Island Nutrition Tips by Carol Somontacchi

Not getting enough sleep at night? Make sure your room is totally dark. Go to bed at the same time each night and only use your bed for sleeping or intimacy. Magnesium glycinate can be helpful, as are herbs like valerian, chamomile, and others. I love melatonin, even though I normally sleep very well. Sleeping deeply can help the body recover from stress or illness, and lower inflammation.

What types of protein are best? A mixture of protein provides the best nutrition for the body. I do not generally recommend a vegetarian diet because animal proteins provide nutrients that are difficult to get from vegetarian sources. But I also strongly recommend rotating your protein sources, so that you eat the same protein no more frequently than every four or five days. It is a little tricky at the beginning but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. This simple device can greatly reduce harmful reactions to foods.

Try to eat a lower glycemic index diet.  What does that mean? The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly foods are digested down into simple sugars and released into the blood stream. Quick releasers pose a metabolic challenge to the body and set you up for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.  Low glycemic foods include proteins, fats, green vegetables, and legumes. Focus heavily on these foods to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease triggered by metabolic syndrome.

Need some healthy vegetable ideas? Flavor cole slaw with fruit-only pineapple. Roast cauliflower until slightly brown. Roast a panful of root vegetables, seasoned with a sprinkle of olive oil and fresh herbs. Stir fry. Steam and season with a pinch of kosher or Celtic sea salt. Grate fresh beets, kohlrabi, or other root vegetables into your salad. Use goat feta cheese for flavor enhancer in your salads. Make a dense vegetable soup.

Is it hard to avoid “bad foods?” Not if you load up on “good foods.” Clients often report that cravings for sweets or other junkie foods virtually disappear when they nourish their bodies with whole, living food.  Want to experience the pleasure of whole foods? Wander through the fresh produce section of a really good supermarket. Can you feel the life in those foods? Eat live foods – and your desire for dead foods disappears.

What role does coffee play in a healthy diet? Coffee may be a legume (coffee beans?) but these beans pack a powerful punch in terms of caffeine. Coffee contains 300 toxic chemicals, only one of which is caffeine. Having said that, an occasional cup of coffee does not harm most people. If you eat living foods, get plenty of sleep, and drink enough water, you (unless you have health challenges) will awaken naturally in the morning with plenty of energy to start your day.

Clear as many chemicals out of your home as possible. If you can smell it, it is going directly into your brain. Think of that when you smell those toxic air fresheners, or get a whiff of someone’s perfume. You get a nice shine on windows with a little water and white vinegar. Clean your furniture with a damp cloth and a little natural oil. Is it really necessary to kill every living bacterium in your home?

I ask all my clients to schedule 30 minutes of “Carol time” or “Bill time” or “Sarah time.”  In other words, do something every day that you really enjoy – just for the sake of enjoyment and relaxation. Life is not an endurance contest. Every moment is to be savored and lived with pleasure.  Relaxation lowers your stress response.  We all live with too much stress, don’t we?

For more information, contact Carol at the Island Nutrition Center (472-4499)
As nationally renowned speaker and educator, Carol Simontacchi’s first professional love is nutrition science and counseling, and enjoys sharing her knowledge of the profession with audiences around the country. She is an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition for the Huntington College of Health Sciences, Knoxville, TN.
Island Nutrition Center, Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957
239-472-4499