It may seem obvious, but many people don’t realize that their health is a product of their overall lifestyle. The choices we make in life have an effect on our health — an effect that could be positive or negative.

There are many negative lifestyles choices that we make. Some of these are small, some of them are more significant. Some of them are even things we do on a daily basis for years. But even if we know something that we do is having a negative effect on us, it can be difficult to break free from that pattern of behavior.

That is why it can be extremely beneficial to talk about lifestyle choices, and get advice on ways to eliminate negative elements from your life. We are happy to provide lifestyle advice to anyone who is wishing to improve their health.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about your own lifestyle choices, please contact us today. We’d be happy to speak with you and address any thoughts you might have.


Dr. Bonacci recommends a diet created by the nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated non-industrialized peoples determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price’s research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.

Sugar and Overeating

To avoid pain and disease, avoid excessive sugar consumption and overeating. Sugar promotes chronic inflammation and free radicals causing cell damage. Overeating causes stress to cell membranes causing insulin resistance, the cause of most chronic disease and cancer. Sugar should be less than 25 grams per day for an adult and less than 15 grams per day for children. Stop eating three hours before bed, allowing your body to fast overnight. Daily exercise lowers insulin levels to help avoid disease.

Dietary Guidelines

• Eat whole, unprocessed foods.
• Eat beef, lamb, game, organ meats, poultry and eggs from pasture-fed animals.
• Eat wild fish (not farm-raised), fish eggs and shellfish from unpolluted waters.
• Eat full-fat milk products from pasture-fed cows, preferably raw and/or fermented, such as raw milk, whole yogurt, kefir, cultured butter, full-fat raw cheeses and fresh and sour cream.
• Use animal fats, such as lard, tallow, egg yolks, cream and butter liberally.
• Use only traditional vegetable oils—extra virgin olive oil, expeller-expressed sesame oil, small amounts of expeller-expressed flax oil, and the tropical oils—coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
• Take cod liver oil regularly to provide at least 10,000 IU vitamin A and 1,000 IU vitamin D per day.
• Eat fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Use vegetables in salads and soups, or lightly steamed with butter.
• Use whole grains, legumes and nuts that have been prepared by soaking, sprouting or sour leavening to neutralize phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and other anti-nutrients.
• Include enzyme-rich lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments in your diet on a regular basis.
• Prepare homemade stocks from the bones of chicken, beef, lamb and fish and use liberally in soups, stews, gravies and sauces.
• Use filtered water for cooking and drinking.
• Use unrefined salt and a variety of herbs and spices for food interest and appetite stimulation.
• Make your own salad dressing using raw vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a small amount of expeller-expressed flax oil.
• Use traditional sweeteners in moderation, such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, date sugar, dehydrated cane sugar juice (sold as Rapadura) and stevia powder.
• Use only unpasteurized wine or beer in strict moderation with meals.
• Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel.
• Use only natural, food-based supplements.
• Get plenty of sleep, exercise and natural light.
• Think positive thoughts and practice forgiveness.

Dietary Dangers

• Do not eat commercially processed foods such as cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, soft drinks, packaged sauce mixes, etc. Read labels!
• Avoid all refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices.
• Avoid white flour, white flour products and white rice.
• Avoid all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils.
• Avoid all industrial polyunsaturated vegetable oils made from soy, corn, safflower, canola or cottonseed.
• Avoid foods cooked or fried in polyunsaturated oils or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
• Do not practice veganism. Animal products provide vital nutrients not found in plant foods.
• Avoid products containing protein powders as they usually contain carcinogens or damaged proteins formed during processing. Likewise, avoid lean meat, skinless poultry, reduced-fat milk and egg whites without the yolks. Consumption of protein without the cofactors occurring in animal fats can lead to deficiencies, especially of vitamin A.
• Avoid processed, pasteurized milk; do not consume ultrapasteurized milk products, lowfat milk, skim milk, powdered milk or imitation milk products.
• Avoid factory-farmed eggs, meats and fish.
• Avoid highly processed lunch meats and sausage.
• Avoid rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in granolas, quick rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals, as they block mineral absorption and cause intestinal distress.
• Avoid canned, sprayed, waxed and irradiated fruits and vegetables. Avoid genetically modified foods (found in most soy, canola and corn products).
• Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Most soups, sauce and broth mixes and most commercial condiments contain MSG, even if not indicated on the label.
• Minimize caffeine and related substances in coffee, tea and chocolate.
• Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum cookware or deodorants containing aluminum.
• Do not drink fluoridated water.
• Avoid synthetic vitamins and foods containing them.
• Avoid distilled liquors.
• Do not use a microwave oven.

Supplements and Superfoods

The following whole-food supplements and superfoods can be purchased through Dr. Bonacci or by going to www.arizonapainandposture.com and click on the link for “Natural Partners.” It is our opinion that most of our nutrition should come from our foods. However, due to mass farming in depleted soil, factory farming and GMOs, most of the foods we eat are lacking nutrients. Highquality supplements can fill in the gaps in a good diet. However, not all supplements are created equal!

Synthetic vitamins should be avoided. Take the time to locate natural, whole-food vitamins and supplements. Vitamins in food do not exist as single components, but as parts of a complex of compounds, each part contributing to the whole. For example, Vitamin D has 12 components that work together. Vitamin B has 17 components, present in different proportions in different foods. Vitamins produce optimal results in the presence of “cofactors” like trace minerals, enzymes and coenzymes, as well as other vitamins. Well-Informed nutritionists recognize the futility of attempting to provide all factors necessary to life in pill form. The importance of eating nutrientdense meals cannot be underestimated. The three main goals when eating are to get good nutrients to all the parts of the body, decrease inflammation and increase energy.

Digestive enzymes help breakdown protein, decrease inflammation and help injury recovery.

Bio Vegetarian: Immune System Support. Take 1-2 pills daily for preventive use as a multivitamin and immune booster. For use when sick, it is most effective to take at the first sign of feeling run-down, sore throat, fever or common cold. In this case, double the dosage for the duration of the illness. Available from Natural Partners.

Vitamin B Complex: B vitamins work as a team to promote healthy nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver, muscle tone and cardiovascular function. They prevent mental disorders, depression and anxiety. Sprouted grains are a whole-food source of B-vitamins.

Vitamin C: Excellent for treating illness, also repairs tissue growth, strengthens capillary walls, adrenal gland function, formation of collagen, healing of wounds, and antioxidant. Acerola powder is a whole-food form which is best absorbed and utilized by the body. Large doses of ascorbic acid can cause imbalances in the body, including loss of Vitamin P. Vitamin C works synergistically with Vitamin E. Vitamin C is destroyed by heat.

Vitamin D: Like Vitamin A, Vitamin D is needed for calcium and phosphorus absorption and thus essential for strong bones, healthy teeth and normal growth. Foods rich in Vitamin D are butterfat, eggs, liver, organ meats, marine oils, and seafood. Synthetic Vitamin D has been linked to hyperactivity, heart disease and allergies. The best supplement for Vitamin D is Cod Liver Oil.

Thyroid and Adrenal Support: Stress, caffeine and age can take a toll on your thyroid and adrenal glands. If you are having persistent low energy, you may want to have some basic blood work done to check on you thyroid and adrenal function.

Energy Support: (Available at Sprouts)
• Ginko Plus (ultra) — Endurance Formula
• Red Panax Ginseng — Extractum Ultra Strength

Sleep Support: Melatonin. Give your mind and body an hour to calm down before sleep. Do not eat for three hours before bedtime.


ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

Chronic low-grade inflammation in the body is a cause of disease and chronic pain. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet slows the process of aging, prevents disease, and propagates healing, relieving pain.

General Tips:
1. Aim for variety of colors; eat the rainbow
2. Include as much fresh, organic food as possible
3. Minimize processed food and fast food
4. Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables
5. Treats: choose red wine and dark chocolate

Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods
1. Green leafy vegetables
2. Bok choy
3. Celery
4. Beets
5. Broccoli
6. Blueberries and all berries
7. Pineapple
8. Salmon or other fatty fish like krill oil, anchovies, oysters, etc.
9. Bone broth
10. Walnuts
11. Chia seeds
12. Flax seeds
13. Turmeric/Curcumin
14. Ginger
15. Matcha green tea/other green tea
16. Fermented vegetables/cultured foods
17. Shitake mushrooms
18. Garlic
19. Vitamin D
20. Chili pepper
Top Inflammatory foods:
1. Processed food
2. Processed meat
3. Processed oils (vegetable, peanut, corn, canola, soy)
4. Processed salt (sodium)
5. Refined sugar
6. Refined carbs
7. Grains/gluten
8. Soy
9. Dairy
10. MSG
11. Artificial sweeteners
12. Artificial ingredients
13. Trans fats
14. Hydrogenated fats
15. Packaged cookies, crackers, chips, cereal
16. Alcohol
17. Grilled meats and high-heat cooking
18. Stress
19. Smoking



Patients often have difficulty following a supplement protocol because they don’t feel the effects on a day-to-day basis. Patients need to understand that adherence to your personalized protocols is critical to their long term health, so we created a video for you to share with them!

Dr. Holly Lucille, ND, RN, explains that, although we may not feel the immediate results of taking our supplements, they are still helping us maintain optimal levels for PREVENTATIVE CARE. Share this video with your patients to promote supplements education and improve patient adherence!

Click on the video to see sharing instructions.