Nutrition isn't about a single "perfect" diet. Our nutritional program is shaped by a patient's individual needs. Every nutri-therapy and eating program varies from individual-to-individual, based on results of the Executive Health Evaluation.

Ancient Paths. The diet most synergistic with hormone therapy is reminiscent of our Paleolithic-era ancestors: high in nutrient-dense foods (fruits, vegetables, lean meats and essential fats) and low in refined, overly processed foods, fats and simple carbohydrates.

For thousands of years, human diet was simple: We ate what grew from the ground, fell from the trees, ran across our path or swam the waters.

Our digestive system's adaption to grains and dairy products took thousands more years.

Obviously, our bodies haven't caught up to the inundation of additives, chemically altered fat (trans-fat), preservatives, colorings, faux flavorings and copious sugar consumption, dominating modern diets. In fact, government research indicates that in 2002, Amercans sugar consumption averaged 170 pounds per person annually.

That's a far cry from our hunter-gatherer days, no wonder heart attacks, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, strokes, cancer, hypertension and gastrointestinal disorders are escalating.

The ball is in your court. You can greatly improve and even avoid medical conditions with deliciously nutritious dietary changes. The goals of the DHAI food plan are simple.

• Maximize results of your hormone therapy program: Your personalized food program will be designed to keep blood sugar and insulin levels low.
• Prevent illness: Toxins lead to diminished health, from the overuse of antibiotics and chemicals to dietary "poisons" and empty calories, such as saturated fats and trans-fats, refined flour, sugars, preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners.
• Revamping your diet to include nutrient-dense foods and removing chemicals can reclaim better heath. Appetizing phytonutrients (such as carotenoids, flavonoids, isoflavones, lignans, omega-3 fatty acids) can promote age management and help fight cancer.
• Boost your body's immune fuction: the immune system is nothing short of miraculous. With proper nutrients, it fends off colds, bacteria, viruses and even cancer without your knowing.

Your personalized food plan will center on eating a diet high in phytonutrients (natural disease resisters); essential fats (basic building blocks needed by every living cell and for prostaglandin productions); lean protein (critical for growth and energy, hormone, antibody, enzyme and tissue production plus acid alkali balance); and fiber (helpful in lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar levels and preventing obesity, constipation, colon cancer and hemorrhoids).