Spirit Science 33_2 ~ A Closer Look at Food

As we continue the journey into health, we take a closer look at food and what we can do to keep improving our physical health through diet.

When we give our bodies food that is devoid of any real nourishment, our bodies suffer from it on a cellular level. If we eat processed food constantly, we build up a tolerance to it and might not notice how drastically it affects us.

The same goes for animal products. When we eat animals that have been essentially tortured, fed grain and pumped with antibiotics, all of that goes into our body. You might look at this as if all of that suffering is then going directly into our bodies, causing depression and anxiety inside.

Patchman breaks down the three main processed components: sugar, salt, and fat. Sugar is one of the biggest addictive substances on the planet. It triggers the exact same parts of our brain that cocaine does, and scientifically literally is as addictive as cocaine.

An average person in the united states can consume up to 140 grams of sugar a day, while the daily recommendation is only a mere 26 grams. That difference is shocking, especially because most of that sugar is from processed food or from things like soda, instead of natural fruits and vegetables.

Next comes fat. There are healthy forms of fat like from an avocado or different nuts, and unhealthy forms of fat which cause a lot of damage. These fats, like saturated and trans fats, boost our blood cholesterol to extremely high rates. These can clog our arteries and eventually lead to an early death if we are not careful.

Finally, there’s salt. Salt also increases blood pressure and can lead to an array of diseases when eaten in excess. Elevated sodium levels can eventually lead to something like kidney failure.

There is also a huge list of additives that are added to processed food to extend shelf life and ensure a sweet or salty taste stays fresh. These can be the most deadly as they are almost entirely artificial and our bodies are not meant to break these things down.

The key is to start doing our own research and do what feels right for your body. If you’re used to eating high levels of processed food, shifting over to healthier options may be difficult in the beginning, but your body will adjust to it over time and deeply thank you in the end.

Sources:

American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

Queen Mary, University of London
http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/

Dr. Mercola, Joseph
Food matters, November 2010
http://amzn.to/2xPsXW6

Food Inc.
http://amzn.to/2g639gH

Forks Over Knives
http://amzn.to/2xSZCLQ

Vegucated
http://amzn.to/2yUd1BV

Walton, Alice G.
Forbes Magazine, August 2012

Beck, Julie
The Atlantic, August 2014

Gunnars, Kris
Authority Nutrition, 2015

World Health Organization,
March 2015

Kam, Katherine,
WebMD, August 2011

Corliss, Julie
Harvard Medical School, February 2014

Dr. Norton, Sally
The Daily Mail, January 2016