Why are making food choices so difficult in our modern society?
What does that have to do with pollutants?
Our food chain supply has become another polluted industry that is driven by capitalism and good marketing instead of sustainability and nontoxic food and is headed for a downward spiral that will take Americans into more disease and allergies. Processing food has been a common part of the equation of humans being successful as a species but, that was before you could add preservatives and additives. If you look back in our not so distant past you will see that just in the last 100 years food has changed rather quickly. Science has also been part of this change; to keep food fresher longer, crops to produce more, grow faster, and to be transportable.
Why is this a bad thing?
With humans evolving at a slower rate than the changes in our enviroment our bodies are being poisoned….yes thats right poisoned. People some times think that if our food was really poison than people would be dying every where at a faster rate(Look at our most prevalent diseases). The reality is most of the packaged food and modified foods that are not whole food are full of chemicals that your body does not know what to do with. This is adding to all sorts of disease process, sickness and expression of recessive gene traits; that is not able to be diagnosed with regular pathology because the symptoms do not match the cause .
There are many pollutants in our air, water, food, clothing and cosmetic products. Our bodies are doing their best to purge these carcinogenic pollutants. I advise getting an air-cleaner, water purifier, choose food that is whole and only use cosmetic products that have all natural ingredients, and choose clothing that is not toxic to start.
It has been proven that our food choices have been linked to rising rates of obesity, childhood and adult cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other health problems.
So now what do I do? First thing is to start with your food and really understand the basics. What are the macro nutrients our body needs? Carbohydrates, protein and fat. what kinds are there and what is their role in our body.
Carbohydrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate)are a favorite for most people. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. The glycemic index(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index)can help you determine which carbohydrates are simple (quickly broken down) and complex (which ones will break down at a slower rate) for more sustained energy.
Fat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid)has always been tricky to understand for most people. Most people think that fat is BAD but it actually is necessary for our bodies because most of our cells have a phospholipid layer that contains fat. You must first understand the different types of fat to make sure you get the health benefits. Knowing the difference between saturated, monounsaturated,polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids can help you make decisions about which ones to incorporate into you and your family’s diet.
Protein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein) can be a confusing factor in most peoples diet. How much do I need? What is the difference between the quality of the protein and how much to eat to satisfy your body’s needs.
RDA protein requirements are .83 x kg/body weight. example: if you weight 100 lbs 100/2.2=45.45 x RDA .83 = 37.72 daily intake of protein. Remember if you are active and or asking your body to perform at a higher level your body will need more.
The RDA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recommended_Dietary_Allowance#History) what does it mean?
Example: MacronutrientsRDA/AI is shown below for males and females aged 40–50 years.SubstanceAmount (males)Amount (females)Drinking water3.7 L/day2.7 L/dayCarbohydrates130 g/day130 g/dayBread,Beans,Potato,RiceProtein56 g/day46 g/dayCheese, Milk, Fish, Potato, soybean,Dietary_fiber38 g/day25 g/dayPeas, Soyabean, Wheat,Fat20–35% of caloriesOily fish, Walnut
Putting it all together I reccommend reading these next two books I am about to mention. These books on nutrition are really helpful to understand how to make diet changes realistic and sustainable. Check out these books! I promise it can help you and your family gain better health with the right education.http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/home.htmland
http://www.wholelifenutrition.net/ Check them out.
Well I hope that this information helps clear up some of the miss conceptions about your food choices. The more you educate your self with the right knowledge the better decisions you will make to help increase your health.If you have any questions about any of this information please contact me atwww.healthandexerciseprescriptions.comThank you for your time and energy…..Be well
Jaime HernandezHealth and exercise prescriptions