The idea that Americans are the best fed people on earth is a very misleading myth. Actually, the average American lives in the “breadbasket of the world” yet has multiple nutritional deficiencies………and our children are not doing any better. Several of us are starving on a full stomach because we are gorging on all the wrong foods. Even when we try to eat correctly, we are still malnourished because we are eating the cells of unhealthy plants and animals, which cannot produce health in us. We are not getting the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids (building blocks of proteins), antioxidants, phytonutrients, etc. that we need. Much of our food is toxic, and is filled with hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, heavy metals, and parasites (the meats and dairy), or pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, and is genetically modified (the fruits, vegetables, and grains). As our bodies try to rid themselves of all these toxins from our foods, valuable nutrients are used up and that equals more deficiency.
Then we cook our food – which destroys up to 85% of the nutrients and kills all the enzymes (the life force). We eat too little of the foods we need to nourish us and too much of the “Big Bad 4” – sugar (comes under 50+ names), white flour, heat processed oils, and cow’s milk. I can hear you now……….. “Hold on, you’ve gone to meddlin’. Don’t we all need our dairy products?” True, we all need our “calcium”, but what other animal do you know that drinks the milk of another animal? It seems like nature didn’t teach us to do this. Nobody but humans do this. And it takes a baby cow 4 stomachs to digest his milk. Our bodies find it hard to digest and use the proteins in cow’s milk, leading to a host of health problems and deficiencies we didn’t expect. For example, just think about this, we can hardly get through one meal without having dairy products, yet we’re all getting bone issues. I know lots of people in their 20’s whose knees crackle, and just look at the number of young elementary aged kids who are experiencing broken bones—more than ever.
Back to the “Big Bad 4”, next time you enjoy a good ole’ American pitch-in dinner, just see how many foods are available that don’t have one of these four. Good luck finding enough truly healthy food to fill your stomach. Been there, done that!
On with the story..then our commercially handled food goes through a lot of nutritional abuse on its way to market. Food is grown on chemicalized soils, harvested while still green (hasn’t peaked nutritionally), stored for long periods, chemically ripened, and often irradiated (killing the life force—enzymes). Many nutrients are GONE by the time we buy them. Then you bite into that nice, red, beautiful apple (which isn’t at all the nutritional masterpiece you think it is) and find red dye down ¼ of an inch deep into the flesh.
Most of what we eat is “processed food” with half the un-pronounce-able ingredients being chemicals, sugars, and artificial colorings and flavorings. What has happened to real, healthy food? Do you realize you can eat all day long and never eat real food? You can start off with decaffeinated coffee with artificial creamer and sweetener, artificial eggs, and artificial bacon. I’ll let you imagine the rest of the day’s menu.
The Standard American Diet today is just that — S. A. D. and will not bring about optimal health. Even though we know this, most of us are using very poor quality or no supplementation at all. Supplementation is no longer an option in today’s world, if you want to achieve optimal health. I personally use Shaklee supplements because I’ve done my homework and they are of the highest quality. I’m a walking testimony of that. They have made a real difference in my health. They are made from the highest quality raw ingredients, alive, cool processed, organic or better, natural unaltered whole food supplements, tested all along the manufacturing process, clinically tested, and proven to be very bio-available. (Find out more at www.shaklee.net/integriteam ).
Some of us are deficient, in part, because of parasites that we all have. Many of these reside in our intestines and eat up many of the nutrients we were hoping would feed us. Some of us have digestion or absorption problems that further interfere with our ability to use the nutrients that enter via our mouths. For example, many of us have inflamed intestines that are gummed up with white flour (ever make paper mache?), etc. and coated with candida (from too many starches and sugars). Anyone out there have IBS? That’s what I’m talking about.
If we are dehydrated from a lack of adequate water (sorry, but most drinking water in our country contains multiple toxins), our cells can’t rid themselves of toxins or even function properly. We depend on water to flush out toxins through our kidneys, lymph system, and sweat glands. The water is also helpful to the lungs and liver as they detoxify our bodies.
Lack of exercise contributes to a multitude of health problems and bodily malfunctions. Every cell in our body depends on this movement to help them function properly, remain vibrant, and get rid of toxins. More exercise for the body means more oxygen for each cell— one of its basic needs. According to Raymond Francis in his book, Never be Sick Again, “Much of the disability in our elderly population attributed to aging actually is the result of decades of inactivity.”
The average American receives at most 7 hours sleep per night while 8-9 are needed. During deep sleep we build new cells, repair the older ones, and refuel our cellular energy. Our cells NEED for us to get adequate sleep.
Chronic stress is the most harmful of all elements for creating deficiencies for the cells. Stress causes us to use up about 5-6 times more of many nutrients than the norm. It’s difficult to impossible to fuel our bodies with adequate nutrition when we’re under constant stress. The stress chemicals (cortisol is one), when over-produced, go through the body like a fire, burning everything in its path—causing silent destruction to every bodily system.
The bad news is— There are many reasons our cells are so deficient leading to their malfunctioning.
Want some good news?
Many of these “deficiency demons” we CAN get rid of or minimize so they have less of an effect on our health. And, you CAN learn to eat a much healthier diet. It’s a process that takes time and lots of education as we take lots of baby steps toward change. Let’s pledge to become healthier “one bite at a time”.
Until our paths cross again,
PJ
