By Jean Nelson

Anciently, the well-respected Greek physician Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” The belief among holistically-oriented individuals is that Hippocrates was onto something about natural, organic food a long time ago. Wholesome organic food is what was available in his time, before our more modern civilization adulterated the crops with pesticides, herbicides and other toxic substances.

Today’s food sources are beyond tampered with. Crops are not only sprayed but scientists have long been busy experimenting with gene recombination. They genetically modify for purposes advantageous to the corporations that sell food. Because of this, many foods lack the rich flavors and nutrient value they once had.

How often have you heard someone comment about how good homegrown tomatoes are compared to those that come from the grocery store? The commercially-grown tomatoes taste like cardboard, while those grown at home are full of flavor and rich in color. Even the texture and ripeness are different. We see, feel, and taste that foods have changed. It seems that it’s impacting our health. Food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities are a fairly common problem today.

1. How do we deal with the adverse reactions so many of us have to modern commercially-processed foods?

Using The Body Code will help you to identify the causes of your intolerances and allergies so you can alter your diet when needed, clear toxins, test to see which foods and herbs you’d benefit from, know which to avoid, and know what else is needed.

We all want our bodies to work correctly yet we want to be able to eat whatever we like, and we want it now! Food preparation takes time and it’s hard not to compromise at least some of the time. We get busy! The convenience of prepared commercial foods are tempting and we love going out to eat! We enjoy enhanced flavors, sugars and other  things that make food taste yummy. When illness strikes, we wake up and notice what we are putting into our mouths and see if we need to make some changes.

You may not feel that you can change the way the world modifies, grows, raises, processes, and preserves food. It may seem out of your control. Food is an enormous industry! The problem is that lots of our food is making us toxic, tired, sick, and fat. Being conscious of how food impacts our health is pretty important.

2. When food robs you of your health, energy and your figure, what’s to be done?  

To eat more fruits and vegetables is wise, when these foods are natural, organic and not genetically modified. Commercially-grown produce is modified purposefully to lack enzymes so that the fruit or vegetable won’t ripen like nature intended. The reason this is done is to allow the produce to be transported to market without as much loss and damage. Unfortunately, the fruits and vegetables may never fully ripen, even after they are in your home and you want to eat them. They need their enzymes to ripen and you need enzymes to digest them. If you’ve ever bought hard peaches that never softened or ripened but just shriveled smaller until they rotted, you know what I’m talking about. They lacked enzymes!

3. Do you think it’s worth the extra money it costs to eat organic? 

The cost of food is getting higher, organic or not, but if you are going to spend your hard earned cash on food, then buy for value. Something worth knowing is that organic food is usually far more nutritious than commercially grown food, so even though it may cost more, its actually worth more. The levels of vitamins and minerals in organic produce can be two and three times higher, so if you want to be nourished, organic is the way to go.

The demand for organic foods of all kinds has gone up. It’s evident that people want to eat foods closer to nature. We help to keep organic foods more available to us as we support organic growers and ranchers. We keep them in business when we buy organic products. That is a way we can make a difference.

Toxic sprays used on non-organic or commercially grown produce and grains can seep into the food itself. Fruits and vegetables high in water content, such as celery and watermelon and those with thinner skins, like berries, are particularly susceptible to being contaminated. The way animals are fed and raised for their eggs, milk and meats affects us, as well. When you eat toxic food, you are potentially harming yourself.

4. How else can I save? 

To stay healthy will save you the most, because you’ll avoid some of the consequences of illness that are so very costly. Think of the lost time at work, treatment, doctor bills, medication, and quality of life.

To save on your grocery bill, try planning better so you don’t waste food. Try cutting your portion size. Many of us are conditioned to overeat, which is taxing to your body, making digestion more difficult. Marketing entices us to think that getting more is better when actually eating less but higher-quality food is much healthier. Doing so allows you to savor food slowly and stay slimmer.

5. Did you know that many toxins are stored in your fat layers? 

Your body will naturally store toxins you ingest from poor quality or contaminated food in your fat layers. If you ingest toxic spray because the wheat your bread was made from was sprayed with poisonous chemicals, your subconscious mind will attempt to protect your vital organs with your available fat.

If you have a heavy toxic load, you are more likely to hold onto unwanted fat because the fat acts as a shield for your organs. This makes it harder to lose weight and explains one reason why we are getting heavier as a society. Some weight loss programs have you cleanse to release toxins to help overcome this. When the fat isn’t needed as a layer of protection, you’ll lose weight more easily. Eating clean, pure food to begin with makes the most sense.

6. Are you digesting what you eat? 

If your digestive flora is deficient of friendly bacteria in your gut, digestion is a problem. Many who have been eating a modern diet have a deficiency of friendly bacteria and other digestive enzymes and need to work to restore their flora for better digestion and absorption of nutrients. If you have digestive problems, use The Body Code to see what you need to do to heal your gut and take probiotics to restore your flora.

7. Are you choosing to eat the things that are going to heal your body?

If you choose natural, organic food over commercially-grown or commercially-raised products whenever you can, you reap the benefits they provide such as increased energy, healing effects and better overall health. The closer we stay to the way nature intended foods to be raised and cultivated, the better off we are. Natural organic foods have the best source of nutrients.

Make sure to use the food chart in The Body Code to see which foods your body needs most. You can also test to see what to avoid. Foods can be rated 1-10 to see which will benefit you the most at any given time. Supplements are sometimes beneficial but should never be a substitute for good food.

8. Do you read labels? 

It takes more awareness than ever before to choose foods that will give you energy and contribute to your health and well-being rather than rob you of your vitality. Reading labels is important to avoid toxic additives, preservatives like BHT, humectants, flavor enhancers such as MSG, too much sugar, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, various artificial ingredients, trans fats, hormones, etc. Many of today’s foods really are poisoning us and causing obesity. Shopping the perimeter of the store will help to avoid purchasing too many heavily processed foods from boxes, cans and bottles. Foods without any label are the most natural!

9. How can you get enough vegetables and fruits into your diet?

Making veggies delicious is the key to making them a preferred choice. Try slow roasting them. Yum! Raw salads are also a good option because of the live enzymes. Try substituting zucchini, yellow squash or eggplant for pasta noodles. Juicing fresh fruits and veggies is a fantastic way to get lots of nutrients into your body, too. It’s detoxifying and gives your body a rest because fresh juice is easy to digest.

10. What if organic foods are unavailable to you? 

Gardening has been embraced in recent times as a way to get quality food. Learning to garden helps you to grow in knowledge and skill while your seeds are sprouting in the garden. Gardening helps you to appreciate food more. Buy some heirloom seeds and create your own food supply. If you think you are too busy to garden, you can start small by planting in some pots or boxes on your porch or close to a window inside. There’s something very satisfying about eating from your own garden. Eating fresh, full flavored, nutrient-rich produce is so good for you. Your body will love it! You may have to pull a weed or two or plant some marigolds around the edge of your garden to keep the bugs at bay, but if the bugs like what’s in your garden, you’ll know it’s probably worth eating!

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