The food and pharmaceutical industries have us in a vicious circle in which they both benefit financially from our misery. We buy foods that make us ill and then we buy pharmaceuticals to make us feel better.
Odds are that you know at least one person who is currently taking medication for depression, or a child who is taking medication for ADD. Odds are that these are conditions that you did not hear too much about only a few years ago. Add to that a growing number of people with diabetes, obesity, and a host of other problems, and if you’re like me, you start to ask if diet is playing a significant role in all of this.
Our food supply has changed drastically over the past 50-100 years, and we are seeing the results in increased illness, both mental and physical.
Our bodies, our minds operate well with a balance of Omega 6 / Omega 3 ratio of 1/1 to 5/1, depending on the study one reads. Our current diet is closer to 20/1. This significant change has happened over the past 50-100 years.
The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
But even as important is their ability to reduce the negative impact of yet another essential type of fatty acid known as omega-6s. They support skin health and lower cholesterol. But when omega-6s aren't balanced with sufficient amounts of omega-3s, we have problems.
The most significant change with regard to the Omega ratio has been our growing use of corn based foods replacing leafy vegetable based foods in our diet. Corn is rich in Omega 6. Leafy vegetables, grasses, are rich in Omega 3. Cattle fed on the open range had an Omega Ratio of 3:1. Cattle fed a diet of corn have a ratio of 20:1. There are similar findings with pork and poultry. In addition, corn is the most commonly found ingredient in your local supermarket is: Corn. Corn syrup as fructose is everywhere. It’s in our cereals, breads, soups, sauces, cakes, cookies, and just about everywhere else. In a natural world, corn is not a staple food source but we have created an unnatural reliance on corn as a staple in our diet and the diet of the livestock that we consume.
What can we do about it? The first step is to increase our levels of Omega 3. Seafood is rich in Omega 3 but it’s also rich in mercury (thanks to our coal burning – world wide). So eat fish, but only in moderation. Other sources of Omega 3’s are walnuts, soybeans, and winter squash. The second step is to shop carefully at the market to lower our Omega 6. Avoid processed foods as much as possible to keep your fructose intake low. Ask your butcher if he has grain feed beef, pork, or poultry. Tell your local grocery store that you are looking for foods rich in Omega 3’s. In other words, use your words and your wallet to drive the market.
Do this and we will all eat better and live better!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Food
Lots of posts about cycling, no chef....
I love to cook. I'm no good with a wrench or a hammer - but give me a good chef's knife and a gas stove and I'm in my element. Today I made a pile of pulled pork, potato salad, black bean & corn salsa, BBQ chicken, and more sorts of food that will be good "later". Trying to feed a family with two active boys and get in my cycling is a challenge. I usually make the sorts of things that will keep in the refrigerator - some actually are better "later". And I do have a lot of things to consider for a varied menu. For one, my older boy can't eat seafood (allergy) and poultry does not agree with him. My wife tries to abstain from red meat. My younger boy does not like potatoes that much, and me? I try to go vegetarian 3-4 times a week, but for health reasons, my wife needs to avoid to much soy protein. And I'm the only one in the house that likes beans. My older boy and I have asthma, so I try to keep the magnesium rich foods in the mix. And, because I had problems with depression in the past, I need to an eye on Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids - and find foods rich in that! Finally, I try to maintain good weight and cholesterol levels for my wife and me, while at the same time, provide calorie rich foods for two boys who need to gain weight!
Confused? You bet. It can get interesting.
Basically I just follow a few guidelines. Fresh is best, vary the menu, moderation is key, and listen you your body signals. And when I cook, I cook in groups - as I did today. It really does not take that much time to cook several things at once if you just keep moving. Cook one meal for today while cooking another for tomorrow.
Here's a few of my standards: There is always a tray of baked pasta in the refrigerator or freezer. If all else fails, it's pasta. Carrots, potatoes, rice, apples, bananas, peanut butter (the good stuff, no trans fats), milk, oatmeal, and orange juice are always in stock.
I serve family style. In fact, since the boys have been old enough to reach for a fork, we've served family style. Take what you want, don't take what you don't want. Eating should be a pleasant and enjoyable experience - not a time for lectures.
Think "seasonal". Strawberries in January are not local if they are fresh and given what we are learning about the standards of some countries, stay local! We eat a lot of cabbage, winter squash, potatoes and carrots over the winter. It was good for my ancestors, and it's okay for me. Sure, it takes some know how to make cabbage interesting, but it can be done.
Use meat as a more as a flavor or ingredient, and not as half the meal. You'll get all the pleasure of the flavor & save money and have better health to boot!
Well, that's for starters....more later!
I love to cook. I'm no good with a wrench or a hammer - but give me a good chef's knife and a gas stove and I'm in my element. Today I made a pile of pulled pork, potato salad, black bean & corn salsa, BBQ chicken, and more sorts of food that will be good "later". Trying to feed a family with two active boys and get in my cycling is a challenge. I usually make the sorts of things that will keep in the refrigerator - some actually are better "later". And I do have a lot of things to consider for a varied menu. For one, my older boy can't eat seafood (allergy) and poultry does not agree with him. My wife tries to abstain from red meat. My younger boy does not like potatoes that much, and me? I try to go vegetarian 3-4 times a week, but for health reasons, my wife needs to avoid to much soy protein. And I'm the only one in the house that likes beans. My older boy and I have asthma, so I try to keep the magnesium rich foods in the mix. And, because I had problems with depression in the past, I need to an eye on Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids - and find foods rich in that! Finally, I try to maintain good weight and cholesterol levels for my wife and me, while at the same time, provide calorie rich foods for two boys who need to gain weight!
Confused? You bet. It can get interesting.
Basically I just follow a few guidelines. Fresh is best, vary the menu, moderation is key, and listen you your body signals. And when I cook, I cook in groups - as I did today. It really does not take that much time to cook several things at once if you just keep moving. Cook one meal for today while cooking another for tomorrow.
Here's a few of my standards: There is always a tray of baked pasta in the refrigerator or freezer. If all else fails, it's pasta. Carrots, potatoes, rice, apples, bananas, peanut butter (the good stuff, no trans fats), milk, oatmeal, and orange juice are always in stock.
I serve family style. In fact, since the boys have been old enough to reach for a fork, we've served family style. Take what you want, don't take what you don't want. Eating should be a pleasant and enjoyable experience - not a time for lectures.
Think "seasonal". Strawberries in January are not local if they are fresh and given what we are learning about the standards of some countries, stay local! We eat a lot of cabbage, winter squash, potatoes and carrots over the winter. It was good for my ancestors, and it's okay for me. Sure, it takes some know how to make cabbage interesting, but it can be done.
Use meat as a more as a flavor or ingredient, and not as half the meal. You'll get all the pleasure of the flavor & save money and have better health to boot!
Well, that's for starters....more later!
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