Our world today provides the modern human with a very different experience than what is optimal for us to thrive, or even what nature intended. We push the limits of everything we can to work more, buy more, earn more and have more.
We neglect seasonal cycles, day-night cycles and personal body cycles. We rush around in an often mad frenzy trying to “get it all done”, never stopping to ask some bigger questions as to why we are doing what we are, or considering the negative impact on the quality of our life. We are bombarded daily by marketing and fancy ads trying to win our affection to purchase their product and have us believe that *it* is what we really need. And when it comes to the food we eat, this area is of no exception.
It is not uncommon today to hear on a daily basis confusing or misleading claims about the food or drinks out there, what we should eat, when, how much, etc. While it all perhaps started out with good intentions to help us as we learned more about nutrition and the human body during the early part of the last century, today it has turned into a largely money-driven agenda. What real health and real food is has been tossed aside in favor of convenience, diets and profits. However, all is not lost. At a time when it may be more confusing than ever before to eat healthy and be healthy, we also have more choice than ever before, and can return back to the basics. The decision is up to us and we vote for the kind of world we want through every meal, purchase, and the choices we make in our life.
In the spring of 2012 I had the pleasure of being on Dr. Tony Hutchinson‘s radio show Where Your Health Matters, to talk about these very topics. The goal of the show “Where Your Health Matters with Dr. Tony” is to support an on-air community of health, committed to making health information on matters important to the listening audience accessible and understandable. This was my third engagement on the show and this particular time, the topic revolved all around going “back to basics” specifically when it comes to the food we eat, and also in how we live.
I invite you to listen to the free 1 hour program. The link below gives you instant access to the audio recording.
In the show, you can expect to learn and hear about the following topics:
- importance of getting fresh air, sun and experiences in nature
- city living and its impact on health
- what does “back to basics” mean
- why so much confusion exists when it comes to nutrition and how to make sense of things
- what are nutrients, an explanation of what macro and what micro nutrients are
- how to understand the nutrient and calorie connection
- understanding the 5 main nutrients: carbs, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals
- nutrition labels and why numbers don’t hold the answers of how to eat
- why we should not take out entire food groups like carbs or fats
- what is meant by “whole foods”
- what are the differences between processed sugars and natural sugars
- what is the problem with artificial sweeteners, like aspartame
- understanding what really is a “whole grain” food product, and examples
- what is gluten and what does gluten-free mean
- why we want to minimize wheat in our diet today
- what genetically modified foods to most stay away from
- how to minimize the costs of eating organic and healthy
- what does organic really mean and is organic always healthier
- processed food amidst our processed way of life
- the value of prevention today over treatment tomorrow
- the benefits of CSA food programs
- approaching healthy eating and getting back to basics through a complete lifestyle approach
Other “Where Your Health Matters” Shows featuring Evita Ochel as guest:
Preventative Nutrition for Men and Women – Original Air Date: September 16, 2012