I have been studying a nutritional coaching
course, and though I learned some Anatomy & Physiology in massage school,
some information in my current study materials are things I might not have ever
realized. This information I am about to give you has scientific backup and it
IS out there, readily available to the public. As Americans, (I can’t speak for
other countries), we are so deprived and uneducated on our own health and
well-being. We all know that the pharmaceutical companies and insurance
companies have something to do with it, along with the many food brand
companies and branches of government health organizations. They sure make up a
great team, don’t they? They have told us what to eat and what not to eat, as
well as inform us of a plethora of drugs that will make our lives better, even
if they come with a bucket-full of side effects. The ploy is to get you to
believe what the food companies want you to in order to buy their products. They
are another huge portion of the pot of crock we’ve been ‘fed’ (excuse the pun)
over the years, which is leading to the massive growth in complications like
obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and much more.
Once you read over these facts, some of which
you may know, I guarantee you will be shocked, or at least caught off guard by
what you haven’t been told. These will guide you to a better and healthier
eating style and away from current or potential plagues of the body. If you
want to lose weight, control your own cholesterol and rid of Diabetes, have a
healthier heart and overall well-being, deter cancer, and live longer- look no
further.
1. Dairy, unless 100% organic, is HORRIBLE
for you. It is told that milk is one of the best sources for Vitamin D,
Calcium, and Protein. But lets break it down first and look at how milk is
made. Do you know what really happens when milk products are pasteurized and
homogenized?
Pasteurized: The dictionary says it is
‘heated up to a high temp to kill microorganisms that may cause disease or
spoilage’. Whenever you heat food, the higher the temp, the more nutrients are
diminished. So not only is the bad stuff being cooked out, so is the good.
Heating the milk destroys all of the naturally occuring enzymes which help us
digest it. Without the enzymes, the milk can literally sit and ferment in our
digestive system and can lead to problems such as obesity, diabetes, and
lactose intolerance (the latter to be discussed more in depth). It was never
like this back in the day. You had milk straight from the cow. No harm done.
Why do you think they need to pasteurize milk now? Because of what the cows are
fed, which is usually meat, which can carry disease.
Homogenized: The dictionary says ‘to make
uniform or similar, to emulsify in order to distribute fat globules
equally’. This alters the way the fats are digested and absorbed, which
actually slows down the digestive process and does not absorbed properly. With the
lack of digestive enzymes and nutrients, it has limited options on where to go
and is stored as fat.
Furthermore, we all know that lactose is in
milk. What is lactose? It is a sugar they use in order to preserve the taste
and shelf life of milk products. Sure, we do get *some* dietary nutrients out
of it (D, Calcium, Protein), but not enough unless we drank A LOT. But the more
we have, the more sugar we are taking in as well. Lactose is a natural sugar,
but in combination with milk products, it leads to health dangers as already
suggested. Sugars digest and absorb quickly, but if they are mixed with heavy
foods such as proteins or starches, it will slow down the breakdown process of
the sugars and they will sit and ferment and later distributed as fat. Ew, right?
This is what causes Lactose sensitivities and intolerance.
Is low-fat or non-fat milk better for you?
NO! Bottom line is the less fat in milk, the
more lactose is added. We have been misled. No wonder those that struggle with
losing weight and trying their hardest end up frustrated by little to no
success by switching to low-fat or non-fat foods.
Ice cream and cheese are my weaknesses but
since I quit dairy 3 months ago, I’ve lost a couple of inches around the waist.
It’s so worth it! I am finding ways around it and actually my cravings for
sweets have calmed down so I don’t really crave ice cream anymore. I’ve tried
almond ice cream and coconut ice cream, as well as subbing with sorbet, and
they are great alternatives. With cheese, they do make almond milk cheese that
is very delicious and you could actually learn how to make it yourself!
2. Protein is not just found in dairy
products and meat. Great sources are found in Fish, Peas, Seeds (flax, chia,
pumpkin, hemp, mila, etc.), Quinoa (it is so versatile), and Almonds/Almond
Butter. *It has been found that beans lack a sufficient amount of protein, but
they do hold quite a bit of carbs and fiber. If you go for the beans, be sure
to rinse them in water before cooking to reduce flatulence and digestive
issues, which most people complain about.* These are the sources of protein
that are least harmful. Avoid peanuts, grains, sausage/bacon, hot dogs, fast
food meat, non-organic meats, luncheon meats, commercially-produced milk,
soy, and tofu.
Why avoid soy and tofu? Soy is mostly
genetically modified in the US, meaning the soybean is no longer whole and has
been synthetically altered in the process as well as sprayed with herbicide,
losing its beneficial qualities and containing harmful chemicals. Sad, right?
And we thought for the longest time that soy was better than regular milk. Soy
is also used in Tofu.
If you prefer dairy and/or meat, please consume
only cage-free, organically raised, and grass-fed to ensure high-quality
products. Great dairy substitutes are almond milk (my favorite) and coconut
milk.
3. Cholesterol is not bad! Say what???
Cholesterol is a natural substance created in the body and is needed for
numerous essential functions such as production of hormones, enzymes and
antibodies (the guys that fight the antigens or ‘bad stuff’). If you have high
cholesterol, that’s not a bad thing! It is because your body is trying to
repair tissue destruction. But there is such a thing as too much cholesterol
which can cause clogged arteries and plaque buildup. But this whole LDL (bad
cholesterol, led by low-density lipoprotein)/HDL (good cholesterol, led by high-density
lipoprotein) thing is exaggerated greatly and led by drug companies in order
for you to have another reason to pop a pill and let them gain profit. So if
you are taking medication for ‘high blood pressure’, there is no need. I was
perplexed when my mom told me she was taking medication to control her
cholesterol levels- it just didn’t make sense to me, as cholesterol is a
naturally-occurring and needed substance. The natural alternative and
completely safe method to regulate your cholesterol level is done through diet
and exercise. No need to be afraid of it, just take appropriate action!
& and might want to read this one as well
regarding the real cause of heart disease:
4. Carbohydrates = Sugars. Carbs are
needed to support health (mainly homeostasis and metabolism). It is, however, a
matter of what type of carbs are consumed that can disrupt homeostasis. The
obvious separation being carbs in whole, natural foods from carbs in refined,
processed foods. It also makes a world of difference knowing what foods do not
mix with carbs, such as those complex and rich in protein, such as steak or
fish. It takes about 30 minutes for carbs/sugars to digest, whereas with
complex foods it takes up to 2 hours to digest. Again, as I stated in the dairy
section, the carbs/sugars will be slowed down and begin to ferment if they have
nowhere to go. My advice- don’t drink a soda with a hamburger.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is in a sense not bad
for you. It’s the fructose that is the natural sugar. But the genetically
modified process using corn to create the syrup is bad for you. What is worse
is that HFCS is in almost everything. Bread, ketchup, and just about anything
processed. Luckily there are products out there that are free of HFCS. I had
switched from Heinz ketchup to Hunt’s, I could immediately tell the difference.
After a while of not having Heinz, I tried some at a restaurant and I couldn’t
handle it- it was so sweet!
The other mistake people make, which is usually
a ritual, is eating dessert right after dinner or eating sweets late at night.
Again, fermenting. Also, insulin kicks in and suppresses a very important
hormone, the Growth Hormone. This right here will be a major help to
those dealing with Diabetes.
Vegetables are BY FAR the BEST source of
carbohydrates. Follow the Glycemic
Index and avoid high glycemic foods. So the low-carb
diet is okay as long as you are following the above guidelines and know that
carbs are sugars.
5. There are fats and then there are fats.
Knowing the difference will make all of the difference. First of all,
EFA’s (Essential Fatty Acids) are good for you. These are found mainly in fish,
nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil. EFA’s actually help with things like
reducing inflammation, balance mood/behavior, and assist in cellular signaling.
And here’s the rest of the breakdown:
Saturated Fats= Bad (Trans Fat)
Mon-Unsaturated Fats= Good
Poly-Unsaturated Fats= Good
Hydrogenated or Partially-Hydrogenated Fats=
Bad (Trans Fat)
6. The way you cook vegetables, meats, and fats is very
important. Of course we have been told to cook meats enough to kill bad
bacteria. We will refer back to the Protein section. If you buy fully organic,
grass-fed meat and you KNOW where it came from, you need not worry about bad
bacteria….to an extent. It is a lot safer than most packaged meat out there.
But, when cooking any nutrient-rich foods, you are cooking down the nutrients.
It is best to cook it as lightly as you can tolerate (especially meat). Medium
Rare is a perfect medium for meats. With vegetables, it is recommended to
blanch or steam them. This will keep most of the enzymes which will help break
down the nutrients.
7. Water is essential, but there
are a couple of additions I want to tack on here. First of all, to know exactly
how much water you should drink personally, the amount should be a 1/2 oz to 1
oz to each pound of body weight. If you are more active and exercise, it needs
to be increased by doubling the regular intake per 20 minutes of activity. Also,
drinking water with food will actually slow the enzyme breakdown process. It is
ok to drink up to 6 oz of water with a meal, but any more than that can disrupt
the digestive flow.
There you have it. I hope that you will have
taken some valuable information out of this and know that you can change your
health simply by changing the way you eat and exercising regularly.
transferred- original post date 10/10/2014
