The year I was moving out, I told my friend Becki, "I want to have a party with all my friends and have processed food -- not just processed food, but HIGHLY processed food." It was a knee-jerk reaction to growing up in a health nut kind of environment, and little did I know where I was headed.
I have long since wanted to be able to eat what other people are eating, and wondered why they could get away with it, and I couldn't. But the truth is -- no one gets away with it. I only notice it sooner because of not taking prescription drugs or using coffee.
The United States spends a great deal of money on health care, but in reality, it is "disease care," with little prevention involved. Does your doctor ask you: "What is your diet like?" Does your doctor ask you how much water you've been drinking? Do they try to prevent problems through a sustainable routine of maintenance? Or, is every visit like this: "What medications are you taking?" And you rattle off the list, and they say: "See you next month," or, they say "Try these."
Americans are becoming more and more dissatisfied with what their doctors are providing or not providing in the way of health care. Yet, as many people in my life who acknowledge that processed foods are harmful to their health, they do not make strong efforts to eat real food -- fruits, vegetables, nuts, unrefined grains.
More and more, every magazine you pick up gives the health benefits of including more vegetables and fruits in your diet. Naysayers immediately mention "What about getting enough protein?" But that's what nuts, grains, and legumes are for: the protein component of the diet. Protein is only one part of a balanced diet, however, and many other vitamins and minerals are essential for nutrition. Many Americans are deficient in basic minerals, and end up treating their vitamin and mineral deficiency with dangerous prescription medications. Some prescription medications can be lifesavers, but others can be life-threatening.
Diets that go back to nature (or close to it) include "The Mediterranean Diet", "The Hallelujah Diet, and "The Sonoma Diet". Followers of these diets typically enjoy much greater health and wellbeing than those who eat fast food, lots of sugar, and who eat out of packages. My personal diet would be what I call "The Body Communication Diet" - which is a way of saying that I observe what my body does after each food, and adjust my diet accordingly.
When I tell people that I cannot eat packaged food because my body does not tolerate it, they are amazed. They are also amazed that I must eat lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and legumes in order to be able to work. For all this time I have felt left out of culture, because of this fact. But now I am beginning to understand -- there is no one who is getting away with what they are doing. More and more people are getting diagnosed with fatal or chronic diseases. More and more people are diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
Each body ache and pain is the body's way of communicating that something is wrong and that something needs to be changed. However, we have gotten out of communication with our bodies, and instead, we assume it means we have a drug deficiency. Yes, drugs can save lives. But we need to realize the powerful control we have over our own health. It starts with taking a critical look at the preservatives, artificial colors, and the general lack of vitamins, minerals, and lack of life in packaged foods -- and saying "What is more logical than eating what grows from the earth?"
It does involve changing your taste buds and that's where many fall short. I, however, am not a wimp, and I will do what it takes to remain well enough to work full time. Even the best processed food available is not enough to maintain my health. If I have to eat naturally, that is what I have to do. Are you willing to start this journey too, for the rewards of vitality and wellbeing it can bring you? Are you willing to do what it takes? Are you willing to join me?
