The Dr. Mom Online blog had a great post recently about how to make nutritional choices. The author discussed how important proper nutrition is for good health, sufficient energy, clear thinking/learning ability, resistance to injury and disease, and all other aspects of living. Because, when you think about it, the quality of nutrition determines how well our body can function.

One point that was made is that to achieve proper nutrition, we need to believe 100% in the lifestyle changes we’re trying to make - and REALLY want them, not just trick ourselves into it. A great example:

If we say to ourselves, “Twinkies aren’t any good for me and they’re making me fat… I really need to stop eating those”, but our true belief is, “But, maaaaaan… I sure do LOVE Twinkies!! I love the way they taste, I love how happy they make me while I’m eating them, I look forward to my Twinkie snack all day long!!” It’s unlikely we’ll be giving up Twinkies anytime soon… we’ve still got too much pleasure attached to the idea of a Twinkie!

Our belief is that the Twinkies are GOOD, therefore our behavior (eating them) is in alignment with that belief.

There’s an even more-important point made towards the middle of the post. It’s so sensible, and so obvious, yet so many people either disregard this fundamental fact or don’t think about it:

A food choice is either congruent with our innate genetic requirements (and moves us toward health), or it’s not.

It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Think about that when you’re meal-planning…or at grocery store…or the gas station, trying to decide between Zingers and Ding-Dongs. If it’s not in line with your genetic needs, it’s not healthy.

Visit the full post here for some great information and insight.

Most articles or blogs that discuss “healthy eating” are geared more towards the types of food, necessary nutrients, and different diets or meal plans. But one article on Examiner.com (in the Sacramento edition, by Mykim Tran) takes things one step further: she actually discusses the mechanics of eating.

Mykim suggests eating in moderation, chewing slowly, and not watching television while eating. According to her article, we don’t eat just to survive anymore - we eat for enjoyment, or, conversely, if we’re depressed- and often we eat much more than is necessary.

She suggests chewing more slowly to “taste more of the sweet and delicious favors of the food.” Plus, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly gives the stomach time to realize that it’s full, and helps it digest food more efficiently.

Mykim also recommends not eating while watching television, because “when you watch television, you are focusing on the television and not on what and how much food you are consuming.”

These are some good points to consider - but make sure you’re eating the right foods and paying attention to proper nutrition while you implement these tips.

Back on May 2, we published a post titled “Swine Flu Concerns: Boost Immunity with Genetic Nutrition.” That post discussed how strengthening the immune system through proper nutrition could help people stay more healthy. As it turns out, the CDC has conducted tests that suggest people age 60 and over have increased immunity to the H1N1 virus.

According to a story by the Associated Press today, the new H1N1 virus seems to affect the young at a much higher rate than the elderly - which is in direct contrast to common seasonal flus, that have a much more profound effect on the very old.

Several theories have been presented as to why the new H1N1 seems to not affect the elderly as much. The most common is that flu viruses prior to 1957 affected patients’ immune systems in a similar way to H1N1, which could account for the apparently-increased immunity among the elderly. But scientists and doctors urge older people to “take the same precautions as everyone else.”

The bottom line of the story:

Scientists think it’s because older people have been exposed to other viruses in the past that are more similar to swine flu than more recent seasonal flus.

But the results come from complicated lab work and calculations, and it’s not yet clear how safe older people actually are from the new infection, federal officials said.

“We can’t say,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So older people are advised to take the same precautions as their children and grandchildren.

As part of these precautions, it’s always a good idea to make sure your diet has a full compliment of healthy nutrients designed to boost your immune system.

The Associated Press recently published this list of nutrition tips for people with cancer. These are excellent guidelines to keep in mind, and with cancer being so prevalent, odds are most people will have a friend or loved one who could benefit.

A good thing about these tips is that they include several suggestions for dealing with nausea, diarrhea, and other side affects from treatment or the disease itself. Here are a few selections from the list:

- Cancer patients tend to need more protein than healthy people. Peanut butter crackers, yogurt and fruit, a hard-boiled egg and piece of toast all are good mini-meals.

- White, bland foods tend to help with nausea, such as Cream of Wheat, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese.

- Odors often worsen nausea, and foods served at room temperature rather than warm tend to have milder odors.

- Fresh ginger about 30 minutes before eating also can take the edge off nausea, but not ginger flavoring common in many sodas. A study published last week found ginger capsules work, too.

The most important tip in the list is a reminder to tell your doctor about any over-the-counter dietary supplements you may be taking - including EpiGaia. It’s important to consult your physician whenever you are considering taking a supplement, but it is vital for cancer patients due to possible “dangerous interactions with anticancer medications.”

The complete list is available here: if you or someone you know has cancer, take advantage of these tips to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you need.

The LA Times reports that last week, “[t]wo federal lawmakers have introduced legislation to require fast-food and other chain restaurants to post calories on menu boards and food display tags.” This bill, known as the MEAL Act (Menu Education and Labeling Act), is designed to “Help consumers make more informed choices.”

The article mentions that the restaurant industry has proposed an alternative bill, known as the LEAN Act (Labeling Education and Nutrition Act), which would only require chains with more than 20 units to implement the new labeling requirements. It would also preempt future state or local regulatory measures.

Both measures are supposed to help consumers make healthier choices. But calling for improved labeling of restaurant food ignores the basic fact that humans aren’t designed to eat burgers and fries. As Dr. Donald Coffey of The Johns Hopkins University puts it, “we were not biologically selected by the evolution process to eat the way we do today, and the damage is manifested.” One clear manifestation is the fact that two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight.

Rather than picking the 500-calorie burger instead of the 750-calorie one, many consumers would be better off focusing on the nutrition their bodies - or, drilling down a little further, their genes - really need. That’s the whole idea behind epigenetic nutrition: helping people obtain the nutrition their genes are designed for.