07.28.09

Eat To Live!

There seems to be a trend creeping across America – and the blog world is no exception – towards alternative styles of eating. “Diets,” if you will. Rather than cutting out carbs or fat like folks did in the last millennium, diets these days are a little more sophisticated. Trends of veganism and vegetarianism are in full force, raw foodists are gaining popularity, some are cutting out whole grains and others have banished any form of sugar from their kitchens. Sure, these diets are very healthy, and many follow them for moral reasons or personal digestive tract solutions. Everyone has a right to eat whatever and however they want, and I’m not here to criticize any of these diets.

But to those of you who feel a little confused by all of the trends: relax! You don’t have to be so restrictive to live a healthy life. There seems to be a fear sweeping the healthy crowd that if we don’t eat 100% nutrient dense nutritious foods all of the time, that we will not be healthy. Our hair and nails won’t be as strong. Our arteries will suddenly clog. We won’t glow.

But our bodies are not going to deteriorate if every single food we put in our mouths isn’t super healthy. If you eat a donut or French fries or a Coca-Cola, you are not going to do destroy your body. High fat and sugary foods are often treated as single-dose poison, but is the cumulative effect of the high-fat, high-sugar foods that is harmful, especially in combination with lack of exercise and an overall unhealthy diet lacking in fresh produce.

What used to be normal food – meat, dairy, whole grains, fruit, and cooked food for that matter – is now viewed as “bad” as people shun entire food groups. Human beings have been eating all kinds of foods for eons, and those who stay active and eat real food in proper proportions are living longer than humans ever have. Despite the obesity crisis, life expectancy in this millennium is double what it was just a few decades ago. There are plenty of centenarians who eat meat, drink wine, and enjoy dessert on a regular basis.

I personally believe that our species would not be here if we hadn’t been able to eat the variety of foods that we do – including dairy products and animal meat. Our ancestors who traveled from sunny Africa to Europe would have died out without vitamin D supplementation from diary, and they evolved to digest it. Vitamin B12 is only naturally present in animal products and we require it to live. But an argument for the consumption of animals is another loaded article, and clearly there are many factors other than nutrition affecting the choice to not eat meat.

Rather than focusing on what you shouldn’t eat, I proclaim that we focus on what we should be eating. The book SuperFoods, Health Style was life changing for me as I read study after study of the benefits of the world’s superfoods, which hail from all food groups, are raw and cooked, and come from plants and animals.

What’s so great about yogurt? Probiotics, calcium, a great source of digestible complete protein.

Why should we all enjoy daily blueberries? For their antioxidant phytonutrients and protection against degenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Why should we all be eating [preferably organic] turkey? Lean protein coupled with niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc.

I think wild salmon can speak for itself :)

These foods all have been shown to make us healthier, and a diet without them would be a missed opportunity. Make your daily goal simply to enjoy as many superfoods as possible, and maybe even a slice of layer cake if you so desire. Good nutrition nourishes the heart and the soul.

Posted by Kath Younger
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