Food
Eating Plans
"You are what you eat." That phrase has been around so long that few people take the time to really consider its meaning. Food is our most intimate contact with our environment. Each day we take matter from ourside our body and ingest it. This matter then transforms as a result of millions of cellular processes to become a part of our body. The process is nothing short of miracualous.
Food is as potent as many drugs because its impact on our health is dramatic. If you eat food that is highly processed or contaminated with poisonous chemicals, you can become extremely ill. However, if you eat foods that are fresh and natural, you can create a healthy environment where your body will thrive.
Unfortunately, our culture has become more and more dependent on processed, fast foods. These foods have contributed to our current crisis of chronic disease. When you combine bad food with a sedentary lifestyle, you create a lethal combination.
If we consume drugs or alcohol, or we smoke cigarettes, we expect that our health will be adversely affected. But, if we regularly comsume sugary drinks and eat processed foods, we are surprised that our bodies get sick. Our bodies have evolved over millions of years and for all but the last couple of generations, we ate nothing buy whole foods. Our bodies were designed to function and thrive on the foods that we find in nature. When we consume processed foods with unnaturally high amounts of sugar, processed flour and processed oils, our bodies react as is we are consuming poison.
Most chronic diseases are a result of a hyper-active immune system that is constantly responding to the poisons we put into our bodies. Inflammation is a natural immune response. However, when inflammation becomes chronic, it leads to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and neuroligical disorders. Even conditions like depression can be linked to an over active immune system and chronic inflammation.
The first step to healing your body is committing to a whole food diet. That doesn't mean you need to give up all of your favorite foods. Often, it is possible to find healthy alternatives to many of todays processed foods. Plus, if most of your diet is made up of whole foods, an occasional cheat won't be a problem. It's only when the majority of your diet is comprised of junk that you need to be concerned.
