Nutritional Foods, Lifestyles to fight AIDS

by Edward F. Group III, D.C., Ph.D, N.D.,CCN 

In order to change your lifestyle so as to help extricate the body of the HIV virus, you need to start by feeding it the proper food. You have to make the most of what you eat. In other words, you have to consume a wide variety of whole, organic foods – as opposed to processed foods or foods packaged with lots of additives or preservatives – every day, along with plenty of pure, clean water and other healthful liquids that your body needs to function at its best.

The idea is to eat a portion or two from the following levels of foods everyday:

Level 1

The Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta Group: These are the complex carbohydrates that provide a substantial portion of the day's calorie need and a lot of your energy. It is recommended that you eat 6 to 11 servings from this group daily. But don't think that this means mass quantities of carbs. The size of these servings is actually fairly small. As an example, an average serving would equal one slice of bread, one half of a bagel or English muffin, one cup of most flaky cereals, six crackers, two corn tortillas, one half cup of cooked pasta, or three squares of graham crackers. Make sure that you choose from whole, organic grains such as Ezekial bread, sprouted breat, etc.

Level 2

The Vegetable Group and the Fruit Group: It is recommended that you consume 4 to 6 servings of vegetables and 3 to 5 servings of fruit daily. That's how you up the chances of getting all the nutrients and fiber that are needed for your body's healthy function, especially its immune function. One serving of vegetables is approximately one cup of raw vegetables or one-half cup of cooked vegetables. One serving of fruit is approximately one-half cup of fresh chopped or canned fruit. Make sure that you are choosing organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible. Remember to wash all fruit and vegetables thoroughly, even organic.

Level 3

The Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, & Nuts/Seeds Group and The Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese Group: It is recommended that most people consume at least 2-3 servings from each of these groups daily in order to get adequate protein, but some people will have to adjust this, based on individual needs. It is best to eliminate grocery-store milk and cheese. Choose organic, free-range eggs and poultry. Red meat should also be eliminated. Organic, cold-water fish is recommended (not farm raised).

Level 4

The Fats, Oils, and Sweets Group: The less you consume of these, the better. Although a moderate amount of the good kinds of fats is healthy, keeping the overall fat content of the diet moderately low is important since researchers have shown that a high fat intake can be immunosuppressive, can cause diarrhea in HIV-positive people, and is tied to an increased risk of progression to cirrhosis in those with chronic hepatitis C. Choose an organic fish oil or fresh, ground flax seed to get needed Essential Fatty Acids. Use organic, cold-pressed olive oil for salads and vegetables.

Each food has its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the amount of nutrients you get. By choosing from a wide variety of foods at each level will help ensure you get all the nutrients nature can provide, rather than the more limited number that might result from repeating the same foods over and over. For instance, when you're in the bread, pasta, cereal, and cracker aisles, purchase organic brown, whole-grain varieties instead of white since all nutrients are removed in the over-refining process. And when you're in the produce section, grab anything that is red, purple, green, orange, yellow, and blue in color. These fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrition.

Drinking plenty of pure, clean water is included in having a good diet. This is a necessity since water will help to flush toxins from the system. The old adage about drinking eight large glasses of water per day (approximately two quarts) is true, but a better way is determined by your size, since your size affects how much water you need. It is better to divide your body weight in pounds in half, and then drink at least that number of ounces every day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, divide that in half and drink 70 ounces of water (almost nine cups) per day. Many people drink far too little water, thinking that they can substitute drinks (like colas or other soft drinks or coffee) that are made with water. They can't and they shouldn't.

Here are a few tips to remember

Drink lots of pure, clean water

You need lots of fresh, pure water put into your body every single day. Without sufficient water, the body doesn't function. Period. Always remember that any time you're running a fever or have diarrhea, or are suffering from nausea or vomiting or daytime or night sweats, you run the risk of dehydrating and should put plenty of fluids at the top of your list of priorities.

Herbal teas

Many people find herb teas to be a nice addition to their good liquid list. Fresh vegetable juices are other healthful liquids. Just remember that vegetable juice contains an enormous amount of vitamins and nutrients that will help the body to repair.

Warm beverages

These include soups, herbal teas, and roasted-grain, organic coffee substitutes. Not only are they nutritious, but also less demanding on the body than icy cold drinks. Anything that's drunk icy cold will require some of your body's energy to warm it up. Thus, a large consumption of such cold beverages can actually drain away calories your body needs because it's burning them up heating that cold liquid. And those soups already mentioned as a good source of protein and vegetables can also contribute to your fluid intake.

Caution with caffeine

Now, does all this mean that your days at Starbucks are limited? Well, actually, no. The fact is that as long as you drink plenty of water (since caffeine stimulates fluid loss from the body), a reasonable amount of coffee or tea daily is okay. Both organic coffee and either black or green tea are actually loaded with certain classes of nutrients like bioflavonoids of various kinds that may be health promoting. So don't drink them in place of the healthful liquids you need (like plenty of water), but add then in moderation. Just be aware of what you put in them since it's the cream/sugar/mocha additions that can add lots of fat and sugar into your diet that you don't want. Using almond milk and Xylitol or stevia are great substitutes for the unhealthy, refined sugar/creams.

The main factor is just to eat healthy, drink plenty of pure, clean water, and avoid certain foods and beverages that can do more harm than good. If you do this and stick to it, you'll find you'll be healthier in the long run and have a body that will be powerful enough to rid the body of the HIV or AIDS virus or prevent it all together.