Every single thing you put in your mouth either fights potential disease or feeds it.
BAM.
That is a pretty life changing statement... well, at least to me it is. My view on food has changed drastically over the past few years. I thought that I used to "eat well"- I for the most part avoided junk food (although I ate my weight in taqueria burritos), don't have a sweet tooth, and ate kale and blueberries on occasion . Little did I know that even though I thought I was eating "well", my body was breaking down. Stomach aches, heartburn, gas, bowel "flow" issues- you have probably had them in your lifetime, perhaps more frequently then you would like. You may even know the foods that trigger these issues, but "it's all good, just pop a tums!". I am here to tell you that those symptoms are not good. Even on occasion. We all get food poisoning every once in awhile, or the stomach flu, but I am not talking about symptoms from those ills. I am talking about symptoms from crap food. Or symptoms from foods that your body just can't handle (lactose intolerance, anyone?) Our modern medicine system (or more on point, our modern pharmaceutical system) has a "cure" for every symptom, so that we can go on eating the shit that is making us feel like shit- just pop a pill afterwards and don't worry about how those chili fries are treating your insides! But here's the thing- gas, bloating, etc-those are all just SYMPTOMS, symptoms of something greater going on. Maybe a little heartburn is worth the taste explosion of joy that are those chili fries... but I would be willing to bet your stomach and intestines, if they could speak, would not agree with you. We know so much about inflammation, and how chronic inflammation is the root of most western disease (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc). A stomach ache, or diarrhea, or heartburn, creates inflammation in the body (well, it's a sort of chicken and egg situation really- inflammation caused by a substance creates the heartburn which creates more inflammation... but I won't get into the biochemistry behind all that). And over time, that inflammation adds up (like in my case, where inflammation caused leaky gut, triggering my Celiac Disease). For many people, all that inflammation results in a leaky gut, which we also know so much more information about now, and are finding that leaky gut contributes to/triggers a host of ills- Celiac disease, Diabetes, Heart disease, Cancer, ADD/ADHD, Austim... the list goes on and on. It's interesting to me that one of the newer ways to help deal with Austim for some children is implementing the GAPS diet, which removes almost all inflammatory foods (all processed foods, gluten, nightshades, egg whites, etc etc) and many people are seeing vast improvements in their children via this diet. Back to the point- yes, a stomach ache or a bout of heartburn here or there *won't* kill you (now), but over time the effects of those things do add up in the body. Everything in moderation may not be the way to go when it comes to putting crap in your body.
So on to a really, really easy way to deal with all that. I could create a list with all the things that contribute to inflammation (eating foods made with processed vegetable oils, GMO's, questionable meat made with pink slime, etc), but let's just keep it simple here. Most of this stuff can get really overwhelming really fast, and I think it's important to take easy steps first to change your health, so that you see results and can encourage yourself to continue. So here it is:
Stop eating processed crap.
That's it.
If it's "shelf stable" and has more then 2-3 ingredients (I'm not talking dried pasta here), don't eat it. If it's packaged and says anywhere on the label "vegetable oil/canola oil/soy anything" don't eat it. If it was made anywhere where you can get a burger for less then 5 dollars, don't eat it. If sugar is in the ingredients list and that seems weird to you (there does not need to be sugar in pasta sauce, that is ridiculous), don't eat it. A simple way of dealing with this in the grocery store is only shopping around the outer sides of it- fresh fruits and veggies, fresh quality dairy and meat, bulk grains and beans, etc. I shop this way- we have virtually no packaged food in our cupboards- only dried beans, a few flours and other baking ingredients, and spices and vinegars... I understand that not everyone has the time to cook home cooked meals every day. Of course you don't! But that doesn't mean you can't make better choices- maybe trade Taco Bell for a Taqueria where they grill real meat instead of weird "meat product". Maybe that means trading the crappy Lays potato chips for chips made with avocado oil or olive oil (or better yet, air pop some popcorn instead!). Switch to eating the clean fifteen and avoid the dirty dozen to get some more organically grown veggies and fruits in your diet (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php). Make burgers at home, where you can control the ingredients rather then going to Burger King. STOP DRINKING SODA (period). Little steps. Most importantly, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. When you get gas, or heartburn, or whatever symptom after eating a meal, listen. If eating a meal makes you feel heavy and crappy and bloated, listen. I did not listen to my body when I felt this way, and I continued to not listen until my body screamed at me to stop. Many of us think, "oh I don't have symptoms of IBS (or whatever issue) so I am not going to worry about it", but the effects of crap food are cumulative, and may add up to IBS (or something worse) for you at some point. Don't pop a tums and move on, ignoring what your body is telling you. Respect the gift of being alive by supporting your body's ability to CONTINUE BEING ALIVE. Strive to be well, rather then to be just "okay".
Just put down the processed crap. Your body will thank you for it, I promise.
Side note: I got an overwhelming response from my last post- so much love and support and "thank you I needed this right now!" was given about what I wrote, I was moved to (happy) tears by things that people had to say, in facebook messages, comments on the blog, and directly to me. I appreciate everyone's love and support so much, and hope to continue write things that you guys need and want to hear. Thanks so much!
We shop mostly from the outsides of the grocery stores and I often wonder what is hiding in those other aisles! But I definitely have some weaknesses: crackers (though you can find some with few ingredients), cereal (I can't digest oatmeal), ice cream (sometimes the lesser brand is just so good!), and raviolis that live in the freezer. But for the most part we make our own food from scratch and we like it that way. I thank our parents for teachings us as kids what real food is and that it's possible to make really simple meals that taste good. I am also very lucky that I have a husband that loves cooking and is good at it! And we, like most people, do indulge in the not-so-good for us things. Like you say though, I think it's so important to know your body and understand what is normal for you, when things are not normal, and what could be improved. For example, I used to drink the occasional diet coke, but the canned variety especially often made me feel weird afterwards. Could have been caffeine related, could have been the sweeteners, who knows, but I don't drink it anymore. I do, however, sometimes have root beer! Haha! It's on our list of things to try to make at home...and ginger beer too! Anyways, here's to good tasty food that does good things for your body.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, lady! We, like Justine and Paddy, try as much as we can to make all of our food. We only buy bulk beans, quinoa, and some other grains, and only shop at our local produce stands and farmers markets. It's actually cut DOWN on our expenses! We make large vats of awesome chilis, soups, and others for Brandon's work week and my school week. It's awesome. We also have an awesome cookbook called "Against the Grain". Awesome recipes and super easy! My mother used to say "everything in moderation." I use that with my occasional sweet tooth. I have found that if I don't completely restrict myself to an occasional scoop or two of natural ice cream, then I never crave it. Funny how that works. Lastly, Michael Pollen has written a few awesome books: Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Food Rules. One of his food "rules" is never eat anything with more than 5 ingredients in it. Another is never eat anything with an ingredient you can't pronounce. I incorporated these simple rules into my diet a couple of years ago and I'm down 10 lbs! I've also taught them to Brandon to help him when grocery shopping. One of Michael Pollen's quotes from In Defense of Food is: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Wise man!
ReplyDelete