Diet: "Balanced Nutrition”. Part 1 0f 3

A new study by the NPD group, a leading market research firm based in Rosemont, Ill., Has shown that 62 % of adults are overweight or obese. That is quite a number!

    Our country is so faced paced and the demand for instant gratification has also become most Americans approach to their diet and nutritional choices.. When we are in constant demand by society to “get it done yesterday “kind of mentality, well, the time savers are usually spent on Bad nutrition choices. We seem to be in to big of a hurry to think about the things we put into our system. We say things like, “Well, I do not have time so I will just grab something from the drive thru“.

“Fast food”, “One minute rice” ,”Instant oatmeal”. “ Microwave Dinners”.

According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine - say’s this: “Most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030.”

WOW! Most adults? That means the children of our future, right? Think about this. What are your kids eating? What are you eating and what are you teaching them about healthy nutritional choices? Are you or your children going to be part of this number?

A typical Western diet consists of a lot of fried foods, eggs, meat, and salty snacks. What does this lead to? An increase in weight and a greater risk of a heart attack.

Look at what you are putting into your body. Processed foods (breads, pasta, cereals, coffee, sugar, white rice, boxed and canned foods), along with meat and dairy foods.

These foods do not contain the live enzymes that are so important for good weight control and optimal health. These foods are ok on occasion but they should not make up the major part of your diet. These foods contribute to an acidic state. This is when the pH level drops below 7.0. Processed foods ( as mentioned) sugary drinks ( soft drinks) . This acidic state builds up in our bodies and at this time we are prone to disease and illness.

This puts the body into an unbalanced wellness that causes it to have to borrow form other important minerals. You want to work on balance the ph of acidic and alkaline. A Ph ( potential hydrogen) of 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline. The less acidic ph and the more the alkaline the healthy you will be. Along with a bad diet , other things like stress can determine the levels of acidic / alkaline states.

The food we eat has been so altered that it has caused an epidemic crises in weight gain, children maturing faster, young girls “developing” quicker and adults living …..Well, not longer. Synthetically altered foods Are foods that are laced with pesticides and herbicides, fungicides, artificial flavorings, food dyes, preservatives, growth hormones, etc.

Chemicals: These are all sprayed on our foods in an attempt to keep bugs and weeds from infesting crop lands. I bet you , because a little probably will not hurt you , but overtime and consumed regularly , which we all do , weather you know it or not, are consuming these things along with your foods. In time illness will set in.

Having worked in the “structural” pesticide business for more than ten years I can assure you that the affects of these pesticides used on our foods does not get to the majority of the American people. In fact most chemicals that are introduced (more than 1000, every year) have not undergone enough study to accurately test the long term affects of exposure or ingestion. Pesticides ( the ones used on our food) …can damage the human brain and nervous system, disrupt hormones, and cause cancer. Two dozen pesticides and herbicides used today disrupt the human endocrine system and the hormones they release influence almost every cell, organ, and function of our bodies. The endocrine system is instrumental in regulating mood, growth and development, tissue function, and metabolism, as well as sexual function and reproductive processes.

Research clearly shows the link between pesticides, herbicides and most diseases and cancers. To avoid all this, try to buy organic and naturally grown food whenever possible.

There are so many foods and beverages under review by the USDA. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) Believe it or not there have been so many food additives, additives that you most likely have consumed but are now banned because they were found to cause cancer and other illnesses in laboratory animals. If you are wondering why there is so much ADD/ ADHD, hyperactivity, behavior complexes, and asthma ……….it is half due to these chemical additives that are found in our foods and “diet” drinks.

Ok, so I do not want to go into anymore about this, because now I am just ranting and raving, I am not even going to go into aspartame, an artificial sweetener that is in our “diet“ drinks and found in more than 4,000 different products and even though research has shown that it causes the brain to stop producing serotonin, which results in feeling as though you haven’t had enough to eat—even when full! However, I am not going to mention that. And, there is so many other factors to consider with our food and diet. I can not possibly describe them all here - others though are things like, MSG, refined oils and salts, genetically modified organisms, fake vitamins.

but……………..I guarantee you if you eliminate these things from your diet or your Childs diet , soon, you are going to experience a behavioral change, a increase in energy, weight lose and overall better health and wellness and mental clarity. And most likely a more healthy immune system.

So, what I am leading up to is that for the most effective and healthy nutrition choices you should buy organic whenever possible, eat less meat and dairy and take the time to prepare wholesome fresh meals with lots of “greens” , veggies, fruits, good spices and herbs, etc. we will discuss this more in part 2 of this article.

And, it is important that you take the time to “enjoy your food“. Gulping down your food because you’re in a hurry does more damage than it is worth to even eat. Avoid doing anything else when eating and be mindful of your food as it enters your mouth.Take the time to chew each bit. It has been said that it takes twenty minutes for the food we eat to reach are brain to tell us we are full. Think about that.

Part Two of, Diet: "Balanced Nutrition” will discuss why the typical three meals a day is no good and I will introduce you to why eating more is better to maintain energy levels, insulin and blood sugar levels. And incorporating six meals a day for weight loss, balanced nutrition and healthy digestion. When to eat, and what to do after eating.

Chet C. Covely III is a Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management specialist and a holistic lifestyle consultant. His online consulting business can be found at www.covelyconsulting.com

Interested persons wishing to develop a new Holistic weight management and lifestyle plan is encouraged to contact Chet to discuss a weight management consultation.