Outstanding readers, it’s time for another edition of food rules! We hope you enjoy these delicious nuggets of wisdom!
Rule #1: Regard nontraditional food with skepticism.
There’s a saying that goes, “If your grandmother didn’t eat it, it’s not food!” If you’re in your 20s, we’re talking about your great-grandmother. The best foods for your health were routinely eaten before we began manufacturing foods in factories.
For example, margarine is typically made from industrial seed oils that are processed with petroleum-based solvents, are high in trans fats and oxidize easily. Oxidation-caused toxins create free radicals in your body. Free radicals cause inflammation, which leads to heart disease and other chronic illnesses!
Similarly, plant-based meat substitutes contain many chemicals. Preliminary research has shown that they are missing key nutrients. If you’d like to eat less meat, just eat less meat. Skip the chemicals!
Rule #2: Eat animals that have eaten well.
Animals raised traditionally are “slow-grown” which yields meats that are more expensive, but healthier. Many farms that raise their animals with traditional methods are a family affair, going back generations. Typically, no antibiotics are administered to the animals. They are fed a healthy diet along with whatever they may eat in nature. For example, chickens eat bugs, seeds and plants in their natural environment. Traditionally raised “free range” chickens are free to forage outside.
Meat from animals that have been raised by traditional means as opposed to crowded CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) has been proven to contain more nutrition. Grass-fed beef contains more omega-3 healthy fats, antioxidants like vitamin E and minerals (zinc, iron, phosphorus and potassium). The nutritional advantages of meat from grass-fed animals extends to other red meats including lamb and bison as well.
Rule #3: Eat well-grown food from healthy soil.
Just as with the production of nontraditional foods and meats, industrialization and the mismanagement of farmland has led to nutrient-deficient fruits and vegetables. Today’s conventional farms no longer follow traditional practices such as crop rotation and the integration of grazing animals with agriculture. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides further degrades the health of the soil. Conventional agriculture practices contribute to environmental damage like erosion, the destruction of honeybee and butterfly populations and pollution of the soil and nearby water sources.
Sustainable farming methods used by organic farmers yield more nutritious fruits and vegetables and do significantly less damage to the environment. In fact, a farm with integrated agriculture and grazing animals can be net carbon positive, which means it will not contribute to climate change. Choosing foods raised by sustainable farms at the grocery store or your local farmer’s market or co-op is voting with your wallet.
Healthy Eating Habits Support Your Body’s Innate Healing Processes
As we pointed out above, “modernization” has contributed to our poor health. Each step away from nature stresses our bodies. If you study just one system of the body in action, like the immune system, or simply observing how a cut heals, you’ll quickly appreciate the complexity and perfection of your body. Most of your body’s efforts towards balance and wellness take place unconsciously! Certainly, when you can make conscious choices to help your body along, it all adds up, especially the decision to eat healthfully!
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