Not all iron is created equally, and if you have an iron imbalance, you should carefully consider which iron is best for your health. Your body recognizes the difference between heme and nonheme iron sources and will absorb each type differently. These types are easy to identify in your daily diet. Heme iron comes from animals, and nonheme iron comes from plants. Here is everything else you need to know about the differences between heme and nonheme iron and how each can affect your health.
What Is Heme Iron?
Heme iron is the type of iron found in blood and meat. Present in animal foods like red meats, fish, and poultry, heme iron is a significant source of the absorbed iron in a typical western diet, though it only makes up about one-third of dietary iron.[1] Heme iron gets its name from the heme protein attached to a lone iron atom. The “heme” in the blood protein hemoglobin refers to this protein-bound form of iron.
Health Benefits of Heme Iron
On average, the human body absorbs about 15% to 35% of heme iron consumed.[2] While the exact mechanism of absorption is unclear, it is clear that the body absorbs heme iron more readily than nonheme iron.[1] However, it’s important to note that heme iron introduces the problems associated with consuming animal products.
Health Risks of Heme Iron
While iron is an essential mineral, the rapid absorption of heme iron is not always a good thing. Keeping the right iron balance is critical. Too little iron puts you at risk for developing iron deficiency anemia; too much can increase oxidative stress. While these concerns can exist with nonheme iron, there are additional health concerns linked directly to heme iron, including the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, several types of cancer, and gastrointestinal side effects.[3, 4,5]
Sources of Heme Iron
Heme iron only exists in animal products or animal-based iron supplements. These heme iron supplements are available as powders, tablets, capsules, and even drinks. Heme iron-rich foods include oysters, beef liver, and sardines.[6]
What Is Nonheme Iron?
Nonheme iron is iron found in plant foods like green leafy vegetables, beans, and nuts. Nonheme iron is not combined with a heme protein, and this difference is the reason for the body’s reduced ability to absorb nonheme iron. Slower absorption allows you to eat more iron-rich plants without worrying about iron toxicity.[7]
Health Benefits of Nonheme Iron
Nonheme iron is the iron found in plants, and plant foods are inherently healthier than animal foods. Additionally, because nonheme iron is absorbed at a rate of 2% to 20%, toxic iron overload is less likely. Maintaining adequate levels of iron is a delicate balance. Your body is significantly better at moderating the absorption of nonheme iron. Heme iron, on the other hand, can bypass the body’s attempts to control iron absorption. Since you have no way of eliminating excess iron from the body, this gives nonheme iron a significant advantage over heme iron.[1, 8]
Likewise, consuming plant-based foods provides an array of powerful nutrients, antioxidants, and phytochemicals to support your overall health, not just your iron status. Nonheme iron is also less likely to cause health concerns for your heart, unlike meat.
Disadvantages of Nonheme Iron
Bioavailability is the main difference between heme and nonheme iron.[2] Nonheme iron is absorbed at a lower rate than heme iron. However, in this case, its weakness is a strength in disguise. Nonheme iron poses a lower risk of causing iron toxicity, even when consumed in large amounts. Your body allows the iron to pass through the digestive system for elimination.[8]
Best Sources of Nonheme Iron
Plant-based food is the best source of nonheme iron. You can boost your iron intake by eating more iron-rich vegan foods like spinach, lentils, and pumpkin seeds. Also, taking with vitamin C can enhance the absorption of iron.[6] Some supplements contain only nonheme iron, but they are far less common than their heme supplement counterparts.
Global Healing Center offers the highest quality nonheme iron supplement available. Iron Fuzion™ provides 100% nonheme iron from curry tree leaves along with a proprietary blend of thyme and echinacea extracts to help your body absorb and use iron. Try it today for yourself and experience the benefits of plant-sourced iron.
The following article was written by my good friend, Dr. Richard DeAndrea, MD, ND. He’s the Medical Information Director at LifeSci Center and Medical Director at The Good Life. His work places him at the forefront of the exciting advances described.
Is it possible to get a breast augmentation without an implant? Is it possible to get a face-lift without a filler or Botox? Is it possible to get full lips? Is it possible to get a head of hair without a spray or surgery?
Yes, this is already happening, this is not a dream. Plastic surgery has gone organic. Over 250 breast augmentations have been performed in Japan without an artificial implant using the same person’s stem cells taken from fat after a slimming thigh liposuction.
The first face-lift free of filler or botox was performed on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, by Dr. Richard Ellenbogen in 2010. In 2015, Lady Gaga revealed her secret way to natural lips, with full exposure in Cosmopolitan Magazine. CBS Channel 2 News Los Angeles reported about Dr. Ken Williams of the Orange County Hair Restoration Institute. He’s able to transform baldness to a full head of hair, as already has been done hundreds of times at The Hair Transplant Clinic of Rome, Italy.
What Is the Secret?
The secret is in you, your stem cells—not from embryos or another person. In a process known as Autologous Stem Cell Therapy, stem cells that come from your fat and are given back to you. Stem cells are a discovery that is turning the eye of doctors and surgeons to an organic approach, one that works with nature.
What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are unique cells found all over the body that regrow and replace the skin, hair, and fat content that changes in our bodies from day-to-day. In fact, millions of cells die on our skin in one day, these cells must be replaced or we would simply degenerate and disappear into the ethers.
How Are Stem Cells Affecting Plastic Surgery?
Stem cells are replacing silicon and saline implants and can be combined with fat from the abdomen, thighs and buttocks after liposuction to fill the breast like a balloon, up to two cup sizes. Women have gone from an A cup to a C cup and retained this size even after dieting. The same cells can be injected under the skin and into muscles to cause a face-lift and regenerate fine lines without a single drug or resection of skin.
Stem cells can be injected into a petri dish with hair samples to cause more hair to grow that may be transplanted into the scalp by micro-needle injection, causing your own hair to regrow.
Stem cells can stimulate growth of other stem cells in the lips. Even stem cells from plants have been shown to catalyze or stimulate the growth of stem cells in the lips, potentially giving lips a younger, fuller appearance.
The plastic enhanced days of Joan Rivers and Michael Jackson are losing traction. Plastic surgery is going organic because a new era has dawned in which the power of nature is replacing the false perception of better living through chemistry. It is time to get real and look good doing it, for beauty is and always has been deep within every cell of our being.
Claudia, 34, opens up toMarc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, about her current inner conflict with food. There is the ideal she has about what to eat when it’s in her control, and how she would like her and her partner to eat, especially since they are trying to conceive. Then, there is the never-ending confrontation of environments that don’t include this way of ‘healthy’ eating. Marc relates to her with his own experience of raising his kid with the intention of instilling healthy eating habits, and also realizing everyone around us eats differently. Claudia begins to see how she can focus more on the positive with herself and with those around her, and learn to empower and trust, instead of being in a state of stress, control and force.
Below is a transcript of this podcast episode:
Marc: Welcome, everyone. I’m Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. And we are in the Psychology of Eating podcast, and I’m with Claudia today. Welcome, Claudia.
Claudia: Thank you. Hi.
Marc: Yeah, I’m glad you’re here. Let me just say a few quick words to viewers and listeners. If you are a returnee to this podcast, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for following us, for being part of our tribe. I really appreciate it. If you’re new to the podcast, here’s how it works. Claudia and I are meeting for the first time officially, and we’re going to spend about 45 minutes to an hour together and see if we can move things forward in a good way for what you want to work on, Ms. Claudia.
So if you could wave your magic wand and get whatever you wanted from our time together, what would that look like for you?
Claudia: So for me, while food is one of the major sources of pleasure and nourishment and all that, it’s also one of the major sources of stress and conflict in my life. So I guess what I’m looking for is some guidance and insight around this topic. And I can give you some concrete examples, but in general, that’s what it’s about.
Marc: Got it. Okay. So let’s get into the concrete. Tell me the problematic parts where food can be a sort of stress and such.
Claudia: Yeah. So on the one hand, there’s the practical side to it, so basically, resulting from trying to nourish myself and the ones close to me. My partner, in this case, trying to optimize nutrition and sustainability and money which often means time gets an issue because there’s lots of work, and we have to do a lot but as a practical side which kind of can create some major stress.
Then, on the other hand, there’s also the conflict and stress resulting from the difference, let’s say—or trying to accept and respect other people’s values and ideas and standards while still staying true to my own which can result in conflicts whenever there’s situations when either there is family gatherings or other sorts of gatherings.
Or now, concretely, we are in the process where we want to start a family, and I have some very concrete ideas of the importance about preconception and all that, also diet-wise, where usually I would not care too much about what now my partner eats. Here, I want to really have it in a certain way. And so there is a conflict because I feel affected as well by what he chooses to do. So there’s the issues. And so this can create some conflict from time to time.
Marc: Understood. Okay. So let me see if I’ve got this straight. The concrete ways that food can be a source of stress for you is, let’s say, in just social situations, family situations where everybody eats what they eat, and you have what you want to eat to feel good and to feel healthy about yourself.
Claudia: That’s okay. But the problem is when I go somewhere where food is determined for me.
Marc: Ah. Of course. Of course.
Claudia: So when I can choose, then it’s fine. It’s not really a problem. When I feel like other people impose their values and standards on me, then I have to kind of either be the weird person or just go with it. Sometimes for me that’s difficult especially if the meeting is maybe not so important to me or the people there. So it’s then more an internal conflict. I’m not going to start a big discussion when it’s more for myself. Yeah, that’s in this case.
Depending on people who are there, if it’s really close family then it can really get into external discussions and not just internal conflicts.
Marc: Got it. Got it. Got it. It’s when the rules of what we’re eating is kind of imposed on you and you don’t have a choice. That sort of becomes problematic. And then with your partner, talking about having kids, and you have your ideas about how to create a healthy child. It sounds like your partner has not the same rules and guidelines.
Claudia: Well, he follows me quite a lot I have to say, so it’s really I think for a man I can be really happy how far he follows me. But then, not to the extent that sometimes I would like it. And it’s not so much that I want him to just do what I want for pleasing me, but I would really want him to have the same sense of responsibility in a way and wanting to do it for himself and not just because of me. So there’s often a kind of a basic discussion. And he gets the idea. He’s just always like, “Okay, I need some time. It cannot all change so quickly.” Then for me, time is like, okay, it’s not like you have endless time in these kinds of situations. So that’s kind of where we turn in circles sometimes.
Marc: Got it. Are there any specifics that he moves too slow for you when it comes to food and diet and health? Can you even be more specific? Here’s the places where we really tend to get kind of caught up or we get in conflict.
Claudia: It’s basically been around sugar and alcohol. He really does his best. And so we try to kind of negotiate what’s good for me, what’s good for him, still manageable. And then he follows it, but sometimes then he might break the rules. And so then, yeah. In general, it’s around these topics.
Marc: Okay, so it tends to be around sugar and alcohol. In your ideal world, what would it look like for him?
Claudia: In my ideal world, right now in the few months or weeks where I said, “Okay,” ideally that it’s completely out. But then we negotiated, “Okay, we have two consumptions of alcohol per week, and we have once in awhile that there can be some kind of…” And I’m talking about processed sugar. You can have treats of all kinds which are natural sugars and stuff, so I’m not depriving myself completely. I love my sweet treats as well, but, for me, it’s also about quality. For him, he cares a lot when he is at home, but he doesn’t care so much when he’s like outside the house. Much more relaxed.
Marc: And are these changes things you want him to do while you’re trying to conceive a child or just like long term?
Claudia: It’s more important now. Ideally, of course, I would want him to take good care of himself always. It’s even more important for me right now where I feel this is a decisive moment, and it’s not going to be for all your life. And let’s just do an effort right now and do the best we can basically. And then afterwards, okay, you can decide again for yourself.
Marc: But I still want to get clear. Are you especially concerned? Like, I know, obviously, you want him to eat healthy for the rest of his life because you care about him. But I’m just saying for the sugar, alcohol, the immediate concern is that because you want to conceive a child, and you want him eating the healthiest food while you’re conceiving.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: Okay. Understood. Makes perfect sense. That’s very helpful. How long have you guys been together?
Claudia: Six years now with some ups and downs and one break in between, a major one. But it’s been a while.
Marc: Can I ask how old you are?
Claudia: 34.
Marc: And how old is he?
Claudia: 41.
Marc: Before you met him, was he into health, nutrition?
Claudia: A little bit but not so much. So he has come a long way since.
Marc: Mmhmm. How many kids do you want to have?
Claudia: Maybe two.
Marc: Mmhmm.
Claudia: Not more probably.
Marc: And it sounds to me, based on what you’re saying, that even though he’s not living up to exactly how you would want it, it sounds like he’s trying.
Claudia: Yes.
Marc: It sounds like he’s making efforts. Yeah.
Claudia: Yes.
Marc: And the challenge for you is, okay, you’re making efforts, but it needs to be a little better for me.
Claudia: The thing is it’s now, the whole topic, I think it’s not going to end when we conceive because then there’s going to be the thing with other people once you have the kids. I also have certain ideas how to raise then the children, food-wise. And how then, for example, the grandparents. For me, it’s more about really how to find the balance between respecting what others feel and also that they respect what I want.
And so, we will now solve eventually our conflict, but then there might be new ones because I still have the same kind of basic problem. Do you know what I mean?
Marc: Yes.
Claudia: It’s probably going to repeat in different ways and maybe the kids is now just one way that I project a general… Yeah.
Marc: Yeah. I understand. I really do because I’ve raised a child with, I would like to think, a relatively healthy lifestyle and healthy food. So I know what that’s like because I’ve been through it. So actually, let’s kind of dive in here. And I just want to give you some of my thoughts, start with some big-picture thoughts first. And we’ll slowly kind of get more specific.
I truly believe that the concern that you’re discussing here is super important, and it’s very universal, meaning so many people go through this. So many parents or parents to-be go through this, i.e., “Here’s me. Here’s how I eat. Here’s how I want my kids to eat, and here’s what the world does.” And there are more people out in the world eating not-so-healthy foods than there are eating healthy foods as far as I can tell. So the odds are against you.
Whatever party you go to, dinner you go to, event you go to, person’s house you go to, chances are they’re not going to be serving the kind of food that you approve of for you, your husband, or your family.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: So I get it. And I also get the challenge of it’s no fun. It’s not fun to have to constantly be the weird person. It’s no fun to be the one who sticks out and says, “Oh, no. I can’t eat this. I can’t eat that. Or my kid can’t eat this. My kid can’t eat that.” Especially, initially you also mentioned just for you personally being out and somehow the food is chosen for you. You don’t have a choice, and I don’t eat this. This is not what I do.
Claudia: Yeah. I can make compromises, right? So I’ve also been traveling and eating not ideally. And it’s not always an issue. But in general, I tend to then always I have some sort of inner fight. Of course, it’s priorities. Also sometimes for you the conviviality of people getting together is more important than your own criteria, but sometimes it’s not.
Marc: I think you’re describing it very well. Yeah. Sometimes for me personally, it’s a little more important for me to kind of join in what everybody’s doing in terms of eating. And I look at the food, and I think to myself, “Okay. I can manage this. Not my first choice. And in fact, I’m just going to eat a little bit. I’m not going to eat a lot.”
So it looks like I’m part of this and I’m not sticking out like a sore thumb. I’m not different from everybody because it’s important for me to fit in.
Other times, like you’re saying, sometimes it might be the food is so not what works for you and you don’t care that much about the people. Honestly, you might never see them again. So I think it’s a constant negotiation. So I think what you’re experiencing now in large part is what you will keep experiencing into the future. And there’s no way that I’m aware of to make this conflict disappear. However, there is a way to constantly work with it better and better, so it causes you less and less stress.
Even though the conflict is still there, even though there will be moments of stress, anxiety, frustration, I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish I could just go somewhere and have the food that I like and I don’t have to deal with this nonsense. So what I’m saying is I would prepare yourself that in a weird way this is for the rest of your life. And the sooner you can get comfortable with this kind of challenge and the sooner you can relax into it, the sooner you can relieve some of the extra stress that’s caused by stressing out about the situation.
So there’s the stress of the situation and there’s the extra stress that you even have to deal with it and the extra stress of, “Well, I wish this wasn’t happening. I wish this would go away. I wish there was something easy here.” So the reality is, if you’re following a healthy lifestyle, you’re always going to be dealing with this whenever you travel, whenever you’re at relatives, whenever you’re at friends, whenever you are with anyone who has a different lifestyle and it’s their house, their food, whatever it is. You will always be dealing with this.
So for me, I’ll tell you some of how I did it. I made up in my mind, first and foremost, that I’m totally okay with what I eat. I’m not going to apologize to anyone for what and how I eat. I’m not going to apologize to anyone for how I feed my child. No apologies. No explanations. I don’t even get into arguments about it. If somebody says, “Oh, I can’t believe you’re giving your kid that or I can’t believe you’re not letting your kid drink soda. You’re depriving your child.” So I usually don’t get into arguments because most people who start an argument like that, they’re in that argument to win. They’re not in it to be in a dialogue with you where they can educate themselves.
So I think it’s about learning to pick and choose your fights well, learning to use the least amount of energy to get what you want.
Claudia: And how would you deal with then a situation where it’s not just theoretical anymore, but where maybe you leave your kids with the grandparents and they do something against your will? Because I’ve observed that happening with my partner’s brother’s children, happening right now. And I even talk to the grandparents then like, “You’re not respecting the wish of the parents.”
And so I’m always saying with us it’s going to give you some trouble. This is like… Yeah. And also I don’t want to raise kids that have the idea that I’m controlling with food and that then grow up with a certain strange problems.
Marc: Sure. I understand.
Claudia: This is my boyfriend’s concern actually that because it’s so important for me that then this will somehow affect the children.
Marc: So when it comes to how you communicate to your child, eventually what I have found works best is to be very clear with children—and children will understand this even from a small age—that we have a certain way that we eat in the house. And we have slightly different rules when we eat outside the house. So everybody eats differently. This is how I explained it to my child, and this is what I recommend to parents. Everyone eats differently.
We eat the way we eat because it’s good for you, because it’s healthy, because this is what mommy and daddy understand about the world. And we want you to grow up to be big and strong and healthy and beautiful and all that sort of thing. So when we’re in the house, we eat a certain way. Now, sometimes when we’re outside the house, we might stretch those rules just because we want to be part of what other people do.
So then your child understands, oh, different sets of rules. Inside the house. Outside the house. That’s actually a simple concept. Children understand that. So from that place, you then look to negotiate the best that you can with the outside world. So with grandparents, “Hey, grandparents. Here’s the rule. I don’t want my kid eating sugar. I don’t want my kid eating this, that, and the other thing.” Then what I will do is I will give them food. I will give them the
snacks. I will bring it with me and say, “Please, can you choose from these things?”
So you’ve already done the work for them. You’ve given them the snacks. You’ve given them the goodies. You’ve asked them some simple rules. “Can you please respect this?” And they will either respect it, or they will break the rules. And then you have to decide even if they break the rules, which oftentimes people will do as soon as you’re away, is it going to kill your child? No. Is it going to irreparably harm them? I don’t think so. No.
It’s a negotiation with the world, and you do the best you can. And I really appreciate and honor that you’re trying to consider all the aspects of this, meaning you don’t want your kids growing up thinking, “Oh, Mommy’s so controlling. She’s crazy. Why do we have to live by all these crazy rules?” So that’s why you’re demonstrating to them, “Hey, we have two sets of rules. Here’s how we do it inside the house. Here’s how we do it outside the house.” And you make it like it’s no big deal. It’s just how it is. Here’s the rule. When the light is red, you stop. When the light is green, the car goes. No discussion. That’s just the rule. That’s how it works.
So you make sure to not give them more conversation than they need to have. You make it matter of fact. It’s like you put on your shoes and you tie them. That’s how we do it. You don’t have to explain to them, “Well, we tie our shoes because if you don’t tie your shoes you can trip and fall and then your head could bleed.” You don’t have to go there. No. You tie your shoes.
So you’re communicating to them that this is no big deal. This is just how we do it. Now, you have to develop a stronger, I think, tolerance for the fact that people will not always respect your wishes, even though you’ve stated them clear. Even though you’ve given them the snack foods that you want your kids to eat, especially when you leave them for a sleepover. So you do the best you can, because that’s what the world is. We do the best we can with everything.
And when you’re at home, you speak to your kids in a certain way. And then as soon as your kids are in school, somebody’s going to be yelling at them or screaming at them or bullying them. That’s not how you do it in the house, but that’s the world. So this is life. It’s not just around food. So you do the best you can at home, and when you do it that way, you child—I promise you—will grow up with a healthier understanding that, yeah, we are a little different. That’s okay. We’re different in a lot of ways. We come from a different country than you do. We eat in a different way. We watch different TV. Whatever it is, everybody’s different.
So your child will understand growing up when you have two sets of rules, when you do the best you can with it and when you’re also clear with them. And I always used to tell my kid this whenever he complained, “Well, these kids eat this and they get to do that at their house. Their mommy gives them ice cream every night from the supermarket. It’s not that health food stuff that you buy or that you make.” And I’d tell my kid, I said, “I totally understand.”
I never fight. I never make a big deal. “I totally understand. I’m the parent. I’m the adult. As long as you live in my house, we do it by my rules. Why? I’m bigger than you. I made this house appear. I pay for everything. I buy your clothes. I take you to school. I drive you around. That’s my job. So as long as I’m your parent and you’re living in my house and I take care of you, I’m going to take care of you the best way that I know how. And when you grow up and you’re a big boy or a big girl and you live on your own, you could do whatever you want.” Kids understand that because it’s true.
Claudia: It sounds so easy when you say it. Yeah, it makes sense.
Marc: So what I’m trying to tell you is that is the truth. That is the simple truth. Most often, when you communicate simple truths to a child—and you could start to tell them this at 2-years-old. They’re not going to understand it fully at two, but they’re going to keep hearing it. By the time they’re four and five especially, they understand these concepts. They really do. It makes sense to them. “Oh, when I’m big, I could do whatever I want. How do I know that? Because I see all the adults doing whatever they seem to want to do.”
So you’ve made a simple explanation and that’s it. And it’s not a big deal. You don’t make an issue of it. And whenever they complain, you’re very nonchalant about it. You remind them the same thing. You tell them the exact same thing. You might have to repeat that 150 times. It doesn’t matter. It’s the simple truth. I’m not asking you to say something that’s not true.
You’re the parent. You’re bringing them up. You’re raising them. My house. My rules. Why are these my rules? Because I love you. Because I care about you. I’m older than you. I’m smarter than you. I know more about these things. I know that that sugar tastes good that you had at your friend’s house. They have that every day. We have that once in awhile.
So the trick is if you give your kids occasionally—this is what I have found. So not every parent chooses to do this, but I’m telling you how I did it. I decided I didn’t want to make most things completely “you can never touch this; you can never have it,” in terms of a food. I’ll let them taste it. I’ll let them try it once. And I’ll let him have that experience, so he can feel like, “Oh, I’m like all the other kids. I’m not this weirdo. Bummer, I just can’t have those donuts every day. I wish I could.”
In a way, you’re teaching your kid how to delay gratification. Because kids want what they want when they want it. They don’t care about the future. When you tell your child, “No, I don’t want you eating this because when you grow up you’re going to be unhealthy,” they don’t hear that. That means nothing to them. All they know is “I want sugar now because it makes me feel good now.”
So humans want immediate gratification. Children want immediate gratification. You’re teaching them how to hold off immediate gratification. That’s a beautiful lesson. Will they fight you? Chances are they will. That’s okay. If they want to fight you, let them fight you. It’s not going to be a perfect relationship where your kids necessarily go, “Oh, thank you, Mommy. That’s so good. I’m so glad you care about my health. I love you so much. Thank you for giving me these rules.” They’re not going to say that necessarily. But that’s okay.
That’s totally okay. They can kick and scream and cry. That’s fine. It’s your rules because it’s not just about food. There’s going to be other rules that have nothing to do with food that you make the rule. They want something different. No, I’m sorry. I’m the parent. When you’re old enough and you live on your own and you’re taking care of yourself, do whatever you want. But for now. So I’m telling you that that’s a great philosophy. Worked for me. Works for the parents that I know practice it.
Let’s talk about your husband for a minute or your partner. So, honestly, it sounds to me like he’s very cooperative. It sounds to me like he’s very open and it sounds to me like he cares. And it sounds to me like he has his limits because he’s different from you. He’s different from me. So I think it’s best that you keep acknowledging him for what he does. Make sure you give him kudos, props, love, hugs, kisses for when he is following your wishes, for when he is making strides in the direction that you want to see him go instead of, “Well, that’s not far enough, honey. That’s not good enough, honey.”
And I’m not saying that you’re doing this, but I’m just saying just in case, you want to make sure you give him way more positive regard for the efforts he is making than negative regard for the progress he’s not making. Do you follow me? He’s going to be more apt to do what you want him to do as you acknowledge his successes and you acknowledge the places where he’s trying to meet you and doing his best. “Honey, I’ve been thinking about it. I so appreciate how much you have been willing to make shifts and make changes relative to how I feel about food and how I feel about having a kid. That’s so great.”
Claudia: Yeah, in general, that’s something I should be doing more, like focusing on the positive rather than the negative.
Marc: Tons of it. Tons of it, Claudia. And I really, really mean that. I really mean that because not only is that going to be good for him, it’s going to be good for you. And the reason why I think it’s going to be good for you is I think I get where you’re coming from. To me, where you’re coming from is you’re so aware. And you’ve done so much study and research, and you’ve observed your own body. And you’ve come to certain conclusions, and you’re doing this because you care.
You’re not doing this because you’re fanatic. You’re not doing this because there’s something crazy about you. You’re doing this because you care. You want to be a great mother, and you know how important health is for children. I’m with you. I am 100% with you. I was fanatic, fanatic about everything that went into my son’s body, his environment because I know how important it is. What went on his skin, what we wash our laundry with. Perfumes in the house. Chemicals in the house.
So I was a fanatic about that, so I understand. So I know you’re coming from a good place, and you have to remember that you can’t let this part of you stress you out too much. So one of the ways you not let it stress you out so much is you acknowledge when the good things are happening. Like with your partner, you constantly acknowledge the strides that he’s making. You focus on the good. You focus on the good. You focus on the good. You focus on the good, because you can’t push a person too much when it comes to food.
It’ll start to get in the way of the relationship.
Claudia: Yeah, that makes sense. That’s been happening. Yeah.
Marc: Yeah. So what I would suggest is experiment a little bit, just a little, where you make an inner change. And the inner change is this: you still want what you want. Get clear about what you want, what you want in the big picture. “I want to raise healthy children. While we’re conceiving, I want to have healthy habits and healthy lifestyle and healthy food, so we’re giving our child a healthy start.” That makes sense to me.
So if you focus on the good of that and how wonderful that is and in yourself you see that as this great thing as opposed to, ‘[Gasp] I’ve got to convince him of this. I’ve got to convince everybody of this.” Because right now, you’re stressing into it a little too much as opposed to relaxing into it.
Claudia: It’s also because then coming back to the first point which is the practical implications that since I’m the major one pulling the train, let’s say. I don’t know if I can say that, but taking the lead. I also take care a lot about making it happen on the practical side. So, okay, he also does a lot, really. But sometimes it just gets overwhelming, the amount of…
And so this makes me more irritable or easily irritable, and so then we, again, get into… And it’s always around food. He then also gets pissed with me because it’s always about food, and so there we are. Yeah. So I think, as you say, since the majority of the world is just doing it differently, it’s not making it easy for you if you want to do it differently. It’s not that at every corner you can get the food in the way that you would want it. So you have to invest a lot of your time and effort.
Marc: Yeah.
Claudia: On top of everything.
Marc: Yeah, so this is a place in relationship where you’re going to be working harder than him in a certain way. He’s working hard too. In fact, my guess is he’s working in a strange way as hard as you are but in a different direction. He’s trying to manage something that’s difficult for him. He’s going like, “Oh, my God, it’s the food again.” That’s hard for him. Granted, you just want him to be on the same page as you. I understand that.
But what I’m trying to tell you is that in his world—I’m not justifying his position. I’m just telling you in his world he’s working hard.
Claudia: Yeah. No, I know he is.
Marc: What I want to say is you need to be in greater alignment with him. I know that’s what you want. One of the things that you say to yourself in order for me and my partner to be in better alignment, “He needs to be more in alignment with me.” I understand.
Claudia: Just do it my way.
Marc: Yeah, yeah. That makes perfect sense to me. That makes perfect sense. And what I want to say to you is for the future health of your relationship, there will be places where you need to have less resistance. And you will need to loosen up a little more and trust. Just loosen up and trust. Trust that if he had alcohol twice that week, it’s going to be okay. It’s truly going to be okay. It’ll be okay.
The body metabolizes alcohol pretty quickly. He’s still young. I’m going to assume he’s kind of healthy. That’s the good news. And he’s a good person. I’m going to guess that he loves you. I’m going to guess that he’s going to love his kid. That’s very important. It is shocking, Claudia, the things that we feed our children, the things that I was fed on growing up, up until I was 18 years old. I don’t know how I’m still alive.
So the human body is phenomenal. The human body is absolutely phenomenal in terms of how it can grow and how it can recover from some of the worst offenses, from some of the worst food and drugs. I meet people who were drug addicts on the street for 30 years and like at death’s door for so long. And they’ve turned their health around. It’s amazing.
So all I’m saying to you is there’s a place where you have to trust a little more. That even though my kid might end up with the grandparents and they feed my kid the sugar and the three things I asked them not to feed my kid, the reality is until the next time they have a sleepover at grandparents they’re not going to have that again. And the reality is when they’re back in your house, they’re going to be eating healthy. And the body’s amazing, and the body will recover. And thank God they have wonderful grandparents that love them and want to be with them. And they’ll benefit that way.
So what I’m suggesting to you, and I know this is not ideal for you. I get it because I’m the same as you. So I’m in your court. If this was my child, I want my child eating exactly what I want my kid to eat, and I don’t want anybody feeding my kid different. That’s it. That’s my rule. And I know I’ve had to loosen that rule so many times, otherwise life becomes crazy. It becomes absolutely crazy, and it’s one of those places in life where for me personally I had to take a deep breath and let go and surrender a little bit.
And the reality is your kids will grow up and they’ll be healthy based on the fact that 95% of what they’re exposed to is healthy in terms of food and diet. And the other 5 or 10%, when they’re at school, when they’re here, when they’re there, you do your best. You do your best as a parent.
Claudia: That’s why it’s right now so important for me to at least at the time that I kind of have the control.
Marc: Mmhmm.
Claudia: So to speak control. Of course, there’s always factors you don’t control.
Marc: So I would say that there’s a place where I keep thinking for you that there’s a place where it’s just about you trusting more, trusting in this whole process. Trusting in the whole big picture of this, because you’re getting caught in the moment and the details.
And, yeah, I hear what you say when you say, “Now’s the time when I could potentially have more say in this, a little more control in this.” That’s true. And still, I want you to trust a little more and respect that you’ve requested certain things of your partner and he’s doing the best that he can. He’s doing the best that he can, and that’s a beautiful thing. And it’s more important at the end of the day to have the healthiest relationship that you can with your partner because that’s what’s going to create healthy children.
Yes, you want to feed them a healthy diet. But I would much rather their diet be 92% healthy, than have the relationship be 50% unhealthy because of food, because of that other 8%.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: Do you follow me?
Claudia: I don’t know why I tend to really emphasize so much the food aspect. It’s also like now when I traveled here, just looking at how my suitcase was made up. Food just takes such a big part of everything. It’s like, yeah, a priority that’s still also linked to my past where food was more an unhealthy issue for me. Now, as you were saying, it’s really out of care. But it wasn’t always like that. It still somehow takes up a lot of space in my life now.
Marc: Yes. So what I’m saying—that’s a good observation. And it’s fine for food to be important for you. I think that’s wise. I think that’s smart, and it’s just a matter of there’s a difference between food being extremely important to you and it stressing you out so much that all of a sudden the importance becomes a burden.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: So make it important. Food’s important to you. Healthy food is important to you. That’s a good thing. Healthy communication is important to you. I don’t know. Being warm when it’s cold is important to you. That’s fine. You could have things that are important to you, but then it’s learning how to gauge your degree of importance such that it doesn’t stress you out so the stress becomes more important than the importance.
Claudia: I see. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. And that’s why we sometimes turn into circles when it’s weekend time and we always need to make time for the food preparation for the next week and all that. So then sometimes you feel a little bit, or I feel a little bit, in a trip when it comes to that because, yes, it’s important. Okay, I could choose to make it less important and to do something else instead. But then in the week, the stress comes in another form.
But I guess that’s a process that most people that are into this, for whom this kind of lifestyle is important, that we need to find a way to make it work and to balance it all.
Marc: Yeah, and to understand that this is going to be one place where you cannot expect your husband to be as fanatic as you are. And when I say fanatic, I say that in an affectionate way. There are certain things I’m fanatic about. And certain things are going to be more important to him that he’s going to push for.
So all I’m saying is this is a part of your life together where you’re going to be the one driving the car. Get used to that. Don’t make that demand on him that he be like you, because if he was like you he would be a lot more stressed. You would probably both be really stressed out. It’s probably a good thing that he’s the way he is because he’s helping you loosen up a little.
Claudia: Definitely. Yeah. Definitely.
Marc: So in part, it’s trusting the relationship. It’s trusting the wisdom of the relationship. It’s understanding that there’s going to be certain things he focuses on. There’s going to be certain things when you have a kid that you might not want to do with the kid. If you have a boy and the boy wants to play football or soccer all the time and you don’t care about that and your husband’s into it, okay. Fine. So he’s going to take the kid to football practice.
Claudia: Yeah, I think sometimes for me what gives me frustration is when, as you were saying, I realized that since it’s more important to me that I have to invest more there. And sometimes this becomes the stressor because then I feel like, okay, now I have to spend so much time basically not doing other things. If I was by myself, it would cost me less time.
So in a way, I feel like I have to now work double because I’m in a relationship. And of course, that’s a trade-in. He does it in other areas. But then it’s not that this is the only area of importance in my life. I also want the professional side and so many, so that’s a little bit where I’m at that I feel there’s just not enough time to do it all and stay healthy and balance yourself without burning out and all that.
Marc: Yeah. So you have to find that balance. That’s your task in life is to find that balance because you know something? There might be times, days, weeks where you don’t have the energy to do a lot of cooking from scratch. And you might decide to buy things at the supermarket, or you might decide to create meals that you could do really quickly that might not be as good as the fresh soups that you make. But it’s good enough. So you’re not always going to be able to do it perfectly when it comes to food.
If you watch most animals in nature, they go through cycles. Animals don’t get a meal every time they want it. They go hungry. They look. They can go for sometimes days, weeks, without water, certain creatures. So we are designed to metabolize all different kinds of foods. We are designed to deal with all different kinds of stressors in our environment. And I’m going to tell you something I don’t usually say because it sounds like a difficult concept, and it sounds anti-health.
But in a strange way, when I was raising my son, I was very clear that I wanted to feed him the best food possible. But when we would go to a birthday party and I would let him eat a piece of junk birthday cake that had nothing real in it, do you know what I would do? I would tell him, “Okay, have this piece of cake. I know you really want it. Have the piece of cake. We’re going to start out with this much. And then I just want you to notice how you feel afterwards. That’s all.”
Claudia: Experiment. Yeah.
Marc: Yeah. But at the same time, what I wanted to say was in a strange way your kids have to develop their immune system to handle difficult toxins in the environment. So you have to expose your kids to the environment. Kids Get exposed to dirt, to the soil. You’re immunizing them because they’re learning how to navigate the world. Because even in the natural world, there are toxins and there are poisons and there are viruses and bacteria and organisms that are extremely harmful to the body. The only way the body learns how to deal with them is exposure. Exposure, build up immune system. Yes, eat the right diet, all the right conditions.
So whenever my kid was eating something not healthy for him, I look at it as this is immunizing your system. Your system has to learn how to deal with an intense amount of sugar for a little bit because it’s not natural. And you’re going to inevitably be doing this.
So there’s a little bit of strength building and immune building when you challenge the body. Because otherwise what happens is, believe it or not, if you raise a human too purely, as soon as you’ve sent him to school, they’re going to get sick. As soon as you put them in an environment where there’s a lot of stress and a lot of electromagnetic energy and a lot of nonsense, their system’s going to collapse. So they have to be equipped to deal with the world.
Claudia: That makes a lot of sense. I hadn’t considered it like that before, so I think that will help me a lot.
Marc: Yeah. And I was always saying to my son, “Okay, you ate that. How do you feel now?” “Oh, I feel great.” Two hours later, “I’ve got a headache.” Whatever it is. And I’ll try to make the connection. But it’s always in a gentle way. It’s always in an educational way. I never make the food bad or wrong. I always frame it as there are certain foods that are healthier for your body than others. When you make it bad and wrong, they want it. You immediately magnetize them towards it, and you start a fight. Because they’re like, “There’s nothing bad about that. It tastes so good. All the other kids eat it. That’s not bad. They advertise it on television. How could that be bad?”
So when you frame it as healthy and unhealthy, even though they don’t fully understand that concept, the concept is true. So when you’re delivering truth, your child will eventually hear it as they get older. They will eventually start to get it. In the meantime, you cannot fully explain certain things to a 2, 3, or 4-year-old; however, you could lay down simple rules and simple laws and give them very simple explanations. Two sets of rules. One inside the house; one outside the house.
It’s fine when we go to parties, when we go to Grandma’s house, whoever, we might change the rules a little bit. And then when we’re in the house, here’s how we do it. Big smile. No argument. There’s nothing else to say about it, really. And whatever their objections are you always come back to the same conversation. And this way it’s not just about food. It’s teaching your child how to be with the world because you know something? There’s going to be people that have different beliefs about the world than you have and that what you’ve taught your child.
You might teach your child certain things about life, about the universe, about how to deal with people. And they’re going to hear differing opinions. That’s what the world is. It’s not just food that they’re going to hear different things from different people. So, yeah, okay, that’s the religion that they follow. And in our house, we follow a different religion. We go to a different church. Whatever it is.
And we’re teaching our children how to understand differences. We’re teaching our children here’s how we do it. And when you get older, you will then have the opportunity to make different choices for yourself if you don’t like the choices I give you as your parent. I understand. As soon as you move out and you’re supporting yourself, you’re on your own. You could do your own rules.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: And in the meantime, you are loosening your rules a little bit because the world is going to constantly ask that of us. Your child needs good skills to navigate the world. If your child is going to navigate the world with “it has to be like this. I can only eat this,” it ain’t going to work. Not going to work. My mother said, “We don’t eat this. I’m sorry.” That’s not going to go over too well. It’s not going to get your kid the job he or she wants.
So we need to learn how to be a little stealth. Okay, I’m going to sit here and eat a little bit of this food. There are situations where I choose to stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t care what anybody things about what I’m eating. I don’t care if everybody’s eating the same thing and I eat something different. I don’t care. I literally don’t care. No, no. That’s not even true. I’m happy to be eating what I’m eating. I am happy to be taking care of myself. I’m also not judging anybody else. I’m letting them have their choice. I don’t need them to change.
So because I don’t need them to change, I don’t need me to change. I do what I do. You do what you do. So there’s no contention. There’s no fight.
Claudia: I guess I’m still in the judging phase because I can do this, but I would feel very tense while I’m doing it still because I wouldn’t feel at ease doing it. So I guess that there’s also still learning not to judge others so that then I can be more relaxed with what I’m doing as well.
Marc: Yeah. This is your lesson to learn. This is your lesson to learn. The more you can let go of judging other people the more you can relax. And the more you can learn to let other people judge you—if they want to judge you for what you eat. Certain people, I’ve been judged my whole life for what I eat. At some point, I stopped caring. I stopped caring because I thought to myself, “That’s so silly. You’re harming your body with what you’re eating. I’m eating healthy food and you’re judging me for eating health food? That’s so silly.”
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: I don’t even engage in that. I don’t even go there, it’s so silly.
Claudia: For me, that’s still a difficult one like to not care what other people think. In general, it’s a challenge, but I’m working on it.
Marc: That’s life. That’s life. It’s not just with food.
Claudia: Yeah, exactly.
Marc: Yeah.
Claudia: Now with everything.
Marc: Yeah. So, Claudia, I think we’ve covered some good pieces for you today.
Claudia: Yeah, I think so.
Marc: Yeah.
Claudia: Thank you.
Marc: You look a little more relaxed about this whole topic.
Claudia: Yeah. Yeah, you’ve given me some things to think about. So thank you very much. Already now, I’m more relaxed, so I hope I will maintain that.
Marc: Yeah. And you won’t necessarily maintain it, but you could always come back to it. So you could always come back to it. It’s not going to be perfect, so expect that you will get your buttons pushed. You will be activated. You might get stressed. That’s okay. Always want you to think to yourself, “I’m coming from a place of love and care. That’s why I get stressed. And I’m learning how to relax more.” And as you relax more around this, you’re teaching your children to relax more around this. Because when they’re able to relax around the world, around food, around negotiating, the world is a lot to navigate, not just for me and you but for our little kids.
So when we are showing them that we are navigating these things with grace, with ease, and we’re relaxing into it and you’re not freaking out about Grandma’s going to eat this or that’s going to be at the party and we’re just presenting it in very relaxed, simple, understandable ways, it’s easier. And then they start to see, “Oh, this is not a big deal. This is just how I do it.” That message gradually lands in their system. It doesn’t mean your kids are not going to fight you and complain. It doesn’t matter. They’re going to fight and complain about all kinds of things including food.
Claudia: Yeah.
Marc: I’m so glad for you that you’re so committed to being a good mother and committed to raising healthy children, and that’s a beautiful thing and enjoy it. And raise them not just with healthy food but a healthy attitude towards food and a healthy attitude towards the world so that they’re not completely isolated from it, that they can still participate in it while having the rules that they have in the house.
Claudia: Okay. Let’s see how this turns out.
Marc: Yes, absolutely.
Claudia: Thank you very much.
Marc: Thank you as well, Claudia. I’m so glad we had this conversation. And I’m so glad for you out there for tuning in and being part of the Psychology of Eating podcast. Always lots more to come, my friends. You take care.
I hope this was helpful. Thanks for listening to the Psychology of Eating podcast. To learn more about the breakthrough body of work we teach here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, please sign up for our free video series at IPE.tips. That’s I for Institute, P for Psychology, E for Eating.tips. T-i-p-s. You’ll learn about the cutting-edge principles of dynamic eating psychology and mind/body nutrition that have helped millions of people forever transform their relationship with food, body, and health.
New Insights to Forever Transform Your Relationship with Food
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While fasting has been part of human culture for thousands of years, only recently have we begun to investigate the therapeutic benefits of the practice. Interestingly, modern science has found a variety of verifiable positive effects fasting has on human health.
What Is Water Fasting?
Water fasting, also known as a water cleanse, is a type of fasting in which you consume only water for a set period of time. Many types of cleansing diets are referred to as fasts, but in water fasting, you take in zero calories. It’s distinct from caloric restriction in which a person’s daily caloric intake is reduced by 20–40%.
Of course, in the long-term, it’s impossible to live on water alone. Your body can’t function without calories and nutrients; they’re the batteries and building blocks of life. However, a carefully planned, short-term water fast can help reset certain biological processes and reinvigorate your health.
The most common question people ask about water fasting is “why?” Why would you voluntarily subject yourself to hunger and nutritional deprivation? There are many reasons to fast. Some people do it for religious or spiritual reasons; others to raise awareness for a cause. However, there are also well-established health benefits to fasting. Intermittent fasting encourages weight loss, reduces body fat, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and may even reduce the risk of serious conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.[1, 2]
In the early days of humanity, fasting was the norm. Before the invention of agriculture, we were all hunter-gatherers. We ate what we could, when we could. Grabbing a snack from the fridge whenever our stomachs rumbled was not an option. Survival required that we adapt to occasional food shortages.[3]
Our ancestors incorporated fasting into cultural traditions long after the invention of agriculture ended our hunter-gatherer days. Many religions participate in ritual fasting to this day. Those of Islamic faith fast from dawn until dusk during the month of Ramadan. Many Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and peoples of many other faiths all take part in traditional fasting. Many great healers and thinkers, like Hippocrates, Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle have praised the benefits of fasting.
The Health Benefits of Water Fasting
Fasting isn’t just for times of need or a way to demonstrate faith and devotion. There are some legitimate health benefits to fasting as well.
Weight Loss
The fasting benefit that interests most people is weight loss. While it may seem obvious that not eating will lead to less body fat, let’s take a closer look at exactly how water fasting can help. Ketosis is the state in which your body begins taking energy from your internal fat stores instead of food. Water fasting helps your body reach ketosis more quickly than dieting. When you refrain from eating calories, your body is forced to burn fat cells for energy.[4]
Slows Aging
While we know of no force on earth that can halt or reverse the aging process, it is certainly true that some people age more gracefully than others. Animal studies have found that intermittent fasting can extend lifespan by up to 80% over control groups. In humans, fasting has been found to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation.[4]
Improved Cell Recycling
Autophagy is your body’s normal, natural process for recycling unnecessary or dysfunctional components. Water fasting forces your system into an autophagic state. With the severely reduced caloric intake, your body is forced to be more selective in which cells it protects.[5]
This means that fasting can encourage your body’s natural healing mechanisms to actively destroy and recycle damaged tissues, which may have a positive effect on several serious conditions.
There is bountiful anecdotal evidence from people who claim that water fasting helped them overcome debilitating disorders. Current research backs up many of these claims. Animal studies have found that alternate day fasting caused a major reduction in the incidence of cancer and metabolic syndrome. Rodents placed on an intermittent fast had fewer incidences of neurological disorders including Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.[4]
Water, Cells, and Human Health: New Breakthroughs
Of course, your body needs water for hydration, but is there more to it than that? Yes there is, according to Dr. Gerald H. Pollack, the Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Pollack and his team have made some new discoveries that challenge our current understanding of water. They found that water behaves oddly within living cells. Close to the cell membrane, water organizes itself in a series of gel-like layers, rather than as a completely fluid solution.
Dr. Pollack calls this “exclusion zone” (EZ) water, and it’s not the H2O we’re familiar with. EZ water is actually H3O2—three hydrogen atoms bonded to two oxygen atoms. So what does this mean for water fasting? Well, the reason this is called the exclusion zone is because it excludes things—things like contaminants and impurities. EZ water holds a negative charge and pushes contaminants away from itself. This discovery may have serious implications for cell signaling and detoxification, but more research needs to be done before we fully understand the connection.[6]
How to Perform a Water Fast
When fasting, planning is crucial; don’t skimp on it. If you’ve never done a fast before, you shouldn’t just start a 30-day water cleanse this afternoon. There is a right way to do any cleansing diet. Fasting is not usually dangerous, but it can do more harm than good if done incorrectly. I recommend consulting with a trusted health care provider before performing any fast.
Drink High-Quality Water
When performing a water fast, it’s more important than ever to only consume fresh, clean, high-quality water. The effect of any contaminants in your water will only be magnified with no food in your gut to help dilute the effect. I recommend you drink only distilled water during your fast. You can also drink filtered water if you have a very good filtration system, but distillation goes further than filtration and removes all harmful organisms and chemicals.
The most crucial step in any fast is to arrange your schedule. If possible, take time off work for the duration of the cleanse. Choose a length of time for your water fasting diet. Fasts can be done for any length of time up to about a month, but 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-day water fasts are the most common. Start small. If this is your first fast, try a 24-hour or a 3-day fast.
If you perform any fast longer than five days, or you’re fasting to alleviate serious conditions, consider a supervised water fast. Many people choose a supervised fast because it offers a controlled environment, a team of professionals to make sure all goes well, and fellow fasters for emotional support. A fasting clinic can do tests to find the best fast for you, monitor your health during the fast, and help ease your transition back to solid foods after the fast.
Before we get started, let’s go over a few precautions. You should not perform a fast if you are pregnant or lactating. A developing child is just too sensitive to nutritional deficiencies. Likewise, anyone with type 1 diabetes should choose a different type of detox diet. Fasting works best for people who are 20 lbs or more overweight. If you’re less than this, you can still try fasting, but plan a shorter duration for your first fast.
What to Expect During a Water Fast
Fasting is a time for rest, not exertion. Don’t plan on running any marathons during your fast. You shouldn’t even go to the gym. Your body will want to sleep more than usual—let it. Listen to your body; you may need 12 hours or more of sleep each night, and naps during the day. Do not be alarmed; this is part of the process. Relax and embrace it.
Drink 2-3 quarts (or liters) of water every day. Don’t drink it all at once. Space it out over the course of the day to keep yourself properly hydrated and increase satiety.
I won’t lie; the first couple days are going to be tough. You will likely experience some unpleasant symptoms like hunger, irritability, headaches, or disorientation. Fortunately, your body is resilient and should quickly adapt. You should start feeling better around the third or fourth day. Many people even report a feeling of euphoria at this point.
Water Fasting Tips and Tricks
Here are a couple fasting tips that can make your experience go a little more smoothly.
Read
Books are a faster’s best friend. When fasting, it’s important to both rest your body and keep your mind occupied. Now would be a good time to catch up on your reading. Reading is a fantastic low-energy way to keep your mind engaged.
Set Realistic Goals
Be realistic about your goals. Why are you doing this cleanse? To help a particular health issue? To lose weight? Set simple, clear, achievable goals.
Meditation
Meditation reinforces willpower and promotes a healthy connection between body and mind. Many people find that meditating can be a great way to help control cravings and strengthen resolve. Others report that feelings of hunger distract them from mediation. Find what works best for you.
Lemon Juice
Remember, in a water cleanse, you drink only water. No food, no smoothies, no juices. There is one exception, sort of. Some people find the taste of plain water underwhelming. If you’re of a similar mind, you can add a small squirt of lemon juice into your water. Let me be clear; this isn’t an excuse to drink sugary lemonade. A small squeeze of a lemon slice can add some flavor without adding much in the way of calories. Likewise, you can add a spoonful of raw organic apple cider vinegar to add a little flavor and some probiotics.
After the Fast
After the fast, you must resist the urge to overindulge, especially in the first few days. While you may dream of gorging yourself at the taco truck, your rebooted digestive system simply cannot handle it yet. At this point, rich food would cause you severe discomfort, or possibly serious complications.
Instead, break your fast slowly. Start by drinking only juices and detox waters, then broths, and gradually add in solid foods. You can do this over the course of a day if you performed a very short fast, but for fasts of 3-7 days, wait at least 24 hours before reintroducing your system to solid foods. Breaking the fast can be a multi-day process for fasts longer than that.
Fasting is a great way to reset your system and experience some fantastic health benefits, but it’s not a way to cheat basic biology. Don’t expect to live a life of overindulgence and let the occasional water detox cancel out the damage.
Rather, fasting is just one part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Other lifestyle choices you must make include eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest, effectively managing stress, and avoiding environmental toxins. Use your fast as an opportunity to abandon bad habits and add new healthy habits to your routine.
Finally, if you decide that fasting isn’t for you, that’s fine. There are many different ways to detox. Find a method of deep cleansing that suits you and make it part of your healthy lifestyle.
In the last few years, more and more people who struggle with binge eating have begun to speak publicly about their challenges. This is a great thing, because it’s helped many people to overcome the feelings of shame and isolation that so often accompany bingeing. The movement toward more openness and honesty has also had an interesting side effect: it’s prompted the medical community to talk about binge eating disorder as a diagnosable condition, which then opened the door for drug companies to create prescription drugs intended to medicate binge eating away. But as Marc David suggests in this thought-provoking new video from IPE, the solutions offered by the pharmaceutical industry may not be so good for us – and they might even take us farther away from our path of true healing. If you’ve ever dealt with binge eating or you simply want to learn more, please tune in – you’ll come away with some practical information about what binge eating is, in addition to some helpful ideas for working with this eating challenge in a surprising new way.
In the comments below, please let us know your thoughts. We love hearing from you and we read and respond to every comment!
Here is a transcript of this week’s video:
Greetings, friends. I’m Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Let’s talk about why the big drug companies are excited about binge eating.
First, let me give you some background.
Binge eating is becoming more and more of a problem these days.
It’s coming into focus. It’s considered one of the common eating disorders in the United States, affecting approximately 3.5% of women, 2% of men, 1.6% of adolescents. Quite frankly, I think it might be a little higher.
Now, binge eating is characterized according to the medical profession, psychology profession, psychiatric profession, it’s characterized that in a discrete period of time, i.e. in any two-hour period, you’re eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances. That’s how it’s being defined.
More to the point, they’re defining it as a sense of lack of control over eating during that episode, feeling like you can’t stop, feeling like something is taking over. Okay, we can all relate to that. So it is characterized by eating much more rapidly than normal, eating until feeling uncomfortably full, eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry, eating alone because of feeling embarrassed, feeling disgusted with yourself, and depressed and guilty afterwards.
Now, according to the same definition, the binge eating occurs on average at least once a week for three months. So you’re a binge eater. You have binge eating disorder. United States FDA, the FDA, recently approved lisdexamfetamine dimesylate – that’s a drug – to treat moderate to severe binge eating disorder in adults. This is a first-of-its-kind prescription drug specifically indicated for binge eating disorder.
Now, if you’re a drug company, you love this because if you’re a drug company, you want to make a lot of money.
And you don’t necessarily want people to heal because if the drug actually healed you, you’d only need it once. And it’s done. You’re not hooked. There’s no income source.
Now, here’s the thing. What I’m trying to say is once the medical profession classifies something as a disease or a disorder, the big money comes into play. And you’ve got to follow the money if you want to understand how this world works.
Now, here we have a drug that’s here to help people. But check it out. It’s got a long list of side effects that are going to end up pushing us even deeper into the medical model. So if you have binge eating disorder, here’s what I want to tell you: you do not have a deficiency in lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. That’s not what your binge eating disorder is.
What binge eating really is, it’s a behavior that is a divine symptom. It’s pointing to something deeper. It’s pointing to something more compelling that has important lessons to teach us. And when you learn those lessons, the binge eating can go on its way. You can graduate.
So binge eating always has a reason. Sometimes it’s nutritional. Sometimes it’s emotional. Sometimes it’s a swirl of both. Sometimes you can even say it’s even on a deeper spiritual level, on an emotional level. It doesn’t matter. It’s got a cause that we need to look at.
So instead of calling it a disorder… Because that pathologizes us. It limits us when we call it a disorder. And it keeps us trapped in the powerful subtleties of language that can disempower us. And that’s how they’re controlling your mind.
So let’s call binge eating a beautiful challenge or concern. Yeah, it’s a challenge, for sure. So your binge eating is a brilliant, wise teacher. It’s pointing to places in your life that need attention, where we need to learn. Maybe it’s a relationship, a work issue, deeper concerns around, “Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my life for? How come I can’t be happy?” These are questions that go to the root of who we are.
But when we listen to those symptoms and we go into the questions that they’re pointing us to, then we can find our power. Then we can find our destiny.
So rather than medicalize your challenge, we rise to the occasion and meet it. We listen to it.
We see where it’s pointing to. Unwanted behaviors, such as binge eating, they’re like angels that are giving us a message. They’re whispering something important in your ear. Don’t medicate it away.
Because it’s not going to work, anyway. It’s going to get you hooked. It’s going to keep you locked into a system that doesn’t really provide true healing.
Again, once you hear the crucial messages that binge eating is here to teach us, then we can start to take those messages, take those lessons, and use it to fuel our growth.
And that’s how we become more empowered in this world. That’s how you meet your destiny. Not by taking a prescription drug, but by going inside and saying, “Who do I have to be? What’s the work I need to do on self to find out who I really am and what my best expression is in this world?” And when you embrace your eating challenges in such a way, you find out who you really are. And you get there.
To learn more about the breakthrough body of work we teach here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, please sign up for our free video training series at ipe.tips. You’ll learn about the cutting-edge principles of Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition that have helped millions forever transform their relationship with food, body, and health. Lastly, we want to make sure you’re aware of our two premier offerings. Our Eating Psychology Coach Certification Training is an 8 month distance learning program that you can take from anywhere in the world to launch a new career or to augment an already existing health practice. And Transform Your Relationship with Food is our 8 week online program for anyone looking to take a big leap forward with food and body.
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New Insights to Forever Transform Your Relationship with Food
Since the 1960s Americans have been obsessed with cutting all fat out of our diets. In that same time frame, rates of obesity and diabetes skyrocketed across all socioeconomic groups. How is it possible that reducing fat intake coincided with a 300% rise in obesity and a 700% increase in diabetes?[1, 2] It’s almost as if we’ve been completely wrong about fat and its role in nutrition this entire time.
Why Low-Fat Diets Fail
Many readers have no doubt tried a low-fat diet and experienced mixed results. Maybe it didn’t work at all. Maybe you lost a couple of pounds, only to have them quickly return—with a few unwelcome friends. The diet may have even made you sick. Most people eventually slip and abandon the diet, but even when followed obsessively, low-fat diets don’t work.
That’s because it’s not fats that make people fat, or at least it’s not only fats. It’s sugar that actually triggers fat storage in the body. After you absorb sugar from your digestive system, it’s released into your bloodstream in the form of glucose. High blood sugar causes your pancreas to release insulin, which instructs fat cells to absorb excess glucose and convert it into more fat.[3]
Conversely, fats, or at least certain types of fats, are not only healthy, but they are essential for your health. In our haste to banish all fats from our diets, we tossed out the good with the bad and paid a hefty price for it. The truth is that the avoidance of all fats is making us sick and affecting our quality of life.
History of the Low-Fat Diet
Unfortunately, the demonization of fats is deeply embedded in the public consciousness. So how did we end up this way? The story could be straight out of a bad conspiracy novel.
In the 1960s research began emerging about the link between refined sugar and heart disease. Desperate to keep this quiet, a lobbying group for the sugar industry called the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) began paying off scientists to instead shift the blame to fat. This isn’t paranoid rambling; recently leaked documents have made this a matter of public record. A 2016 article in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed these documents and came to some startling revelations.[4]
In 1965, the SRF funded a literature review that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even though the SRF paid for the review, set its objectives, decided which studies could be included, and had final say on drafts, their sponsorship was not disclosed—a conflict of interest that borders on criminal. Unsurprisingly, the review paid for by the sugar industry claimed that Americans should eat more sugar. The study outright dismissed substantial evidence of the link between refined sugar and heart disease and instead blamed fats.[4]
What’s worse, this shaky science soon became public policy. In 1976, the U.S. Senate held the “Diet Related to Killer Diseases” hearings, in which they discussed dietary guidelines. The government concluded that Americans needed to reduce a number of saturated fats in their diets.[5]
Limiting saturated fats is a good idea, but the new guidelines didn’t make strong enough distinctions between the different types of fat. All the public understood was “fat = bad.” Since then, with encouragement from advertising and media, we’ve had a cultural obsession with cutting all fats from our diet, even the ones our bodies need to stay healthy. We took it too far, and it’s lead to 50 years of replacing essential nutrients with empty calories.
It turns out that when you take all the fat from some foods, you also remove a lot of the flavor. To counteract blandness, “reduced fat” foods started replacing the fats with sugar. It was a major win for the sugar industry. Instead of having the health dangers of refined sugar exposed, they managed to shovel more of their toxic product down our throats than ever before.
The low-fat diet push has been a complete, unmitigated fiasco. Rates of diabetes and obesity in this country have exploded at a rate far faster than population growth alone can account for. In 1958, just over 1.5 million Americans had diabetes. As of 2014, that number had skyrocketed to over 22 million! That means that in just over 50 years, the percentage of Americans with diabetes septupled from under 1% to over 7%.[2] Likewise, our obesity rates have nearly tripled since the 1960s, and one in every four deaths in this country is now due to heart disease.[1, 6] Clearly, we’ve been doing something terribly wrong.
The Importance of Healthy Fats
Every cell in your body needs some fat. It’s used to build cell membranes and coat nerves. Essential fats are necessary for energy, blood clotting, and muscle movement.[7] Some fats contain potent antioxidants that help scavenge free radicals and repair oxidative damage.[8] They ease inflammation, promote healthy cholesterol levels, and help maintain heart health.[9] Essential fats also play a crucial role in brain health—about 60% of your brain is made of fat.[8, 10] So remember, if anyone ever calls you a “fathead,” it’s technically not an insult, it’s scientifically accurate.
Fats are also a crucial part of nutrient absorption. Certain vitamins, like vitamin A, D, E, and K, are fat-soluble vitamins. That means that your body can only absorb these nutrients from the digestive system if you eat them with fats. Higher fat content in the food you eat makes fat-soluble nutrients more bioavailable. Without fat in your diet, you cannot properly absorb these vital nutrients, leading to vitamin deficiencies. Vitamin A is crucial for metabolism and development, while the benefits of vitamin E include antioxidant activity and immune health. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired bone health, and a lack of vitamin K can inhibit your blood’s ability to clot.[11]
Now let’s be clear. The need for dietary fats is not an excuse to load up on pizza, burgers, and bacon. That’s going too far in the opposite direction.There’s a right way to do this.
There are several different kinds of fats—some good, some bad, some in between. Some fats are healthy when enjoyed in moderation, but harmful when consumed in excess. Let’s take a closer look.
Healthy Fats
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that you keep your fat intake between 25-35% of your total calories. The majority of these should be healthy unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and mostly come from plant sources and fish. There are two main categories of these healthy fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.[12]
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats that are liquid at room temperature but solidify when refrigerated. They are most prevalent in nuts and high-fat fruits like avocados and olives.
Unsaturated fats can also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Like fats, not all cholesterol your body produces is bad. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the “bad” cholesterol that contributes to arterial plaque, heart disease, and stroke. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), is “good” cholesterol. HDL removes LDL cholesterol from your blood and helps flush it from your system through your liver.[13] Monounsaturated fats help by lowering LDL cholesterol while raising HDL.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats are essential fats. We call them essential because they are necessary for human health, but your body cannot synthesize them on its own. You must get them from food. Polyunsaturated fats help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.[7]
There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats. You’ve probably heard of them: omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids play an important role in brain function and normal growth and development. One essential omega-6 is linoleic acid, which our bodies use to make the lipids that make up our cell membranes.[14] Omega-3s promote heart health and help maintain blood vessels in the brain.[7] Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an essential omega-3 found in plants and a major cardioprotective nutrient.[15]
Enjoy Saturated Fats in Moderation
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and very common in the average American diet. They’re found in red meat, dairy products, and baked goods. Some types of saturated fat are healthier than others, but most Americans already get far too much of the bad kinds in their diets.
Too much saturated fat and dietary cholesterol from animal sources can drive up bodily cholesterol levels and increase the risk of certain cancers. Substitute these with healthier saturated fats like coconut oil and dark chocolate. You shouldn’t cut out saturated fat entirely, but you should limit your intake to less than 10% of your total daily calories.[7, 16]
Trans Fat: A Fat to Avoid
One type of fat you must avoid completely is trans fat, also known as trans fatty acids. While some very small amounts of trans fatty acids are found in nature, dietary trans fats are an entirely human-made substance. Trans fats are what you get when you take vegetable oils and heat them in the presence of hydrogen and a toxic metal catalyst such as palladium.[7] This process causes hydrogen atoms to bond with the carbon in the oil, turning it from liquid to solid.
Unlike essential fats, trans fats are nothing more than empty calories and provide no nutritional benefits. Quite the opposite, in fact. A diet high in trans fats contributes to heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, pregnancy complications, allergies, obesity, vision disturbances in infants, and disorders of the nervous system.[17] Trans fats increase inflammation and LDL (bad) cholesterol. They compromise insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of diabetes. There is no safe level of consumption; for every 2% of total calories consumed as trans fats, your risk of heart disease rises by 23%.[7]
Many people are aware of the dangers of trans fats, so manufacturers hide their presence on food labels by referring to them as “partially hydrogenated oil.” Trans fats are found in most fast food, shortening, baked goods, frosting, frozen pizza crust, non-dairy creamer, canned biscuits, potato chips, corn chips, microwave popcorn, and deep fried foods. The most well-known trans fat is margarine, an imitation butter spread that is basically pure trans fat. Avoid margarine—you’d actually be better off with butter or ghee. (Coconut oil and avocado oil make excellent vegan alternatives, see below.)
Fortunately, there is good news. In 2015, the U.S. followed the lead of many other countries when the FDA banned all trans fats in the American food supply following a three-year grace period. That means that after 2018, food companies can no longer add trans fats to any foods prepared in the United States.
Foods With Healthy Fats
So now that we know which fats to avoid and which to embrace (in moderation, of course), where do we find the good fats? Here are a few of the very best food sources of healthy fats.
Avocados
Avocados are currently surfing a surging wave of popularity. America is obsessed with them, and with good reason, avocados truly are a miracle fruit. Avocado benefits include a high density of unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats. Guac isn’t the only way you can consume avocados. Try avocado oil, which is made up of 71% monounsaturated fatty acids and 13% polyunsaturated fat. It has dozens of uses. You can use it for cooking, baking, as a salad dressing, or as a butter substitute on popcorn. Just make sure you use organic, GMO-free popcorn![18]
Nuts and Nut Butter
A diet high in nuts is linked with longevity and a reduced risk of heart disease. Depending on the type of nut, one ounce contains between 13 to 20 grams of mostly unsaturated fat. Nuts also give you a healthy dose of vitamin E and, like all plant-based foods, are naturally cholesterol-free.
Walnuts, in particular, make an excellent choice for a snack. High in polyunsaturated fats, they can help promote healthy blood lipids. Try fresh, unrefined walnut oil. It doesn’t hold up well to high-temperature cooking, but it adds a great nutty flavor to cold dishes and salad dressings.
Nut butters bring the same benefits as nuts, but be sure you get the kind without added sugar. Always read the nutrition labels. A true quality nut butter has no ingredients other than nuts. Peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and cashews all make excellent nut butter.[19, 20]
Coconut Oil
The benefits of coconut oil are well known. What may surprise you is that coconut oil is very high in saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat—a higher percentage than butter!
But don’t give up hope yet. About half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is of a type called lauric acid. Likely because of its unique molecular structure, coconut oil boosts beneficial HDL cholesterol. Saturated fats should be consumed sparingly, but coconut oil is a much healthier source than many others. Use it as a substitution for butter or dangerous trans fats like vegetable shortening. As it’s solid at room temperature, coconut oil works well in pie crusts and other recipes that need a solid fat.[21] Coconut oil may be liquid if it’s particularly warm in your house, but you can easily solidify it in the refrigerator.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A staple of the Mediterranean diet, cold-pressed olive oil is one of the healthiest fats you can consume. Not only does it contain about 75% monounsaturated fat by volume, but it’s also loaded with essential linoleic acid (omega-3) and polyphenol compounds that can help normalize blood pressure. Olives are also rich in fat-soluble vitamin E.[22, 23]
Be careful when purchasing olive oils. There are a lot of fake extra virgin olive oils on the shelf of your local supermarket. These are blended with lesser oils or not made to full extra virgin standards. Look for a seal of certification from either the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) or the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) on the bottle to ensure a quality product.[24]
Full-Fat Dairy
While we at Global Healing Center do advocate a fully vegan diet, we realize that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. If you are going to consume dairy anyway, skip the skim and get full-fat versions of dairy products. Full-fat helps you feel fuller longer, and the fatty acids can help promote healthy body weight.[25]
The healthiest dairy appears to be full-fat greek yogurt, but be wary of any overstated benefits of butter. While new research indicates that full-fat dairy does not increase the risk of heart disease, it does nothing to decrease it either.[26]
Spirulina
Spirulina, also known as blue-green algae, is already a favorite nutritional supplement for many people. It’s a rich source of protein, antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, and selenium. It also contains an essential omega-6 fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid. Blue-green algae has the potential to be contaminated with toxic metals or microcystins, so be sure to only get your spirulina from a reputable source.[27]
Seeds
Like nuts, seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Some of the best seeds for healthy fats include sunflower, hemp, flax, and chia seeds. Chia seeds also slow the rate at which your body processes carbs into sugar, making them a great choice for low carb diets. Flax contains antioxidants called lignans that help regulate blood sugar and promote heart health. Hemp, flax, and chia seeds are great in smoothies and salads, while a handful of sunflower seeds make an excellent snack.[28, 29]
Dark Chocolate
Rejoice, chocolate lovers! Cocoa contains two fatty acids—stearic and oleic. Stearic acid is a type of saturated fat but does not seem to raise LDL cholesterol levels. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that actively reduces bad cholesterol.
When consuming chocolate, darker is better. Cacao contains all the nutrients as well as beneficial phytochemicals called flavonoids. Milk chocolate has only a tiny fraction of the cacao present in dark, and it’s completely absent in white chocolate. So skip the milk and white chocolate, and look for 70-85% cacao. Even then, remember to enjoy dark chocolate in moderation, as it still contains sugar. I recommend no more than seven ounces of dark chocolate per week.[30]
Going Forward
Despite its clear and complete failure, we’re not likely to see the low-fat diet craze go away anytime soon. After decades of reinforcement from media and advertising, the message, fictional as it is, is too deeply implanted in the public consciousness to reject easily. Billboards, commercials, inserts, and pop-up ads will continue to insist you should buy nonfat, nondairy creamer and fat-free, chemical-laden potato chips.
Ultimately, the true secret to health is never “just do this one thing, and everything will be perfect forever.” Good health is about making intelligent, informed decisions every day. Healthy fats are just one part of a balanced nutritional plan, which itself must be combined with exercise, detox, a clean living space, stress management, rest, and dozens of other factors to maximize your ability to lead a happy, healthy life.
