LIVE FOOD FOR THE LIVING, DEAD FOOD FOR THE DEAD

Yes, you heard me right. Yes, it sounds like common sense. Live food for the living, dead food for the dead. We are whole, live, natural beings. Our cells thrive on whole, natural foods. Our immune system depends on them. Our brains function to their highest ability on them. Our performance craves them. Live food. 

What is live food? Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean meats, poultry, and fresh fish. Yes, there are supplements made from fresh fruits, and vegetables, these too, are acceptable, but to be used as a supplement to your healthy meal plan, not in place of. Yes, there are protein powders intended to supplement, as well. Yes, we have fish oils in capsules, and green food in containers, so on and so forth. The main idea here is to eat fresh, wholesome, unadulterated food, as often as possible, throughout the day. 

Some of us can plan ahead, have wholesome meals prepped for the day/week, etc., and are good to go. Yes, it takes a significant amount of time, and organizational skills to make it happen, yet, the benefits are far greater than any inconvenience. Others have careers, commitments, and are in places where it can be more challenging, yet it can be done. 

Let's talk about dead food. I have a hard time even classifying this stuff as 'food'. It's more like manmade concoctions, geared to appeal to the basest of our desires...taste, to then sell to consumers, and line the pockets of the people who concocted them, with the almighty dollar. These individuals even go so far as intentionally adding illegal substances they know cause addictive cravings. They advertise on t.v., ads, and theaters, with the precept these 'foods' bring joy, are somehow good for you, and do no harm. These 'foods' make up over half of what is available in most grocery stores. They are there greeting you as you walk in. Aah, the bakery, you whiff it entering a store, see all the garbage neatly on display, and the live foods? Well, you'll have to head for the back of the store, or to the perimeter, as they are to be found, by those truly seeking them.

Don't kid yourself. Your body cannot survive on these dead 'foods'. Eat fresh whenever possible. Steamed. Frozen. Canned as a last resort. Dead for rare, desperate circumstances, not for everyday convenience.

You hear of disease. 

Let's take a look at a few interesting facts:

Studies on causes of cancer reveal the following:
   1) 40% of cancer deaths are due to malnutrition
        (As in the body is starving at the cellular level. Hence, dead foods are void of true nutrition)
   2) 37% due to diet and alcohol
   3) 30% due to tobacco
  
Now, let’s take a look at what the average American consumes yearly:
         756 donuts
         7 lbs. of potato chips
         22 lbs. of candy
         365 cans of soda
         23 lbs. of ice cream
         90 lbs. of fat
         60 lbs. of cookies/cakes
         134 lbs. of refined sugar

What American’s aren’t eating enough of?
         41% do not eat fruit daily
         82% don’t eat cruciferous veggies
         72% do not obtain Vitamin C
         80% do not obtain Vitamin A
         84% don’t eat a high fiber diet

Sure, we all have those 'special' occassions, where there are generally dead foods offered as a form of celebration. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one must be perfect, remember, it's what we are doing the majority of the time that counts. When one is eating healthy, say Monday thru Saturday, I see nothing wrong with a reasonable serving of a dessert, etc. I do believe it is a process to eat more healthfully. I believe a person should be allowed to have a 'free' meal once a week, and not feel as though they are deprived.  It's when these things are a part of a daily regimen that they become destructive. We are literaly bombarded with junk. One must stand tall, and make the decision as what they desire for their body, their health, and their state of mind.

Can the American population expect to win the war on cancer, or any other disease, when people are literally starving themselves to death nutritionally? You be the judge. There are other factors determining one’s fate with...or without disease, but it would appear that a healthy diet, regular exercise, sunshine, clean air, and water can availeth much. Perhaps we would do well keeping in remembrance of the ole’ phrase “Eat to Live”, not “Live to Eat”.

Consider the following facts ((dosomething.org):

1. In a 2012 study, 52% of Americans (that were polled) believed doing their taxes was easier than figuring out how to eat healthy.
2. At least 1 in 4 people eat some type of fast food every day.
3. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that in 2011 the average American consumed nearly one ton of food. That’s 1,996 pounds of food a year.
4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s tests have found widespread pesticide contamination on popular fruits and vegetables, also known as the "dirty dozen." Here is a creative way to encourage your friends to buy organic fruits and veggies. 
5. The study also revealed some other interesting numbers. Americans ate: 632 lbs. of dairy products (including 31.4 lbs. of cheese), 415.4 lbs. of vegetables (most popular being corn and potatoes), 273 lbs. of fruit, and 183.6 lbs. of meat and poultry.

6. According to a 2012 Food and Health Survey, only 3 in 10 Americans believe that all sources of calories play an equal role in weight gain. Many Americans believe that carbohydrates, sugars, and fats are the key sources for weight gain
7. Americans consume 31% more packaged food than fresh food.
8. Healthiness of the food we eat decreases by 1.7% for every hour that passes in the day, meaning that people generally eat healthiest at breakfast and will most likely eat unhealthier food later in the day.
9. Over 10 billion donuts are consumed in the US every year.
10. 20% of all American meals are eaten in the car.
11. Americans spend 10% of their disposable income on fast food every year.

Bon Appetit!

Sources

• 1 
  International Food Information Council Foundation . "2012 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition and Health." Food Insight. Accessed April 14, 2014. .
• 2 
  Schlosser, Eric. "Americans Are Obsessed with Fast Food: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal." CBSNews. Accessed April 14, 2014. .
• 3 
  Aubrey, Allison. "The Average American Ate (Literally) A Ton This Year." NPR. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/12/31/144478009/the-average-american-ate-literally-a-ton-this-year>.
• 4 
  Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Fruit and Tree Nut Yearbook Spreadsheet Files." 2010. Web Accessed March 13, 2014.
• 5 
  Aubrey, Allison. "The Average American Ate (Literally) A Ton This Year." NPR. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/12/31/144478009/the-average-american-ate-literally-a-ton-this-year>.
• 6 
  "Food Insight." 2012 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition and Health. http://www.foodinsight.org/2012_Food_Health_Survey_Consumer_Attitudes_toward_Food_Safety_Nutrition_and_Health (accessed July 16, 2014).
• 7 
  Fairfield, Hannah. "Factory Food." The New York Times. Accessed April 14, 2014. .
• 8 
  Radcliffe, Shawn. "Eating Habits: Healthy at Breakfast, Junk Food at Night." Men's Fitness. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/eating-habits-healthy-at-breakfast-junk-food-at-night>.
• 9 
  Jacques, Renee. "Sweet Baby Cheesus, Americans Eat A Lot Of Mozzarella (And These 11 Other Foods)." The Huffington Post. Accessed April 14, 2014. .
• 10 
  Stanford University. "What's for Dinner?." Multidisciplinary Teaching and Research at Stanford. Accessed April 14, 2014. .
• 11 
  Clauson, Annette. "Despite Higher Food Prices Percent of U.S. Income Spent on Food Remains Constant." Research in Agricultural and Applied Economics. Accessed April 14, 2014. .