The most up to date collection of scientifically based health facts.
Includes simple to understand definitions and complete references


 

Wake Up! What Are You Eating?
By K. Taylor, L.S.E. & E. Gausepohl

 

Six Nutritional Myths That Are Cheating Your Health:
 
• Eating a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet is healthy.
 
• You get all the nutrients you need from the food you eat.
 
• Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are better for you than saturated fat.
 
• Fish oil is a good source of Omega 3.
 
• You should eat six small meals a day.
 
• Dietary fat is converted to body fat and contributes to heart disease.
 
It’s far too easy to be misled when it comes to health and nutrition. There have been numerous opinions circulating over the years, taken for fact and followed religiously, sometimes to the detriment of the follower’s health. Somewhere in this melee of information, the true science of the body has been buried under ideas that sound good but have no basis in scientific fact. Finally, researchers and authorities in science and medicine are speaking out, increasing awareness of how harmful many of the misconceptions about nutrition have been.
 
Nutritional advise has led us down a path that is potentially dangerous by drastically reducing or entirely removing foods from our diet that are essential for our health. Because of the rush to lower cholesterol and fat in our diet, animal-based protein and natural fats have been replaced by highly processed protein and fat substitutes. These foods are not natural. They have been altered from their natural state. For instance soy, which we are led to believe is practically a "miracle" food, has never been approved for human consumption (soy has yet to achieve G.R.A.S. status – Generally Recognized As Safe). The only approval soy has received is as a binder for cardboard boxes.
 
Animal-based protein and natural fats are vitally important nutrients that support body structure (dietary fat does not go to body fat). Protein and natural fat are the building blocks for our body’s regenerative processes.They also provide energy and satisfy the appetite.  Think back to the last time you ate eggs and sausage for breakfast.  Remember how satisfied you were for 4-6 hours afterwards, compared to eating a bowl of cereal, which left you feeling hungry in less than 2 hours?
 
Natural fat and protein are the preferred fuel for our bodies. Reducing these vital nutrients has created the need to replace them in our diets, not only with highly processed protein and fat substitutes, but an increasing amount of carbohydrate based foods. Carbohydrates have been advertised as healthy, but what exactly is a carbohydrate?
 
Carbohydrate is just a fancy name for sugar. Many foods that aren’t sweet are converted to glucose (sugar) by the body. Our bodies don’t know the difference between the sugar from a plain bagel and the sugar in a candy bar. Many of us unknowingly consume the equivalent of 60 teaspoons of sugar in one day. This includes sugar in foods like pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, bread, and other carbohydrates. This number may not include sugar consumed when snacking. Our bodies keep approximately one teaspoon of glucose in our bloodstream. All excess glucose is stored as body fat unless immediately used for energy. There is no mechanism in the body for storing dietary fat as body fat, only sugar. When we use carbohydrates for energy, we don’t burn body fat, we store it instead.
 
If you were asked: What is the most important nutrient for the body? What would be your reply? Most people would say vitamins, but when it comes to achieving great health the most important nutrients are Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) “parent” omega 3 and “parent” omega 6. EFAs are essential because the body cannot make them, they must come from our diet. Foods in their natural unaltered form are loaded with these oils, but in most modern foods (even fresh fruits and vegetables), EFAs have either been altered into dangerous hydrogenated oils and Trans fats, or removed altogether.
 
EFAs are vital for healthy brain function, circulation, nerve function, cellular health, hormonal balance, and much more. Without EFAs, the likelihood of developing degenerative diseases increases. Half of every cell in the body is made of EFAs. When we don’t get EFAs in our diet, our body will use what’s available (Trans fats) in their place. This makes for unhealthy cells, which can negatively affect our health.
 
Vitamins are most commonly promoted for their importance, but what isn’t discussed is the role of minerals. Without the proper balance of vitamins and minerals in their natural form neither nutrient will work properly or even be absorbed by the body. Modern growing methods and food processing not only destroy EFAs but also reduce the availability of essential minerals in our food. Mineral supplements that are truly chelated (tied to amino acids) are easily absorbed and used by the body.
 
Also consider the negative affects of pollution and toxins in our environment. These toxins get stored in excess body fat When we burn body fat for energy toxins are released and can make us feel unwell. Eating organically grown/raised foods is a good way to avoid these toxins. There are also herbal methods to cleanse the blood, which can greatly improve your energy and help you feel better.
 
We the public need to think for ourselves when it comes to maintaining our own health. Always second-guess any food that isn’t in its natural form. If it’s boxed and contains a nutrition label, most likely it’s very processed and should be avoided or at least minimized. These foods may taste fine and look pretty, but more often than not they contain little to no nutritional value.
 
We are what we eat. There is no getting around it. Taking a close look at your eating habits and making necessary adjustments can help you to achieve better health and possibly even avoid some health problems in the future.

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Nothing herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.