Why our diet matters: how the food we eat is shaping our future

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution;
it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”

William A. Foster

Nowhere is this statement more relevant than our food and drug/medicine industry. Whether we’re aware of it or not, every time we purchase food and medicines, not only are we making nutritional decisions that will affect our health, but we’re also sponsoring the company and the process by which the food arrives at our plate.

And the combined actions of many individuals make up the demand on the marketplace that companies and local producers respond to in creating the supply.

Demand and Supply

For the most part, we like to tell ourselves the industry is driven by companies and suppliers pushing products onto us and that’s why we have a shortage of quality foods. But the reality is, that there is no future in a product that no-one buys.

Of course, it’s the case that some businesses and marketing firms go about creating a problem that they can then provide the ‘solution’ to in the form of their product, but mostly the market is driven by demand.

If we the consumers simply stopped buying products that were genetically modified for example, the companies creating them would either stop producing them, or they would try to hide the fact. That is why mandatory labeling of GMO foods is essential to being an informed consumer.

So in a sense, we the people control the marketplace with our spending.

Are we prepared to pay a little more for something that is ethical?

There’s no doubt that finances play a part, because often better quality produce and organic foods do cost a little more. So when we purchase something purely out of habit rather than as an informed choice, we need to stop for one moment and consider the quality of the item and the path that it has taken to arrive in your shopping trolley.

Taking that time and perhaps focusing more on the nutritional value of the foods we ingest, instead of only how much satisfaction we may get from them, will not only change how we feel about ourselves but also how we feel on a day to day basis.

Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.

Anthony Robbins

multi-colored salady freshness!

So the point here is not to feel guilty because we have an occasional block of chocolate or some wine, it’s a chance to tune in to how we are all connected and how our collective decisions affect the marketplace.

Nutrition is vitally important

Ayurveda. (Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद; Āyurveda, “the knowledge for long life”; ) or ayurvedic medicine is a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine that focuses almost exclusively on our digestion in the pursuit of a healthy life.

Whereas if you take a purely medicine based approach through relatively traditional channels, you will find an embarrassingly ignorant system in terms of nutrition. They feed you jelly!

The good news: we have a choice

Starting today, we can turn more of our attention to learning what is healthy for us and our family and if we already know, then implement some new strategies and enlist the help of others to follow more of what we already know.

By exercising willpower and discipline, we also inspire those around us to do the same. The best way to teach is by example. At the very least YOU will feel better!

This new movie, Food Matters explains why the food and drug industry needs to be questioned for some of its ethics and how devastating some of our current choices are for our health.

You can get help and there are more and more people out there that care about our collective choices and the future that they create.

Food Matters Official Trailer

What can we do?

Here is a short list of things we can all start doing now to improve our diet and our consumer choices.

• Avoid highly processed foods — generally the more stages the product goes through, the more life is stripped out of the food and therefore the less useful it is to your body.
• Cut out sugar, excessive fruit juice and artificial sweeteners — I know this is a hard one but more and more research is showing that sugar in all its forms is one of the main reasons why we’re so fat in the west and so many of us are dying of heart disease and diabetes-related illnesses.
• Buy local where possible — Local farmers and organic food growers are courageous people who need our support. And the food is fresh and better for you!
• Keep learning — No matter how much you know, there is always more. Being prepared to question is a powerful tool in today’s information drenched-society.

Some awesome health blogs/websites

This is just a short list of some of our favorite health websites. If you know of some important ones we have missed, please add them in the comments below so that others can discover them as well!

• Mercola.com – A powerful resource for well researched health information without the mainstream spin.
• Westonaprice.org – Some important distinctions can be found here about what healthy food actually means. Started by a dentist, Weston A Price studied indigenous cultures with perfect teeth (until a processed diet was introduced).
• Food Matters – Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide ‘sickness industry’ and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally.
• Earthclinic.com – A group looking at folk remedies and cures.
• Organicconsumers.org – A US based grassroots non-profit organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability.