One more day till the weekend, which is especially exciting for me ladies and gentlemen! Tomorrow after work I am hopping in the car with Dr Greenfield and taking a 4 hour "road-trip" to grand ol' Columbia, SC for my very first seminar sponsored by Standard Process! Dr. Greenfield goes on these amazing adventures regularly...hence the library of knowledge installed in her brain...but this is my first and I am very excited.
The speaker will be Jeanette Birnbach, the hostess will be Jane McNeil, and the topic is 21st Century Nutrition. I have heard nothing but GREAT things about them both. Don't worry I plan to update you all when I get back so STAY POSTED.
Before I continue with today's blog topic I wanted to put another "feeler" out there for topic suggestions. Anything that you want to learn more about please email me at ccwwellness@gmail.com and i'll do my best to get a discussion posted. Even if I don't know the answer to your question I have a broad range of informants that can help me on just about any health topic possible.
Now back to the subject. Due to my upcoming trip to South Carolina I have been thinking a lot about modern nutrition. To be honest, I have no idea what angle Jane is going to take on 21st Century Nutrition this weekend, but my own personal wheels are turning on the possibilities, and the first thing that comes to mind is the introduction of healthy yet pre-packaged snacks. Not only are many of these snacks sans unpronounceable preservatives and additives they are also often dairy, wheat, nut, soy, etc. free! And snacks aren't the only thing that cater to the ever prevalent allergy list and trans fat dilemma, there are thousands of foods out there that you can cook, order, unwrap, or microwave that really are...can you believe it?....Healthy! Even if you feel convenience takes precedence over whole food nutrition you can still live a healthy life! Go figure...
But the obesity epidemic continues to rage. Cardiologists offices are more and more packed, Pediatricians continue to deal with more and more life threatening cases...lets face it....we have a problem. But why? The Options are out there?!?! But...so are the nutritionally void, trans fat and preservative over-ridden, refined sugar coated options as well, and that is what we, in the 20-21st centuries have learned to accept. Our taste buds have become accustomed to bacteria ridden meat flavored by seasonings made on the New Jersey turnpike (Fast Food Nation), lunch "meats" and bacon coated "salads" loaded with MSG, candy bars loaded with Soy Protein Isolate, and more. The list is endless and increasingly more astounding.
However, obesity isn't the only problem. In this extremist society we can't have one extreme without the other. The horrible effects of 90% of food on our market have driven many people, young women especially, to forgo eating altogether. Instead of dealing with obesity and more these people use food, or the lack thereof, as a marker of their own personal identity. Upset? Binge! Can't deal with life? Restrict! Happy and Content? I don't deserve that so guess I better purge! Food and the process of eating becomes a punishment...all because most people don't know how to have a healthy diet with convenience and structure that won't make them unhappy or obese.
Granted many psychological issues come in to play when dealing with eating disorders, but, speaking from past experience with this debilitating disease, it sure doesn't help when you think of eating as punishment instead of a neccesary function of life.
In short, 21st century nutrition appears to be, from a general perspective, a battle between two evils.
The truth hurts...especially when it comes in the form of a stroke or self starvation...
So where is the happy medium? I can tell you one thing...finding it takes work. Work to erase all the cultural stereotypes and marketing tactics that big corporation food and the society and culture surrounding it have placed in our heads. It also takes research and consistent health care. For me, becoming aware of how my body works physically, emotionally, and spiritually is what saved my life. Learning how my emotional experiences effect my intestinal tract, or how toxins residing in my organs can create a sense of utter fatigue and weakness, is only the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more out there to live and learn. In fact it is my mission to keep on the path of constant learning...and hopefully my seminar this weekend can shed some more light on the process of living a healthy life!
Update 2/3/08
Check out this link to learn why it is so important to seek the path to self sustaining health rather than jumping on the next prescription band wagon.
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