Healthy Food

By Charles Patteson

Let's look into the American diet, and see what, if anything can be done to alter the path we are on. The path I speak of is one that has led to sky rocketing obesity, chronic illness and an overall pattern of poor choices. Are these choices so ingrained in our psyches that we, as a society have gone too far down the path to reverse direction? Fast food, super buffets, meat and potatoes, everywhere we turn these are the types of dining choices inundating us daily. We are initiated early by commercials, ads, billboards and free toys targeting the youngest and most easily influenced group of all.

So, how do we change these habits that have been ingrained so deeply? Baby steps... the journey to good health through proper eating habits is one that can be travelled by anyone who chooses to begin it. Many who say they've tried and failed did so many times for two reasons. First, they gave up! As the former college basketball coach Jim Valvano said in his now famous speech, "don't give up... don't ever give up." If you have a bad day or week, so what it's one day or week get back up the next morning and start again. The second reason many fail, is because they go all out from day one. This takes me back to the baby steps, many small changes over time can and will make huge changes in your health and life. We will discuss combining foods properly and how to begin the journey today.

Some things to remember as you begin to eat better is what to eat with what and why. We've all heard someone say, as they're gorging themselves "what difference does it make, it's all going to the same place anyway?" This may be true, however what happens or doesn't happen once it gets there makes a big difference. The human digestive system is amazing. We have the ability to digest and use meats, vegetables and fruits, unlike other animals. Now, the deal with this is that our system immediately recognizes the type of food we are ingesting, and adjusts what it needs to do to digest it properly. What happens when we improperly mix these foods together? Confusion, I will explain in a moment, but when our digestive system is confused it can't do it's job completely. This can be compared to the workplace, when mixed directives are received from different sources, the outcome usually is not what was intended.

How does a our digestive system get confused? Believe it or not, we digest different foods in different ways. Starches are broken down by enzymes in our saliva, and proteins by the acids in our stomachs. So, when these are combined in the same meal the result is improperly or undigested food. Vegetables and other fiber filled foods pass through to the intestines where they are transformed into a gelatinized substance by enzymes and bile.

So, to bring it into a nice package here is an easy way to remember what to eat and when. Starches should be eaten alone, or with vegetables. Proteins eaten alone or with vegetables. Vegetables eaten alone, with starches or proteins. Fruit should be eaten alone to aide with their cleansing effects. Fluids, preferably water should be consumed 30 minutes prior to or after eating. Fluid intake should be limited while eating, especially proteins to allow the acids in the stomach to perform their duties without being diluted. Remember these simple principles when choosing foods, and you will soon feel and look better.