#30- Truth about Food!

So this past week has been easy. Never thought I would say that! But there has been a huge change in my mentality about "diets" and "healthy foods".

Since I've taken a 3 month vow of eating vegetarian- I've decided to learn as much as I can about food.  

I've been reading:

 And

And Watching:

And   

I'm 60 pages into Eating Animals and halfway through Skinny Bitch. Finished Forks over Knives and Hungry for Change.

I used to think I was educated on healthy foods, but boy was I wrong. I don't care about dieting anymore. Seriously- I mean it! My main concern is my health. If I want to get healthy, I need to do things differently. For the first time since I've been trying to lose weight (which has been for a LONG time), I'm realizing the issue is that I never gave my body what it truly needed. Six days in and I'm already noticing a change in my mood, complexion and anxiety. I'm looking forward to my new lifestyle :-D

Here are only some of the things I learned:

*This is just some of what I took away from the books and documentaries. (Avoiding the facts on meat... I may save those facts for a different entry at a different time) 

**This list is as much a reminder for me as information to for anyone interested in reading this list. 

***Some information is direct quotes so feel free to ask questions about it. I probably had or have the same questions!

****I'm no expert. Just searching for answers.

1. Get rid of aspartame.You think you are saving calories by having diet products but you're actually making yourself FAT! Even the FDA knew it is horrible drug, it was denied 8 times due being unsafe and known to cause 92 different side effects ("memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer's, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings and weight GAIN"- Skinny Bitch). It is now one of the most common ways to sweeten diet products. Aspartame is now a billion dollar industry.Want to cut sugar?--- then go with safe sweeteners such as Aguave Nectar or syrup and Stevia. There are more but these are the two I plan to pursue and most readily available alternatives.
   
2. Fat Free and Non-Fat LiesIn order to take out the fat from products, it changes the composition of the food. Removal of fat means the product is now either mostly carbohydrate or mostly animal protein (for yogurts, milk, cheese and such). If you didn't realize it... carbohydrate may not be a fat... but once it enters your body it will be quickly turned into fat if you aren't going to use it. I'm going to skip explanation of  the animal protein part because it seems futile unless you are interested in learning why animal protein sucks. Also, in order to make it fat free, they have to pump it up with chemicals that are just not natural for our body. So before you jump for joy because your favorite product now comes in a fat free version (or maybe I was the only one who did that), take a second and rethink it. Fat is also a necessary part of our diet! Stick to the unsaturated fats. Fat is not the bad guy.
   
3. Lifestyle not DietSay what? All this time I've been trying to diet means I've been doing it wrong? Just labeling food choices you are making as a diet leads to short term weight, long term weight gain. Most people on diets gain back more than they lost. Case in point: Me.Think of this in a positive spin. Diet is such a negative word, encompassing the idea of reducing calories and giving up food. INSTEAD, think of it as adding. You are adding healthy vegetables and adding activity. If you start focusing on the positive, you will begin to feel positive about your choices! And eating well should not be short term. If you want to be healthy, this is something that should last a lifetime.
   
4. Food made in labs, require labs to break downIf food is completely artificial, our body doesn't know how to handle this. Our bodies have evolved over large periods of time to break down and adsorb nutrients from what is found in nature. These chemically processed products are causing problems within our bodies. Leading to rising levels of illness and disease- including obesity.Food is created , via chemicals, to be tasty and addictive. Your sense are being hijacked to serve their purpose.
   
5. SatiationOur body recognizes satiation via stretch receptors that measure the volume of food in our stomach and density receptors to measure the richness of food. So 500 calories of natural plant food fills the stomach completely which signals the brain that we've had enough to eat. 500 calories of unnaturally processed food fills the stomach much less, leading to over eating. When food is completely artificial, we over eat just to be satisfied.
   
6. Food Industry is a Big BusinessThe primary concern of a food company is how to make a product desirable, cheap to produce and in large quantities. Companies are not looking at the health risk to you as an individual. The bottom line is profit.
   
7. Read the Ingredient Label firstIf you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't be eating it. Make sure there is no aspartame! The number of calories should not be your primary concern. If its natural, your body will use it.
   
8. We are overeating, but starvingDespite all the food we have been eating, most people aren't getting the nutrients they need. We are eating the wrong types of food in excess because our body is starved for what it needs to function optimally.