Good Food is Essential to Good Health
Autor Cristina Longhi
Assunto Corpo e MenteAtualizado em 01/06/2011 11:22:34
Whilst few people will argue with this idea, there are many different interpretations of what good food is.
Humans have also become very clever at separating out essential nutrients, naming them and then showing what a deficiency means. And then making synthetic copies and selling them as ‘healthy.
Whilst this understanding is clever, I consider it to be unnecessary. No, Im not a world authority on nutrition. I dont have a qualification on nutrition. However, I am an observer. And I always turn to nature for my answers. Man is too unreliable, with fads and fashions changing every year. Profit also plays an enormous part in what is recommended..
However, Nature is reliable and eternal. Natural laws never change. Nature has no profit, or ego, agenda.
I feel that all your nutrition should come from good food, following your evolution.
Humans are omnivores, evolving over millenia on a specific diet.
There are a few indications that can indicate what food is healthiest for humans.
The big apes are our closest cousins. Mostly they are vegetarian, but chimps will hunt occasionally. The emphasis is on occasional. Once a week or maybe once a month.
This idea is supported by human anatomy.
Human teeth are more like horses teeth (a herbivore), than cats teeth (a carnivore).
Human intestines are much longer than a cats, as plant fibre takes longer to process than does raw meat.
Both our teeth and our intestines show that humans are naturally at the herbivorous end of omnivores.
So a diet high in animal protein is not in our evolutionary experience and I suggest that it does not contribute to your good health. And Im not alone.
Another aspect is also important.
Wild animals only eat raw food. Cooking destroys essential nutrients and alters others.
By eating a diet that is high in plant foods (fruit and vegetables) and low in animal protein also complies with the 80/20 theory, put forward by Dr Baroody and many others. That is 80% alkaline forming food (as is plant food), 20% acid forming food (as is animal protein).
And by making at least 50% of the diet raw, means that you will be getting the enzymes and other nutrients essential to good digestion, as well as good health.
Diet is so important to natural good health, it can (and does) become a maintaining cause of ill health when it is high in:
- processed food (white sugar, flour, artificial ingredients including supplements)
- animal protein
- cooked food
It is also now known that pharmaceutical drugs cause acidity to the body.
People are often concerned about protein and calcium levels if they adopt a low animal protein diet.
There is much protein in plants. It is also far more easily digested and utilised than animal protein. How often have you heard people say, ‘the meat just sits in my stomach, like a heavy weight? However, you will need to eat more than you currently do. Not a massive amount, but perhaps a little more by weight than the meat.
Green leafy vegetables are high in calcium. Although they may measure as less than in milk products, it is more easily digested and utilised. Its not about the amount, its about how your body can absorb and use it.
If youre still unsure, look at how quickly a cow, or an antelope, grows. They grow from a baby to a full, very large adult in less than a year. And they only eat grass and other plant material. Yet they are active (protein) and have huge, strong bones (calcium).
Many athletes are turning to a raw, vegan diet with increased performance, rather than decreased.
Many drugs are what are known as "nutrient thieves". That is, they will rob your body of essential nutrients.
For example
- Antacids rob the body of the vitamins A, B complex and C, calcium and phosphorus.
- Antibiotics rob the body of the vitamin B complex and K, as well as friendly bacteria.
- Antihistamines rob the body of vitamin C.
- Aspirin robs the body of the vitamins A, B complex and C, calcium, potassium and iron.
- Oral contraceptives rob the body of vitamin B complex, C, D and E and magnesium.
- Diuretics cause a magnesium deficiency.
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Sou Terapeuta, Programadora Neurolinguista, Escritora e Comunicadora da Rádio Mundial. Atuo como terapeuta nas questões relacionadas a baixa estima, medos, ansiedades, traumas e questões relacionadas a relacionamentos no geral. Atendo adultos, adolescentes, casais e crianças. Autora do livro Anjos e Mentores, Lei da Atração para Crianças e outros. E-mail: [email protected] | Mais artigos. Saiba mais sobre você! Descubra sobre Corpo e Mente clicando aqui. |
