(Excerpt from Chapter 26: Conquer Crisis with Health Esteem)

My mother says to me, "I ate all the wrong things all of my life and I'm 80 years old with no major health problems, so why should I have to be so careful now? And," she goes on self-righteously, "your grandmother was worse!" At first I found it hard to respond to my mom, because I would certainly like to eat all the things I grew up loving. With a little thought, however, I could give her four big reasons why we should be more conscious of the food we eat.

When we ignore the above nutritional laws and ignore the needs of our bodies, they get even. First, however, a body will send out all types of warning signals to avoid eventual disease manifestation. Dr. Nancy LaPidus defines all disease as "Physiology gone awry to an extreme extent." Usually, there are messengers sent out to help us avoid that worst possible outcome. Those messengers are often cravings to eat certain needed foods.

2) Considerable speculation and resultant research is ongoing concerning what over-population and over-planting is doing to the vitamin and mineral content of our soil. Some fear that the same foods we've been eating for years simply may not contain as many nutrients to properly fuel our bodies.

3) We know that the industrial civilization has released chemicals into our eco-system that can affect us in our households and may be harmful to our bodies. New theories and information surface daily on how to make the nutritional adjustments necessary to live healthy in our ever-changing world.

4) Stress! Life is definitely more stressful with every passing year as we approach the Millennium. Living with stress requires nourishment of both the mind and body.

A MAJOR STEP IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN HOW WE FEEL AND WHAT WE EAT.

The definition of nutrition is: "The process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and for replacement of tissues."

To understand your own body's nourishment cravings you must get to know your body's hunger, rest, exertion and stress cycles, and combine that with knowledge of what foods do in your body. Sounds like a big job doesn't it? Actually, you only have to do one thing -- PAY ATTENTION! Be present and observe what your body is feeling and, therefore, telling you. Don't be frightened or confused, simply be open to observation.

One way Nancy recommends to get back to the instinctual knowledge of our bodies is to keep a food diary. During the first week, concentrate on awareness. Simply write down what you eat normally. Don't change out of not wanting to admit bad eating habits. During weeks two and three, you might experiment with eating when you're hungry, and with selecting foods your body seems to be craving. You might also want to jot down in the diary margins how you are feeling, emotionally and physically, after eating your food choices during the course of the day. Simply be aware of when you eat, what you eat and why you are eating.

And so on for the 4th day, the 5th day, 6th day and the 7th day.

Simultaneously to keeping your Food Diary, you may want to keep a "Messenger" Diary . Note what time of day, during what circumstances and with what frequency you have some of the symptoms listed in this diary. Do any of the messengers connect with the types of foods you were eating prior to or at the same time of day or night? Do any of the Messengers relate to feelings you may be having at the time? Do you notice any emotional food cravings happening routinely? Once you become conscious of what you are putting in your system and how your system is reacting, you may have further questions about how to improve your nutritional routine. Don't hesitate to seek professional advice to maximize the most fundamental part of your health-esteem -- nutritional balance.

Becoming more aware of your body's messengers will eventually introduce you to what being healthy feels like. Nancy notes, "People today know they're not sick, meaning they're not laying in bed, incapable of going to work -- but they don't know that they're not well. It's a tragedy that a huge percentage of those with heart disease don't notice a problem until the first fatal symptom -- a heart attack. It's essential, when experiencing a symptom, to ask what that symptom is saying."

Sometimes people feel bad for so long -- tired, listless, grumpy -- that they start to feel it's natural. Many say, I don't want to spend so much time focusing on myself. Believe me, that's an indication of fearing what you may find.

Focus on yourself, ask what your symptoms are trying to tell you, face the issues revealed, and endure the emotions that may surface. Your reward will be the discovery that feeling good everyday is natural.

Ask Dr. Nancy

Dr. Nancy LaPidus is a holistic Chiropractor, nutritional consultant and trained Applied Kinesiologist. She has been in private practice for twelve years in the Beverly Hills/West Los Angeles area. In addition to her practice, she teaches nutrition classes to health care professionals as well as the lay community. She has also held the positions of Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-President of the Los Angeles Metro Chapter of the California Chiropractic Association. As a leading authority on the effects of stress and nutrition-related illness, Dr. LaPidus specializes in treating conditions such as fatigue, headaches, low blood sugar, anxiety, digestive problems, and allergies. Her personalized approach includes Activator Method and Applied Kinesiology chiropractic techniques, comprehensive blood panel analysis, food testing, individual nutritional programs, exercise and corrective breathing instruction to teach her patients how to cope with their unique health challenges.

If you have a nutrition question for Dr. Nancy LaPidus, send your e-mail here:

Due to high volume of responses/time constraints, we are unable to reply individually to every question. Answers to the most commonly asked questions will be posted on a regular basis. Please check back periodically.

Coming soon: Dr. Nancy's Nutrition Tip of the Month. Visit this page often for updates.

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