NUTRITION, VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Depending on body weight, 8 to 12 glasses of water a day is very important for internal health and is also the best source of skin moisturization. All water supply should be from a safe source. Never cook with plastic ware and water bottles should all have a number 1,2 or 5 rating (enclosed in a triangle at the bottom of the bottle). In general carbs and sweets should be largely eliminated from the diet (cola soft drinks also contain phosphates which may diminish bone density). Six or more servings of organic fruits and vegetables a day is recommended. The best source of protein includes a combination of poultry, safe fish, eggs, nuts and lentils (all organic). The only safe fish in my opinion is wild Alaskan Salmon. An occasional organic beef or pork meal may be ingested once a week. Many large food chains like Publix and Whole Foods Market feature a large selection of organic foods of high quality and a lower cost.
Most vitamins and supplements may be purchased from a safe domestic source such as Puritan's Pride based in Oakdale, N.Y.: www.puritan.com or 1-800-645-1030. Periodically Puritan Pride will run specials with 3 bottles for the price of one. Otherwise purchase vitamins and supplements at an organic food outlet (eg. “Native Sun” in Jacksonville or “Whole Foods” nationally). Only pharmaceutical grade fish oil should be consumed and the best sources include Barry Sears Omega Zone, Nordic or Kirkland’s supplied in 500 mg and 1000 mg. Drug store fish oils may contain heavy metals and other contaminants found in non organic fish. To avoid a “fishy” taste after ingestion store the fish oil capsules in a freezer and take just before meals. The frozen fish oil capsules will not release until they pass through the stomach into the duodenum. 2000 to 4000 mg a day is recommended but avoiding an end point resulting in diarrhea and/or a “fishy” odor to the skin.
Click the below site for the “Top 10 foods for 2010” and add organic Kefir to the list. Kefir is a probiotic containing 10 essential bacterial cultures important for both Gi and systemic health. Kefir is like a smoothie and comes in different flavors. 4 ounces with a half pint of organic strawberries or blueberries is a good addition to breakfast. Be sure to read and “digest” the below list of the top ten foods. Last but not least is vitamin D-3 and it will astound you at all the benefits this one vitamin will provide you and your family with. Your skin produces vitamin D-3 in the sun but unfortunately UV exposure accelerates aging, increases the incidence of skin cancers and is directly related to cataracts.
http://lifestyle.ca.msn.com/health-fitness/diet/ee-gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=23040351
Since 2010, Dr. Obi has added at least a dozen additional supplements. After arising at 3:30 a.m. he completes his morning routine with meditation and a vigorous work out. His first meal is at 7 a.m. and followed by small organic meals at 10, 12 and 2. His last meal in the evening is at 6:30 and consists primarily of organic vegetables. The vitamins and supplements are therefore divided into four separate sections. Fiber is provided by psyllium (metamucil™) twice a day as well as an Italian five grain wheat bread.
Vitamins and supplements:
Puritan's Pride B-150 - multivitamins with no minerals (avoid supplemental copper as most diets contain ample copper. Excess copper is not excreted by the body and may combine with trans fats leading to plaques in blood vessels).
Ester C - 1000 to 3000 mg per day - large amounts of ascorbic acid can cause kidney stones whereas the ester form will not acidify the urine.
Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) - minimum of 5000 units per day - very important in the prevention of breast cancer, heart disease, MS and many other diseases. D-3 blood testing is recommended.
Vitamin E - 1000 units per day for women. Not recommended in men since recent studies indicate that supplemental vitamin E may increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Calcium/Magnesium for women (dosage based on body weight and age)
*Recently my good friend Arthur Thornton informed me of a MIT study where Magnesium-L-Threonate (found in leafy vegetables, etc) was very important for brain power improving both short and long term memory and perhaps protecting against Alzheimers disease. 400 mg a day is recommended for most patients.
Zinc piconelate 25 mg per day Chelated Molydium 85/150
Tri-iodine (5 molecular, 5 sodium iodide, 2 1/2 potassium iodide
Natural selenium 100 mcg per day (vital to many enzyme systems in the body).
Coenzyme Q 10 400 mg+ per day - use the “quinol and not the quinone”. (Ubiquinol).
Turmeric 400 mg per day (active ingredient in curry - almost zero incidence of Alzheimers disease in India)
Pycnogenol 200 mg per day (A natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree, which grows exclusively along the coast of southwest France. The extract has four basic properties–it’s a powerful antioxidant, acts as a natural anti inflammatory, selectively binds to collagen and elastin, and finally, it aids in the production of endothelial nitric oxide which helps to dilate blood vessels.
Resveratrol 300 mg per day (contained in red wine - strong antioxidant and anticancer properties)
Flaxseed oil capsules 2000 mg per day
Fish oil capsules 2000-4000 mg per day- ingest frozen just before breakfast - back off of dosage if diarrhea or fishy skin odor develops
Acai juice or Mona Vie (Acai capsules by Puritan Pride is much less expensive)
DHEA 50 to 100 mg per day
Green tea extract, cinnamon capsules and garlic extract in appropriate doses
At the 2010 Susan Komen Breast Cancer symposia the importance of vitamins and minerals in preventing breast cancer was emphasized. Vitamins B-6, B-12, folic acid, D-3 as well as Zinc, Selenium, Molybdium and Iodine have been established as important nutrients in the prevention of breast cancer. This was backed up by many independent studies.
Protandim™ is a patented dietary supplement marketed by LifeVantage Corporation, a Utah-based company. Protandim’s, combination of ingredients, are claim to be the master regulator of longevity and featured on ABC News Primetime in 2009. Ingredients include milk thistle, turmeric, bacopa extract and Ashwagandha. The last two are botanicals with a long history of alleged nutritional benefits. I personally take all of the ingredients listed in Protandim but individually and in much higher doses.
SNACKS AND BEVERAGES: Snacks include fruits, veggies, dark chocolate, kefir, nuts and seeds. Beverages other than water may include a 2-3 ounce hard alcohol drink or one glass of wine (preferably red).
THE NEW SPECIALTY OF WELLNESS AND ANTI-AGING
For years there has been an interest in holistic medicine, which is largely out of the mainstream of western medicine. Unfortunately our medical schools do not emphasize the importance of nutrition, exercise and alternative approaches to our health care system. The majority of Americans, including health care providers, are obese and practice a reckless lifestyle. Physicians are geared towards treating patients only after a serious disease occurs and unfortunately their reactive treatments may be too little too late. Preventative medicine especially in the area of wellness and anti-aging is a better approach and should begin at birth and even before then with prospective parents.
POST SCRIPT
Dr. Lewis Obi has accumulated knowledge and wisdom as a Marine, Pharmacist, Physician, Plastic surgeon and a life long advocate of wellness. His specialty training began long before medical school and it continues today.
All of these recommendations including the long list of vitamins and supplements appears overwhelming. However, Dr. Obi recommends that we learn to crawl before we walk or run into adopting these recommendations. Simple changes in lifestyle should occur first, followed by gradual integration of this full regimen. Dr. Obi’s snack refrigerator behind his desk is totally replaced with vitamins and supplements and has become a way to continue a quest to be “FIT AT ANY AGE”.
Thanks for the lovely post you have provided.
ReplyDeleterecovery supplements meal replacements