The importance of food for your Health
You are what you eat
Food will be your best medicine, but you have to be informed about what you eat. In our modern world too often we are being fooled to put something into our mouth which might taste good but will actually harm us if eaten for longer periods. If you can, it is always better to grow your own vegetables and fruits and if this is not possible, then try to buy organic.
My vegetable garden
Diet and Diseases
I read a recent article that stated: “chronic diseases which can be prevented or treated with diet cause seven out of ten deaths.” The article continued to state that medical students study 4 additional years after their Bachelor’s degree to become a doctor.
In those 4 postgraduate years, they receive less than 20 hours of nutrition education. Doctors learn, early in their career, that it does not pay to talk about food and nutrition. Only 14% of doctors feel qualified to talk to patients about food.
Make yourself a nice mixed salad, image by Silviarita
Additives to our Food Supply
We know that a significant portion of our food supply is processed. Most of these processes add preservatives to alter color and shelf life. In addition, they add sugar or sweeteners to increase the perceived taste.
The article continued by stating that “Obesity is the most common reason nearly 4 out of 5 military recruits in the U.S. are rejected.” The obesity epidemic in the U.S. is not due to only sugar but to a combination of sugar and fat.
YouTube video of a TEDTALK held in Chicago in 2018 by bestseller author Dr. Mark Hyman
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A Small Comparative Study
A pair of doctors who happened to be identical twins performed an independent study. When one moved to the States, he gained weight while the other maintained his weight. This alone is not unusual, but an article written by one of the brothers, published in the Daily Mail on January 28, 2014, described an amazing realization.
For a long time, we have been led to believe that fat was bad for you. That you had to eliminate butter, had to eat only lean beef, and had to have low-fat dairy products. Now we are told that carbohydrates (including sugar) are bad.
Healthy Blueberries, image by Elizadean
Fat V.S. Carbs
In their study, one of the twins could eat as much fat (meat, fish, butter, etc) as he wanted but had to completely eliminate carbohydrates including sugar or sweeteners, while the other could eat as many carbohydrates (Pasta, bread, vegetables, etc.) but had to completely give up fats (the article states Chris had to minimize his fat intake since you need some fat to survive.) They both maintained the same exercise program and each lost weight.
What the twins found is that excluding one, or the other caused issues. Take away carbohydrates and the joy goes out of meals. And remove all fruit and vegetables – they all have carbs- and you get constipated.
Walnuts are brain food, image by Marijuana
Fats and Carbs
What we discovered is that the real reason we’re all getting fatter isn’t fat or sugar. Furthermore, sugar alone isn’t very addictive – only horses snack on sugar cubes and very few people gorge on boiled sweets or dry toast. And fat isn’t really addictive either: when did you last sneak a spoonful of butter from the fridge late at night?
The modern processed food industry knows this, and that’s why you’re rarely sold the two separately what is addictive is the combination. We interviewed some amazing scientists who showed us that a combination of fat and sugar (such as in milk chocolate or ice cream) has a similar effect on your brain to cocaine.
Wonderful Olive, image by Stevepb
The Addictive Nature of a Fat with Carbs Diet
This is a bold statement, but the article backs this up. After consumption of fatty sugary foods, the body has a surge in dopamine. The two doctors concluded you should avoid processed foods made with sugar and fat. These foods affect your brain in a completely different way from natural foods and it’s hard for anyone to resist eating too much.
Vegetable Basket image by Coagerdesign
Find out why organic is good for you
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Conclusion
To stay on the safe side eat close to nature. Reduce man-made foods which contain unhealthy fats, sugars, and additives. Try to buy organic as these foods contain the vitamins and minerals you need and one should not forget fiber, something modern diets often lack.
I have made a special page for my visitor. It is a collection of things you might find helpful or interesting. Have a look at Recommendations.
Source: NaturalHealth365
Photo Source: Pixabay and Private
It is important to know which cinnamon to buy. The different types available are not the same. Perhaps you would also like to read the following post.
Comments
Nicky33
Hi Taetske, I really enjoyed reading your article!
The study you mention was an eye-opener for me. I always thought that “too much sugar or too much fat is going to make you obese”. I have tried Paleo diets that eliminated carbs and sugar almost completely, and raw vegan diets with much reduced amount of fat. And though I lost weight on both, it never occurred to me that it’s the combination of the two that is addictive and fattening!
In any way, I believe that moderation is the key in everything in life, so I never stuck with a specific way of eating for too long (never touching a cheesecake ever again in my life is not going to work for me!)
But of course we could try and keep our sugar intake separate from our fat intake, and thanks a lot for pointing that out! I’m going to take a look around your website for more healthy tips, thank you for this post 🙂
Taetske
Good Morning Nicky,
Thank you for visiting my website. I am all for taking away most of the sugar, that means to reduce menmade foods as much as possible. I do eat fruits every day but that is different. In the village where I live I can get raw honey of which I take 1 spoonful a day. I cook with good olive oil and for cold I use the extra virgin olive oil. In the US one has to becareful as I heard that a lot of brands are adulterated along the way but here in Spain one is relatively safe when buying in a shop. I am also into using coconut oil which I really like.
Please visit again.
Regards, Taetske
Michel
I went to a talk recently and they spoke about nutrition. They were saying that if we were only to eat natural Whole Foods and eliminate processed foods, we as a nation would not have any weight issues.
I guess over the years we have been conditioned to eat badly and eat a lot of junk actually. We have forgotten the joy of tasting food in its natural form and anything without sugar tastes as if something is wrong with it.
Thanks for this informative article. It was interesting to read about the twins who ate opposite foods and still managed to lose weight. I think we need get away from the word diet and think rather about what we actually put into our mouths.
Taetske
Good afternoon Michel,
So called better health care but people are only getting sicker, that is really strange I think. We have turned away from nature, she provides the best food ever, but we humans always think we can do it better. As I live on a farm I have the possibility to grow quite a few things myself. People who have little space can do a vertical vegetable garden and that functions very well.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Darren
The food industry is inundated with confusing information on what we should and shouldn’t eat however I firmly believe in moderation and keeping it simple and that includes what I eat.
I try and eat as clean as possible and nearly always make my food from scratch so I know exactly what goes in to each meal.
Your right about fats, we need certain fats and they are not all bad for us. People need to educate themselves rather than listen to the media.
Websites like yours are much more informative as I know you have done your research.
Taetske
Good afternoon Daren,
Thank you for your visit and leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Great that you take the time to cook your own meals so you know what you put into your body. Modern life is full of hazards, GMO, bad air and water, pesticides and plastic, and the list is only getting longer. I hope you do not use a microwave oven as that is really bad for your health. Perhaps you care to read the post I wrote about that.
Regards, Taetske
Chris
It really is worrying that so many man made products contain certain ‘hidden’ elements these days – I suppose it’s now got to the point where the only way you can be sure of what you’re eating, is if you opt to purchase all organic!
This was a really interesting article, and certainly powerful. I will spend some time exploring the rest of your articles for more health-related issues – great post!
Taetske
Good afternoon Chris,
Thank you for your visit and comment. Yes, do read some more of my posts. As we are not informed or on purpose misinformed you will encounter some shocking things. I say better be informed than to be sorry.
Regards, Taetske
Etah
Awesome article.
I am presently obsessed with talking about food and our health after watching a Netflix documentary which talks about our mind and nutrients playing a key role in our health and recovery process.
I was surprised by the similarity between cocaine addiction and the addiction caused by a combination of fat and sugar.
Also, 7 out of 10 deaths caused by diseases which can be prevented by diet and doctors who should be trained to save lives don’t spend much time learning about nutrition, this is really sad.
I do believe this is due to putting money before service and the importance of lives.
Thanks for this eye-opening article, it really strengthened my belief and will to get my diet on the right track.
Taetske
Good Morning Elah,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment.
The fact that we are so brainwashed by this huge advertisement setup is visible in the overall health of the people nowadays. Take Coca Cola, this very unhealthy drink you will find in every corner of our world. Mc Donald and family is going the same way polluting all countries with bad food.
The fact that the french fries of Mc Donald are better in Europe compared to the U:S: is a scandal. In the U.S. some harmful substances are still allowed which have been forbidden in Europe. That already shows that these big companies do not care about our health, they care about money.
Nice to hear you found my article interesting.
Regards, Taetske
Richard U
Wao! That is all I can say. I mean a site like this does not happen every day. There are more insightful products clue and knowledge in this article about anti-aging and thank you for sharing this post.
Indeed we are what we eat and I like the video in there that said “what you do with your fork impacts everything”
This has been an eye-opener for me and I will surely be coming back. We all know we are going to grow old one day but we can still control certain aspects of aging by what we eat.
Thank you. That is all I can say.
Taetske
Good afternoon Richard,
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
You are right, the Ted talk of Dr. Hyman is good. I have been following him for quite some time now and must say I like him. It is never too late to change the way you eat. Our cells renew on a regular basis so one can be in better shape when one is 60 compared to when you were 40.
Regards, Taetske
Daniel
Hi Taetske, I must say that this article is very interesting and helpful. It is the truth that we are what we eat but most people can’t understand that. I also see many folks run to buy meal replacements or pills but improving nutrition is the best thing we can do for our health. Thanks for sharing such great tips.
All the best,
Daniel
Taetske
Good afternoon Daniel,
Nice to see you again. Thank you for your comment.
There are still too many people who fall for the glossy advertisements telling them to eat something very unhealthy.
If you do it once, ok, if you do it sometimes you still might get away with it, it probably depends how good your immune system is. If it becomes your way of eating the consequences will come sooner or later. A fact is man-made food is bad for us.
Regards, Taetske
alexandra
This is such an informative article on food and how it truly is the best medicine. I strongly believe that pretty much everything can be broken down into what we eat and also our environmental factors. I completely agree with your conclusion to reduce man made foods such as the processed foods and instead try to eat from nature. We need both fat and carbohydrates but everything in moderation. Great article on how food is the best medicine.
Taetske
Good afternoon Alexandra,
Thank you for your visit and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
I started my own food evolution way back in 1986 when I gave up my job. From white bread to full grain, olive oil instead of butter then came the time where everything needed to be soy, slowly but surely I left most of the man-made foods. No more artificial sweeteners, like the dangerous Aspartame.
I think I now eat what does me good. Kefir, some real honey, my happy chicken eggs, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, seeds and nuts, lots of fruits and vegetables, little fish, meat, and chicken. I must have my red wine and black chocolate, like that I am happy.
Regards, Taetske
Esté
Hi Taetske
I think this is a great topic to discuss and elaborate on. I do feel that you should go into a bit more detail to bring your point across, but that might just be my opinion. I do however disagree with a lot of the things that you said, for example: that sugar is not highly addictive and that it is not about eating carbs or fat. I follow a ketogenic lifestyle and I am a firm believer in this lifestyle. Can you provide some facts to prove your point?
Taetske
Good afternoon Este,
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Yes, I know Keto, it is high in good fats, a decent bit of protein, and low in carbs. The way I eat is very similar. Nuts and seed, extra virgin olive oil and also coconut oil. As I have happy chickens I eat a lot of eggs too. I like to eat my own organic fruits and vegetables so there you see, even if it is not 100 Keto it is quite close.
You have taken command of your own diet and refuse to eat processed foods. I congratulate you for that and I am the same.
Yes, sugar is more addictive than cocaine. The problem is that sugar is always accompanied by bad fats of some sort, e.g. cereal with milk, or a donut or cake or ice-cream and apple pie. That means that people get their tastebuds fooled and stuff themselves with unhealthy things. Man-made foods are always full of hidden sugar from ketchup to canned soups etc, etc.
You may have missed the link I put on the website about the two doctors. Yes, this was a limited study and it does not meet the requirements for publication in the American Journal of Medicine, but it is very appropriate. Carbohydrates or fats alone are not the problem with obesity. It is the combination that induces us to eat more and gain weight.
There are many diets out there. It is important to find the one you are comfortable with. I live nearly without sugar, only in my coffee in town like twice a week. For the rest I get a spoon of honey now and then.
Regards, Taetske
Kevin Deaney
Hi Taetske
What an absolutely amazing article this was about food being the best medicine.
I have had some health issues in the last few years and realized that I could help myself by changing what I ate rather than taking another pill that my Doctor wanted me to take.
Like you expressed we shouldn’t totally eliminate one group of food totally but maybe adjust the amounts of certain groups of food. Because everyone is different I do not think there is one size fits all in this.
In your article you mentioned the twin doctors, I have identical 18-year twin girls and amazes me that one can eat whatever she chooses and has no issues while the second on struggles with dairy and meat products.
Once again a great article.
Regards
Kevin Deaney
Taetske
Good afternoon Kevin,
I agree with you, taking a pill is normally not the right way to tackle a health problem. I prefer to see if some food changes will do the trick. These modern times make it difficult for people to stay healthy. Especially if you are brainwashed by advertisements which can be so misleading.
You could try with organic products as it could be that one of your daughters has a more sensitive immune system. The added hormones or the GMO foods fed to animals can make some people react as it will be present in dairy and also the meat.
Anyhow it is better to stay away from those type of things being sensitive or not.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Selenity Jade
That’s an interesting theory that fats and carbs together are addictive. I’m definitely going to be looking into this more. That said, organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not harmful. There’s this awesome snack I love that’s all organic, but it basically means no pesticides or herbacides or antibiotics. It’s still totally processed, it just made with organic ingredients. I think, personally, if we all cooked everything ourselves and used organic fruits and vegetables and meat without unnecessary antibiotics or growth hormones is absolutely the best. But that’s just my opinion. Though we could still make chocolate ice cream… Hmmm. I don’t know. You might still get heavy, but at least you wouldn’t have crazy chemicals!
Taetske
Good afternoon Selenity,
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Yes, we can make chocolate ice cream, best to use at least 75% black chocolate. Other snacks you can also make yourself, at least then you know what you are eating.
I try to not be too extreme but only going out I normally commit some eating sins. I am looking forward to some good things from the vegetable garden. My better half is working hard this year.
When buying man-made foods one has to really read the labels, one is being fooled too often.
Regards, Taetske
Augusta
I agree with you there that we are what we eat and we can either prolong or shorten our life span by what we eat. It’s 100% true because I am currently in medical school 5th year. We are not taught that much about nutrition.
Here balancing of diet come into play. Removing one totally will cause an adverse effect on the body. Each of them is required by the body to maintain metabolism in which the body can function properly. Mother Nature is always the best, thank you
Taetske
Good Morning Augusta,
I agree with you, Mother Nature is the best. I am looking forward to all the yummy things the vegetable garden will produce. My better half is really doing his best.
Last year the fig harvest was big so I decided to freeze them. That was a good idea as they taste perfect with some full-fat Greek yogurt and a spoon of raw honey.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
mohammadahm1
Your article is really awesome and it is full of information. I have benefited greatly by reading your post. You talk in your article about health. You also stated the importance of food because healthy food is necessary for the body. If we eat too many man-made foods it can pose a real health risk. So, we should take care of our eating habits. Thank you very much for writing this article.
Taetske
Good Morning Mohammad,?
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
The foods we eat are of utmost importance as we will find out, sooner or later., if we have taken good care of our body. It is the same as with a car. On the wrong petrol, your car will break down one day. We turned away from nature thinking that man-made food is better. Just look around you, it is not so often that you see really healthy people.
Regards, Taetske
Juma John Jongu
Hi Taetske, this is very interesting and helpful. It is the truth that we are what we eat but most people don’t understand it. I also see that many people buy meal replacements or pills to replace real nutritional foods. Improving nutrition is the best thing we can do for our bodies especially when most of the food in stores are produced with chemicals. Thanks for sharing such great information with us.
All the best,
Juma
Taetske
Good afternoon Juma,
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
When people started eating fast food and other man made foods the overall health of the population went into decline. Modern medicine is advancing, yes and no. Nowadays you go to the doctor having ailments caused by eating the wrong foods. Then you are prescribed chemical pills with side effects, a never-ending story.
Regards, Taetske
Favorme
Hi Taetske, I just stopped over at your site and I want to offer my very brief comment on the post, “The Importance of food for your health. I don’t think anybody can question the importance or benefits of food to our health. But what any rational person should be concerned about is what is the best food to eat, what amount, and at what time of the day? Unfortunately, the FDA and even the Dieticians, and medical experts are giving us conflicting information about what works best for our bodies. But, since we are living in the age of misinformation, we have to keep on reactivating our common sense, and also carry out our own researches based on our hypotheses before arriving at any conclusion.
As we know too the side effect of Capitalism is greed; and that’s why food companies are not following the rules as they ought to. As for the consumers, they have to ask themselves if they are living to eat or eating to live. We have to really pay attention of what is eaten mostly in America. I have been to Spain, the lifestyle is good and weight is not an issue there.
Yes, organic foods are safer and richer than the toxic foods that we eat daily. But it requires re-education, and who will do it at whose cost? By the way, I gained from the TED video, it was a very good selection for your content. People are ignorant, and with a lack of self-control eating themselves to health complications. May God help us!
Favorme.
Taetske
Good afternoon Favorme,
God helps those who help themselves and that includes being well informed. If we only blindly follow what is being presented on TV, magazines, and advertisement, in general our health will definitely not benefit.
I know there is a lot of misinformation out there and one can get literally lost. Personally, I think the best is to always keep in mind who will benefit if I eat a certain thing. The company who makes it or my health. In most cases it is the company.That is why all these man-made foods should not form the biggest part of your diet. Most of the time the FDA is not a help and in my eyes no guarantee something is good even if they have given green light. Just think Aspartame, you know what I mean.
Mother Nature provides for most of our needs. Humans always want to improve on things, but the end result is most of the time the contrary.
Dr. Mark Hyman of the video is a great person. I am happy to subscribe to his newsletter.
Thank you for your visit and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Regards, Taetske
Walter
Hi ,
I feel identified with your article, totally in accordance with the relationship between healthy food, healthy mind, without a doubt, our body tends to reject the kind of food that is not well received in the long term.
Not only for obesity, but for our daily well-being
Thanks for sharing this information
Taetske
Good afternoon Walter,
Thank you for visiting my website and for leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
When I stopped working in 1986, I got interested in what food does to your body. I went through my personal food revolution trying out many things during the years. I have now settled on a variation of the Mediterranean diet.
Regards, Taetske
Eden
Thank you for this great article! My mom is struggling bad with diabetes and of course their first thing is cut the carbs. It is nearly impossible to cut ALL carbs. Bread, rice, wheats, flours. potatoes and as you said in your article even fruits and vegetables have carbs. It is definitely a balancing act. I am going to have to rethink how we are working her diet to see if I can make some productive changes!
Taetske
Good afternoon Eden,
Thank you for visiting my website and for your comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Sorry to hear about your mothers condition. I am sure some changes in her diet will at least improve it. Please have a look at the following link, you might find some additional information. https://chopra.com/articles/7-foods-that-help-fight-type-2-diabetes
When buying Cinnamon take care to buy the Ceylon variety, the one from China has too many pesticides. I even wrote a post about it.
Regards, Taetske
Tinu
Hi! I love how informative and great your articles are. Can you recommend any other blogs that share information on spirituality in general? Thanks a lot!
Taetske
Good afternoon,
Sorry, I have kept you waiting but things got in the way.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you have downloaded a free PDF of your choice at the Tulip Widget.
As to your question you can drop me an email so we can discuss this further.
Regards,
Taetske