The Body Doesn’t like Measured Food!

Calories, Carbs, Kilojoules? Why do we count them? Are these labels a marker for healthy nutrition?

Societies recent obsession with creating ‘balanced nutrition’ appears to have resulted in quite the opposite result. Some of the most well known diets are actually ending in malnutrition.

Instead of creating health dieting simply ups the bar of food obsession. And why wouldn’t it? If you are lacking in essential nutrients your brain is going to make sure you are constantly thinking about food until you have reached nutrient satisfaction. Constantly thinking about food is rarely a psychological disorder, it is in fact a sign of nutrient deprivation. Today you can be overweight and still be nutrient deficient. But how did this happen?

Calorie counting

The moment fats were condemned for bad behaviour, dietitians put the calorie counting system in place., Low calorie, low fat and diet products quickly became a multimillion dollar industry. Even after the nutritional cat was eventually let out of the bag, finding whole-food fats to be not just beneficial but essential, the calorie counting industry has carried on making a mockery of health.

The scary part is this movement towards processed ‘low fat’, ‘low calorie’ foods has added to the epidemic of lifestyle diseases. Today science is showing how a lack of good quality oils is detrimental to our brain, joints, hormones, energy production and much more. As we cut the fat, we increased sugar and refined grains, both of which have been pinpointed in conditions such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, alzheimers, reproductive disorders, obesity, mood disorders, depression and so much more.

It’s time to remember that food is not something to be terrified of. Real food is not only nourishing, but delicious! We forgot that real nutrition is simply REAL FOOD! The stuff that grows in the ground, the stuff that you pick of a tree, the stuff our great grandparents ate. It’s not how much you eat, its what you eat!
Somehow we took something innate and turned it into one of the biggest obsessions on the planet. Having to, weigh, measure or dissect each meal is just a distraction from that wonderful experience called eating. Sure you can calorie count away, and eat portions of fluff that don’t have enough nutrients for a mouse, and yes, you may initially loose weight, but what then? Are you going to keep going until you are anorexic, risking your health and your life? That doesn’t sound like much fun to me.

So how do we become healthy, without having to measure everything? The first place to start is by debunking the well known dietary guideline – “The food pyramid.” Ladies and gentleman, the food pyramid was created as an agricultural sales pitch to be used in the medical and nutritional industries and it worked. From the 1970’s we had a massive agricultural boom and alongside a great increase in lifestyle diseases.

So what do we really need? Our body needs a variety of nutrients to function. These include minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, phytonutrients, oxygen and water, all of which you will find in the various vegetables, leaves, seeds, nuts, fruits and sprouts. If 80% of your diet is plant based you are giving yourself the opportunity to experience satiation, balanced weight, glowing skin, high energy levels, delicious meals and freedom from food obsession!