by, Danielle Stein
Today, in Western cultures, we have become extremely disconnected from where our food comes from. Unfortunately, that is a fact and it is literally making people sick- for the long haul.
What’s worse is that this is the first time in history children are expected to live shorter lives than their parents.
As a society we have stopped asking the most basic question.
Where is our food coming from?
How is this not a concern for us? It seems that many people have forgotten that our bodies need proper nourishment to function adequately, and many people seem to completely disregard what they put in it.
As Mimi Kirk said, People take better care of their cars than their bodies, and she’s right.
Processed foods (or dead foods which have zero nutrition) are a major part of the diet today. Processed foods can simply be defined as any food that comes in a box, can or some kind of packaging. They contain ingredients that are not only too hard to actually pronounce, but generally no one knows what they actually are. They have zero nutritional value (your body has no idea what to do with them because of the artificial ingredients and therefore they usually get stored as fat), too many calories for their content and additives which are toxic to the human body. How scary is that?! Meat, sugar and dairy are consumed like they are going out of style (you can read more about the dangers of sugar & artificial sweetener in my previous article here).
Honestly, unless the meat and dairy we are consuming comes straight from the farm, organic and grass-fed they are not any better than the processed foods considering what is now added into them (we can get into this later).
The saying, ‘you are what you eat’ is not taken literally in today’s society but it should be. It could not be further from the truth.
Never thought about it? Don’t be too hard on yourself! I had not either up until a few years ago (read more about my Optimal Beauty journey here). The real problem here is people are simply not getting the information they need and deserve in order to live happy, healthy, disease-free lives. The food industry would have you believe that they have your best interest in mind, and why wouldn’t you want to believe that? Why shouldn’t you? Isn’t it the government’s job to protect us? Unfortunately, the food companies are run by very powerful people who care about one thing. You guessed it- money. The industries would have you believe that you will become beautiful, popular and happy if you buy their products, (Big Macs, Oreos, candy bars, soda, energy drinks, etc.) just as the models and actors/actresses appear to be in their advertisements. This is no accident. It is good advertising. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, I’m quite certain these products will make you feel absolutely dreadful and will take you further and further from the life you ultimately envision for yourself.
Did you know there is MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) and HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) in almost every processed food product on the market? Yes, even the “healthier” options. It doesn’t have to be a dessert to contain these ingredients. Granola bars, boxed cereal and food products that say “natural” and “whole grain” on the front are no exception. The food industry is very sneaky. Not to mention, these processed foods (anything found in wrapping/a box/can) are practically made of ALL artificial ingredients- making the product anything BUT food. Food is supposed to nourish us. Instead, it is having the opposite effect. It is making people sick. Really, really sick. *Remember, when your body is hungry it wants nutrients, not calories.*
Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
–Michael Pollan
In further regard to meat…
Grocery stores sell meat (and this goes for all meat- poultry included) that is labeled as, “Foster Farms”, or other names which would lead us to believe that there are hundreds of farms providing our meat. Right? Wrong. The truth is they aren’t actually coming from a farm at all. They are produced in major factories where they feed the animals food that is filled with antibiotics and even GMO’s (which can cause a variety if diseases).
For example, cows are fed corn. Genetically modified corn to be specific. Cows are supposed to eat grass right? That’s what they have been eating since the beginning of time. Why on earth would someone give them corn? It doesn’t make any sense. The cows get sick from this odd new food they are now being expected to live off of, as well as the tragic conditions that they are subjected to living in. For example, being forced to stand in their own manure. Pigs and chickens are subjected to the same cruel (and frankly unsafe for human consumption) treatment. When the animals are sick they are still shipped off to be sold and consumed by the next victim customer at the grocery store. The GMO’s and antibiotics are digested into the animals and therefore into our systems when we eat them.
The good news is…you do have control. You can choose local, organic meat…or even better- ditch the meat altogether! It’s better for the planet and your digestive tract (which is important for maintaining a healthy weight and looking much younger for much longer).
Factory farmed cows, above. Source.
VS.
Grass fed cows, above. Source.
It is time to get back to basics.
When you decide to put something into your precious body, make sure you have accurate information of where it has come from.
Better yet, completely skip the processed foods and choose local, organic food as often as possible! Stick with real, whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, whole grains and you will thrive. You only get one body, so treat it right. 🙂
The closer we are to nature, the better of we’ll be.
*Tip: Buying organic fruit and vegetables is extremely important in order to avoid toxic pesticides that can wreak serious havoc on your body. However, I know buying everything organic is not an option for everyone all the time. Therefore, a good rule of thumb is to evaluate which foods you eat 100% of. For instance, if you eat the peel (if you can you should as peels/skin contain so much nutritious value) buy organic, if not (like pineapple and lemon) you can get away with not. If you can’t buy what you need organic try filling the kitchen sink with water, adding 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and leave desired fruit and vegetables soaking in there for 20 min. This will help clean them more thoroughly.
You can refer to the list below as a way to determine which foods are most important to buy organic and which are not. And remember, meat and dairy should ALWAYS be organic and grass fed.
I also highly recommend these health documentaries:
- Food Inc.
- Food Matters
- Hungry For Change
- Forks Over Knives
If you are ready to deepen your relationship with beauty and wellness, I invite you to claim your complimentary Optimal Beauty Assessment!
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