Health in a Bottle

I recently watched a movie called "Food Matters". I enjoyed it very much, and it caused me to think.  I would highly recommend it to everyone, and it is easily obtained through a Netflix account.

The movie talks about how we, as a society of people, are killing ourselves through our choices of foods. The old adage "you are what you eat" is brought painfully clear. To keep it simple, we have a tendency to eat trash. Yes, I said trash. What I am referring to is the typical western diet that consists primarily of high calorie/low nutrient content foods.

Trash foods are processed, consist of high levels of chemicals, contain refined carbohydrates (sugars and starches), and are high in saturated fats (fried foods, lard, butter, etc.)

Think logically for just a moment.

Man was not designed to subsist on such a diet. Period.  Think of early man (Adam and Eve for those that believe in God, or evolutionary predecessors for those that are atheists). What do you think they ate? Corn flakes, Big Macs, Fries, soft drinks?  How about chicken-fried stake?  I know, it was probably cookies, cakes, and doughnuts.

Yes, I am being sarcastic. But the point of the matter is that your body and mine were not designed for the foods/fuels that we now feed them. So, what did early man eat?  How about plants, nuts, seeds, fruits, fish, and other forms of meats that could be caught and killed.  We would typically call our ancestors hunters and gatherers, and I don't mean the kind that hunt down the nearest In-and-out Hamburger joint for a double-double, fries, and drink.

The processed, carbohydrate, and fat heavy diet that we now eat is far from healthy, and it is killing us.  This type of diet causes the most common killers of mankind. Let me name a few: Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes.  This bad diet also contributes to the pain and inflammation of arthritis, fibromyalgia, muscle pain.  What about digestive diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, gastric reflux disease, and ulcers?

I like to call these diseases "diseases of choice". We choose to get them. We do this by eating garbage and avoiding exercise.  Once we have these diseases, we turn to medications (other man-made chemicals) with the promise of health.

Doesn't this sound absurd?  Foreign man-made chemicals (bad foods) cause our diseases, and then we look for man-made chemical (medicines) to cure the diseases.  It might hurt you to finally hear this, but health is not found in a bottle of pills. It never was, and it never will be.  Health is found through healthy living habits, and the one that is violated over and over again is the human diet.

Here are some healthy ideas about foods:
1) Make at least 50% of all your foods raw. Please note that I said raw and not lightly steamed. This includes whole fruits, vegetables, plants, salads, etc.
2) Simplify your proteins. Eat broiled fish, skinless broiled chicken, turkey. Avoid processed meats like sausage, lunch meats, hot dogs, etc.  Other red meats can be used, but do so sparingly.
3) When in the supermarket, stay in the outside isles. Most of the processed foods are in the inner part of the stores.
4) Get rid of the creamy salad dressings!  Use olive oil based dressings. They contain essential fatty acids that are actually healthy for your heart!
5) Stop using rice, potatoes, breads, and pastas as the main dishes. In our western diet we use many of these as fillers. They are cheap, easily produced, and they fill us up. They are also simple sugars. They make our cholesterol go up, along with our weight.

Take a look at the food pyramid diagram above. It is for the Mediterranean Diet, and I believe that this is a healthy place to start, although I would recommend ONLY whole grains, and to avoid too many breads in general. For some, these suggestions will cause monumental changes to how you shop for and eat foods. For others, the changes will be less dramatic. Whatever the case may be, take steps in the right direction. Don't be discouraged if you fall off the healthy food bandwagon from time to time. Any changes you can make in the right direction can have positive benefits on your health.  When combined with chiropractic adjustments, holistic acupuncture, massage, and regular exercise, the results can be very dynamic.  You are responsible for your health, so make some healthy choices regarding food, and stop looking for health in a pill bottle.

--
Keith E. Biggs, DC

3617 E. Southern, Suite 8
Mesa, AZ  85206
www.eastmesachiropractor.com
biggschiropractic@gmail.com
Office:  480-985-3334
Cell:     480-375-0068