Most people accept that what we put into our bodies can be either healthful and nurturing or harmful and toxic to our well being. This video clip from Mark Abadi explores the idea. You may not agree with everything, but what he is asking us to do is to simply think about what he’s saying and find out more about the effects of different food groups on our bodies.

I believe he’s absolutely bang on the nail when he says that we have really got ourselves in a mess when it comes to farming. We’ve used toxins to maximise harvests, to the detriment of the natural nutrients that should be in our food. This is one of the main drivers of the organic movement: to ‘clean up’ how we grow and produce food.

His point about processed foods is also very relevant. Processed foods are not as good for our bodies as food in its natural form – how can they be? Processing foods strip out much of the naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, and leave the ‘shell’ of the food. Usually processed foods have high levels of sugar, fat and/or salt added to make them taste acceptable.

Raw foods could, and should, be an important part of our daily food intake. Note, we are talking raw fruits and vegetables, not meat. Everybody should try and eat some raw food everyday. Cooking does destroy some of the natural vitamins in our foods. Well, to be precise, it’s heating to high temperatures. For the lovely organic green vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, carrots and kale etc consider lightly steaming or eating raw. Grilling is another good way of preserving nutrients.

Milk Bottle Cap

By TounoTouji from Flickr.com

Now milk. This is a contentious subject not for the food faint-hearted. For the purposes of this post, I shall simply say that milk is one of the major causes of allergic reactions in children and adults. I gave up drinking cow’s milk years ago when breastfeeding my youngest child who had a dairy allergy. I do now eat butter and cheese, but use coconut milk if I need a milk-like product in cooking. Out of five in my family, only one member now uses cow’s milk. My husband has finally given it up and feels infinitely better for it (less sinus problems, improved asthma). My daughter loves goat’s milk, and my son is happy with coconut milk.

For those of you that would like more detailed information on why milk poses a problem, click on these two excellent links Mercola, The Devil in the Milk and Dr Thomas Cowan, The Devil in the Milk

One of the most relevant points Mark makes is how on earth can anyone claim that the small amounts of toxins from pesticides do not have any effect on the human body? Small things can, and do, have massive effects (especially if ingested every day). As our understanding of our bodies grows, so do the research findings that link toxins to diseases like cancer, autism and Alzheimer.

The man says, “I used to think organic is a load of rubbish. It’s not. If you can establish that your food is really organic, go for it. If you choose to eat vibrant, healthy foods, you will feel mentally vibrant, and will enjoy this life more.”

I totally agree with this. So here, challenge yourself to see the difference: Stop eating processed foods, whether organic or not, for two weeks. Eat loads of raw or lightly cooked veggies. Stop drinking cow’s milk. Eat only organic meat that you’ve cooked yourself. See how you feel after two weeks, and let me know. Oh, and if you want a really strong result, stop eating wheat for those two weeks – it’s hard, but you will feel so much better for it.

For me and for many others, learning more about the world we live in and discovering how to live an organic lifestyle is the only way forward. Our bodies benefit hugely, as does our mental well being. And of course, our planet will continue to yield healthy vibrant food if we treat it with respect.

Filed under: Organic Lifestyle

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