By Dr. Michael Wald

Continued from part 1 of this article…..

7. When you eat healthy carbohydrates do not eat them alone. Instead, add proteins to all of your meals and snacks.

Suggestion: Protein will slow down the absorption of carbohydrates helping to level out blood sugar. Fluxuations in blood sugar can cause attention deficit, fatigue, slow metabolism and increased disease risk.

8. Add sea salt to your regular diet to help keep your adrenal glands stay in shape.

9. Drink plenty of water each day (body weight divided by 2, multiplied by 0.8 is the number of ounces your body needs, more if you are exercising). Avoid caffeinated and carbonated beverages; caffeine is a diuretic (loss of fluids and minerals) and carbonated soft drinks leach calcium from bones). Herbal teas, fresh vegetables and fruit juices are healthy to consume. Diluted bottled juices and naturally decaffeinated beverages are OK in moderation.

10. Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of two or three large meals. Smaller meals spaced fairly evenly throughout the day help balance blood sugar levels and each the stress of digestion.

11. Chew your food thoroughly. Chewing signals the “feeding centers” and “satiety” centers in your brain that tell you when you are full so you do not overeat. Chewing also aids the digestive process starting in the mouth and signals the rest of the gastrointestinal tract to “get ready” for food on the way.

12. Consider not drinking fluids of any kind with your meals or at least sipping fluids as opposed to gulping them down in large volumes. Fluids can dilute digestive juices impairing optimal digestion of foods.

13. Do not eat when you are stressed or on the run. Proper digestion involves activating a part of your nervous and digestive system, which is active during a more relaxed state (i.e., like during a meal). A different part of the nervous system is activated when you are up-and-around which is not conducive to optimal digestion of foods.

14. Eat every two hours. Small meals consumed throughout the course of the day balances blood sugar. Problems with blood sugar promote weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular risk and other health problems.

15. Supplement a healthy diet with a good quality multi-vitamin/mineral complex and other nutrients indicated by your individual health needs

Suggestion: Have nutritional and medical laboratory work performed to find out more exactly the nutrition that you require as an individual.

– Dr. Michael Wald, aka The Blood Detective, is the director of nutritional services at Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, located in Westchester New York. He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Channel 11 PIX, Channel 12 News, CNN, The Food Network and other media outlets. Dr. Wald earned the name Blood Detective for his reputation to find problems that are often missed by other doctors. He earned an MD degree, is a doctor of chiropractic and a certified dietician-nutritionist. He is also double-board certified in nutrition. He has published over a dozen books with three additional titles due for release late 2013 including: Frankenfoods – Genetically Modified Foods: Controversies, Lies & Your Health and Gluten-A-Holic: How to Live Gluten Free and the Blood Detective’s Longevity Secrets. Dr. Wald can be reached at: www.intmedny.com or www.blooddetective.com or by calling: 914-242-8844.