What Should I Eat, and When Should I Eat It? (eBook)

Introduction

In this book we will explore and explain the concepts of the Zarifian Method, a revolutionary nutritional approach to our daily intake of food. This material explains why it is not only pragmatic, but it is much healthier to eat in accordance to our circadian rhythm,  our fitness level including our personal purpose, also the correct way to grocery shop to reinforce healthier choices.  Better food choices translate into a healthier America. According to the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, for the two out of three adult Americans who do not smoke and do not drink excessively, personal food choices have more influence on long-term health than any other factor. Food sustains us, is pleasurable, and is necessary for life. However, what we eat may affect our risk of suffering chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer--all leading causes of death.

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity account for at least 300,000 deaths each year in the United States. These two lifestyle factors also increase one's chances for developing chronic, killer diseases--which are among the most prevalent, costly and most preventable of all health problems.

Cardiovascular disease (which primarily includes heart disease and stroke) causes more than 40% of all deaths in the United States, killing more than 950,000 Americans each year. Obesity is a major risk factor in developing today's chronic killer diseases. The lifestyle factors of poor diet and lack of physical activity combine to cause America’s obesity problem. Dietary factors most often associated with these killer diseases are excessive consumption of fats and food energy (calories).

Even small dietary changes can provide big benefits. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have estimated the benefits of improved diets. Looking only at fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, the agencies estimated that even reductions of only about 1 percent in the intake of total fat and saturated fat and 0.1 percent cholesterol would prevent more than 56,000 cases of heart disease and cancer, avoid more than 18,000 deaths, and save more than 117,000 life-years over 20 years. They further estimated that the medical savings associated with these benefits totaled $0.8 billion. (This does not include losses in productivity or other losses due to pain and suffering.)

Consumers have clearly made changes in their eating habits over the last two decades. Ninety-two percent of the food shoppers who were interviewed for an annual survey by the Food Marketing Institute reported having changed their eating habits to make their diets more healthful. Yet a study by USDA's Economic Research Service indicated that most Americans have had difficulty making many of the dietary changes needed to meet federal nutrition guidelines. On average, most Americans are not meeting recommended servings for most of the Food Guide Pyramid's five major food groups, particularly fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, while consuming excess calories from fats, oils, and sweets

Countless books and articles have been written, lectures presented, studies completed, on what has been my fondest interest since the age of 9.5 years young. I began boiling my water and allowing it to cool, then I would refrigerate it in clean large jars. I learned that some of the foods that I loved were very unhealthy, so I eliminated those foods.  Well, at this point my mother asked me, “Honey, what are you going to eat?” You see, my family was also a meat and potatoes eating family. So, for months it appeared that most of my choices were desserts, that was fun…all sweets for a little boy, I was quite pleased until the adults in my family and some friends of our family, gave me healthier choices. Today, I am still excited about the field of nutrition. More than ever nutrition science is becoming less ambiguous and subjective.  Now, new knowledge involves studies and the knowledge of our body’s systems, physiology, anatomy, and bio-chemistry.  I’ve studied current developments, latest studies, and the most popular products from our food industry, whether is commercial, organic, holistic or processed; I have allowed myself to take on the responsibility of responsible wellness. 

For nearly a decade I’ve worked as the Director of non-surgical weight loss departments (a sector of various surgical /medical groups). During those years, I have observed sincere patients with healthy lifestyles that have a high compliance rate, and I’ve observed sincere and  insincere patients that repeat the same behavior that produces being over-weight or obesity, and yes, low to no compliance. Surgery (gastric by-pass) has been the choice of most of my patients, but to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they depend much on the regimen I create for them before and after surgery.

During my first years of working with many prominent doctors throughout Southern California, I just simply went along with the nutritional science that was and still is being taught in our educational institutions. Until, one day after observing and listening to numerous patients share their challenges of post- operative affects. I decided to begin my own study on patients that did not eat the typical 3 meals, even if those meals were smaller and supposedly healthier. I wanted to know the truth. It wasn’t as easy as you

may think it was, I found most patients were so use to lying and hiding the truth, that even in privacy they start to believe the lies they had been given,  along with a few they made up themselves. What were they lying about? Among the many, following doctor’s instructions was the biggest. Once the patient got the surgery, the behavior remained the same, and in most cases it was exacerbated. I found that most patients scream help! Especially when he or she is facing life-threatening co-morbidities, but after they survive the surgery and are able to resume the regular living habits, the instructions for nutrition and physical activity are discarded.

That was quite frustrating to me personally and as a health practitioner. So I set out to do something about it. In this book you will learn the most effective way to eat and drink, maintain the healthiest level possible for you and your family. I will teach you not only what to eat, but the best time to eat it, all of which will be in total harmony with your body type and lifestyle.

To improve your health immediately, begin with adhering to the easy to follow instructions of one of my greatest discoveries, it has been named, "The Rhythm Diet". This method addresses and counteracts the traditional and harmful eating habits that can cause damage and an imbalanced homeostasis. Our systems imbalance is created by inappropriate eating, inappropriate physical activity and inappropriate rest and sleep scheduling. The higher the quality of nutrition intake yields an optimally healthy individual. The lower the quality of nutritional intake yields a mal-nourished individual (all ages). When a body in stagnant, it increases the risks of disease, illness, pain and injury. We are only as powerful as we are rested, the human body repairs and recharges itself by getting deep and adequate rest and sleep. Simply put, the way we feel and perform is directly connected with our nutritional, physical activity, and rest and sleep decisions.

What we consume as food produces energy, cellular repair and growth, augmentation of the immune system or the lack thereof. Our physical activity, rest and sleep, spirit, and mentality (behavior and beliefs) all are a part of a healthy and well balanced body. According to The Rhythm Diet, there are three major meal times within the first twelve hours after awakening.  The Standard American Diet also has three major meals, except nobody seems to know what should be eaten during these meals, how much, and what time these meals should be eaten. Instead of the old “three balanced meals a day”, whatever that means…I do know that when I review the many studies and statics that over sixty percent of our nation is either over-weight, obese, or morbidly obese… apparently I am not the only one who doesn’t know what it means. One of the major causes of obesity, eating disorders, and making impulsive meal choices is the Standard American Diet. The key to better health as well as the challenge is to allow yourself to eat appropriately within your body’s natural rhythm. When we are in rhythm,

we then become the best managers of our weight, meal scheduling, and adequate rest. When we are not in rhythm, well we have exactly what we are facing today, an illness epidemic. The human body has many rhythms and these rhythms signify balance of the human body’s systems. When we are in balance, our body defends against disease and illness, maintains appropriate energy, and heals and repairs itself. The human body has many rhythms including: alpha rhythm electroencephalographic waves having a uniform rhythm and average frequency of 10 per second, typical of a normal person awake in a quiet resting state. Atrial escape rhythm: a cardiac dysrhythmia occurring when sustained suppression of sinus impulse formation causes other atrial foci to act as cardiac pacemakers. Atrioventricular (AV) junctional rhythm: the heart rhythm that results when the atrioventricular junction acts as pacemaker. Atrioventricular (AV) junctional escape rhythm: a cardiac rhythm of four or more AV junctional escape beats at a rate below 60 beats per minute. Beta rhythm:...