"Let medicine be thy food and let thy food be thy medicine" -Hippocrates
Common everyday foods seem harmless, but are they?
At our home, we make it a habit to bless our food and thank the Lord for it. We also trust that He cares for us and takes care of our bodies. He is our healer! Because God graciously gave us the earth and its bounty, I like to eat of it and trust that what's in His abundance is there to protect us and heal us on a daily basis. Science has proven the positive effects of natural foods. So why do we persist to consume food so far from the natural state and expect to feel healthy?
Read on for some specific foods to avoid to maintain ultimate health.
Nix risks for breast cancer: Not only is exercise, weight training, and breast feeding good for women, but also whole unadulterated foods, low in fat. Consume high antioxidant fruits and vegetables--the brighter the colors the better. Choose organic whenever possible.
Denatured oils--those found in chips, crackers, dressings,etc most commonly contain polyunsaturated, omega-6 fats. These include shortening, margarine, and many vegetable oils--these can all increase cancer risk. According to Dr. Weil, Keep your dietary fat content low - below 25 percent of your daily calories. Even in modest amounts, alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Consume only on occasion, if at all.
Also, according to Weil, daily intake of conventionally raised meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products should be used sparingly if at all. These may contain hormone residues that influence estrogen metabolism. Replace with organic, hormone-free versions.
The FDA allows just about anything and like to control everything. So, let us control what we buy and eat and not be victims of a commercial uncaring world. Let's exude God's goodness even through what we accept as good for us. Here are some dangers of commercial food products:
High fructose corn syrup has the ability to block receptors in the brain signifying satisfaction and will cause individuals to overeat and keep looking for satiety. This highly refined sugar, over time, takes atoll on digestion and hinders the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the digestive tract. Remember this: Sugar disrupts immune function and depletes the body of precious B-vitamins and more. You will find HFC in ice cream, juice, syrups, dressings, cereals, crackers, sauces, and hundreds of other packaged foods. The y early intake of the common unknowing person is staggering.
Genetically Modified Foods (GMO's) The actual seeds of the plant have been modified to withstand more pesticides and pests. There is no telling the huge impact this has on the health of the living. About 70% of foods in grocery stores are genetically modified. The most commonly modified foods are corn, soy and wheat, but large amounts of produce are now modified as well. Unless you buy organic, you cannot be assured that your food is safe. Check out the Non-Gmo-Project online to learn more and to see which brands are certified non-GMO.
Processed grains Taking a grain and stripping it of its outer hull, germ and thus the fiber and nutrients, is what you get when you make something called "enriched" or white, such as flour, pasta, bread, polished rice, etc. It's great to find quality products such as sprouted grains, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread (where the
Toasted Grains Commercial cereals are toasted at high temperatures to make them crispy and puffed, etc. A once harmless whole grain becomes a carrier for acrylamide. Acrylamide is an industrial chemical that isn’t naturally found in foods, but is produced accidentally when sugars and other items in potatoes and grains are exposed to high cooking temperatures. It has also been detected in breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, breads, rolls, toast, cocoa products and coffee, although at levels far below those in fried potato products.
- (See more at: http://www.stumptuous.com/french-fry-chemical-may-go-on-toxic-list#sthash.5aP0Cz9k.dpuf) Heated Oils Fried foods, Crackers, Chips, nachos, and even fried sweet potatoes all contain oils that have been heated to high temps. Our bodies do not metabolize cooked oils very well. Free radicals are produced during cooking and the higher the temperature, the more free radicals. Too much free radical production leads to damaged cells and therefore premature aging. As mentioned above, acrylamide is produced in the production of all these foods as well.