Fuel Dat Body!

I have to admit I get quite perturbed about the recommendations being given by health officials regarding COVID-19. Masks, gloves and sanitizing products are being encouraged and in some places mandated but I have yet to hear a mainstream expert talk about practical ways of improving your health and your immune system, ultimately decreasing your chances of falling ill due to COVID.

We have access to so many health promoting practices and products but I want to dive into the easiest and most available health promoting substance on earth. FOOD! Every time we eat we are given an opportunity to improve our health and well being! Food is body fuel. If you have a diesel engine and fill your tank with gas, you can’t expect your vehicle to run optimally. This same principle can be applied to the food you eat and your body’s performance. Feeding our beautifully created bodies poor quality, highly processed foods can lead to poor performance and a grim future.

Despite the exterior, most Americans are malnourished. Many of us are deficient of health promoting nutrients needed to adequately function. Our grocery stores are filled with more food-like products than actual food. These food-like products are void of nutrients, often contain ingredients that were never intended for human consumption, and leave the body questioning how the heck it’s supposed to keep you thriving through life.

Without the instruction from real food, our bodies cannot adequately defend us when battling illness. Eating fruits, veggies, high quality meat and fats provide our bodies with the building blocks to repair damage, create new cells, and provide the needed support to keep everything running smoothly.

Poor dietary and lifestyle habits along with environmental toxins lead to an abundance of what are termed free radicals. Free radicals are normal byproducts of cellular metabolism and are required by the body to a certain degree. Free radicals can stimulate repair in the body but having high levels can negatively affect every organ. This can overwhelm the system and lead to chronic disease, accelerated aging, mutated or damaged genes, and an overworked immune system. These effects can then present as illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, degenerative disorders, dementia, asthma, and many others. Excess alcohol, cigarette smoke, environmental and household chemicals, and highly processed foods are a few of the many things in our toxic world that contribute to an overload of free radicals.

By eating real food you are not only equipping your body with protein, carbohydrates and fat, you’re also providing it with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that prevent cellular and DNA damage caused by free radicals and radiation. It’s important to obtain an adequate amount of antioxidants to counteract the damaging effects of free radicals, especially as we age. Although some antioxidants are produced by the body, we must get others from foods such as fruits, veggies, legumes, herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds.

Superfoods are foods that contain high levels of antioxidants. One way to value the antioxidant levels in food is to look at its ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity) score. Some common foods that possess high ORAC scores include ground clove spice, goji berries, pecans, kale, cacao, raspberries, mushrooms, dried oregano spice, sweet potatoes, blackberries, beans, and pomegranates. Whether your food combinations have a high or a low ORAC score, variety is a key! Herbs and spices are also a must as they contain tremendous healing properties and keep your taste buds free from boredom!

---

Many health concerns in America are the result of poor diet and lifestyle. Many of these issues can be improved or even solved with dietary improvements. Once again, food is fuel! Even if you don’t commit to a complete dietary makeover, adding in wholesome foods over time can help improve your quality of life and chances of living longer. In my opinion, the first and easiest step to improving your health is to feed your body real food from the earth. Give it a solid try it and see what happens!

As Anne Wigmore said, “the food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Eat like your life depends on it!