Diet as a Tool for Health. Modern day
lifestyles are busy, full of stress, and seem to produce time conflicts more than ever. With time being so precious, it is no wonder that quick and easy foods are eaten over foods we need to prepare. When one does have
time to reflect, it is usually not about the foods that one eats. It is usually family, love, friend, hobby, or work related. Not until one gets ill, does one look at food as a possible problem in one's life. This
common notion should change.The foods we consume on a daily basis affect our health more than anything else. Our skin protects us from the outside world, but what protects us when the outside world is internalized?
All of the materials we need for survival (besides oxygen and sunlight) need to be ingested and then digested. The easiest way to take control of our health is to take control of what we eat. If you're doctors inform
you that your health problems are not diet related, they could be wrong. The foods of today are nothing like the foods of the past. Modern foods are laced with nitrates, preservatives,
soy additives, plant byproducts, etc, and are heavily processed. Most livestock are pampered with
high caloric feed, injected with hormones and antibiotics, and not allowed to graze, resulting in meat with different nutrients than those of wild game. Many of the modern foods touted as "healthy" didn't even exist in our
ancestor's diet. It is important to realize that what the majority of people eat today is not optimized for our bodies, but optimized for convenience, taste, and preservation. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." -Albert Einstein Our knowledge and technologies have advanced at a tremendous pace, but our bodies are still in the Stone Age. We still have the genetic makeup of our Paleolithic ancestors. On an
evolutionary scale, our bodies have not been given the necessary time to efficiently utilize these new foods. It takes thousands upon thousands of years to adapt to the dietary changes we have incorporated in our modern
day diet in a relatively short period of time. This sudden change in diet can account for many of the diseases that plague modern society.To give our bodies the foods we need for optimum health, we must follow a diet
that resembles that of our Paleolithic ancestors. Despite the trend to turn vegetarian, humans are omnivores. Our ancestors foraged the land, hunting and gathering what they could find. Tribes in the tropics ate many
wild fruits, while tribes in the far north subsisted on dried meats and fat. The Inuit acquire most of their calories from seal blubber (almost 60% calories from fat). If you have been caught up in the mainstream by
following a diet low in fat or high in processed foods, or if you have developed a modern illness such as obesity, diabetes, Irritable Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other
autoimmune diseases, do not despair. A Paleolithic diet can still be followed today. In fact, a number of diets that closely resemble that of our ancestors have been used to alleviate modern day illnesses. The following
is a list of these diets, and the illness they have treated (if you know of others, please let us know). The Generic Low Carbohydrate Diet: Also called a high protein diet, was made popular by the cardiologist, Dr. Atkins. The program restricts the amount of carbohydrates one can eat in a day. As a result, one can lose a fair
amount of weight. Our ancestors did not have access to the refined sugar found in today's food. By restricting sugar-laden foods, we get one step closer to our optimum (our ancestors) diet. A generic low carbohydrate
has been used to treat obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.The Specific Carbohydrate Diet:
This diet was developed to treat illnesses of the bowel, such as Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis. It has also been used effectively to combat yeast infections and other illnesses, including autoimmune diseases. The diet does not limit the amount of carbohydrates eaten, just the kind of carbohydrates. The diet also stresses eating whole foods and limiting the amount of processed foods one eats.
The Paleolithic Diet:
Is the strictest of the three diets shown, but also offers the greatest health benefits. It stresses whole foods with an emphasis on meats. The diet excludes all modern foods, such as dairy, alcohol, legumes, and grains.
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The Healing Crow is a nonprofit corporation. Information
published by The Healing Crow is intended to expand the knowledge of the reader about health issues. It is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or replace medical care. Our mission is to educate the public about chronic
illnesses and corresponding non-drug related treatments. We encourage others to critically examine all avenues of information pertaining to health including: naturopaths, chiropractors, physicians, medical and
scientific papers, and others; in order to make an informed decision. We believe a patient has the right to question a health source without taking any medical advice on faith. The best patient is an informed one.
Before instituting a major change in diet or nutrition please consult a worthy expert in nutrition or a doctor. Although we believe our information to be as accurate as possible, discrepancies may arise. If you have a
personal story and would like to include your testimonial on our site, please email us at the link above. |
