Inconveniences

 

I encourage people to eat better.  To buy and eat fresh whole foods.  Most are not opposed to this concept, however they are put off by what I call the convenience factor.  Spending time in the kitchen preparing food takes too long and is not as convenient as opening a box and sliding something in the microwave or stopping on the way home for some fast food take-out.  I am the first to admit that eating healthy may not appear to be convenient at first glance.  From a time and energy standpoint, preparing healthy food doesn’t need tto ake any longer. However, it will take some planning.  The biggest obstacles is that changing your diet requires change.  And for most of us, change is hard.  It is much easier to do the same old thing, because, well because, it’s more convenient.

This inconvenience and unwillingness to make positive and healthy changes, is, I believe, very short sighted.  Sure it may take an extra hour or more out of your day to eat extremely healthy and exercise.  But let me tell you about real inconveniences.  Inconvenience is losing your health.  Inconvenience is not being able to play with your children or grandchildren.  Inconvenience is diabetic neuropathy and not being able to feel your hands and feet and losing your eyesight.  Inconvenience is obesity and heart disease and not being able to enjoy a brisk walk or run.  Inconvenience is cancer and arthritis and sexual dysfunction.  Inconvenience is poor health that is brought on by living a “convenient lifestyle”.  None of these conditions come on suddenly, but one mouthful at a time.  You see, most Americans eat their way to disability.  About 80% of disease, disability and chronic illness, is the result of poor lifestyle choices.  

Some argue that they enjoy the food that they eat.  Of course, I can't disagree.  Who hasn’t enjoyed pizza and donuts, sweets and treats, soda pop and bagels, etc.  Many complain that they don’t like fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, etc. like they do “normal food” (although I personally don’t see anything normal about burgers and fries).  My wife and I would love to be able to put up our children as shining examples of kids who love to eat only healthy food.  But like you, we live in a world that continually wants to put sweets and grease in our children's hands.  They can hardly go to church or school without being given candy or cookies as rewards (bribes) by their teachers.  It’s frustrating.  Give a kid a choice between cookies and carrot sticks and very few will choose the “rabbit food”. 

When I began to improve my diet in earnest, many years ago,  I discovered that my tastes began to change (and yours will too).  Trust me nothing tastes as good as fresh whole natural food.  I’ve enjoyed both junk food and good food and good food is better.  But it takes some time to re-acquire the taste for health.  Not only did ‘rabbit food’ (aka salads) become very satisfying for a meal, but my craving for junk food diminished.  Mind you, the smell of flame-broiled burgers is still enticing and inviting, however after a bite or two I’m disappointed.  Also, understand that I am not advocating a vegetarian diet.  Rather, whole natural foods.  In essence, the type of diet our great grandparents ate on the farm a hundred years ago. This was in the days before pesticides, food additives and processed foods. The quality of the food we eat is probably more important than you think.

Did you know that there is a whole sub-field within food manufacturing devoted to flavor? These skilled scientists, called Flavorists or Flavor Chemists, create chemical compounds that can smell heavenly and excite the taste buds.  The olfactory sense (sense of smell) is the only one of our senses that neurologically goes straight to the emotional centers in the brain.  That is why when I smell cinnamon rolls baking, I am transported back to my Grandmother's kitchen forty years earlier.  When I eat a cinnamon roll it is done with grandma in my heart. 

Anyway, the aroma of the burgers and fries that is seductively vented out to the streets from the fast-food joints is not coming from the food as much as from the flavor chemistry added by shrewd businessmen, who understand human nature and our weakness at resisting emotional triggers.  Get this! It is the chemicals they add to many of the fast foods that make them smell so good, NOT THE FOOD!  How sinister is that!  Boy if that’s not cheating, I don’t know what is.  Look up Flavorist or Flavor Chemist on the internet.  Pretty amazing stuff!

We live in the most technologically advanced society that has ever graced this planet (that we know of).  And yet we tolerate and even embrace things we know are harmful and wrong.  We turn a blind eye to things such of fluoridation of our water, promotion of tobacco and alcohol, irradiating our foods and using poisonous pesticides on our farmers crops.  We regulate and mandate things that desensitize and pollute, all in the name of fair business trade. 

Sometimes I wonder how any of us can be successful in our struggle for health.  The odds are certainly against us when the primary objective is wealth over providing a good product or service.  Far too often industries are full of lies and deceptions.  

Scientist have identified over 8000 – That’s EIGHT THOUSAND! vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, co-factors, buffers, etc. that are found within whole foods.  Food manufacturers remove, heat, irradiated and denature the raw whole food destroying the nutritional quality, then they add 11 or 18 vitamins and minerals (which are usually in a totally inorganic form and poorly assimilated) and have the audacity to call their product “enriched”, implying that the finished product is better than the original.  What about the other 7,982 nutrients they removed?  Did Nature goof?  Are brown rice and whole wheat flawed and imperfect foods?  Has science or technology ever improved the quality of our food?  What they have done is prolong the shelf life.  That is one of the primary goals of food manufacturing.  To produce a product that can sit in a can, jar, box or bag for a long long time without seriously altering its taste (which just may be chemicals designed to tickle and please your taste buds).

Nature intended food to be eaten as it came from the earth.  Some foods can naturally be stored for longer periods, such as grains and legumes.  Fruits and vegetables should be consumed within relatively short periods after harvesting – from days to weeks to months, depending on the fruit or vegetable.  A root cellar (cool temperatures about 50 degrees F) will keep winter squash, carrots, beets and apples fresh so they can be eaten clear into Spring.  Peaches, strawberries and lettuce must be eaten within a short time after harvest.  With modern refrigeration we can extend the life of most fresh produce.  We live in dietary abundance.  We can eat fresh, wholesome food every single day.  Always Feast.  Never Famine. Many of us can drive a short distance to one of many farmers markets and get produce picked fresh that day.  But instead, most choose to eat food that has been manipulated and nutritionally devalued. Because it is more convenient.
From our earliest days Western Botanicals has understood the value of whole food supplements.  Whole herbs, like whole foods, contain vitamins and mineral in a complete balance and are far superior to supplements made from isolated ingredients. Our daily supplements Earth's Nutrition and Bountiful Blend contain nature's perfect balance of whole concentrated nutrition.   Our bodies were designed to eat the foods created by nature and as sophisticated as science has become it does not improve on what nature freely gives us.  In fact, some of the best science is devoted on trying to copy or mimic nature.  Check out this months specials for some great deals on whole food supplements. 

So what’s is going to be?  A little inconvenience now or a whole lot later. Like many, you may just hope that somehow you will escape the results of poor diet and lifestyle choices and try to push the whole issue from your mind. I understand change is hard.  You may even have family members that are resistant. Your children may cry and accuse you of meanness for giving them fruit instead of cookies.  You will need to spend more time planning meals.  You may need to try new foods.  However, you may discover that you like it.  You may have more energy.  You may even lose weight.  You may become more active and enjoy life and nature more. And you just may reap the consequences of good choices. 

May God Bless Us All in Life’s Adventures.

Dr. Kyle Christensen

Western Botanicals, Inc.

July 2011