: Commonly served in many traditional
cultures on a daily basis to improve digestion, bitter
salad greens such as arugula (a cruciferous veggie, so
if you have hypothyroidism then limit the quantity),
escarole, radicchio, and watercress (also cruciferous)
trigger the secretion of digestive enzymes when the
bitter flavor comes into contact with taste buds.
Less commonly available but delicious wild spring
greens such as chickweed and dandelion can also be
added to salads, and young nettle greens are very tasty
when lightly sautéed. Dandelion and nettle greens are
revered among Western herbalists as a spring tonic
for the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system, and both
are used dried as a year-round tea to stimulate gentle
liver detoxification. Cultivated heartier greens such as
collards, kale, and mustard greens are delicious when
braised or sautéed and offer an alternative to raw sal-
ads of bitter greens.
Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, turnips, and
watercress—all members of the cabbage family—
contain a variety of sulfur-rich compounds, includ-
ing indoles and sulforanes, which have powerful
anticancer properties. These compounds activate
detoxification enzymes that neutralize carcinogens
before they can damage cells. Cruciferous vegetables
also contain glucosinolates, which are beneficial for
intestinal health. To neutralize the goitrogens, it’s
best to lightly cook them before eating.
Eating for Optimal Health n 307
Tomatoes: Although tomatoes are actually a fruit,
most people think of them as a vegetable. They’re
one of the richest sources of lycopene, a powerful
antioxidant that helps ward off cancer and prevent
cataracts and macular degeneration. Lycopene is a
member of the carotenoid family, with twice the anti-
oxidant potency of beta-carotene. Cooking tomatoes
helps make lycopene more bioavailable, and preparing
tomatoes with fat or oil makes lycopene more absorb-
able. The bottom line: tomato sauce prepared with
olive oil, garlic, and some fresh basil thrown in at the
end after cooking is a great way to eat tomatoes!
Yams and other orange vegetables: Dark orange
and yellow vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes,
winter squash, and yams are all concentrated sources
of alpha- and beta-carotene, two carotenoids that are
potent antioxidants and help protect cells from dam-
aging free radicals. In a recent analysis of the dietary
habits of 15,000 people, researchers from the Centers
for Disease Control found that people with the high-
est blood levels of alpha-carotene had a significantly
lower risk of disease or death.57 To aid in the bioavail-
ability and absorption of carotenoids, dark orange
and yellow vegetables should be cooked with a small
amount of olive oil or butter.
Carotenoids enhance overall health and are an
essential group of phytonutrients to consume daily.
They are particularly important for supporting lung
function58 and high serum levels of carotenoids have
been positively associated with lung function in the
elderly.59
The Importance of Fermented Food
The Bulgarians are noted for both their longevity
and their high consumption of fermented milk,
as yogurt and kefir. In Asian cultures, traditional
pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant,
cucumbers, onions, squash, and carrots remain popu-
lar today. Such probiotic foods increase our overall
nutrition, promoting the growth of friendly intestinal
bacteria, aiding digestion, and supporting immune
function, including an increase in B vitamins (even
vitamin B12), omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes,
lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals
that fight off harmful bacteria and even cancer cells.
­308 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
Sauerkraut is the most commonly known fermented
vegetable in this country, but note that the commercial
sauerkraut is pasteurized and “dead,” i.e., it lacks the
beneficial bacterial cultures that make it so good for us.
However, it is fairly easy to make yourself. Dr. Andrew
Weil, a great fan of this fermented food, notes:
To make sauerkraut you shred cabbage, add salt
and wait for it to ferment. The salt draws out the
cabbage juice, which contains sugar. The juice and
sugar ferment forming lactic acid, which creates
sauerkraut’s tangy flavor. But sauerkraut is one of
the saltiest foods available, containing much too
much sodium for people with high blood pressure
and heart disease. If you rinse and soak sauerkraut
in cold water before you eat it, you can lower the
sodium content considerably.60
I believe many aspects of Asian cuisine, which
includes fermented foods, promote an optimal state of
health and contribute to a reduction in chronic disease
and premature aging. Besides sea vegetables, a staple in
Asian cuisine, many of the traditional fermented Asian
foods have a huge body of clinical research supporting
their amazing health effects. One such food is miso, a
fermented soybean paste that has been used on a daily
basis as a flavoring in soups and solid foods in Japan and
other parts of Asia. Miso is radioprotective61 and has
been shown when consumed regularly to reduce the risk
of breast cancer in women by up to 54 percent.62 Miso is
also an antimutagenic food with potent cancer-inhibiting
effects.63 Having miso soup together with a small portion
of protein or with potassium-rich vegetables such as spin-
ach or wakame (seaweed) prevents the increase in blood
pressure [AU102]even in salt-sensitive persons, and it is
one of the best meals to reduce body fat.64
Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish
made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings. A pro-
biotic strain known as Bacillus pumilus found in this
fermented food is capable of degrading the endocrine
disruptor bisphenol A, a chemical found in plastic
packaging and the linings of aluminum cans.65 Nattō,
a Japanese food made from fermented soybean extract,
is a rich source of vitamin K2 and has been shown to
suppress calcium plaque buildup and reduce blood
pressure in cases of hypertension;66 it also helps build
healthy bones.67
The Spice of Life
A diet consisting of the basic food groups discussed
so far can be varied and enhanced by the addition of
herbs, edible flowers, and culinary spices. Chosen well,
these add flavor, texture, and pizzazz to any meal, as
well as a wealth of health-enhancing phytonutrients.
Added to salads or as a garnish for soups or other
dishes, edible flowers contribute color, flavor, and
nutrients to the diet. Edible flowers are rich sources
of carotenoids and flavonoids. Some of my favorites
include the blossoms of bergamot (bee balm), borage,
calendula, chives, coriander, lavender, mint, nastur-
tium, rosemary, sage, squash, and viola.
It’s hard to imagine cooking without culinary
herbs, which have been used traditionally as medici-
nal foods to enhance digestion. These indispensable
kitchen ingredients also have antioxidant and anti-
tumor activities. Allspice, basil, caraway, celery, cin-
namon, clove, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram,
nutmeg, orange peel, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage,
and turmeric all contain assorted phytochemicals
that enhance health in a variety of ways. For optimal
health, cultivate the habit of using a variety of herbs
and spices in your daily cooking.
Black pepper is a common spice with especially
unique properties; research shows that it supports other
nutrients in protecting the liver as well as prolonging
the life and increasing the bioavailability of antioxidants
in the body.68 Combining black pepper with turmeric
enhances the detoxifying effects of turmeric on liver
function and the cancer inhibition effects as well, even
at the stem-cell level.69 Black pepper has anti-inflamma-
tory, cancer-inhibiting, and tumor-suppressing abilities
as well.70 Energetically, black pepper is warming and in
tiny amounts can help improve digestion.
Enjoy Fresh, Local Food
in Season
As much as possible, plan your menus around fresh
foods, including seasonal produce and foods that are
local to your region. Not only do fresh, local foods in
season taste better, they’re better for you. Food that
has traveled a long distance or has been sitting on a
shelf or in cold storage has lost much of its vitality and
nutritional value, not to mention taste. As soon as a
 Eating for Optimal Health n 309

fruit or vegetable has been picked, its nutrient levels
begin to decrease. The nutritional value of protein
foods can diminish with processing; for example, the
protein in canned milk is missing vital amino acids.
Fruits and vegetables eaten when they are in season
conveniently provide the nutrients most needed during
that season. Strawberries and tomatoes, for example,
contain antioxidants that offer protection from exces-
sive sunlight during the summer, when they are har-
vested. Root vegetables, which are harvested in the
autumn and winter months, are rich in complex carbo-
hydrates that provide fuel to keep the body warm dur-
ing the cold winter months. In the spring, bitter greens
such as dandelion, mustard, and nettles, the first greens
of the new season, stimulate gentle detoxification after
a winter of heavier foods and sedentary living.
The following foods are especially beneficial for
health when eaten in the appropriate season:
Spring: Asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, dandelion
greens, kale, leeks, mustard greens, peas, rhubarb,
spinach
Summer: Berries, cherries, cucumbers, eggplant, figs,
green beans, peaches, melons, nectarines, onions,
radishes, sweet peppers, tomatoes
Autumn: Apples, cranberries, mushrooms, nuts,
olives, parsnips, pears, persimmons, plums,
pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkin, walnuts
Winter: Artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, citrus,
collards, kale, onions, sweet potatoes, winter
squash
Create Colorful Meals
for Health
Phytochemicals, the natural substances in fruits and
vegetables that give them their brilliant colors, also
contribute vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
that offer countless health benefits. Each color group
provides unique phytochemicals and antioxidants
that help prevent virtually every degenerative disease,
including arthritis, cancer, cataracts, heart disease, and
macular degeneration. Because no single color group
has everything we need for optimal health, it’s impor-
tant to include a variety of foods from each color
group every day.

Phytochemicals, Benefits, and Sources

Color Nutrients (vary
according to food)
Red Anthocyanins, lycopene
Yellow, orange Beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, Immune system, skin, vision
carotenoids, vitamin C
Brown, tan, white Allicin, copper, manganese,
polysaccharides, vitamin B,
vitamin C, vitamin E
Green Calcium, indoles, lutein,
magnesium
Blue, purple Anthocyanins, phenolics
Benefits (vary
according to food)
Memory, skin, urinary tract
(bladder, kidneys, and
prostate)
Immune system
Bones, teeth, liver, vision
Cardiovascular system,
memory, urinary tract, vision
Sources
Beets, cranberries, pink grapefruit,
raspberries, red onions,
strawberries, tomatoes,
watermelon
Carrots, corn, mandarins,
mangoes, oranges, papayas,
peaches, sweet potatoes, winter
squash, yams
Bananas, cauliflower, dates, garlic,
mushrooms, onions, parsnips,
pears, potatoes, turnips
Asparagus, avocado, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
collards, dandelion greens, kale,
mustard greens, romaine lettuce,
peas, spinach
Blackberries, blueberries,
eggplant, plums, purple cabbage,
purple grapes, radicchio
­310 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health

Consider Your
Ancestral Heritage
Taking your ancestral heritage into consideration can
help you create a diet that is optimally supportive for
your health and well-being. Although we all require
protein, carbohydrates, fats, and phytonutrients, the
specific foods that best support health can vary greatly.
Dietary patterns are unique to specific cultures
and have evolved over many centuries as a result of
climate, geography, and available sources of food. For
example, a diet rich in animal protein and fat is typi-
cal of populations originating in cold climates, while
those from tropical regions evolved on lighter diets
of fruits and fish. As another example, people whose
ancestors consumed dairy products probably do well
eating dairy, while those whose ancestors did not
eat dairy are likely to lack the enzymes necessary for
digesting the lactose in milk.*
In the early part of the twentieth century, a bril-
liant scientist and dentist by profession, Weston Price
(1870–1948), demonstrated the importance of eat-
ing whole food from the earth, as well as considering
ancestral heritage in making dietary choices. Price
traveled all over the world studying the diets and
health of indigenous peoples and recorded his remark-
able discoveries in his book Nutrition and Physical
Degeneration.71 Briefly, Price found that indigenous
people who followed their ancestral diets were robust
and healthy. He also found that as they introduced
modern, refined foods such as sugar and strayed from
their traditional diets, they quite quickly developed
degenerative diseases and dental problems.
Eat Less to Live Longer
Thousands of research studies have shown caloric
restriction to be effective in extending life and delay-
ing disease in many different species.72 Fasting or
starving oneself, however, is not the answer. While it
*It should be noted that our ancestors drank not homoge-
nized/pasteurized milk (a practice that dates only from 1947),
but rather raw milk with bioavailable enzymes. Furthermore,
what causes lactose intolerance is actually modern nonfat milk
and low-fat milk; without the fat, the protein and lactose are
more concentrated and therefore can be more intolerable.
seems likely that eating less may prevent disease and
lead to a longer life, it must be done properly. We must
be sure we are getting enough nutrients on a daily basis
to supply the body with what it needs for detoxifica-
tion, energy, maintenance, and repair.
Several mechanisms have been suggested for the
apparent life-extending effects of caloric restriction,
including altered glucose utilization, changes in gene
expression, decreased oxidative damage, diminished
apoptosis, enhanced stress responsiveness, and growth
retardation. There is some evidence that such energy
restriction exerts important metabolic effects on the
aging process and longevity through intra- and inter-
cellular signal transduction transmitters, with several
signaling pathways mediating its beneficial action.73
Many scientists believe that the benefits of caloric
restriction are the result of lower levels of insulin and
less oxidative stress from fewer calories. Hyperinsu-
linemia and insulin resistance are damaging to tissues
and organs and appear to accelerate aging.74 Further-
more, restricting energy, thus maintaining a mostly
lower metabolic rate, much like the tortoise, can exert
positive metabolic effects on the aging process and on
overall longevity. In other words, live at a slower pace;
don’t stress over little things or get too stimulated.
Embrace the Slow Foods
Movement
For many Americans, speed has become a way of life.
Doing as much as possible, as quickly as possible, has
resulted in a society whose values are based on con-
venience rather than quality. Nowhere is this more
evident than in the dietary choices and eating patterns
of our culture. Instead of sitting down to meals lov-
ingly prepared from whole foods as people in the Blue
Zones do, we eat from fast-food chains while driving
in our cars, or we microwave frozen meals to eat in
front of the television or computer. Interaction with
one another is also a hallmark of living longer. In Blue
Zones, people are very social, even more so in the later
years; and generally speaking, in the animal kingdom,
the more social the animal, the longer it lives.
Let’s return to the subject of tortoises and why
they live so long (250 to 350 years). I believe there
are four main reasons: (1) having a slow metabolism,

tortoises burn energy slowly and efficiently, producing
little waste; (2) their vegetarian diet is easy to digest
and takes less energy to digest; (3) they move slowly
and never seem to be in a hurry; (4) they don’t seem to
ever be stressed out about much—they don’t even react
too much to noise or vibration. Basically, they deal
with stress very methodically and don’t ever seem to get
worked up or hyperactive like so many other animals.
In reaction to our loss of connection to the plea-
sures of food and shared meals, the Slow Food move-
ment was born in the 1980s in Italy, in response to
the inroads the fast-food industry was making in that
country. The Slow Food movement advocates taking
the time to prepare and eat meals composed of health-
ful ingredients while enjoying the company of family
and friends.
Ask yourself: Is the food I am eating coming from
love, has it been prepared with love, and do I truly love
the food? If your answer is “yes,” give thanks to the
Creator, and partake, enjoy, and be well!
Beverages
In recent years there has been an explosion of “energy”
beverages and sports drinks hitting the market, none
of which are good for you. They are poor products
with big marketing and advertising budgets designed
to convince you that they are good for you and will
give you energy and improve recovery. They often
contain loads of sugar, caffeine, and artificial addi-
tives and only a few nutrients, most often electrolytes.
They may also contain aspartame derivatives, which
are neurotoxic. The best natural source of electrolytes
and the best hydrator is fresh coconut water (the water
found inside the young, green coconut). Although
many products that have hit the market have been
made from coconut water, they are not as good as the
fresh stuff. I often drink coconut water with my own
adaptogenic formula added to it. This is great for,
during, and after exercise and is especially helpful for
people undergoing chemotherapy; I have found this
combination to be invaluable for reducing the fatigue
and nausea from these kinds of treatments.
I don’t believe people should drink soft drinks
(regular or diet sodas) or commercial milk and/or
juices. Diet soda, which contains artificial sweeteners
Eating for Optimal Health n 311
that are neurotoxic,75 is as bad for you as the regular
sodas, which are loaded with sugar—up to twelve
teaspoons per twelve-ounce bottle, mostly in the form
of high-fructose corn sweetener. From 1977 to 2001,
Americans doubled their consumption of sweetened
beverages, and during that same time the obesity rate
skyrocketed; many correlate the increase in soft-drink
consumption to the increase in obesity.76 The con-
sumption of diet soda has also been associated with
making people more fat, not less so.77 Soft drinks also
displace calcium from the bones, lower bone density
of the skeleton, and contribute to weak bones and
osteoporosis.78
Why Diet Sodas Cause Obesity
The prolonged ingestion of artificial sweeteners may
cause the body to change metabolically and become
dysfunctional. Though artificial sweeteners don’t con-
tain any calories, their sweet taste signals the brain to
think it is getting sugar, which triggers something
called the cephalic phase insulin response. That is, the
sweet flavor causes the body to produce insulin in
anticipation of a rise in blood sugar, even though no
actual sugar has been ingested. This will cause insulin
levels to be artificially high. With no sugar to process,
the extra insulin will automatically revert to its sec-
ondary function, storage of fat and inhibition of mus-
cle growth, producing a cumulatively negative effect
on the metabolism over time. [AU103]
Artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas do not
generate the same signals or satisfaction responses
that fresh fruits or whole-food sweeteners (such as
stevia) do. The result is overeating and weight gain.
Artificial sweeteners increase your preference for
sugar, and drinking diet soda regularly may result in a
preference for high-calorie sugar-laden foods and
drinks. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits. In
addition, diet sodas, which contain zero or only min-
ute levels of nutrients, are frequently used in place
of healthy drinks and foods. By consuming them you
are replacing the nutrition you would gain from
healthy food, fruits, and fruit juices with something
that provides no nutrition at all. Finally, the artificial
sweeteners used in diet soft drinks are neurotoxic
chemicals.
­312 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
As far as juices go, unless they are made fresh
they should be limited to about four to six ounces
per day, and perhaps diluted with water. During the
ultra-pasteurization of juices, most of the beneficial
phenolic compounds are destroyed, and since these
juices contain more concentrated sugars I believe they
should be kept to a minimum. Fresh juice, on the other
hand, is loaded with all the beneficial compounds and
for some can really be helpful. I often have people
drink fresh-made watermelon, celery, and cucumber
juice to cool the body and flush the kidneys; or fresh
pear, apple, carrot, beet, and spinach juice, with a tiny
amount of lemon (with peel) and ginger, to cleanse
the liver and gallbladder. During the winter months I
like to drink a small (four-ounce) glass of fresh orange
juice; a combination of pomegranate and tangerine is
nice, too. Moderation should be a principle applied
to fresh juice consumption, unless there is a specific
medicinal reason for juicing more.
Water Recommendations
If you must buy water, only buy water in glass bottles
(e.g., Mountain Valley Spring Water, San Pellegrino,
and other pure, in-glass mineral waters). If possible,
purchase for the home and office a high-quality water
filtration system such as reverse osmosis. The need
for clean, clear, chemical-free water cannot be over-
emphasized, as most people are dehydrated, which
blocks the body’s ability to excrete toxins. Of course
we don’t want to hold on to toxins, therefore we must
flush them out with water. We all need to drink more
clean water.
If city water is treated with ozone to kill bacteria
and then run through a reverse-osmosis filtration
system with a charcoal-added filter, it would probably
be safe to drink—certainly much safer than chemi-
cally treated public water with detrimental-to-health
substances like chlorine and fluoride added. Eliminate
plastic—do not drink water from a plastic bottle,
regardless of whether it is spring or filtered water.
Use a stainless-steel bottle or glass instead. The plas-
tic leaches into the water and becomes an estrogen
mimetic, which will wreak havoc on the hormonal sys-
tem in the body. Estrogen also feeds fungal infections,
and many people, because of the antibiotics in our
food supply, have fungal infections. Fungi feed cancer
cells. Estrogen disruptors are all over the environment
and food supply and represent a serious danger to our
health. In addition, plastics contain phthalates, which
reduce spermatogenesis, creating infertility in men.
Try to avoid foods in plastic containers, too.
Good News about “Sin” Food
Moderate intake of coffee, tea (green and black), wine
(unless you have liver stress or cancer, then it should
be avoided), and dark raw chocolate sweetened with a
whole-food sweetener can be good for chronic disease
prevention, relieving stress, and promoting longevity.
A 2006 study found that regular cocoa consump-
tion was associated with a healthy blood pressure and
a 50 percent reduction in the risk of dying of a heart
attack, as well as a total reduction in all-cause mortal-
ity.79 Eating dark (bitter) chocolate was also found to
lower the risk of stroke as well as reduce mortality in
people who had had a stroke.80 The consumption of
chocolate, and specifically cocoa flavonols, can sig-
nificantly enhance the growth of select gut microflora,
promoting probiotic benefits.81 Researchers believe
the regulation of nitric oxide production by the flava-
nols found in dark chocolate could explain its effects
on insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. It is believed
that cocoa flavonols interact with the body to improve
insulin-mediated cell signaling and increase nitric
oxide bioavailability, which means better vasoperiph-
eral dilatation.82 [AU104] Cacao proanthocyanidins
have also been shown to inhibit breast, pancreatic,83
and lung cancers84 in vitro and in vivo.
Findings from a 2011 meta-analysis of fifty-nine
studies and forty independent cohorts found that
coffee consumption was associated with a reduction
in total cancer incidence.85 Coffee contains phyto-
chemicals that help regulate blood sugar and blood
pressure. Coffee drinkers are half as likely to get diabe-
tes compared to those don’t drink or drink very little
coffee.86 Recent studies suggest that drinking coffee
decreases the risk of premature death, especially in
women. Women who don’t drink coffee have a higher
risk of stroke compared to those who do.87 Another
recent study showed that people with chronic hepa-
titis C and advanced liver disease who drank three or
more cups of coffee a day cut their risk of the disease

progressively by 53 percent.88 [AU105] Although
caffeine might be considered the active ingredient
in coffee, coffee is only 2 percent caffeine and the
remaining 98 percent contains more than 1,000 dif-
ferent synergistic, health-promoting phytochemicals,
most importantly the phenolic chlorogenic acids.
There is much too much focus on the caffeine content
of coffee, and not enough on all the bioactive coffee
components, such as polyphenols, melanoidins, carbo-
hydrates, diterpenes, and so forth.89
There has been an explosion of research in recent
years on the health-promoting, disease-preventive, and
mortality-reducing benefits associated with drinking
coffee. One recent long-term study found that those
“who drank at least two or three cups a day were about
10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any rea-
son during the thirteen years of the study.”90
What is moderation when it comes to these “sin”
foods? It’s one five-ounce glass of wine per day for
women and two for men; two to three cups of coffee
a day; and one ounce of dark organic chcocolate
(at least 70 percent, and best if sweetened with raw,
unrefined sugar).
Good Nutrition
Alleviates Stress
Most people don’t realize that an unhealthful diet
is one of our most prevalent and powerful stressors.
Processed and refined foods cause blood glucose levels
to spike, which in turn triggers an excess of insulin to
be released in response. This burdens the body and
can be a cause of stress, such as being irritated during
episodes of low blood sugar, when because of the over-
secretion of insulin needed to drive the glucose down
you get hypoglycemic. When nutrition is optimal, our
ability to handle stress and sustain energy is far better.
Now the plot thickens, because chronic stress leads to
chronic inflammation. And a poor diet leads to stress,
chronic insulin and hormone imbalances, and chronic
inflammation. So while multiple factors contribute
to genetic damage and premature aging, perhaps the
most significant is the combination of stress and poor
eating.
Poor eating encompasses the consumption of
refined grains, sugars, and oils, as well as the synthetic
Eating for Optimal Health n 313
chemicals used to grow and preserve food. Although
most people are aware that poor eating habits contrib-
ute to disease, we also need to recognize that stress
causes energy mobilization that negatively affects car-
bohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.91 Although
diet and physical activity have traditionally been the
major approaches to preventing and treating obesity,
the body’s stress system and cortisol release are now
considered another major pathway.92 This is where
herbal adaptogens come into the picture.
The ETMS approach combines a dietary approach
(i.e., toolbox) with lifestyle modifications such as
exercise and meditation, along with botanical and
nutritional medicine. A recent study looked at the
relationship between four low-risk behaviors (never
smoked, healthy diet, adequate physical activity, and
moderate alcohol consumption) and mortality in a
representative sample of people in the United States
over an eleven-year period, from 1988 to 2006. Not
surprisingly, the number of low-risk behaviors was
inversely related to the risk for mortality.93 A second
study from 2012 found comparable results in that par-
ticipants who do not smoke, consume a healthy diet,
and engage in sufficient physical activity can substan-
tially reduce their risk for early death.94
Dietary redox-antioxidants found in vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, and, even more so, spices and
herbs assist in preventing oxidative damage and aid in
maintaining homeostasis, thus providing significant
protection from disease and aging. Alpha-lipoic acid,
carnosine, vitamin C, vitamin E, and other, even more
important micronutrients, including carotenoids,
polyphenols, and selenium, have been shown to be
important dietary antioxidants. But more than any
other known agents, adaptogenic herbs are the key
to long-term protection, cellular energy reserve, and
energy efficiency, and they can reduce inflammatory
and oxidative damage. Adaptogens, combined with
phenolic-rich herbs and spices such as turmeric and
ginger (adaptogen companions), possess a unique
free-radical-quenching ability and mitigate the
deleterious effects of oxidative stress.95 Therefore,
for optimal health, combine a balanced diet of whole
foods with an appropriate program of botanical
and nutritional supplements, and be sure to include
herbal adaptogens.
­314 n Adaptogens: Keys to Optimal Health
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