PART 5A health message from a dietitian/chiropractor on a soapbox.

PART 5

A health message from a dietitian/chiropractor on a soapbox.

Today, I must digress if I am to eventually get us to where I hope to go.

The topic is “health” - so let’s begin to explore it. I did a search for the definition of health and found it fascinating (that is copied and pasted at the end). I’ve also used two photos from just two of many shelves we, and our impressionable children, encounter during almost every visit to the typical grocery store.

One major problem with our overall health (and the very reason the US consistently fares so poorly upon comparison with other nations) in regards to “health care”, is that what is practiced here in the States is not healthcare at all. Very little is taught about prevention anywhere…and certainly not in our medical schools; instead the overall emphasis is on sickness care.

I LOVE all the attention that is currently being directed towards prevention and the avoidance of polluting the body with toxic food or by introducing foreign substances into the blood of an infant long before the immune system is fully developed (a process that takes at least two years by some estimates and many more by others).

I suppose we could say that when it comes to ‘sickness’ care we excel. For sure, it’s far more lucrative for the practitioner to operate in the realm of sickness care than it is to spend the time necessary to instill an understanding of prevention and ‘wellness care’.

It’s almost comical. I’ve just received notice that the accrediting agencies want to “recognize” me for my now 50 years as a practicing nutritionist. When the truth is that over the years I’ve actually talked a number of young people out of pursuing the nutrition profession. If you know me, you are aware that I DO practice what I preach. I am committed to health and wellness and put much emphasis on a healthy diet. Because eating habits are formed at home, I cringe to see what some parents are feeding their children. THAT is laying the foundation for future disease.

WHY HAVE I DISCOURAGED YOUNG PEOPLE FROM BECOMING DIETITIANS OR NUTRITIONISTS? Simple - because it’s an incredibly frustrating experience to invest the time needed to educate others about eating healthier and engaging in the absolutely essential weight bearing exercise and muscle building habits that are fundamental to health, only to see them walk away from all they know should be done because they cannot commit to putting in the effort and making the necessary changes. As nutritionists, we are generally not sufficiently supported by the medical field (who really only understands sickness care) and whose advice weighs strongly with their patients. We don’t begin teaching about health and diet for children. Parents allow toddlers to choose their meals. I think we all know where that will end up.

Just as with our example that the brain and spinal cord are the first organs to develop and are therefore almost entirely under GENETIC CONTROL ( let’s face it, we literally inherit our parent’s spines along with their other distinguishing characteristics) BUT we also inherit their eating habits. It’s up to the parents to make sure the infant is breast fed…no formula filled with unnatural chemicals will ever compete) and to then, on a timely basis, introduce a healthy diet. Kids need to be exposed to vegetables and fruit.

By far…the “items”(it would be incorrect to call what’s on grocery shelves ‘food’) are not naturally found food at all. The majority of what is sold today in our grocery stores didn’t even exist 50 years ago.

 Making changes does take work. There is much that works against us when it comes to the food supply we have and the basics of human nutrition. For example….we are all born with a “taste” for sweetness. When it comes to sugar…it’s a case of ‘love at first sight’. HENCE the importance of NOT giving sugary foods to babies and then allowing them to choose their own meals. To sum it up - sugary foods and “empty calorie” carbohydrates… are extremely pro-inflammatory and most likely far more destructive to health than we can even imagine. If those baked goods are made with plain white flour and vegetable shortening then we are advancing the pro-inflammatory condition with every bite. And the danger with unchecked and widespread inflammation in the body opens the door for autoimmune disease. There are now more than 100 diseases that have been identified as autoimmune in origin - including diabetes (all types), arthritis (all types) and thyroid disease (all types)…just to name a few.

REGARDING LIPIDS//fats. We are also born with a “taste” for the smooth and creamy. The very aroma of something fried in fat is enough to wake up the senses, make us hungry and get the gastric juices flowing. Why do you think fast food restaurants invest in fans to send that aroma out of the building? Is it an attempt to control our behavior and draw us inside? I can assure you that’s the case. It’s the same with grocery stores. That “friendly” neighborhood market is playing music purposely selected to encourage us to linger, shop, and buy more. A fortune has been invested in research into store design and store layout. All intended to expose us to countless opportunities to load up our carts with non-foods, thus encouraging us to spend more on expensive and generally unhealthy foods we most definitely did not need. It’s not by coincidence that when we go into the store for a gallon of milk that it’s not up front and easily accessible. NO…instead it’s at the very back which forces us to pass by all those empty calories, and very attractively presented snack foods. All that while America’s obesity numbers are climbing off the charts. The truth is we are being manipulated…and are passively allowing it to happen.

FOR TODAY, THAT’S ENOUGH OF MY SOAP BOX. LET’S PREPARE FOR TOMORROW BY INTRODUCING THE DEFINITION OF HEALTH AS GIVEN BY THE EXPERTS:

Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition emphasizes that health encompasses various dimensions, including:

Physical Health: The condition of the body, including the absence of illness and the ability to perform daily activities.

Mental Health: Emotional and psychological well-being, which affects how individuals think, feel, and act.

Social Health: The ability to form satisfying interpersonal relationships and adapt to social situations.

This holistic view of health is supported by organizations like the World Health Organization