Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xiii
Part 1 What is Affecting Health Today? 1
Chapter 1 The True Definition of Health 3
The Importance of Diet 5
The Problems with Our Current Lifestyle Habits 9
More Media Means New Issues 17
Lack of Sleep 20
Dietary Imbalances 21
Our Environment Is No Longer Clean 39
Quality of Grown Food 41
We Can't Meet All Our Needs with Supplements 43
The Importance of Children's Health on Their Future 45
Chapter 2 Gastrointestinal Health is Essential to Survival 49
Probiotics in the Gastrointestinal Tract 50
The GI Tract Is Our First Immune System 51
The GI Tract's Role in Emotional Health 51
Chapter 3 Inflammation's Impact on Health 53
Predominant Illnesses in Our Society and throughout the World 53
Inflammations Influence on Illness and Health 58
Inflammation at the Cellular Level 59
Inflammation and Chronic Diseases 66
The Harm in Chronic Use of Anti-Inflammatory Medications 67
Chapter 4 The Importance of Blood Sugar 69
Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome 69
Glucose Problems in Nondiabetics 72
Diabetes 74
Diabetic Medications 82
Chapter 5 Blood Sugar and Its Relation to Inflammation 91
Current Diet Leads to Elevated Blood Sugar and Health Issues 91
Cooking Foods All Wrong 93
Chapter 6 Obesity 97
The Causes of Obesity 97
Chapter 7 The Hormone Symphony 101
Hypothalamus, the Director 102
Pituitary, the Mother 103
Thyroid, the Protector 104
Adrenal Glands, the Adaptors 112
Gonads, the Sex Glands 113
Pineal Gland, the Balancer 120
Vitamin D, the Immune Modulator 121
Chapter 8 Other Health Risks: Are You at Risk for Chronic Inflammations, Heart Disease, Cancer, or Diabetes? 123
Important Testing to Evaluate Your Risks 124
Red Flags 134
Statin Drugs-Should We Use Them? 136
Diabetes and Lipids and Increased Risk for Alzheimer's Disease 137
Current Lifestyle and Dietary Habits Age Us and Lead to Chronic Illness 139
Part 2 The Freedom Diet 141
Chapter 9 Changing Your Diet for Better Health 143
Paradigms of Medicine 143
You Really Are What You Eat 149
Foods to Include 153
Foods to Avoid 155
Chapter 10 Habits to Include 159
Sleep 160
Exercise 162
Mediation or Stress Relief 165
Nutrition for the Mind 166
Water Intake 171
Dietary Hygiene 173
Chapter 11 Habits to Avoid 177
Watching Television 177
Negative Thinking 178
Spending Time with Unhealthy People 178
Toxic Exposure 179
Self-Medicating with Substances 185
Overeating 186
Chart of Habits to Avoid and Include 189
Chapter 12 The Supplement Program 191
Breakfast or Lunch Supplements 191
Between Meals 191
Lunch or Dinner Supplements 191
Chapter 13 Getting Prepared in the Kitchen 193
Be Prepared and Don't Be Afraid 193
Navigating Food Choices 194
Food Items to Keep on Hand/Shopping List 197
Making Healthy Eating Easier 198
Measurement Conversions 201
Chapter 14 Sample Freedom Viet Recipes 203
Breakfast 305
Lunch 211
Dinner 219
Beverages 227
Snacks 232
Chapter 15 Beyond 30 Days 235
Foods to Try 235
Chapter 16 Troubleshooting the Diet 237
Medication Changes 237
Blood Sugar Still Too High 238
Blood Sugar Dipping Too Low 240
Not Eating Enough 240
Cravings 241
Eating Out 242
Afterword 245
Endnotes 247
Recommended Websites and Books 255
Index 263
