A Guide to Healthy Eating

I Want to Be Healthy……Ugh! What Do I Eat?

By: Dr. Angela Dagley

We all realize that food plays a very important role in our health.  There is no question that proper diet and nutrition can prevent and often treat disease.  But how do you know where to begin?

Many foods that we find today in the grocery store are inflammatory to the body. High inflammation in our bodies leads to many of the chronic diseases that we are battling today.  For example, depression, ADHD, borderline diabetes, infertility, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel disease, and autoimmune diseases are at an all time high. Do you suffer from any of these conditions? Or do you know someone who does?

You can see why understanding how certain foods effect your body is so crucial! The correct information allows you to start making changes in your food choices so you can become healthier and feel better!

Let’s look at some key foods…

Fats:  First of all, eating fats doesn’t make you fat. However, eating bad fats will make you chronically sick.  Bad fats, such as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats and rancid vegetable oils are linked to cellular congestion leading to cancer, chronic fatigue and neurotoxin syndrome.  Good fats are essential to hormone production, cancer prevention, brain development and mental clarity. Generous amounts of high quality fats are very important to support a healthy immune system.  

Dairy:  Haven’t we always heard “Milk does a body good?”  The facts are quite the contrary. The assumption is that milk promotes healthy bones. However, studies have shown that it does not reduce fractures and, in fact, it may even increase fracture rates. In actuality, countries with the lowest milk consumption also have the lowest risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Also, milk has been linked to increased cancer rates. Dairy milk increases the hormone insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1, and this hormone can increase growth of cancer cells. Dairy is also a well-known cause of acne and increases the risk of Type 1 diabetes. Millions around the world suffer digestive distress because of lactose intolerance. Allergies, asthma and eczema all may be other symptoms triggered by dairy consumption. Great dairy alternatives include coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk and hemp milk.

Grains:  There are entire books written about the inflammatory and negative effect of grains and gluten on the body.  Sensitivity to inflammatory grains or a gluten allergy lead to high inflammation and can cause symptoms including depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, menstrual/fertility issues, metabolism problems, thyroid problems, sinus infections, cold sores, intestinal and stomach problems, osteoporosis, skin rashes, obesity and autoimmune diseases.  

The problem with modern day grains is that they are processed very differently than in the past.  When grains are processed today, they are chemically treated with bleach products to make them look pure and pretty (the same is done with table salt).  These chemicals are not good for our bodies! Gluten today is also preserved with formaldehyde – a known carcinogen. These processing methods result in high inflammation in the body, causing normal tissues to become damaged.

As you can see, food choices are VERY important to our health.  I urge you to begin your journey to wellness today. Commit to getting healthier.  You are worth it! Your family is worth it! Our goal at the Wellness Way is to empower people with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices. I encourage you to attend one of our complimentary seminars to find out more about the Wellness Way approach.