The roll diet plays in one’s health is an oddly overlooked connection. Food is one of the major essentials to sustain life, aside from water and air.
FOOD; it provides us with nutrients so our body can carry out necessary bodily functions. Without food, our body would not be able to complete its many daily functions, which includes the ability of our lungs to expand to take in air, our nervous system to work properly so we can lift a cup to our mouth to drink and our muscles to contract and relax properly so we can swallow. Nutrients (food) are the building blocks that allows us to carry out our daily tasks from going to work, to playing with our children, to laughing, to blinking without having to consciously do it, to enjoying the feeling of the sun on our skin on a nice day. Food allows us the enjoyment of all those experiences: It allows us to enjoy life.
But, that is the peculiar thing. It also has the ability to take all that away. For example, when you take a bite of a juicy, sweet, delicious melon you are feeding your body with Vit. A, C, K and Folate, it is a good source of potassium, magnesium and many other minerals. You see, your body is able to take all those nutrients and put them to good use allowing your body to function, as it should. To maintain proper muscle contraction, to fight off cancer, to ward off inflammation (arthritis anyone?). So often we get obsessed with how many carbs, protein and fat (macronutrients) are in something we completely forget that micronutrients are even more important! Now what if you took a bite of a melon flavored candy (skittles, jelly bean, mike and ike’s…take your pick). What does your body have to work with here? Nothing. Now, instead of eating nutrients that feed the body and improve health your body has to deal with man made chemicals to try and break them down, clean them out of the system and fight against it, all while cleaning up the damage it is doing to the body including spiking insulin. This goes for all types of foods.
We need to start looking past the general nutrition information and stop being only concerned about how big our hips are going to be if we eat this or that and how our “love handles” are getting a little more “lovely” than we would like and look at it on a deeper level. Stop being a victim to your rationalization. You will notice when your body is fed properly. Most cravings go by the wayside because it is getting the micronutrients it needs. It is not lacking in anything major, sending out a “red alert” to eat something /anything in a desperate attempt to get what it needs…It’s like a baby crying for something and you are giving it a toy when all it wants/needs is a nap. What are micronutrients? They are all the non caloric substances in foods such as vitamins and minerals.
Now is the time to stop letting yourself off the hook so easily, because I can guarantee you, your body isn’t. You might be able to get away with it for a while and think all is peachy keen but it will catch up. And then what? You can read this and choose to ignore it or you can choose to read this and take control. No longer be a victim of aches and pains due to your bad habits and stop blowing them off as if you have no control or that it is all genetics. We both know you do have control and most likely it isn’t genetics.
That is the great and redeeming thing about all of this. The body is forgiving and when treated properly will do everything in it’s power to hum along at 100%. But, when overloaded with unhealthy foods, what else can it do but try to dig itself out of a hole everyday…That is taxing and well “shoveling” gets tiring after a while. Perfection is not the goal but putting your best foot forward and taking ownership of your health and daily choices is necessary.
Take control now, buck up and do something about your health.