At The Caporale Center where we care about our patients, we often lecture on Healthy Eating and relieving pain in the GI tract, Do you have IBS, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s? We can help you with the challenges.
These days, society is overthinking healthy eating. The prospect is not rocket science, it’s common sense – but in a world filled with Twinkies and Big Macs, people seem to be agonizing more and more about what is “right” and what is “wrong” to ingest. Hundreds of years ago, there were no talks about carbohydrates, fats, glucose or sodium. People simply ate what was caught or harvested. Today, we are lucky to have so many choices at the grocery store – or are we? When healthy eating is decoded, it seems that our ancestors may have been on a better path.
Read below as we discuss how progress has not necessarily been a wonderful thing for our waistlines, and learn how you can eat more like our forefathers for better health.
- Ancient man ate grass-fed beef and organic barley and corn; in fact, all their eatables were organic. These days, chemicals are added to fertilizers to make crop yields increase. Tomatoes swell to the size of fists; apples grow to mammoth proportions. However, as with all in life, quantity is not always a fitting substitute for quality. We are ingesting these chemicals and arguably leaving ourselves susceptible to cancers and more. The cure? Eat organic when you can. You don’t need to break the bank to do so; consider purchasing organic fruits and vegetables that are notoriously on the “Dirty Dozen” list, such as peaches. You’ll avoid some of the most widely used pesticides.
- There were no fast food restaurants out on the prairie. Obesity was likely not a widespread concern. Consider your food source before you drive through those golden arches. The more removed a meal is from its natural state the higher probability there is that it will be unhealthy. There is little merit in meat that is pumped full of fillers and chemicals. Pretend you are out on the frontier when you are tempted to go the easy route. Those additives may be addictive, driving you to visit the restaurant again and again and resulting in the consumption of high calorie counts and minimal nutrition.
- Remember this rule: If man made the food, it is likely not something you want to add to your plate. When grocery shopping, operate around the perimeter of the store, where the fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses and milk are located. When you venture down the aisles, you’ll notice plenty of choices that are questionable as “food.” Oatmeal cream pies? –Definitely not found in nature, and definitely not the best fuel you can give your body.
It’s not difficult to eat a healthy diet. Simply remember that although mankind has brought about much advancement in our world, you don’t have to celebrate that fact by choosing Lunchables for your noon meal. Have something in common with our ancestors: Choose fresh, healthy foods to fuel your body right.
