Its no secret that America has a health problem. What's surprising is the severity of it. 80 million people have some form of heart disease (American Heart Association) and by age 12 an estimated 70% of children have the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries. (Bogalusa Heart Study) The National Institute of Cancer says that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will have cancer in their lifetime and that over 20 million adults and children have diabetes(American Diabetes Association) The sickness epidemic among adults is staggering enough, but what alarms me both as a Wellness Practitioner, and a Mom, is that the New England Journal of Medicine has stated, "Today's children may be the first in two centuries to actually live shorter lives than their parents." With all of the resources we are privileged to have in our society, how is this possible? How is it that while medical advancements are constantly moving forward we are simultaneously experiencing a rise in cancer, heart disease, obesity? What is causing more and more children to be diagnosed with adult onset conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis? How is it that people groups around the world who don't share our amenities are living healthier, longer lives? Studies show the leading causes for the differences are: poor food choices, not drinking enough water, lack of exercise, stressful lifestyles, environmental factors, sleep deprivation, and a "treatment" approach to medicine rather than a "prevention" approach. So, what do we do about it?
Thankfully, the US government wanted to know the same thing and spent billions of dollars conducting a massive study trying to find a cure for heart disease, cancer and many more diseases. Their conclusion was two fold: 1.Disease is easier to prevent than it is to cure and 2. Eat 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (they have since increased the servings to 9-13 every day) You may be asking yourself how something so simple could solve a problem so big. Well, lets look at the domestic apple. Its anything but simple! In fact, a single apple is so complex that just one houses over 12,000 nutrients, enzymes, elements and compounds that work together as a team to fuel your body toward prevention and healing. This is why 5mg of calcium from eating or juicing an apple is more beneficial to the body than a 1500 mg vitamin tablet. This composition is replicated in other fruits, vegetables and berries as well. An isolated vitamin, mineral or nutrient alone can not perform as well without the help of its "team" or being in its "whole food state". You may be skeptical- and that's ok! Its good to question and reason because that leads to answers and we definitely need an answer for the health crisis we, and most importantly our children are facing. This author is actually one of the biggest skeptics out there when it comes to this kind of thing. There was a time when I was intensely struggling with numerous MS symptoms that drastically affected my mobility, vitality and quality of life. Upon hearing that anything natural, especially food, could impact the way I felt (let alone prevent or heal anything) I was offended. To be honest, I actually found the concept ignorant and trivializing. I thought, "You have no idea what I live with! I am a pretty healthy eater and there is no way nutrition and lifestyle choices can make a significant impact in this!" What I didn't understand then was that both vitamin deficiency and an abundance of a vitamin could actually result in chronic illness, disease and injury. I wasn't aware that every time we digest something its like lighting a fireplace inside. There is an internal inflammatory response from what we eat that can lead to a wild fire if we aren't careful! For example, once a fireplace is lit, it emits sparks and so does our body. Those "sparks" are called free radicals and just like the fire place embers will set the carpet on fire without the protection of a screen, those free radicals will land on our cells and damage them without the protection of antioxidants. This anti oxidant defense is critically important because cell function is VITAL for healthy function because they set off an internal Domino affect. You see, cells make tissues, that make up organs, that make up systems that will function with health if the cells are healthy or sickness if they aren't.
Optimal cellular health is fundamental to having optimal wellness. We really are what we eat! The good news is, its never to late to install your screen! Cells turn over and new ones replace them. Its possible to change how you feel, look and resist illness in just 30 days by getting your 9-13 servings!! That's exciting!! But the there is still a problem- processed foods are preservative, fat and sugar laden, and even the organic produce loses up to 60% of its nutritional value after cooking. Solution: We could all eat raw food every day, or juice. Reality: Most of us don't, won't or can't. Not only is this just not always realistic for our budget or our schedule- lets face it- we all want something crunchy from time to time! A company committed to excellence in Health and Safety recognized this and brought us a whole food, science based, clinically proven, peer reviewed, medical journal published and doctor recommended way to have nutrition insurance. Its not in place of making good choices, but it is a safe and effective way to bridge the gap between our best efforts to eat what we should eat and what we actually do eat- everyday, affordably. If you would like more information on why food matters, how it can specifically impact your vitality and pain management; increase your immunity and energy and sharpen your focus and performance, please join us for "Food Matters" Oct 18 and 25th at 6:30 here at Agape and again on Saturday, November 5th. You can also contact me for a personal consultation.
Wishing You Wellness,
Rachel Klingman, CRT
Whole-istic Nutritionist
