Well I suppose you have guessed from my previous entry, that spirituality is number one to me. In terms of "wellness", if you are not on track with God, nothing else in your life can be on track either. That said, I have learned so much over the last few years about whole body wellness, and my conclusion is that We The People are committing suicide whether we realize it or not.
With the obesity in this country at an all time high of 60%, and for the first time in centuries this coming generation will not outlive their parents, with digestive disorders like IBS and Chrohn’s on the rise, there must be something we are doing to kill ourselves…
So I will forgo all the obvious things that all the experts tell you: Eat Healthier, Exercise, Eat Breakfast, etc. I would like to examine the "hidden" things in the foods we eat that the food comanies probably don’t want you to know about.
1: Corn Syrup:
Did you know that Corn Syrup is added to everything? No, really, I mean it. Read that bread label, that frozen dinner, that can of soup, take a closer look at your guacamole, your salad dressings, lunch meat, ketchup, ice cream, yes even that so-called healthy container of yogurt. Corn Syrup is definitely one of the number one contributing factors of obesity, and a sick digestive system.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/ chronicle/archive/2004/02/18/FDGS24VKMH1.DTL
Unlike other more natural sweeteners, studies have shown that Corn Syrup actually tells your body to produce fat, which is far worse then consuming fat, or complex sugars. And beware of that "Fat-Free" product; 9 times out of 10 the fat will be replaced with corn syrup, so it’s actually worse. www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/a2004-04-22-sugar.html
2: Growth Hormones In Beef:
Here’s a thought, cows are given hormones to grow fast and get fat, humans eat cows and drink cows milk= get fat. Hmmm, is there a connection here?
Not that we need place all the blame on McDonald’s, but the fast food boom beginning in the ’50’s definitely changed how America consumed and processed their food. With the demand for beef exploding, the way that beef was grown, processed, and raised, had to dramatically change in order to keep up with demand. Hence today’s problem with Bovine Growth Hormones, mad cow, ecoli, and the way the animals are raised (which is far too gross to mention here). www.complete-review.com/reviews/food/schlosse.htm
But I am just focussing on hormones right now, switching to organic milk and beef has changed my life. It is scary how girls as young as 8 are now reaching puberty, and obesity is so high in children, since they are being pumped full of "grow-fat hormones". Introducing hormones to your body is just a bad idea, even if you don’t blow up like a balloon, they will disrupt your natural hormonal balance, which could lead to all kinds of other health problems.
3: Citrates, Nitrates, Phosphates, and other additives:
Ok, so these are the things that we don’t pay too much attention to when we read a label, because after all they aren’t calories, right? What people don’t know is that when you pump your digestive system full of foreign, un-natural additives, sweeteners, preservatives, or the like, your body has to do something with them. Although many things can be called zero-calorie, they are not, your body simply cannot process those calories, hence rendering them a nutrative factor of zero. But, many of these additives are treated by your body in one of several ways; Slowing down the proper workings of the digestive system, Actually "mucking up" and sticking to the insides of the intestine, Or causing mild reactions that you are unaware of but are harmful; which all leads to slower metabolism- which leads to sluggishness and tiredness-which leads to weight gain, increased hunger, digestive disorders, cravings, lowered immunity, sickness, and on and on…
I know it sounds a little extreme and paranoid, but why do you think the general population has such poor overall health? And I don’t mean just text book sicknesses, but malaise, fogginess, lack of vitality. It all begins with your digestive system, because that is what supplies the nutrients and blood to the entire rest of the body. If we were as God intended, we wouldn’t need to be jacked up on caffeine and sugar just to make it through the day.
When the digestive track gets "clogged" from years of bad eating, medications, etc., it is not able to function to full capacity and make use of more wholesome foods like whole grains, fruits and veggies. That is why it starts to crave starches and sugars, because these, although bad for you, are easily digested and a "quick fix" for your system. You may get some instant energy, but in the long run these foods do nothing more then continue to contribute to the problem. Kind of like a person addicted to drugs, more of the drug makes them feel instantly better, but keeps them addicted. Now this is a touchy subject, so I will provide a link instead on how to restore your system. But please remember even herbs can be dangerous, and should be taken with much research, and great caution:
I find it heart breaking when I see such un-healthy children who are overweight, suffering from cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Kids should get to be kids without all this misery. But look at their diets; sugared cereals, pop tarts, hamburger helper, boxed dinners, chips, soda…. All high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar, and zero nutrition. When I have kids I won’t be a food hitler, but I will make sure that I feed them the foods God gave us to eat, and not something that has been processed to the point of being a non-food.
Wow, I have said so much, yet barely touched on the subject. And I have learned more then I have time to write. At least there are experts out there who haven already written it. Ours is to read and research, and do the best for our bodies that we can do. I think that God calls us to care for our temples as best we can.
Shopping resources:
Trader Joe’s Offers wholesome, pure foods at cheaper then grocery store prices.
Whole Foods Can be expensive, but if you know how to bargain shop, you can’t lose with this all-natural store.
PCC An all-natural farmer’s co-op
Larry’s Market Carry’s both regular food, and offers organics
QFC Has Organic section
Fred Meyer Has a really good organic section, and it’s expanding!
Costco Yes, Costco. The items are few and far between, but they are carrying more and more wholesome products, if you know how to hunt them down.
My Color Is Lyme 