If you ask a zookeeper or a veterinarian about what a particular species of animal eats, they’ll tell you that the animal has “a diet” which is based on what that animal might find (or hunt) in nature. Animals have a diet, but humans go on a diet– big difference. One of the biggest drivers of the epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer is how far we’ve come from our ideal human diet. Highly processed, inexpensive “frankenfoods” have become dietary staples and replaced the natural, minimally processed whole foods that are the best for us. This article by my team at UpWellness will help you understand why you should avoid these “twisted” foods, and how to make the transition to a more whole and wholesome diet.
-JL
What if you were taking a walk in the woods one day and you came across a group of beavers placing nuts and berries in a test tube and shaking it? You would think that to be rather a strange thing, right? Well that is not so far from what humans have done to food, we have taken it and changed it, injected it, split it into pieces, added synthetic ingredients and more. And, the kicker here is that we still call it food.
Sadly man twists and contorts food for a profit
No other animal or insect does this, and not surprisingly, they don’t have the diseases humans do. In the wild, animals that eat the raw greens, grasses fruits and berries are very healthy animals. The meat-eating animals consume healthy plant-eating animals and remain virtually disease free. Why does man then, take what is good and twist it all up? The simple answer is that it is for profit – nothing else. If the marketability of a particular food, say an apple, can be increased by making applesauce, apple bites, apple cookies, apple cereal etc….why not make a dime off of it?
American farms are even twisting livestock for money
Did you know that prior to 1900 more than half of Americans were farmers or lived in a rural area? Now, the massive industrial bullies have all but run out the small American farmer and mass-produce cattle and chickens, feeding them hormones and phosphates and then we consume them. Once again, for profit. The bigger the chicken, the bigger the cow – the more money. All of this is causing extreme problems in the health of Americans including skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other lifestyle-related conditions.
How to stay healthy
It may seem impossible to stay healthy in a system that is so perverted; however, the good news is that it is not only possible but probably even easier than you think to protect yourself and your kids.
Grow your own food
When you grow as much of your own food as possible, you are making a statement that you don’t want to be part of a warped system that exploits the goodness of real food and threatens the health of millions.
Don’t purchase spin-off and processed products
By this we mean, don’t waste your money on products that are made from twisted and broken down real food such as highly processed apple bites or other such foods that are so removed from the real thing they are actually a waste of money. If you want dried apple chips, make your own – they will be healthier and more nutritious by far than what you find in the store.
Keep some hens
More and more urban areas are permitting people to keep hens for eggs. This is a fabulous thing. Not only can you control the quality of your eggs but you can go directly from coop to table. It doesn’t get much fresher than that.
Support local farmers
If you can’t keep your own cows and chickens or grow a garden, purchase, milk, butter, meat, eggs, veggies, fruit, honey, and other staples locally from well-respected farms that support organic growing practices. There is something so sincere about actually shaking the hand that feeds you. You know that the farmer down the road is doing nothing more than making an honest living and supporting his family by producing healthy and wholesome food. That is a lot easier to swallow than the massive corporation that cares little for your health and wellbeing.
Inform others
Believe it or not, not everyone knows the dismal state of the food system that is feeding America. Help spread the word and encourage people to take a good hard look at where their food comes from. We can make America’s food system safer by encouraging others to grow their own food and support local farmers.
-The UpWellness Team
