The human genome only changes 1/10 of 1% every hundred thousand years. We are the same human beings as our ancestors, only with an Ipod in our hands. We have the same physiology and the same nutritional needs. Our food and our lifestyles, though, have changed dramatically.
Enriched, fortified, genetically engineered, and genetically modified foods and organisms are reaching our tables on a daily basis. I apologize if this sentence sounds like a chemistry class, but that is exactly the point. The people that manufacture food play with it like our children play with Diego and Dora, meanwhile munching on Pop Tarts to focus. They encourage us to do the same! Their food studies are usually performed on sick people when, of course, it is healthy people we should be studying! Food scientists must believe that nature makes mistakes when it comes to food. I say support local farmers and growers who respect the physiology of the animals and the plants they grow.
There shouldn’t be a battle between eating junk and eating healthily. It should be a universal goal to eat well because it helps us accomplish our dreams and enjoy life, all the while feeling vital. Good food helps us be better students and better citizens, which has been proven in Barbara Stitt’s Food and Behavior. Barbara, a former probation officer, witnessed first-hand the negative behavioral effects of poor food on probationers, then the amazing effects of improved food consumption by these same people. She says in her book that, “The American way of eating is precisely the sort of diet which will cause brain malfunction.”
Our body searches for nutrients, and when they are not present, we keep eating trying to find them—“can’t eat one syndrome” I call it. In Beating the Food Giants by Paul Stitt, this is described in depth. Children can devour a whole box of manufactured food while their brain looks for nutrients. Food with poor quality leaves you wanting more, and even worse, makes you sick!
In conclusion, I hope that you know now that food is your life—it is what makes you “you”. It contributes to your personality, behavior, cognitive processes, and it goes hand in hand with your presence.
Certified organic foods have been grown in a soil that has been free of toxicity for 3 years’ gestation. It is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers. Organic meat and eggs can only come from animals that have been fed organic feeds or grass. Be aware that today some “big box” stores have come up with their own certification programs without going through the certified organic process, and they use the term “organic” as a deceiving marketing tool. It is safer to support your local farmers!
3. Many crops today are from genetically modified seeds. These include: canola oil, corn, cottonseed oil, dairy products, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, soybean oil, squash, and tomatoes.
4. The term “natural” does not mean “healthy”. Mercury and alcohol and natural, yet toxic. Be alert!
5. Avoid soda, which is just sugar water. It has been shown that 1 spoon of granulated processed sugar will suppress the immune system for 4 hours.
6. Avoid processed juices, which are liquid foods. Think how many oranges it would take to make one glass of juice—way too much sugar in one serving. Protect the pancreas of your little one by squeezing your own juice and serving it immediately to your child if you find they benefit from it.
7. Look for BPA and odor free bottles. These containers protect your food and drinks from xenoestrogens (melted plastics) , which can be released into your food and cause hormonal disruption. Stainless steel bottles are a good choice, too.
8. Choose free-range, grass-fed organic meats. There are good suppliers of meat at the farmer’s market in Austin and now at Sassy Pea Market.
9. Support local organic or biodynamic farmers by buying their produce.
10. Don’t wait until you are sick to switch to organic foods. Look after your body by eating the best quality foods possible, and your body will look after you.
11. Look carefully at the funding and validity of research studies. Ask yourself who benefits from the study or if it is conducted by impartial parties.
Wellness Coach
Advanced Exercise Kinesiologist
http://www.diofitness.com/
512.820.9112
Chek, Paul. “You Are What You Eat” Audio Series, 2003.
Stitt, Paul. Beating the Food Giants, 1982—also available as an ebook.
Stitt, Barbara. Food and Behavior: A Natural Connection.