Food Can Be Both Medicine And Poison – You Decide
"The food we eat can be either the safest and strongest form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." (Ann Wigmore)
Most of our health problems and difficulties come from one and the same environment: our gut and the microbes in it. It is scientifically proven that our immune system is located precisely in the intestines.
In today's age full of semi-finished products and fast fast food, we people forget the foods that have benefited us for centuries. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grain products - these are the ones that benefit our health and beauty in every way. Long-term fast and unhealthy eating only causes us diseases that we did not know about in the past. Among other things, such a diet undeniably has negative effects on the skin, scalp and hair.
Not too long ago I mentioned that I too have health issues and yet I have long, healthy hair. Today I would like to add that the source of your problems may be in your intestines. However, I recently ended up in the emergency room with acute inflammation of the stomach (supposedly some bacillus from food). Of course, sometimes you can't help yourself from various things, even though you are careful about your diet.
It may also be quite possible that you think you are eating a healthy and balanced diet, but the opposite is true.
Even foods that look fresh can be a lie. They are often sprayed with various chemicals (maltodextrin, polysorbate-80 or carboxymethyl cellulose) to make them look fresh. But the reality is somewhere completely different. You can often find these substances, for example, in breads, buns, sweet pastries, cookies, ice cream, yogurts, cereals or in semi-finished products (that is, pre-prepared meals that just need to be heated). It is sad that such a diet easily makes up more than half of someone's diet.
Another frequent cause of improper functioning of our digestive tract is eating under stress and in a hurry. This can cause cramping, bloating and our body's inability to digest food well. If you do not eat in peace, the sympathetic nervous system is activated - that is, the part of the nervous system that prepares the body for activity. But as soon as your body and mind are ready for food and you are at rest, the parasympathetic system starts, which prepares the digestive tract for digestion.
A healthy plate should look like this:
- Vegetables, fruits (at least half of the plate)
- Whole grain foods
- Unsaturated vegetable oils
- Vegetable proteins
- And finally dairy products but animal proteins
Food therapy
We should consume nutrients daily that are necessary for our body, intestines and healthy microbiome:
Plants rich in protein:
Broccoli, spinach, asparagus, oats, black beans, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, avocado...
Plants rich in carbohydrates:
Potatoes, white rice, brown rice, sweet potatoes, wheat, oats, mango, quinoa...
Plants rich in healthy fats:
Almonds, peanuts, olives, pistachios, avocados, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds...
Phytonutrients: "phyto" - plant, "nutrient" - nutrient
They are found in all plant foods, but brightly colored vegetables or fruits contain the most of them.
Vitamins and minerals:
Brussels sprouts, lentils, chia seeds, soy, red pepper, kiwi, mango, papaya, orange, pineapple, kohlrabi, cabbage, spinach, almonds, black beans, cashews, broccoli...
Fiber:
Yellow peas, lentils, raspberries, coconut, avocado, pear, artichokes, broccoli, green peas, blackberries, oatmeal
Allergies and intolerances
Allergies are basically chronic inflammatory diseases, to which we react from the external environment. The current increase in allergies and intolerances is mainly caused by foods that result in changes in our microbiome.
It's about what microbes are in our guts. While one food can do you a lot of harm, another may not do anything at all - because it has a "better" composition of the gut microbiome.
Often it doesn't even have to be intolerance, but about irritable bowel syndrome, which is mainly manifested by abdominal pain. It is caused by disruption of the connection between the brain and the gut, processed food, stress, infections, antibiotics or psychosomaticwhat events.
Most diseases can be avoided especially with a healthy and balanced diet, so don't wait - it's never too late to change! :)
I also drew information from the book Health without drugs.