What do we eat?

“Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need.”-Kulreet K. Chaudhary, M.D.

In todays world it seems like almost everyday we learn more and more about the foods we eat and what they are doing to our bodies. That banana that you were eating every morning is possibly causing you to gain weight. Or how about that cup of orange juice that you have had each morning since you were 5, is actually spiking your blood sugar. I wont even speak about the fact that we are the only mammals who consume milk after childhood and what that does to our bodies. But hey, you love to eat cheese, right?! So what do we do? And more importantly, what do we eat?

Many alternative Doctors have set the traditional food pyramid aside because it fails to address several key components of a healthy diet. In my experience there are very few Doctors, Western and Eastern, who actually believe carbs, dairy and meat should be the basis of your diet. According to Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, there are four basic nutrients that should make up your diet; water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The key to this basis, unlike the food pyramid, its about choosing the right carbs, proteins and fats to maintain good health. Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, also proceeds to write about the importance of vitamins, minerals, and a healthy intake of raw and cooked vegetables. For a better understanding of Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, elements of health, I highly recommend picking up a copy of her book, Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing.

Luckily, in todays society we have the option to choose what we want eat. You can go to the store and decide whether to buy organic, non-GMO, local, non-local, in season, out of season or a mixture of any of the above. This can also make things more confusing. If its organic, but has GMO’s is it safe? Or if its out of season but non-GMO and organic is it okay to buy? Also, do we trust the labels that are being placed on our foods? The FDA has made significant changes in the labeling of organic foods, but non-GMO labels are still not properly regulated.

Don’t worry there is hope! Remember you have the power to decide, what you eat. My rule of thumb is to buy organic, non-GMO, in-season and local whenever possible. On the chance day that there are no organic tomatoes and I’m making pasta, I will buy the non-organic tomatoes or buy a can of organic tomatoes. Also, it’s not cheap eating super clean; many of us can’t afford to eat completely organic, non-GMO, blah blah blah all the time. The rule of thumb that I go by is whenever possible eat as clean as possible, on the days that its not, you balance what you can buy and what eat.

I am not a Doctor or a nutritionist. I am a consumer just like you who love’s to eat and most importantly wants to be healthy. This article is intended to bring up topics that we all are faced with everyday, and help you make the decision that best suits your lifestyle and health needs.

We would love your feedback! What do you eat?