Blog 4: Food IS Medicine. It’s also Poison… Choose Wisely

Blog 4:  Food IS Medicine  Part 1

It’s also POISON… CHOOSE WISELY!

Food IS medicine, it’s also a poison if we do not choose wisely.  A huge majority of Doctors, Nutritionists and the general public would agree that chemicals and a ton of other garbage in processed foods is making us sick and fat.  Yet, when you say, “then wouldn’t the opposite be true as well?”  There is resistance.  So wholesome, nutritious, non-processed, natural food wouldn’t make us well and healthy?  Crickets…

“If your pantry is more full than your Refrigerator, then you have a major eating problem.”

One of my Certified Personal Trainer / Nutritionist friends gave me some great advice one time; “If your pantry is more full than your Refrigerator, then you have a major eating problem.”  Took me way too long to figure out what he was really telling me.  Everything you can store in a pantry at room temperature and has a long shelf life is highly processed, full of harmful seed oils, bad carbs and shelf life enhancing chemicals.  The ingredients used to process this garbage is not recognized by our bodies as natural and our bodies are not designed to digest or process un-natural foreign substances.  How do we react to un-natural and processed foods?  Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Acidic, Acid Reflux, Gerd and Severe Allergies to name a few.  Technically it is very easy to find published Scientific studies that can trace these processed foods to high Cholesterol, Heart disease, Cancer and just about every co-morbidity you can think of. 

“If I die, I die trying to live, not trying not to die.” 

My worst poison that I have fallen victim to however is… Fear.  I feared being hungry because I was taught by doctors to always remain in a fed state or I would go hypoglycemic.  Feared missing my meds or I would have a heart attack.  Feared overexercising or I would have an aneurism.  Feared Dying, so I stopped living.  Was I a hypochondriac, nope, just part of the millions of Americans who bought in to the Lie that keeps the Medicine machine rolling.  My big AHA moment finally came when my cardiologist sent me to a lab for testing.  I sat in the full waiting room for over an hour and couldn’t help but notice that I was the youngest patient in the room by at least 20 to 30 years.  “What in the hell am I doing?  I’m done with this bullshit.  If I die, I die trying to live, not trying not to die.”  I was done with trying not to die.  Time to get my act together and so here I am, fortunate to be in this clean eating challenge with others who share the same struggles, temptations, disappointments, and victories.

Holy Cow, I’m 52 years old and I have absolutely no clue how to eat

What does clean Eating mean to me?  All natural food only, No processed Oils, No Sugar, No substitutes, No processed foods or additives.  If I can keep it in my pantry I don’t eat it.  If it needs to be frozen, I don’t eat it.  Only fresh and all natural.  Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, period.  What have I learned from these past 4 weeks?  Holy Cow, I’m 52 years old and I have absolutely no clue how to eat.  I have been training professional baseball players for 30 years and I don’t know how to eat.  I don’t know how to eat because I never felt it was an important component, there is a supplement for this, a pill for that, and exercise for this and a training hack for that.  What always separated me from other Coaches and Trainers was that I never treated the by-product the athlete was dealing with.  I focused and found the source issue, broke it down and fixed it.  By correcting the source I corrected the multitude of by-products and corrected their mechanics in a third of the time any other trainer could.  How did I miss this in my own life and health?  My grand hypocrisy raised it’s ugly head.  I’ve been medicating my by-products all along and have never attacked the source issue… my lifestyle, my diet, my nutrition.

We have fresh fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, micro algaes and animal proteins that provide us with every vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, chelation and immune booster we will ever need.  A doctor once told me that my Sons didn’t need supplements, if they are eating right they have all they need right there in their food.  I thought he was crazy.  Why was I so reluctant to believe him?  I had been trained to believe that we needed more. And I got sicker for it.

Food is medicine as not only a pro active way to keep us from getting sick but it also is a tremendous way for us to treat disease, detox, chelate metals, improve circulation and bolster our immune system.  Food can protect us, reverse years of abuse and cure disease.  Ever wonder why doctors and pharmaceutical companies can not use the word “cure?”  Their business is to treat it or cut it out.

Challenge yourself to test it, just eat all natural for 30 days and see if your body doesn’t respond by beginning to heal itself.  Study it and fill your mind with the knowledge it needs to learn HOW to eat.  I started with listening to a podcast with Dr. Cate Shanahan.  She is a pioneer in the negative side effects of see oils and processed foods.  She woke me up to the real source of my disease.  Or as she calls it… dis – ease.  https://drcate.com/list-of-good-fats-and-oils-versus-bad/

Our Bodies are a perfect machine by design, that can defend itself against allergies, viruses, bacterial infections and anything else that the world can throw at it.  But if we are constantly overwhelming it by chewing or throwing poisons down our throats, how can they be expected to fight the real infections and disease? 

Below, you will find my vegetable of the week, Methileaf (Fenugreek).  Just another example of the healing benefits of fresh food.

Methileaf (Fenugreek) leaves are a powerhouse of many minerals and vitamins.  They are rich in vitamins such as thiamine, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins A, B6, C, and K. Methi also contains minerals such as copper, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, manganese, and magnesium.

For thousands of years, fenugreek has been used in alternative and Chinese medicine to treat many diseases and skin conditions

1. Powerful Antioxidant, just one cup has 36% of RDA of Vitamin C, 15% RDA Vitamin A and Beta Carotine
2. Bone Health: Rich in Vitamin K for Bone Health –
3. Helps to control Diabetes: Lowers blood sugar levels and assists in carbohydrate tolerance due to the galactomannan, a natural soluble fibre present in fenugreek which slows down the rate of sugar absorption into blood. It also contains amino acids responsible for inducing the production of insulin.
4. Natural aid in Breastmilk Production for breastfeeding Mothers; This is due to the presence of diosgenin in the spice which increases milk production in lactating mothers
5. Boosts Testosterone in Men and increases nitric oxide production for blood flow
6. Appetite Control; the extra fiber in Methi helps with feeling full and satisfied without overeating.
7. Lowers Cholesterol; Methi leaves and seeds contain compounds that inhibit both cholesterol absorption in the intestines and cholesterol production by the liver.  Fenugreek has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with high lipid levels in preliminary trials
8. Reduces Inflammation; the high antioxidant flavonoid content in fenugreek can reduce inflammation
9. Reduces Heartburn, acid reflux, gerd and assists in digestion:  Methileaf has high amounts of polysaccharides called galactomannans and fiber that help relieve heartburn systems as effective as over the counter aids.
10. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease; Due to the presence of galactomannan, fenugreek plays a key role in maintain your heart health. It also contains high amount of potassium that counters the action of sodium to help control heart rate and blood pressure
11. Aids in Digestion: As fenugreek is rich in fibre and antioxidants, it helps in flushing out harmful toxins from the body and thus, aids digestion. In some cases, fenugreek tea is used to relieve indigestion, stomach pain and constipation.
12. Helps to counter Acid Reflux or heartburn: Mucilage of fenugreek seeds coat the lining of the stomach and intestine and soothe irritated gastrointestinal tissues

I hope you have a happy and healthy week.  Follow all the participants in the Viva Fresh Clean Eating Challenge right here:  http://vivacleaneating.com/clean-eating-chronicles/

Blake La Grange

Val Verde Vegetable Co.   www.valverdevegetable.com

Power Alley Velo  www.poweralleyvelo.com

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