THE HEALING PROPERTIES

OF FOOD

EcoCare 2009
Facilitator: Ashley Smyth, RHN,
NNCP, HBSc
19 October 2009

FACILITATOR
ASHLEY SMYTH, RHN, NNCP, HBSc
Registered Holistic Nutritionist and professional
member of the Canadian Association of Natural
Nutritional Practitioners
Graduate of the Canadian School of Natural
Nutrition
Honours Bachelor of Science (University of
Waterloo)
Owner of Pure Vitality in Chatham, ON, offering:
Nutritional consulting
Wellness plans and detoxification support

SEMINAR OVERVIEW
Today we will:
Discuss the history of the human diet
Identify the leading causes of death in Canada
& diet
Scientific literature review versus improving
diet for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
Type-2 diabetes
Discuss how we should be eating
Discuss eating locally and creating mindfulness
How do we get our patients on board with a

THE HUMAN DIET AN

OVERVIEW
In the beginning

4 million years ago Australopithecus (bipeds)

diet mainly consisting of plant foods
possibly also small animals

2 million years ago Homo habilis

changes in tooth characteristics as well as introduction of tools
indicates a shift towards an omnivorous diet
majority of meat was most likely carrion left by predators

1.5 million years ago Homo erectus (upright man)

stature and brain volume more like humans than apes
increasingly sophisticated hunting tools and first use of fire circa
500,000 years ago increased digestibility and nutritional value of
meat brain development

THE HUMAN DIET AN

OVERVIEW
In the middle

200,000 years ago Homo sapiens

diet largely composed of gathered plants,
supplemented with meat hunted by increasingly
sophisticated hunting strategies
covered approximately 10 km per day in search of food
analyses on preserved skeletons indicate similar height
to modern day man with no signs of serious nutritional
deficiencies
isolated communities, such as the Kung San of the
Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, still follow this
lifestyle, resulting in a consumption of over 100 different
plant species, several different animal proteins, and
sometimes insects virtually no cardiovascular disease,

THE HUMAN DIET AN

OVERVIEW
Present day

10,000 to 12,000 years ago the dawn of

agriculture
it is believed that climate change and subsequent
temperature increase caused decline of available food
sources, mainly game
wheat, corn, rice, and potato (in this order) were the
first cultivated crops at 4 completely disparate regions of
the world
milk was introduced as a food source as sheep, goats,
and cows were domesticated 9,000 years ago 50% of
worlds population are unable to digest milk due to loss
of lactase upon adulthood

DIETARY HABITS THROUGHOUT

EVOLUTION

Adapted from Bliveau, R., and Gingras, D. Eating Well, Living Well: An Everyday Guide for
Optimum Health. McClelland & Stewart Ltd., Toronto, 2009.

CHANGES IN THE HUMAN DIET

Source: Eaton, S.B., et al. 1997. Paleolithic nutrition revisited: A twelve-year

retrospective on its nature and implications. European Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, 51: 207-216.

LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH

Source: Statistics Canada Online www.statcan.gc.ca

Statistics are for all ages, both sexes in all of Canada

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
What does this include?
Myocardial infarction
Cerebrovascular accident
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary
embolism
Rheumatic heart disease
Congenital heart defects
Peripheral artery disease

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
A DISEASE OF INFLAMMATION
Damage to heart and blood vessels
Fatty plaque

High blood

pressure
Reduces blood flow

Plaque rupture
Thrombosis

Heart attack

Stroke

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
THE ROLE OF CHOLESTEROL
precursor of bile acids and sex hormones
required for manufacture of cellular
membranes and nerve sheaths
BUT cannot be transported easily in the blood
Tagged by lipoproteins
HDL

LDL

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
THE ROLE OF CHOLESTEROL
HDL cholesterol transports excessive
cholesterol from blood and tissues to liver to be
metabolized and removed from body
possibly reduces inflammation in body
LDL cholesterol causes damage when
excess is stored in the lining of blood vessels
attacked by free radicals and oxidizes
damages artery & activates immune system to
repair damage inflammation

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

A Dietary Approach

EAT LESS

EAT MORE

Simple carbs
Sugar and
associates
White flour
White rice

Complex carbs
Fruits
Vegetables
Legumes
Whole grains

Saturated &
Trans fats

Polyunsaturated &
mono-unsaturated
fats

70% dark chocolate

Green tea
Red Wine

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

Relation between cholesterol and
Stage
1

carbohydrate
source
Stage
Stage
Stage
2

Source: Winitz, M., et al. 1964. Effect of dietary carbohydrate on serum

cholesterol levels. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 108: 576-579.

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains

Significant reduction of heart disease with intake of:

green vegetables
cruciferous vegetables
estimated that each daily portion of fruits and
vegetables reduces risk of coronary diseases by
4% and that by replacing white bread with whole
grains can reduce the risk of heart disease by
40%!
provides protection with phytochemical compounds
and antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals
(specifically folic acid and vitamins B12 and C)

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

Fats and Cholesterol

Type of Fat
Trans

Saturated

Polyunsaturate
d (omega-3)

Main Sources
Processed foods and
commercial baked goods,
shortening, deep fried
foods, fast foods
Whole milk, butter, cheese,
red meat, coconut and
palm oils, lard
Canola oil, flaxseed, chia
seeds, fatty fish (salmon,
sardines, mackerel, tuna),
walnuts

LDL
Levels

HDL
Levels

MonoOlives and olive oil, canola

unsaturated
oil,
cashews,
almonds,

Adapted from Bliveau, R., and Gingras, D. Eating Well, Living Well: An Everyday Guide for
avocadoes
Optimumpeanuts,
Health. McClelland
& Stewart Ltd., Toronto, 2009.

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

How much fat?
many studies have demonstrated that
incidence of heart disease and cholesterol
levels isnt related to the amount of total fat,
but the kind of fat consumed
examples include traditional diets of the
populations of the Inuit and the island of
Crete
Lyon Diet heart study (began in 1988)

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

You can live to be a

hundred if you give up all
the things that make you
want to live to be a
hundred
~ Woody Allen

HEART DISEASE PREVENTION

Its not all that bad!
70% dark chocolate cacao polyphenols have
been proven to dilate arteries (by releasing NO) and
decrease platelet aggregation. Milk prevents the
absorption of the polyphenols
Green tea studies have shown that green tea
reduces mortality rates by 25% for coronary disease
and 60% with stroke
Red Wine contains the powerful antioxidant
resveratrol has been shown to restrict the formation

CANCER

The most feared of all diseases

Cell division
Initial mutation
Pre-cancerous cells
Healthy body

Unhealthy

body
Unfavourable conditions
Conditions
Cells destroyed

Favourable

CANCER

What creates an unfavourable

environment?

Source: Bliveau, R., and Gingras, D. Eating Well, Living Well: An

Everyday Guide for Optimum Health. McClelland & Stewart Ltd.,
Toronto, 2009.

CANCER

What creates an favourable

environment?
Largest study ever conducted on the link between
lifestyle choices and cancer: American Institute for
Cancer Research and Fonds Mondial de Recherche
contre le Cancer (FMRC) Report on Foods, Nutrition,
Physical Exercise and the Prevention of Cancer: A
Global Perspective
published in fall 2007
500,000 studies evaluated

1.

10 RECOMMENDATIONS BY
FMRC
Stay as slim as possible, with a BMI between 21 and 23

2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day

3. Avoid soft drinks and keep consumption of calorie-rich foods to
a minimum
4. Eat generous amounts of a variety of fruits, vegetables,
legumes, and whole grains
5. Reduce consumption of red meat to 500 grams per week
6. Limit daily consumption of alcohol to 2 glasses for men, 1 for
women
7. Limit consumption of salty pickled foods
8. Dont use cancer preventing supplements
9. Mothers should breast-feed their children for 6 months

Adapted from Bliveau, R., and Gingras, D. Eating Well, Living Well: An Everyday Guide for
Optimum Health. McClelland & Stewart Ltd., Toronto, 2009.

10. Cancer survivors should follow the recommendations given

CANCER PREVENTION
Foods
Cruciferous
vegetables

# of
participants

Type of cancer

Reduced
risk (%)

47,909

Bladder

60

4,309

Lung

30

29,361

Prostate

50

Tomatoes

47,365

Prostate

25

Citrus fruits

521,457

Stomach, esophagus

25

Green vegetables
(dietary folate)

81,922

Pancreas

75

11,699

Breast (postmenopause)

44

Lignans

58,049

Breast (postmenopause)

28

Carrots

490,802

Head and neck

46

Apples, pears,
plums

490,802

Head and neck

38

Green tea

69,710

Colorectal

57

Vegetable
and
295,344
32Well: An
Source: oils
Bliveau,
R., and Gingras,Prostate
D. Eating Well, Living
nuts
Everyday Guide for Optimum Health. McClelland & Stewart Ltd.,

Toronto, 2009.

CANCER PREVENTION
Phytochemical plant compounds
Pharmacological

Metabolic

effects

effects

Anticancer

Cell

Increased

Reduced

cytotoxicity environment bioavailability

calorie intake
ImmunoDecrease

Anti-

Anti-

Source: Bliveau, R., and Gingras, D. Eating Well, Living Well: An

Everyday Guide
for Optimum Health.angiogenic
McClelland & Stewart Ltd.,in
modulator
inflammatory
Toronto, 2009.

CANCER PREVENTION
A dietary approach

Cruciferous vegetables high content of glucosinolates

that act to increase our immune system reaction, as well as
increasing free radicals that kill cancer cells
boiling causes a 75% loss of glucosinolate content
best steamed, microwaved, or stir-fried (al dente) no
loss
Allium garlic, onions, chives, leeks
linked to sulphur compounds (eliminate toxic substances)
particularly helpful for stomach and colon cancer garlic also
prevents cancer cell growth
Green tea rich source of catechins (1/3 of leaves weight)
prevents microtumours from developing new blood vessels

CANCER PREVENTION

Citrus fruits anticancer effect probably linked

to
1.monoterpenes block protein activity involved in
tumour growth, as well as reducing tumours ability
to invade adjacent tissue
2.Flavanones preserves blood vessel structure,
preventing inflammation and depriving tumour of
food
grapefruit compounds block the systems in the
liver from eliminating anticancer molecules,
increasing overall levels

CANCER PREVENTION

Super fruits berries contain the polyphenols

ellagic acid and delphinidin block angiogenesis
pomegranate high content of punicalin,
punicalagin, and ellagic acid
antioxidant activity 3 times that of red wine or
green tea
very helpful with prostate and lung cancer
Soy rich in phytoestrogens, specifically
isoflavones
reduces risk of breast cancer only if consumed
before puberty

CANCER PREVENTION
The role of inflammation
helps pre-cancerous cells develop into mature
cancer cells by increasing DNA mutations caused by
free radicals

Anti-inflammatory foods
Red wine resveratrol
Turmeric curcuma highest anticancer
properties of all!
Ginger gingerol
Omega-3s produces DHA and EPA

CANCER PREVENTION
Immunomodulators
increase the ability of the immune system to
identify and destroy any potentially harmful cells,
including cancer cells
Foods as immunomodulators
Probiotics yogurt, fermented foods
beneficial bacteria in the gut, specifically
bifidobacteria, and lactobacillus acidophilus
increases immune function against foreign
invaders
Mushrooms contain polysaccharides

CANCER PREVENTION
Seaweed specifically kombu and wakame
high content of
1.Fucoxanthin carotenoid family extremely high
anticancer activity, specifically seen for prostate
cancer (even higher than lycopene in tomatoes)
2.Fucoidan prevents growth of cancer cells
Cytotoxic activity as well
Reduces inflammation
Increases beneficial immune activity

TYPE-2 DIABETES

Global Incidence of Type-2 Diabetes

Source: Lieberman, L.S. 2003. Dietary, evolutionary, and modernizing

influences on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Annual Review of
Nutrition, 23: 345-377.

PREVENTING TYPE-2
DIABETES
Adopting a
healthy lifestyle can
prevent up to 90% of Type-2 diabetes
cases!!!
1.Reduce simple sugars learn how to read food
labels to find hidden sugar
In 2001, Canadians ate an average of 60 grams of sugar
per day = 12 teaspoons!
Look for the names: sugar, sucrose, dextrose, fructose,
corn
syrup, malt sugar, cane sugar/juice
5 g = 1 teaspoon

2.

PREVENTING TYPE-2
DIABETES
Eat lower glycemic
load foods calculated by
multiplying the glycemic index (a measure of how a
food increases blood sugar in comparison to pure
glucose) by the amount of carbohydrates in a serving
of food

Focuses on whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and

legumes

In 2 major studies following health professionals over

a span of 30 years (Nurses health study and Health
professionals follow-up study) found that participants
who ate the equivalent of a bowl of oatmeal and 2
pieces of whole wheat bread (7.5 g of whole grains)

Food

High Load

Medium Load

Low Load

Glycemic Index

Glycemic load

Corn flakes

85

72

White bread

85

59

Sweetened cereals

70

56

Potato chips

80

39

Chocolate candy

70

42

Whole wheat bread

50

24

Banana

65

13

Basmati rice

50

12

Apple

38

Boiled potato

65

Lentils

22

Carrots

85

Nuts

15

Green Beans

30

Green vegetables,
mushrooms, tomatoes

10

Source: Foster-Powell, K., et al. 2002. International table of glycemic index and glycemic
load values: 2002. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76: 5-56

3.

PREVENTING TYPE-2
Make healthierDIABETES
fat choices certain saturated
fats have been shown to indirectly cause insulin
resistance (inflammation)

Omega-3 fats improve the insulin response of our

organs, and oleic acid (olive oil) reduces
inflammation, improving insulin response

4. Spices!

Cinnamon improves glucose tolerance, interferes

with glycation products that harm blood vessels

Jamaican allspice, black pepper, and thyme

block glycation

Turmeric reduce blood glucose, anti-inflammatory

HOW TO EAT
Target
organ/system

Parasympathetic
effects

Sympathetic effects

Digestive system

Increases smooth
muscle mobility
(peristalsis) and
amount of secretion of
digestive glands;
relaxes sphincters

Decreases activity of
digestive system,
constricts digestive
sphincters

Liver

No effect

Causes glucose to be
released into blood

Blood vessels

No effect

Constricts visceral and

skin vessels, dilates
those in skeletal
muscles and heart

Salivary, lacrimal
Increases production
Inhibits function; result
glands
of Essentials
saliva and of
tears
is dry mouth
and dry
Source: Marieb, E.N.
human anatomy
& physiology,
eyes
eighth edition. Pearson Education, Inc., San
Francisco, 2006.

HOW TO EAT
1. Do not eat big, heavy meals when you are
stressed
2. Do not eat meals too late at night
3. Eat 5 smaller meals throughout the day
4. Eat with your family (unless they stress you out)
5. Eat at the dinner table
6. Take your time chew, chew, chew!
7. Eat food with a minimal ingredient list, or none
at all
8. Eat food prepared with love!

WHY USE NUTRITION FOR

HEALING?
Chimpanzee Example

Chimpanzees are able to choose specific foods,

some that they would not normally eat, as
effective treatments for parasites and injuries
sustained from fighting
If chimps can do it, why cant we?
Cheap
Low incidence of side effects
Offers variety
Completely able to be personalized

FACING OPPOSITION
#1 excuse for a patient not changing diet or
lifestyle:
IT RUNS IN MY FAMILY

Genes load the gun, but

environment pulls the
trigger.
~ Dr. David Heber (Director, UCLA Center for Human

FACING OPPOSITION
studies on identical twins show that the risk of
developing the same cancer is less than 15%
adopted children whose adopted parents died of
cancer 5 times cancer risk
if biological parents died of cancer no increased
risk
Inuit in Canada eating the traditional diet high in fat
had virtually no heart disease or atherosclerosis, but
now have the highest rates of diabetes and heart
disease when eating traditional western food
Japan has a very low incidence of breast and prostate
cancer, but when Japanese people move to the US,

FACING OPPOSITION
#2 excuse for a patient not changing diet or
lifestyle:
I CAN JUST TAKE SUPPLEMENTS
supplements have been shown to have a decreased
risk of certain cancers, CVD, and diabetes
have also been shown to increase risk in certain cases
(breast cancer)
have none of the benefits of fiber
does not include social aspect of eating
to date, over 20,000 phytochemicals in food have

FACING OPPOSITION

What your patients put in

their mouth is one of the
things that they DO have
control over

EATING LOCALLY CREATING

MINDFULNESS

food is the one thing that every human being has in

common
pay attention to what you are putting in your body
if you cant pronounce it, dont eat it!
go to the local farmers market to see what is in
season, whats fresh, and who is growing your food
usually cheaper
what is in season usually indicates what your body
needs for the climactic conditions around you light
foods in summer, etc
fostering an attitude of appreciation for yourself and

WALKING INSTEAD OF
RUNNING
start by increasing fruit and vegetable intake by 1 per
day, increasing the total intake each week
drink more water by slowly diluting juice until entirely
water
try green tea
start by making one entire meal from scratch
Sunday dinners!
start a dinner time routine turn off the TV, stop
reading a book, and just focus on the food in front of
you
try one new food/fruit/vegetable per week
educate themselves take accountability and control

Ashley Smyth, RHN, NNCP

Registered Holistic
Nutritionist
85 Murray St
Chatham, ON
519.784.4731

www.purevitality.ca