Yes, you are what you eat. Your food choices have a profound impact on your mental and physical health. Eating healthy is one of the most important factors one can address for improved health and optimal functioning. What we eat is broken down and assimilated into our bodies. If we are eating poisons and garbage, then that is what the body becomes. Not only is eating healthy essential for our physical health, but for our mental health as well.
Depending on your particular health condition or goal, this may include incorporating new foods into your diet or eliminating some favorites.
An unhealthy diet can be at the root of symptoms and conditions like depression, mood swings, irritability, hyperactivity, rage, criminal behavior, anxiety, paranoia, heart disease, diabetes, PMS, digestive disturbances, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, loss of memory, nervousness, muscle and joint inflammation, heart palpitations, bowel disorders, headaches, arthritis, hypoglycemia, acne and many more.
At the very least you should be eliminating things like sugar, caffeine, white flour and other refined or processed foods and unhealthy fats and replacing these with whole foods like vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, olive oil, walnut oil, fruits and fresh or frozen meat and poultry.
You of course should avoid too mach fat and sugar and eat whole foods, but a healthy diet is much more than just eating your veggies or reducing fat. The typical food supply of the average person is nutrient depleted and toxic. Our water and soil is polluted with toxic chemicals and it is depleted from any nutrient value. Food grown in this soil absorbs these toxins and when we eat them it is then absorbed into our bodies. If the soil does not contain any nutrients then the food growing on it cannot have any nutritional value. Our meat supply is injected with hormones and antibiotics and fed food that is poisoned with pesticides.
Then as if this weren’t bad enough once the food is harvested, it is then refined and stripped of any remaining nutrients. Additives and preservatives are put into it. All of which have adverse effects on our health. By the time the food makes it to your plate, it really is not even food anymore.
The health of your body and mind is entirely dependent on the nutrients it receives. If you’re eating food that is lacking in essential nutrients then your body becomes malnourished. A malnourished body leads to improper functioning of important systems and organs and a whole list of degenreative health conditions, diseases and mental health disorders.
Eating a truly healthy diet means eating organic food that is free of hormones and antibiotic as often as possible. Eating foods that don’t have dyes, additives or preservatives. Buy foods that are in their whole and natural state as much as possible. Use nuts, nut butters, fruit and seeds for snacks. For something sweet try some dates, bananas, raisins or other dried fruits.
Whenever possible try to avoid purchasing food that is in plastic or metal cans. The chemicals in plastic and metal leach into the food and when eaten are then transferred to our bodies. Use glass as much as possible. Use glass also for storing your foods in the fridge or pantry. Don’t cook your food in aluminum or pans with non-stick coating as the chemicals that leach out of the pans and into your food have been linked to a variety of serious health conditions.
Additionally, many people are not getting enough protein and are eating too many carbohydrates. Protein is crucial for a variety of reasons, but two of the most important are to maintain blood sugar levels and to provide the body with enough amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters in the brain. Much of the population has deficient levels of neurotransmitters which results in many of the common mental and physical conditions we see in society today like insomnia, weight gain, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, chronic pain and addiction to name a few.
You are what you eat is definitely one of those little clichés that carries an incredible amount of truth. Eating healthy is one of the most important factors we need to address for taking care of our health. Healing can’t take place in a body fed with unhealthy foods and neither can maximum functioning. Many health conditions and symptoms can be eliminated or improved by eating a healthier and cleaner diet.
Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is an author, holistic health counselor, sobriety coach and adult sex educator.
She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in couneling.
Cynthia provides no hype, straight forward, down to earth, honest talk about holistic health, natural health and green living to improve or protect your mental and physical health at. Visit her primary site for more free holistic health care tips or ask her a question at Holistic Health Talk Blog.
Cynthia is also a recovered alcoholic and drug addict with 21 years of uninterrupted and craving-free sobriety, and author of "Get Sober Stay Sober: The Truth About Alcoholism.
Learn more about the science of alcohol addiction and how you can achieve permanent, craving-free sobriety at Alternatives for Alcoholism.
Last, but not least, develop deeper intimacy and more passion in your relationship by visiting Cynthia at Smoldering Embers Great Sex Tips for Couples.
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