It’s a difficult battle, here in America. We are continuously at odds against very challenging forces in the food industry and economic sectors of business and government. Furthermore, we are bombarded with misinformation, creating a culture of confusion. On the one hand, we must advocate for ourselves; on the other hand, we’re left in the dark or often misled for someone else’s gain. What to do? At The Sante Center for Natural Healing, we can help you sort through the information and understand what is based on sound rationale and science.
Below are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about our Nutritional Counseling services.
How do you charge for your services?
There is an initial evaluation fee, with lesser fees for follow-up visits.
Is your nutritional counseling based largely or solely on raw food practices?
No. While consuming a raw food diet is presented as an option, it is not a primary foundation for any treatment plans.
What is a raw food diet?
Raw Food eating is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. Such foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and more, prepared in a variety of tasteful methods.
Raw Food eating is not necessarily synonymous with vegetarianism, i.e. it does not necessarily exclude the ingestion of meat or animal products by definition. It also is not, by definition, synonymous with “uncooked food” – foods can routinely be heated up to 115 degrees F in preparation.
Raw food advocates believe this eating lifestyle has numerous health benefits, including:
Weight loss
Aid the body in the healing process of disease
Reduced risk of heart disease
Raw foods include beneficial bacteria and other micro-organisms that enhance digestion and the immune system by inhabiting the digestive tract with beneficial gut flora (“good bacteria”). Raw foods have higher nutrient values than foods which have been cooked. Heating food above 115 degrees F can destroy enzymes in foods that can assist in the digestion and absorption of food, as well as degrade the nutrients in foods, thus removing their healing and “life force” value.
Over-heating oils and fats can produce trans-fat: the greatest of all enemies in regards to the prevention of atherosclerosis and subsequent heart disease. Overheated fats and proteins (eg, grilling meats) are also potentially cancer-inducing. Over-cooking foods produces advanced glycation end products (AGEs) – which affect nearly every type of cell in the body and can contribute to age- and diabetes- related chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, asthma, arthritis, heart attacks, kidney disease, eye disease, gum disease, and nerve damage (in other words, these can cause real damage!).
Furthermore, processed and convenience food often contain excitotoxins (such as flavor enhancers) which can cause excitotoxicity, which occurs when nerve cells are damaged and killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters. Foods with added chemicals, preservatives, additives, coloring agents/dyes are discouraged for similar reasons.
Raw foods such as fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are high in antioxidants and can help to slow the aging process, among other benefits. Raw foods also contain fewer trans fats and saturated fat than the typical Western diet (a study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that consumption of a raw food diet lowered plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations), and are lower in sodium and high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and health-promoting plant chemicals called phytochemicals. These properties are associated with a lower risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Do I have to eat raw all the time?
Again, for those who are undergoing a comprehensive treatment plan, we will guide you every step during this period. Following the specific treatment course, or perhaps more generally as a healthier eating lifestyle, a partial raw food eating lifestyle can bring you many benefits. Once you start, you will notice a difference in the way you look and feel, which will make it easier for you to make even further progress.
What are the benefits of fasting?
Fasting is a comprehensive process designed to take the body from a state of imbalance to a state of balance. This process is different for everyone, based on many factors. During this process the body often experiences a healing crisis which mimics and intensifies the symptoms of illness and imbalance as it detoxifies.
We offer many supportive therapies to help you through fasting and detoxification:
Colon Hydrotherapy
IV Therapies
Natural Medicines
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food and drink for a period of time. A fast may be total or partial concerning that from which one fasts, and may be prolonged or intermittent as to the period of fasting. A complete fast in its traditional definition is abstinence of all food and liquids except for water.
The Benefits of Fasting include: 1. Detoxify the Body, 2. Lose Weight and 3. Live Longer
This process is different for everyone, based on many factors. During this process the body often experiences a healing crisis which mimics and intensifies the symptoms of illness and imbalance as it detoxifies.
What about getting enough protein?
Protein (in the form of amino acids, which when combined create protein) are present in every living thing, so the notion that one must eat meat to obtain enough protein is simply a misconception. Eating a wide variety of foods will lead to adequate protein intake. The food groups that contain the most concentrated sources of protein include green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and beans. Examples of such foods include spinach, broccoli, sprouted wild rice, oats, raisins, sunflower or sesame or pumpkin or flax seeds, sprouted soya beans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, sprouted quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, avocado, and many more.
The RDA suggests 35-60 grams of protein a day, depending on the source of recommendation and other factors (gender, athletic performance, etc.). Just 1 cup of many of the above foods can fulfill this recommendation.