Nutritional Balancing

It’s time to reexamine prenatal care in this country and begin ensuring a baby’s optimal health long before conception occurs. Today, care for both the mother and baby begin far too late in a woman’s life. Typically, women do not begin eating well and nourishing their bodies until they learn of their pregnancy, which could be a few weeks to a few months after a missed cycle. However, pregnancy is already underway and it is late to begin pre-natal care. Those early weeks of a pregnancy, the first eight to twelve weeks or the first trimester are crucial to a baby’s health; at this decisive time, key organs and tissues are being developed. This modern day approach of waiting to begin prenatal care until after conception, sometimes weeks after conception, sadly misses the mark. And even when a woman does learn of her pregnancy, and visits her health care provider, today’s medical model of prenatal care, merely consists of blood work, a physical exam checking your heart, lungs and blood pressure along with perhaps a brief checklist of nutrition basics and a prescription for a multi-vitamin that is insufficient for the mothers and baby’s needs.

The cornerstone of a superb prenatal care program needs to have as its foundation, a program that begins as early as puberty, or even at birth, for both sexes because it can take several years at least, to improve the health of both man and woman. Additionally, this new model would incorporate teachings that include a healthful lifestyle– an excellent diet, plenty of rest, emotional tranquility and avoidance of all toxic substances.

Women need to become educated about the fact that pregnancy is a stressor on the body that demands the necessity of the highest quality nutrition along with vitamins and minerals as early as possible.  Just imagine what the body does on a daily basis when it is not creating a new, living and breathing human being. On a daily basis, the magnificent human body is making millions of red blood cells, producing multiple quarts of digestive juices to break down food so you can absorb the nutrients found within them. Your immune system replaces its line of defense weekly to maintain your health, and your skin, your epidermis is replaced every thirty days. These unseen biochemical processes are all powered by the small amount of food and water consumed each day. And even I, still marvel at the fact that there are leftovers to keep us smiling and laughing as we engage in a wide variety of activities. Proper food consumption is vital; even more significant now that you are eating for two as you are maintaining your own body, but additionally creating another being.

Couples considering having children, need to plan to include in their diets as many mineral rich foods as possible that include, pasture raised meats and eggs, a cornucopia of steamed vegetables and healthy fats, such as butter and flax oil. Sadly, most women, do not even meet the minimum government standards in nutrient intakes for their diet. Why you might ask? It is all about the inferior quality of our food today. Depleted soil and hybridized crops adulterated with pesticides and herbicides, contribute to poor nutrition and thus poor health. Additionally, both women and men need to avoid denatured edible like food items that are nutritionally bankrupt, such as white bread and pastries, further depleting the body of valuable nutrients. All invented foods and other harmful substances need to be eliminated from the diet. Oral contraceptives should be avoided in this preparatory period as well because they deplete the body of many essential nutrients, especially zinc. Essential vitamins and minerals, along with plenty of nutrient rich foods, sleep, rest and relaxation are the absolute prerequisites and foundation for the development of a vital new life. Care for a young woman’s body requires a commitment to her health that demands responsibility to herself and her unborn child. This duty needs to begin earlier in life in consideration of properly nourishing her mind, body and soul in preparation for the most sacred task that awaits her—raising a child.

If one examines the wisdom of primitive cultures, it becomes evident that special nutrient rich foods are provided as early as puberty or marriage to both women and men to help ensure a healthy baby.Dr. Weston Price, DDS, studied primitive tribes and reported that often an entire tribe gathered and hunted for special foods that included meats or fish to feed women who were of child-bearing age to provide the best foods for the healthiest child possible. Additionally, these young women were often removed from their friends and encouraged to spend time with the older women so that she could learn about nutrition, cooking and child-rearing. In stark contrast to what teenage girls learn today, that is a life abundant with reckless experimentation with sex, alcohol and drugs that are regularly transmitted through the TV, as well as the consumption of intoxicating amounts of unhealthy foods, instead these primitive tribes have judiciously educated their young women and men on how to properly take care of their bodies to ensure the birth of a healthy child.

Another reason prenatal care needs to start as early as possible is because both the egg and sperm arise from tissues that are subject to free radical damage, that is where rogue molecules are responsible for tissue damage. Of particular importance, is the woman, as she carries the cells of her egg throughout her life as well as a baby for the term of her pregnancy. She is exposed to daily assaults of toxins, metals and additives impacting her cellular tissues. Alcohol, smoking, toxic over- the -counter prescription drugs, toxic skin care products such as perfumes, deodorants and hair spay affect her health status. Women therefore need to begin preconception care as early as possible. This means long before conception.

A mother’s health is vitally important to the wellness of her newborn infant.  Among industrialized nations, the United States has the eighteenth highest rate for newborn mortality.  In America, the birth-defect rate has doubled since 1950.  The generations born in the wake of mass modification of food products now face record numbers of devastating conditions. Among them: failure to thrive, autism, ADD, depression, fatigue, anxiety and a host of defects related to prescriptions as well as engineered food products.  A benefit of Nutritional Balancing is that it allows women to screen for nutritional deficits and toxic metals in their systems before they conceive. It has also helped many women who have had trouble conceiving and carrying to term. Women today need to be concerned with the high rate of toxins found in food and water making it essential that their bodies are prepared with quality organic foods and clean water.

Correcting mineral imbalances can make a significant difference in pregnancy and birth. Important vitamins and minerals found in whole foods are vital to the healthy functioning of the biological system. Beyond prenatal issues, diseases that manifest in adulthood can often be linked to prenatal nutrition. Infants born at a particularly low weight have increased risk of cardiovascular disease. One study showed that an analysis of the level of lead, cadmium and zinc in placental tissue, confirmed with accuracy the  birth weight and  head circumference of the newborn. If a woman is exposed to lead or cadmium, either through cigarette smoke or exhaust fumes it can affect her health. In conclusion, the research showed that any child born under 6.9 pounds should be tested for sub-optimum nutrition. Taking care of yourself when you are expecting is imperative. Forty or more vitamins and minerals are needed to ensure both mother and child have strong immune systems, proper bone and brain development and a trouble free birth experience. Prenatal vitamins only supply a few of the very important supplements for the expecting mom. To replace one mineral can take more than nine months. Waiting until you conceive is too late.

It is time for a New Woman’s Paradigm.  This new ethic, particularly for women, warrants that you take care of your body when you are young so that when you are older, you will have healthy children. Start a new trend, and be different than your friends. Resist the temptation to eat poor quality junk food, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Give up late nights and reduced sleep and trade them in for quality sleep and rest. If you are thinking about getting pregnant, Nutritional Balancing can help you strengthen your body.

Before complications arise, correcting nutritional imbalances with the protocol laid out in this book, can help a woman detect imbalances at the cellular level. These include low thyroid, an adrenal activity, impaired immune system, sugar and carbohydrate intolerance, impaired digestion and hidden infections. Take action, be wise and take care of your body. Correcting nutritional imbalances can make your pregnancy and delivery safer and easier. Your baby as a result, will have a healthier start in life.

What should a woman who is expecting eat to optimize her baby’s health?

• A large serving of steamed organic vegetables that covers ½ to 2/3 of your plate.  As your pregnancy progresses, especially in your last trimester, eating additional cooked vegetables and high quality protein is beneficial because of the rich assortment of minerals in these foods. Feel free to indulge in a small serving of starchy vegetables such as squash, sweet potatoes and root vegetables.

at least twice a day. Vegetables contain a significant amount of minerals to help support your body and your baby’s health.

• Ten-Twelve ounces of fresh carrot juice daily. Feel free to add in some fresh greens or some ginger
• Three quarts of spring water
• Pasture Fed Meats, Eggs and Dairy
• Wheat Free Grains such as Quinoa or Brown Rice in small quantities
• Legumes and Beans in small quantities as well

Here are several suggestions for preconception health care as well as advice for pregnant women:

v It is never too soon to begin eating nutrient-dense foods.  Choose grass-fed meats, organic vegetables, and wheat-free grains.

v Reduce or eliminate caffeine.

v Avoid extreme diets.

v Take recommended nutritional supplements such as those suggested by Nutritional Balancing Science (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis).

v Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs.

v Avoid over-the-counter medicines.

v Pregnant women should not keep toxic cleaning supplies, insecticides, pesticides, toxic paints, and other toxic materials in her home

v Childbirth is physically demanding, so exercise lightly.

v Get plenty of sleep and rest.

v Learn to meditate. This can relax the mind and body, which is helpful to both mother and child.

v Avoid sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives or chemical additives.

v Live clean and natural: Choose soaps, shampoo, lotion hair dyes and sprays that minimize health issues.

v Minimize stress

v Minimize electromagnetic disturbances: limit cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices, etc. while pregnant.

By Melissa Zonfrilli

After the Holiday, I took a longer than usual break from routine. I was a little under the weather, and hearing Joy’s voice in the back of my head, I knew what I should be doing, so I really rested.  My kids were on vacation and extremely happy with the free time and snow. So it was the perfect opportunity.  I read some books, took some naps, and I left the Christmas tree up until January 6^th! I did a lot of cooking!  As I felt better, a miraculous thing happened!  My head cleared up! It literally felt like a fog had lifted and things had started to organize in my head all by themselves.  In case you are wondering, I am not the most organized person.  I always feel like I could be using my time more wisely.  I am always trying new methods of organization in the hopes that some of them will stick permanently.

While I was rejuvenating, I found myself thinking of things I wanted to accomplish this year.  Now, I have never been one for the whole New Year’s thing.  It has never made any sense to me.  This is not to say I never make a resolution.  I just do not call them resolutions and I do not do it on New Years! Call me the Anti- New Year!  Ha ha.  I do understand the reason why we feel like a new year is the perfect time for a change.  I also think it is why we fail so often with our resolutions.  After week 2 and we do not have that fresh feeling anymore and life starts happening it is easy to say “Oh forget it.” Things go wrong, we get really busy, and excuses start popping up left and right. This is the beginning of the end of your New Years resolution.  This is why you need a plan.

With my newly cleared mind I started making plans.  Plan is a better word than resolution, I think, and easier to stick to.  The word “plan” involves having a clear goal with steps to get you there.  Resolutions are easily out the door in a matter of weeks, mainly because we just state something silly like “I am going to get into a bikini in 6 weeks”, with no real plan to get there.  You are off the hook if you fail with your new resolution because it is accepted that most people will not succeed at them.  A plan, however, can be made any day, not just the first of the year and it involves more than one step. You have done this before.  I am sure you had one for your life and your career.  You know what to do.  The first step is to write it down.  Write down your goal!  Make sure it is realistic and you have some simple steps towards it that you can take. Unlike your plan for your life, you are probably trying to change something you do not like about yourself or create a good habit.  Remember each small step you take will motivate and reward you. Set yourself up for success.  Your next step is to write down some powerful reasons why this goal is important to you. You must use powerful words that will inspire you when you need it. Why do you need to succeed at this? The right words are very important.  Choose them wisely. Write as many of these as you think you need.  Your last step is Visual.  Print a picture of what you think you will feel or look like if you accomplish your goal.  Here is your plan.  Keep these steps with you so you can refer to them when needed.

Joy has some wonderful information on this website and in her practice.  Everything is at our fingertips that we need to be healthy individuals.  It is up to us how we use that information.  The most important thing is not to give up, no matter how often those little voices in your head are arguing with each other.  If you slide off the track a little in your quest for better health, that is o.k.!  Who doesn’t? Look at your goals. Refer to them often.  The most important thing is that you get back on the track.  You do not want to be left at the station. It is a long way back to better health, but you do not have to walk.

Do you have a plan?

One of Joy’s Clients

Melissa Zonfrilli

Pretend you are in the beef business. What would you do with all the extra cow parts and trimmings that usually find their way into pet food. Would you dispose of them? Would you mix them all together, inject them with a chemical to kill ecoli, and sell them to restaurants and schools?

Truth be told, this is exactly what is happening. According to a recent New York Times article, this type of adulterated beef is being sold to McDonald’s, Burger King, school lunch programs and other fast food chains. The beef is injected with ammonia, most commonly used in cleaning products and in Window cleaning supplies. And to make matters worse, the USDA sanctions this protocol as means to make the “beef” safe for ingestion.

Beef Products,Inc. is the company that makes the ammonia-injected beef. According to the New York Times, “the federal school lunch program used 5.5 million pounds of this type of beef from this company in 2008.

Now hear this– Not only is there ammonia in the meat, but the truth is that the ammonia does not always kill all the bacteria.

And there is more….

According to  the New York Times,”School lunch officials and other customers complained about the taste and smell of the beef,” says the NYT. No wonder. It’s been pumped full of chemicals. ”The company says its processed beef, a mashlike substance frozen into blocks or chips, is used in a majority of the hamburger sold nationwide. But it has remained little known outside industry and government circles. Federal officials agreed to the company’s request that the ammonia be classified as a ‘processing agent’ and not an ingredient that would be listed on labels.”

Ok, this is really interesting. So now, if I understand all of this correctly, you can inject a beef product with a chemical found in glass cleaning products and simply call it a “processing agent” — with the full permission and endorsement of the USDA. Maybe we should give hamburgers a new name… Windexburgers… So, if you already have  hundreds of  reasons not to eat fast food, make this reason one hundred and one.

The industrialization of food production, factory farming, specifically how we raise, slaughter and process our meat is really the fundamental question here. How we raise our cattle should not be an afterthought.  As long as the driving force is profit for these big businesses, should we really be shocked to learn that our food is lethal.

There is good reason that Bugs Bunny always ate his carrots. In Ancient Greece, the carrot was used as medicine by the early Greeks, and has since be valued by many different cultures. Carrot juice is often referred to as the miracle juice because of its many health benefits. Many find it to provide protective agents in the building and maintenance of health in both young and old. It has a delicious sweet flavor that makes it very appealing to everyone, either plain or combined with other green vegetables.  This orange vegetable has one of the highest amounts of Vitamin A as well as a rich source of B complex. It is also mineral rich, with calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur and iron. The juice is also excellent because it provides a readily bio-available form of calcium.While it is difficult for the human body to absorb high levels of calcium from sources such as dairy, the calcium in fresh carrot juice recipes can be assimilated in full.

For those who are expecting, drinking carrot juice, as well as eating carrots, is thought to be especially beneficial for prenatal health. Furthermore,nursing mom’s, here is some interesting information for you- drink carrot juice throughout your lactation to provide quality milk for your baby.Carrot juice plays an important role in an infant’s supply of vitamin A. When carrot juice is consumed jointly with milk, the utilization of carotene as vitamin A is markedly increased.  A Good size 7 oz glass of  carrot juice has only 50 calories, so do not worry about counting your calories with this nutritious beverage.

By drinking this orange colored juice, your hair, skin and nails will show increased vitality. Your aches and pains will lessen as well. It also helps detox your liver and has a signfifcant improvment on your overall health. In fact, your entire digestive tract will thank you for the healing powers of drinking this juice.Moreover, the health benefit of carrot juice also includes being rich in infection fighting substances.

The Nutritional Balancing Program recommends 10-12 ounces of carrot juice daily. ( For children- I would suggest about 5-6 ounces a day) For those who are expecting, drinking carrot juice, as well as eating carrots, is thought to be especially beneficial for prenatal health. The best way to drink carrot juice is fresh, from a juicer, not a blender. Feel free to add in some fresh greens such as Kale or Beet Greens. Your body will thank you.

The Last time I spoke to you, I was worried how we would all make it through the Holiday season without ruining all our hard work getting healthy.  This is the toughest part of the year for me, as it must be for many of you.  The willpower we all have when we go to the supermarket and prepare our meals is not always available when we attend party after party.  In fact, it may get more difficult with each one we attend.  There are so many! You may feel you blew it at the first one so you may as well give up completely until January 1^st.  Do not give up!  Do not listen to that little voice!  Do you really want to have to start all over again from scratch?  Of course not!  You have done too much work to get where you are.  Remember how sick you were when you started and how much better you feel now!

There were some strategies that worked really well for me at Thanksgiving.  In my last letter to you, I told you of my quest to perfect my grandmothers’ pie recipes.  I let go of that and in turn relieved myself of a great deal of stress in preparing for Thanksgiving.  Someone offered to bring dessert and I knew I would not be tempted by what they brought.  It worked.

I went in with a buddy and a plan!  I talked to my sister before hand and we made a plan.  What did we really want to cheat on?  Can we help each other stick to it?  It worked.  We decided we would have some wine and bite size pieces of desserts that were favorites. Having her there was a big helping hand in the willpower department.  In years past, I would consume quite a few of my sister in-law’s magic bars, in addition to apple pie and pumpkin pie and brownies etc….  This year, because I made the plan ahead, I ate one magic bar and savored it.  I truly enjoyed every bite.  I really tasted it and it was enough.  It was much sweeter than I remembered.

If you do not have a friend going to a party with you that has a similar goal, you could try the idea Joy had in this month’s newsletter.  It was to wear your watch on the opposite hand you usually do in order to remind you of your goals.  I thought that was terrific!  I am going to try it at my next function.

I served a festive but non-alcoholic beverage, as so not to indulge in too much wine, which I new would weaken my willpower.  A sparkling water with a few cranberries and a wedge of lime in a pretty glass was perfect.  Most guests had at least one, which I figured was one less glass of wine they had.

If you went into Thanksgiving and did not have much success, please do not give up.  We are all human, and tomorrow is a new day and think of it as such.  Start brand new, go for a walk, drink a lot of water and start with your first healthy meal.  You will find yourself getting right back on track.  Remember, we have to feed our bodies what they need to run well and not get sick.

In my last article, I talked about magazine and advertisements that made me feel like I wasn’t the perfect host or mother if I didn’t have homemade cookies decorated perfectly on every table.  I told you that I had canceled certain subscriptions.   I feel so much better!  I have replaced baking with crafts and my sons are just as happy doing that.  They picked out some ornaments from a book at the library and we made some for the tree.  We put their names and the year on them.  I like knowing that someday they will put them on a tree of their own and remember making them.  I am sure many of you already do something like that, but I was always so busy baking, I never seemed to have the time.

This is probably the most relaxed Christmas season I have ever had.  I have stuck to my self imposed limit on Sunday shopping and some surprising things have happened.  It has turned into a real day off!  I started with just making sure I had everything I needed so I would not have to buy anything, but it has morphed into a real day off!  I make sure I get everything done that absolutely needs to be done and I take the day off!  Sit down, watch a movie, read a book, sleep, do whatever you enjoy!  These winter months are the perfect backdrop for really relaxing and getting that much needed rest.  This has forced me to think about what I am going to buy everyone and really helped me stay on a budget.  Even if you think you can’t do this every Sunday, try it one Sunday a month and see what you think!

Wishing you good health and happiness this Holiday Season,

Melissa Zonfrilli