Fueling Your Cells with Food: A Naturopathic Perspective


By Ashley Burkman, ND


the Wahls Protocol which is a diet therapy that is geared toward optimizing the health of your cells, particularly the mitochondria, or batteries, of your cells. Let’s talk about the reasons for including or eliminating certain food choices and how to imple- ment change for lasting health benefi ts.


F Cellular Health 101


As mentioned, we want to eat to fuel our cells, particularly our mitochon- dria. Mitochondria are quite literally the batteries of each of the cells in our body. Interesting facts about these little power- houses include:


• every cell in the body contains a mitochondria with the exception of red blood cells


• you obtain your mitochondria only from your mother


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ood is medicine and what we fuel our bodies with determines how our body runs. I recently became certifi ed in


• one cell can have as little as one to up to over a thousand mitochondria per cell


Why pay so much attention to these


little guys? For starters, it is thought that the “fountain of youth” is found in the health of one’s mitochondria. When we burn out our resources, we starve these energy generators, which in turn has ill effect on our organ systems and the way we feel overall. From cardiovascular disease to mood disorders to neurological disorders, all are thought to have roots in the health of your mitochondria.


How to Preserve the Powerhouses


First, we need to reduce the load we place on them. Through diet we can eliminate foods that promote infl ammation, including overindulging on sugar, alcohol, highly processed foods and intolerant foods.


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Next, we want to help promote the ability to detoxify and function. Mito- chondria require nutri- ents including CoQ10, B vitamins, magnesium, anti-oxidants, sulfur and more. Where can we attain these? Supplements are one way, but food is the most important way.


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Foods that Support the Mitochondria


• 3 cups (about one heap- ing plateful) of leafy green vegetables, such as kale, collards, chard, spinach or lettuce, which provide vitamins A, B, C and K.


• 3 cups of sulfur-rich vegetables, such as cab- bage, broccoli, caulifl ower, onions, garlic, mushrooms and asparagus. These sup-


port detoxifi cation in the body thus reducing stress on the mitochondria.


• 3 cups of colorful vegetables and fruits (ideally picking 3 different colors each day), due to their rich antioxidant content. The rule is they need to be colored all the way through so apples and bananas don't count as colored, but berries, peaches, citrus, beets and carrots do. You can still have an apple or banana if you would like, however, you need to obtain your 3 cups of color requirement fi rst.


Foods to Avoid


Beyond this, you want to consider foods that might not be serving you. By this I mean a food is causing more stress in the body than good, like sugar. There is no daily allotment of sugar I would want you to aim for in the day, therefore, eliminating added sugars is priority. Check labels on products like almond butter and dairy free milk alternatives like coconut milk as these can be hidden sources of sugars.


Dr. Wahls recommends in her fi rst phase of her diet protocol to consider eliminating dairy, gluten/wheat and eggs as these are the top 3 foods that can cause the body additional stress. You may fi nd you feel more mentally clear, have more energy, your pain reduces, and your bowels regulate. The number one ques- tion I get asked is how long to follow this plan. While this changes from person to person, the idea that incorporating more vegetables and fruits in this way should be a lifestyle change not a temporary change. Elimination of entire food groups like dairy, wheat, and eggs might not necessarily be a permanent change. You may fi nd you can tolerate very small quantities of these items, however, after an elimination and rein- troduction you will know the, “price you


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