Recap on Nutrition
Recap means to state something again or to summarize something that has already been said. In the past 6 months or so, I've written many posts pertaining to various things about food and nutrition.
Last year, I wrote a specific post about nutrition which you can read here.
I'm not going to repeat everything I wrote in that post, but I am going to share several things I mentioned in that post. Rather than share a bunch of information again, I hope to summarize a few things in this post, because I plan to begin sharing about other important aspects of our health.
While the foods we put into our mouth are important (very important, in fact), our health is not just what we eat. There are other things to consider and be aware of.
If you're like me, I do much better if someone gives me main points to follow. I don't do as well when someone throws a bunch of random information at me, and I'm left to put those pieces together. Rather, I like simple, easy to read, easy to understand, easy to follow, main “bullet points” to consider.
That is what I am attempting to do in this post on nutrition.
If you noticed, I haven't written much about the importance of eating the food that God originally created for man to eat, such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices, etc.
Why haven't I written about those foods? Because those foods are healthy and don’t need much explanation. Hopefully, everyone knows those foods are very good for you! Those are the things you want to eat for meals and snacks as much as possible!
Unless you're allergic to something, you don't have to watch out for anything God originally created for us to eat. (plant foods)
Rather, I've tried to write about certain things to watch out for, limit, or completely avoid.
I'm guessing I've probably had some readers roll their eyes or laugh at some of my posts, but that's okay. At least I've (hopefully) made you more aware about certain things.
When it comes to what we eat, what are the main things to be more aware of?
Here are my main, bullet points:
• Dairy
• Meat • White Sugar
• Processed Food
• Many Oils (olive oil is best)
These are things you want to limit. Most of the things I wrote about fall under one of those categories. (except for food coloring which is something else to watch.)
I wrote about things like coffee and peanut butter because those are commonly consumed by most Americans. (consider purchasing organic coffee and natural peanut butter.)
Being aware of white sugar and processed foods likely comes as no surprise to most people. Basically, that is what junk food is usually made from. Stay away from those as much as possible. Eat real food - not processed stuff. White sugar and processed foods cause inflammation in the body, and doctors are discovering that inflammation is the root cause of almost all disease in the body, including many cancers and auto-immune diseases.
Dairy and meat (animal products) may come as a huge surprise to some because those are commonly and readily eaten without a second thought here in the United States. Those things are a major part of our Western diet. But, would you believe that dairy, like white sugar, is also highly inflammatory?
Am I saying to avoid dairy completely? If you're dealing with a serious health issue like cancer or an auto-immune disease, yes. I would encourage you to avoid it completely. I know that might sound radical, but dairy feeds and contributes to inflammation!
• Many Oils (olive oil is best)
These are things you want to limit. Most of the things I wrote about fall under one of those categories. (except for food coloring which is something else to watch.)
I wrote about things like coffee and peanut butter because those are commonly consumed by most Americans. (consider purchasing organic coffee and natural peanut butter.)
Being aware of white sugar and processed foods likely comes as no surprise to most people. Basically, that is what junk food is usually made from. Stay away from those as much as possible. Eat real food - not processed stuff. White sugar and processed foods cause inflammation in the body, and doctors are discovering that inflammation is the root cause of almost all disease in the body, including many cancers and auto-immune diseases.
Dairy and meat (animal products) may come as a huge surprise to some because those are commonly and readily eaten without a second thought here in the United States. Those things are a major part of our Western diet. But, would you believe that dairy, like white sugar, is also highly inflammatory?
Am I saying to avoid dairy completely? If you're dealing with a serious health issue like cancer or an auto-immune disease, yes. I would encourage you to avoid it completely. I know that might sound radical, but dairy feeds and contributes to inflammation!
Meat can contribute to inflammation also, but if you're eating lean meats like fish, chicken, and turkey, that’s better. (limit your beef consumption and avoid pork completely.)
If you cook with oil, olive oil is the best! Avocado oil is another better one.
If you're an overall, healthy person, I believe you can eat a little white sugar, dairy, and meat, and be fine, but it's important to limit how much you eat those things.
I had a friend ask me in recent months if I was basically a vegetarian. I told her no, I am not. My answer didn't satisfy her. In her mind, I either ate a lot of meat or no meat at all. (just guessing she is an "all" or "nothing" kind of person?)
I shared with her that I do eat meat and dairy, but I limit how much I eat it. I do not eat meat three times a day like many Americans do. When I eat meat, it’s usually just once a day, and some days, none at all. The same goes for dairy and sugar. I would not feel very good if I ate 3 or 4 sugar cookies at one time. The same is true if I ate 3 or 4 slices of cheese pizza at one time.
Personally, I feel a whole lot better when I eat the foods that God originally created for us to eat. Those foods heal the body and do not create or contribute to inflammation.
What about organic vs. non organic foods?
Stay tuned as I plan to briefly write about that in my next blog post before wrapping up my posts about food and nutrition.
If you're an overall, healthy person, I believe you can eat a little white sugar, dairy, and meat, and be fine, but it's important to limit how much you eat those things.
I had a friend ask me in recent months if I was basically a vegetarian. I told her no, I am not. My answer didn't satisfy her. In her mind, I either ate a lot of meat or no meat at all. (just guessing she is an "all" or "nothing" kind of person?)
I shared with her that I do eat meat and dairy, but I limit how much I eat it. I do not eat meat three times a day like many Americans do. When I eat meat, it’s usually just once a day, and some days, none at all. The same goes for dairy and sugar. I would not feel very good if I ate 3 or 4 sugar cookies at one time. The same is true if I ate 3 or 4 slices of cheese pizza at one time.
Personally, I feel a whole lot better when I eat the foods that God originally created for us to eat. Those foods heal the body and do not create or contribute to inflammation.
What about organic vs. non organic foods?
Stay tuned as I plan to briefly write about that in my next blog post before wrapping up my posts about food and nutrition.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and I have no medical training. The things I share on this blog are simple, practical things that I've learned help with good health.
Comments
Post a Comment