Quality Care
"Let food be thy medicine…"
Hippocrates
En Español | The generation of energy is fundamental for healing and recovery. One of the most natural ways to generate energy is through the food we consume. If we consume products that provide nutritional quality and energy, we will advance and aid the recovery process. It is especially important to have a high-quality nutrition after surgery, as surgical stress may impair metabolism, thereby negatively affecting the body’s ability to grow and heal.
Foods that provide the most energy are those that derive from nature, and that have been least disturbed either by chemicals or manufacturing processes. This include: fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and wild caught fish and meats. It would be ideal to consume foods that encompass all the colors of the rainbow (each relating to a chakra) in a daily basis. To include them in our diet means that we are restoring our bodies and promoting a coherent universal energy in our selves.
Equally important to the nutrients found in foods, it is also the energy that each food carries, and the energy that we attach to each of them. Fruits and nuts derive from nature, they are given to us by plants and trees, and have an energy quite different from the meats we consume which have gone through stressful moments and carry a different frequency. Although, the most important aspect it’s the emotion or belief we give to each food we consume. If we belief for example, that sugars are bad for us, and we eat them with guilt, then they will certainly cause an imbalance in our bodies, as mind, body, and emotion are all connected.
Food is important to replenish our bodies specially when they are weak due to diseases, surgery, or chemotherapy. Those most beneficial are the ones that will provide us with nutrients for our bodies, those that carry the correct frequency for our healing, and those that will resonate in harmony with our mind and emotions.
Dietary Supplements
Dietary Supplements are products that are intended to supplement your diet. They include:
Vitamins
Minerals
Herbs
Botanicals
Amino acids
Many people choose to manage their health with herbs and supplements, to avoid the sometimes harmful, side effects caused by traditional drugs. Although, it is important that we pay special caution when buy and consume them, as they do not need FDA approval to be sold, and no other agency regulates or certifies their true content.
Just like drugs, herbs and supplements can affect the body's chemistry, and therefore have the potential to produce harmful side effects. When taking herbs and supplements you should be monitored by a health practitioner like a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner (TCM), an osteopath (DO), or a naturopath (ND). Always check with your doctor before using any herbal remedies or dietary supplements as there might be unfavorable interactions with traditional treatments and drugs.
Recommendations when buying dietary supplements:
You shouldn’t buy products that claim to work like prescription drugs.
You shouldn’t buy products that make promises.
You shouldn’t buy products that advertise through mass emails.
Look for objective research-based information, through your pharmacist, your doctor, and governmental agencies.
Safety Tips when taking Dietary SupplementS:
Follow instructions.
Always let your medical provider know which dietary supplements you are taking.
If you are having a surgery, be aware that certain products may increase your risk of bleeding or affect your response to anesthesia.
Keep track through a Medication Log.
Be cautious of products manufactured in another country.
Check alerts and advisories.
RESOURCES
For more information:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Find information about effectiveness of supplements. They provide information form scientific and medical literature.
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Directory of TCM
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
To find a naturopath in your area.
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), National Institute of Health (NIH)
Dietary Supplement label Database, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Has all the information found on labels of dietary supplements. Used to compare government’s recommended amounts with the amount provided by the product.
Medline Plus Drugs Supplements and Herbal
Provide information about drugs and its side effects, interactions, dosage, and precautions.
Provide information and summaries of articles from scientific and medical journals.
To check for Alerts and Advisories:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Accreditors:
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
Provider of board certification to Acupuncturists, Chinese Herbology, Oriental Medicine and Asian Bodywork Therapy
Websites to help you choose supplements: