| Natural foods are making a comeback in the | | | | challenge for most isn’t in getting enough food |
| marketplace in the last 10 years. The term | | | | for the job but getting the right kind food for the |
| “natural foods” has been tossed around | | | | job. It has become more and more difficult over |
| lately as somewhat of a marketing gimmick, a trendy | | | | the last 15 years with the advent of mass production |
| choice, or legitimate selection in our eating lifestyles. | | | | of food products and the elimination of necessary |
| The reason for this is an identifiable movement that | | | | farming practices in producing nutrient dense foods. |
| is both encouraging and alarming. The | | | | The availability of processed foods (or nutrient |
| encouragement comes from the fact that people are | | | | stripped foods) has made is difficult for parents to |
| looking at their health not from a perspective not of | | | | feed their children in a way so as to ensure long |
| “How long can I live?”, but also “How | | | | term health. The school absentee rate among |
| well can I live if I do live long?” We are looking | | | | children today is alarming. Feeding growing children |
| at health and wellness from a quality perspective | | | | processed foods in the early stages of their lives |
| more so than in the recent past. This is important | | | | sets them up for problems in the future. |
| from the standpoint of the rising costs of health care | | | | Mother Nature has provided the human being |
| in the United States. The alarm has been sounded | | | | everything necessary to live long and productive lives |
| with the 25 year track record of rising cancer rates, | | | | while here on earth. In light of the industrial |
| Type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, | | | | revolution we have taken shorter steps in bringing |
| heart disease and many others. | | | | food to the world but not food that is conducive to |
| Allow me to draw some parallels between immune | | | | long term health. The human body needs a highly |
| function and eating habits. First and foremost it is | | | | varied natural foods diet to maintain the entire |
| imperative to understand that disease overtakes the | | | | system. Repair in the body takes place by the tune |
| immune system not because there is a lack of | | | | of 300 billion cells a day being replaced through the |
| pharmaceutical drugs in one’s body but from the | | | | replication process. If the new 300 billion cells are |
| breakdown of the immune function as a result of | | | | being constructed out of poor quality nutrients or are |
| years or decades of malnutrition. Imagine not | | | | even missing some in particular then the long term |
| changing the oil in your transmission fluid in your car | | | | affect is a deficient immune function. Natural foods |
| for 5 years or putting low grade fuel in a high | | | | including plants, herbs, veggies, and organic or grass |
| performance engine. Imagine no brakes checks, tire | | | | fed beef of wildlife are the basis of the building |
| rotations or tire wear checks (basically no | | | | blocks that rebuild the body on a daily basis. |
| maintenance whatsoever). What do you think | | | | Natural foods are necessary but it is also important |
| happens to your car? That’s right! It operates | | | | that you acquire foods natural foods that are grown |
| less efficiently and as the abuse continues until it | | | | locally or are from certified organic farms. Large |
| finally dies. You want a longer life out of your car? | | | | scale production farms have their eye on quantity, |
| Great! Give it the proper fuel and repair the wearing | | | | not quality. The challenge for them is their need to |
| parts on a regular basis. | | | | mass produce food interferes with standard soil |
| The human body is no different. If you want it to | | | | enriching farming practices such as crop rotation, |
| last longer and perform effectively you must give it | | | | plowing crops under, and allowing soil to rest for |
| the proper fuel and repair it on a regular basis. The | | | | years at a time. Additionally the pesticide issue fans |
| fuel and the repair are one and the same in this | | | | the flames of disease as we are ingesting (although |
| case. The food you eat is the fuel and also the | | | | in small amounts) chemicals proven harmful to the |
| repair component. | | | | human body. Certified organic growers eliminate |
| Your body needs essential fats, protein, | | | | that problem by growing without pesticides. Going |
| carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals to carry | | | | one step further local organic growers are the best |
| out various metabolic functions, one being the | | | | as you can pick up fresh quality produce immediately |
| production of energy. Energy is created inside the | | | | after harvest or butchering (in the case of grass fed |
| cell and is the driving force of life in the body, | | | | organic beef, and grain fed free range organic |
| including the immune system. If the body is | | | | chicken,). |
| deprived of these essential energy producing and | | | | Now that you understand that the immune system is |
| repair nutrients, over time, it becomes slower, more | | | | a function of proper food choices you can get |
| lethargic, and more vulnerable to illness. The | | | | control of your own health. |