AB: When reading nutrition labels, what do we
need to look for in determining the best food
product over another?

DC: First of all, we need to look at the sugar content and the amount per serving. If the food is high in sugar, we don't want to consume that. Based on the amount of calories a person consumes per meal which is usually about 300 – 500 calories, if you're having 1/3 of that in sugar, that's way too much.

We also need to have plenty of fiber. I recomend at least 3g - 5grams of fiber per food serving and preferably more
at meal time. But usually most people lack about 7g - 10g of fiber per meal.

The other thing is fat. There are good fats and bad
fats. Unfortunately, with food labeling, the FDA allows
companies and processed food companies to list on their
food labels 0g of trans fat, when in reality the food contains
less than 0.5g of trans fats (trans fats are the most toxic
fats for the body). We want to limit our intake of fat since
it's associated with weight gain. Also as we limit our intake of sugar and boost our intake of fiber we should intake adequate amounts of protein. Generally, our intake should
be 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat. When
choosing fats, we need to choose the good forms of fat,
not the trans fats or excessive saturated fats. We want
to consume mainly good polyunsaturated fats and monounsatuated fats.

AB: Why should we consume greater percentages
of alkalinizing foods rather than acidic foods?

DC: Alkalinizing foods are primarily your fruits and
vegetables. These are powerful foods that help to alka-
linize the tissues in our bodies. From practicing medi-
cine for so many years, I've found that about 95% - 98%
of my patients have very acidic urine which indicates
that the tissue in their bodies is very acidic. When I
see patients who eat about 50% of their foods as living
foods (fruits and vegetables), most of the time their
urine has a pH that's alkaline (7 - 7.5).

Now, when the body's alkaline, it is much more resistant
to developing disease. It also helps the body detoxify
or cleanse itself very easily. And also helps to prevent
degenerative diseases such as arthritis, making the
body become more resistant to developing cancer as
well as heart disease.

AB: What is the rule of thumb to best preserve the nutritional value of most fruits, veggetables and
meats after purchasing?

DC: First of all, we need to refrigerate produce at
about 40 degrees. When you get produce it's a good thing
to put it in the fridge or else it's going to start losing vitamin
content. A lot of people say, "I can't get fresh vegetables,"
so I say, get the frozen vegetables. It's best to freeze
those below zero degrees because you have much less
nutrient loss, rather than putting them in the fridge. On the
other hand, if you freeze meats, it can destroy about 50%
or more of the vital B-vitamins. Again, freezing is good
with vegetables but, not so great for meats.

Another thing that's important, especially with fruits
and vegetables, is the effect that cutting and storing
has on these foods. When you start cutting up fruits
and vegetables you start losing vitamin content. It's
just like when you cut an apple. Within a few minutes
that apple slice will turn brown. Well, what's happening
is that its losing vitamin-C, B-vitamins and many of its
fat soluble properties. So I always tell people not to
slice their produce until they are ready to eat it.


AB: You've said, that some of today's most popular foods are addictive in nature. Are there specific ingredients or substances found in these products contributing to our dependency?

DC: Absolutely! A high glycemic index causes you to eat
a lot of these foods. It spikes your insulin level and then
a few hours later your blood sugar crashes. Your appetite
becomes ravenous. You want to eat more and more of high
glycemic foods to raise your blood sugar rapidly because
your brain runs on sugar. Literally, eating these processed
foods on a regular basis unleashes an untamable appetite.
Another thing they do in processed foods is add MSG (monosodium glutamate), which is a chemical additive.
It's a flavor enhancer to many of the processed foods like soups, chicken strips, snack foods, crackers and croutons.

MSG causes your pancreas to secrete more insulin,
which causes your blood sugar to drop and makes you
real hungry. So, they're giving you a one-two punch. It's
high glycemic, making you hungry then adding MSG which
also makes you hungry. MSG is toxic to the brain. If you take too much of this, it causes what we call, excitotoxi-
city which causes memory loss. So again, these snack foods are very dangerous and these ingredients can be extremely addictive to many people.


AB: Could you suggest three great tips for eating
healthier when dining out?

DC: First of all, I tell people to quit drinking themselves
fat. When a waiter comes to your table to take your bev-
erage order, choose either unsweetened tea, water or
sparkling water with lemon or lime added to it. By doing
this you can save a tremendous amount of calories.

The second thing is skipping the bread. People eat a tremendous amount of calories by eating the bread and
butter. That's just processed food. The body sees it just
like eating sugar, you might as well be eating sugar out
of a bowl. So when I dine out, I always tell them to hold
the bread.

Another smart strategy is to order non-cream based
soups. Bean and vegetable soups are especially filling. You're much less likely to overeat when you eat a soup.
And last but not least skipping desert or just ordering
fruits like berries is a smarter choice. They're filling, low
glycemic and high in fiber. They get you full and many
times will satisfy a sweet tooth.

One more thing to remember is that most restaurant's portions are big enough for two people. If a husband
and wife go to a restaurant and split the entree and order
some extra vegetables, it will be one of the best things
they can do in preventing overeating. Eat slowly; chew
every bite thirty times; enjoy the meal; chat and make
the conversation pleasant. As a result the dinner will be more enjoyable, you will not feel stuffed or full to over-
flowing but, satisfied. And afterwards, you will sleep
better, and avoid getting that old heartburn indigestion
from eating too much—typically.

To learn more please visit www.drcolbert.com.

A. Belletty

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