A Healthy Diet Will Lead to a Healthier You

*Based on what I have recently learned (over the past 6mo or so) regarding grain consumption within modern day factory or industrial farming societies, and its adverse effects on human health ultimately leading to many of the illnesses and diseases affecting Americans in epic proportions, I have changed my stance on the importance of such monocrops (grains and legumes) within a healthy human diet. The human digestive system was not designed nor has it evolved to a point to effectively digest such foods like grains and legumes without the body suffering from its harmful side effects; inflammation and damage to the gut. Since evidence shows inefficient digestion and inflammation are the root cause for nearly all human diseases be it heart disease, diabetes, cancer, crohn's disease, autoimmune diseases, and chronic inflammatory disorders in all its forms, a healthy diet should promote a healthy gut (fermented foods) and be anti-inflammatory based (grass-fed meats and eggs, wild caught fish, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds) instead of high in foods promoting inflammation such as grains, legumes, and factory farmed meats, poultry, fish, and eggs.

Food allergies can cause so many problems to those who have been unfortunate enough to develop them, not to mention their loved ones. When I became aware of my food allergies (Dairy and Soy) I was single, so my panic and misery was my own. I have since married, which unintentionally has put dealing with these health conditions front and center on someone else’s plate. You can look at it as a burden you both must bear, or use the added support as motivation to move forward. The patience and will to overcome must be great in order to do the detective work required by some of these allergies, but much good can come from so much misery. My allergies among other things have caused me to devote much of my time and effort towards becoming a healthier person, mind and body. The added support I’ve received from my wife has been a huge help, and has resulted in a much healthier “us”.

My advice to all is to stay positive and remember that with all the uncontrollable and unavoidable things we deal with throughout our lives, our health is most definitely in our hands. Most people don’t realize how important a healthy diet is to living a healthy life. Its common belief that if you’re not “in pain” you’re healthy, but the “pain”, unless the result of an accident, did not just come out of nowhere, but rather is the result of years if not a life time of poor diet. Food is what fuels the body; we’ve all heard that before, but it’s this macro assessment of diet that can get us into so much trouble. It’s only when the body is examined at a microscopic level we see start to see ourselves, not as one body, but billions of cells working together to sustain this amazing natural wonder science has yet to duplicate; the workings of human body. Yes food can give us the energy we need to get through the day, but more importantly it gives the cells in our body what they need to do their job. And it’s their job that ultimately determines your health, or lack thereof.

Your cells don’t crave “fast food” or anything down the snack aisle for that matter, they only require the nutrients nature intended them to have. When we choose to eat heavily processed foods (snacks or meals), we are making the choice to ignore what our body really needs. This undoubtedly poisons the body by damaging the cells, and will eventually take its toll on our overall health. All cells replicate as part of their life cycle, or “Cell Cycle” as it’s called, and when a damaged “parent” cell divides into two identical “daughter” cells it passes along this mutation as well. Multiply this by billions of cells and this constant replication of mutated cells can result in any number of chronic diseases. This doesn’t happen overnight, and although each of us may be affected differently on the surface it can all be traced back to one common cause; damaged cells.

So the next time you’re at the store trying to decide what to have for dinner, make the right choice by giving your body (your cells) what it really needs. It’s an indisputable fact that having a diet consisting of healthy foods (fresh organic fruits and vegetables, *whole grains, and minimally processed foods) will result in a healthier life. It’s your choice, so make the right one! Choose to give your cells a fighting chance; the return is bigger than anything even Wall Street has to offer.