I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Cambell (author of The China Study and Whole.) Here’s what I learned:
Our bodies are machines constantly working towards HEALTH. It is how we feed our bodies that determines how easy or difficult it is for the body to get to what we’re working towards. When we feed the body the best fuel, (whole foods) we thrive from the nutrients, making it much easier to maintain a healthy body. When we don’t eat healthy, our body has to work much harder to break down the food, remove the nutrients, and fuel itself to continue to work towards health. If we fuel our machines (bodies) right, they will ‘run’ better and be healthier all around. Whole foods are easily digested, so the majority of the nutrients are absorbed into the body. Since food fuels the body’s processes, the easier the food is to digest, the more we benefit from it.
Nutrition may actually outweigh genetics. We are all pre-disposed to disease through genetics, some more than others, as DNA varies person to person. Nutrition, however, determines which of these genes are turned on. For example, we know that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. Eating a diet full of whole foods and plants increases alkalinity, while too much meat and processed foods tend to increase acidity.
The good news is that we can actually reverse disease and shut these cells off, just like we can turn them on. Diet can change the body on a cellular level. For example, studies show that people with heart disease can be “cured” through nutrition. Although the genes still exist, they are dormant as a result of dietary changes. How cool is that?! And why don’t most people know that?!!!
Modern medicine is not based on holistic health and nutrition. The food and drug industries seem to be competing instead of aligning in the name of health. Most doctors do not preach a whole food diet because nutrition is the one thing that is not taught in medical school that is actually the leading factor for change.
Lastly, and my very favorite point is a direct Dr. Cambell quote: “when you eat healthy, your taste buds begin to change overtime. You begin to crave a salad. If you don’t have a salad, you want one.” I can’t reiterate how true this is. Overtime, as I’ve become more knowledgeable about nutrition, my body has naturally learned to crave healthy foods. If I go a day without fresh vegetables or fruit, my body wants nothing more than wholesome nourishment. The same goes for poor diet, so why not train yourself wisely?
One Healthy Breakdown: educate yourself. Nourish yourself. You deserve the best.
Health coaching isn’t just about giving advice and educating people, because, as Marie says, most of us know what we should be doing (we do, don’t we?), it’s about identifying one or two small goals at a time and putting them into practice. She suggests committing to new one change every day for two weeks, that way it becomes habit without seeming daunting – there’s an end in sight. Usually, by the end of two weeks, people grow accustomed to the healthy change, they begin to feel positive benefits, and they will hopefully continue long-term as a result.