Be Open to Learning

I just read the most intriguing article which theorizes that most allergies and autoimmune diseases are caused by undigested food in the body. This food sludge builds up, decays and releases toxins into our systems. As our body tries to attack and destroy these "intruder" toxins it results in symptoms like inflammation, fatigue, stuffiness, headaches and can eventually lead to more serious diseases like cancer. The reason we have all this build-up of decaying food is that we no longer get enough enzymes and flora (good bacteria) in our food. It actually made a lot of sense to me.

When a person's diet consists mainly of Big Macs, pizza, french fries, soft drinks, potato chips and canned or packaged food they are getting ZERO enzymes (and close to zero nutrients) and flora. Enzymes are what break down foods and help us digest them. When that doesn't happen the food just sits there and, well, rots. We get enzymes from raw foods. Cooking food kills its enzymes. Some foods that are high in enzymes are bananas, avocadoes and mangos. There are also enzyme supplements available but, if you're eating a well-balanced, whole-food diet that includes raw vegetables and fruits you should be getting all of the enzymes you need.

Probiotic flora, or good bacteria get destroyed in our bodies by things like antibiotics, antacids, prescription and over-the-counter medications, pain relievers like Advil and Tylenol, white sugar, carbonated drinks and antihistamines. When this good bacteria is killed off, the bad bacteria multiplies - again resulting in many adverse health conditions.

I really believe that most of us don't really think about "how" our bodies work - we just assume that they will keep going, no matter what we put into them or how we abuse them. This holistic nutrition course I'm taking has really made me appreciate what a miraculous thing our body is and how it will function so much better if we put "real" food into it. If we take a moment to think about what we're eating and what we're putting in our grocery carts we will, hopefully, make better choices and take some steps toward better health. I hope that some of what I share with you each week will resonate and, perhaps, help you take control over things you CAN control.

Just knowing that fast food, processed food, canned food and man-made food basically has ZERO nutrition value has made me think about EACH AND EVERY meal I have during the day. I don't think any of us can change how we eat overnight but just by adding more fresh vegetables, fruits and wholesome foods and restricting those zero-nutrition foods so you're not eating them everyday will make a huge difference in improving your overall well-being.

And, even if you can't or don't ALWAYS eat health-smart foods consider adding a good-quality nutritional supplement. That's why I take my FrequenSea, Azul and Pulse 8 every day. (www.seawellness.myforevergreen.org/CAN_Products.html)
I feel so much better knowing that, no matter what, I'm getting the daily benefits of these "whole-food" supplements and giving my body the balanced nutrition it needs to have a fighting chance.

So, be open to learning about how your body works, what it needs to function properly and improve your health and what kinds of food have the best nutritional value and which ones have NO nutritional value. You'll be surprised how just being more aware will make you start to make better choices.