Part 1: The Power of Gateway Foods
By Deb Martín, Holistic Health Educator
April, 2022
Photo by Bert Van Staeyen
Changing the foods we eat to be healthier can be hard…or NOT! It’s no surprise to our readers that a healthy and holistic lifestyle can shift and/or reverse most health conditions. However, what we humans know and what we feel inside can be very different. Sometimes that Change Mountain seems too high and hard to climb, or switching what we eat may seem too inconvenient. It might even feel like torture. And besides, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and other illnesses are all hazy future possibilities when we are not actively sick. Why do something difficult today?
But what if even one or two simple changes could have a HUGE affect in the quality of our lives? What if we soon begin liking foods that are good for us (which we previously could never imagine eating)? What if we feel so much better that we start becoming more physically active and engaging in more social activities or volunteering to help others? Gateway Foods are powerful tools to help any of us get to these positive experiences….to better health and a happier you!
Gateway Foods are special foods with unusual powers to help us change our minds…and our food choices. They actually make it considerably easier for us to adopt a healthier or more supportive diet. And, they change us internally and chemically in ways almost unimaginable! We become tooled for our own form of greatness, and the positive possibilities are endless.
In this first article of a two-part series, we’ll discover the power of Gateway Foods, how to recognize them, and common “uncommon” results you may expect.
CONTROLLING OUR PHYSICAL BODY: GENETIC EXPRESSION
Did you know that our food choices literally change the genetic expression of our cells? You may soon have less pain, better mental clarity, and even get rid of allergies to foods as well as seasonal allergies and allergies to pet dander! Fascinating and new scientific discoveries are revealing the mysteries of food as medicine, and last month’s article certainly exposed how it all works. Check out “How Natural, Whole Foods Deliver Medicines”. https://www.lotusblossomclinic.com/how-natural-whole-foods-deliver-medicines/
Let’s dive in today to answer these questions:
• What are Gateway Foods?
• How do they work?
• What can they help us solve?
GATEWAY FOOD CHARACTERISTICS
A Gateway is an opening…a doorway that you are invited to walk through and have an initial experience which, if pleasant, you’ll likely choose again and again. It can become a way of life.
Gateway Foods have unusual powers due to their composition. And they change us in many ways to Prefer a Healthier Diet. These are characteristics of a Gateway Food:
Change cravings and food choices.
These foods make chemical changes in our brains, affecting our moods in a positive way.
How? They change the makeup of our gut microbial population…literally causing us to choose foods that are good for our body, mind and spirit!
And how does that happen? The bacteria and other microbes in our guts “call” to be fed through a pathway connecting the gut and brain (the vagus nerve). By changing the types and number of bacteria populations in our guts, (supporting the “good” probiotics), our brain receives different messages about what foods the body craves!
Make no mistake about it, the “bad” microbes (bacteria, yeast or fungi) will not be happy: For example, if you are not feeding a too-large population of candida, this yeast in the gut will send FRANTIC messages to your brain to EAT SUGAR! Sugar feeds candida; vegetables and whole foods, don’t!
Imagine this: One day you notice yourself reaching for celery or an apple instead of a candy bar! That’s your gut bacteria “talking” to your brain. The Gateway Foods have changed your cravings and food choices!
Perform positive changes in the body, mind and spirit
When beginning to eat Gateway Foods, people experience physical and emotional improvements. These foods positively affect a wide spectrum of physiologic functions, including (but not limited to) energy, allergies and immune system, weight loss/management, pain reduction, a happier and more balanced mood, balanced blood sugar, improved blood circulation, and more mental acuity.
In addition, just notice—be aware. It’s likely that you’ll find your intuitive senses have come alive stronger than before. You will be in touch with/more aware of your body, mind and spirit in ways you may never have imagined!
Must be eaten routinely to be effective
Foods have phytochemicals (plant chemicals), and we now have instruments to identify and measure them with precision, e.g. beta carotene is found in carrots. There are thousands of these phytochemicals in foods.
Gateway Foods are best eaten regularly to help maintain the presence of their key phytochemicals in the body. Just like a prescription medicine, these plant chemicals have a timeframe of action in the body. With phytochemicals it’s typically 4-6 hours, with certain ones lasting 12 (e.g. glutathione) and a few 24 hours (e.g. limonin found in grapefruit).
Conclusion
By now, you may have certain foods in mind that are more powerful than others and could be Gateway Foods. In the second article we’ll cover some specific foods which are definitely powerful Gateways, and we will explore their unique properties.
Food as medicine is a foundational aspect of our natural medicine practice at Lotus Blossom Clinic. Give us a call to start…or refine your food journey. (239) 277-1399.
Related Article: How Natural, Whole Foods Deliver Medicines
May Food Be Your Medicine,
Dr. David and Deb Martin
Lotus Blossom Clinic
www.LotusBlossomClinic.com
239-277-1399
Serving the Greater Fort Myers area with Natural and Holistic Medicine, including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Science-backed Food as Medicine, Laser Therapy, Energy & Transformational Sessions…and Community Classes & Events both Virtual and In-Person!
Note:
We are not M.D’s, Nutritionists, or Dieticians. Vickie Gelardi and Deb Martín are certified in the Conquering Any Disease, a High-Phytochemical Food Healing System, and they work under Dr. David Martín’s directions with his patients, helping them incorporate his dietary guidelines into their lives to improve their health.