So, what’s REAL?
Whole foods, organic when feasible, from the produce and dairy cases and butcher counter (Although in some instances, frozen can actually be more beneficial).
What’s PROCESSED?
It usually comes in a box, can, or pouch, and has a lot of ingredients. Many of which you probably can’t pronounce. And it’s very convenient. All you have to do is open the package, add water or pop in the microwave, and it’s ready for the table in just a few minutes.
Like I said… CONVENIENT.
But processed also means lots of stuff is removed from the original nature-made item. (They call it refined, which doesn’t make much sense if you really look at the word; nothing fine about it.) Components that make it inconvenient for shelf-life, or some other end goal the manufacturer desires.
Who knows what function those now-missing components were meant to serve in our bodies? I’m not smart enough to know them all, but I know some of them. And I know how I feel after I eat junk versus after I eat real food.
Now, you may think that processed foods TASTE better. But I believe you’re wrong about that.
Those sneaky manufacturers have got the science down, and they know just which chemicals to add to low-quality foodstuffs to fool your tongue and your brain into thinking they are much higher quality.
And those chemicals are also highly addictive. Why do you think “you can’t eat just one?”
When we don’t eat foods in their whole state, we miss some of the things that keep our guts healthy and operating the way they’re supposed to.
When things go awry, your gut wall cells can begin leaving inappropriate spaces between them. Allowing partially digested food out of the intestine, and into the body. LEAKY GUT – you’ve probably heard of it.
And your body isn’t ready for it in that not-fully-digested state.
It’s not supposed to be there, so your immune system sets off alarms and launches an attack. And even creates antibodies to whatever it was that “escaped.”
Even though your gut is “inside” your body, remember that it is essentially a tube that starts at your mouth and ends at your anus. So anything “inside” your gut is technically “outside” your body, and is considered to be foreign.
This creates a cascade of undesirable consequences, such as food allergies and preconditions for many physical ailments. In more severe cases, autoimmune disease.
I don’t say these things to scare you. And I don’t deny eating junk food on occasion myself. But really, is it so inconvenient to make a big organic salad for dinner?
Grab a knife and cutting board. Wash, chop, and throw some vegetables into a bowl. Maybe add some leftover meat to it. Or beans or sprouted seeds or nuts. Toss with some good olive oil and fresh lime juice, add a little salt and pepper, sprinkle in some culinary herbs (dried or fresh), and toss again.
Ready for the dinner bell in only a few minutes. And not many dishes to wash, either. BONUS!!
So again, what is CONVENIENT?
I know it’s NOT convenient to be sick or suffer with allergies.
It’s not convenient to have diabetes, or lupus, or cancer.
Kidney dialysis is definitely not convenient. And neither is a heart attack or stroke.
Of course, none of this happens overnight. There’s a whole lot that goes on between cause A and effect Z. It’s cumulative, which is good news.
It means you have the opportunity to make conscious positive changes in your diet and lifestyle.
What is a better choice for your long-term health and well-being?
- A gluten-free brownie, or a fragrant organic apple?
- A protein shake from a can, or a piece of wild caught salmon?
- A diet soda, or fresh squeezed lemonade?
It’s your health. It’s your life.
Choose wisely, my friend.
