Episode 11! What to eat to thrive with autoimmune disease is definitely the question I get asked the most. Food as medicine was definitely what got my attention and started me on the transformation journey from surviving to thriving.
Although it's not everything, food is by far the essential foundation in healing your body. It can be the catalyst to move from a sick cycle to a healthy cycle. There is so much more to food than meets the eye, it's understandable that most people don't recognize the potential that is in that bite you are taking.
1. Biochemical Individuality
One thing that I have learned is that one diet doesn't fit all. Moreover, your own personal diet needs change throughout your life so it's not as easy as 'set it and forget it'. This personal observation is supported by research coming out about the microbiome, genetics, and lifestyle medicine.
Have you ever noticed how some people can pack away whatever they want and remain thin? Some people thrive on a vegan diet while others thrive on a keto diet. How is it that in a family where you have the same environment, same genetics, and same diet you can have different body types and energy levels?
The answer is your unique individuality within your microbiome, your genetics, and your lifestyle. None of us are the same which speaks to the necessity of understanding your biochemical individuality in nutrition.
2. Lifestyle Implications
Another consideration is the process of eating and digestion. Did you know that HOW you eat could be as important as WHAT you eat? Mindfulness has gained traction in the mainstream over recent years but most people don't apply it to eating. Rather, a grab-and-go or chug-and-chuck economy is driven by the SAD life. The problem is what happens inside when you are fueling up in an on-the-go situation.
Digestion begins to occur even before ingestion. Take a minute to think about what you are planning to eat at your next meal. Immediately you can feel the changes in your salivation and mood as you anticipate ingesting the food, yet you haven't taken a single bite. Your digestion starts with thinking about the food, seeing the food, and smelling the food.
Once you take the first bite, the system continues to break down the foods by biting, chewing, and swallowing the foods releasing information to the esophagus and stomach that there is 'ín-coming' for the preparation of acids and chemicals to breakdown the food into fuel. This transport system running the full length of your digestive tract is extremely intricate, interconnected, and automatic delivering the nutrients into your bloodstream and throughout your systems to power your body.
Until it's not. Because you didn't think about what you were going to eat. You didn't begin the process. Then, you didn't prepare anything. Instead, you grabbed a packaged meal, had it delivered, or stopped for take-out. Finally, you sat down in front of the screen of your choice to escape and eat your meal.
Most people think of poison as a toxic substance that leads to death. The internet defines poison as a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.
It took me a while to understand WHY my body would react when I ate processed foods. It wasn't until years into my research of nutritional healing that I finally made the connection. Not all poison is obvious. If you have ever wondered why rodents or pests would eat poison in traps, it's because it is laced with smell and taste that is enticing. By the time they feel the effects of what they ate, they are dead.
Sadly, but no less damaging, the same thing is happening to you when you are consuming processed foods.
For more information and resources visit livingWOWcenter.com
