Step 1 - Admit It Is Not Your Fault
People always ask how it all got started and how they can best go about starting their own health journey. I'm about to say something no doctor, nutritionist, or weight loss specialists will say.
"It's not your fault". Doesn't that feel good to hear?
The information we're fed (pun intended), the healthcare system we have in place, and the food system we rely on are not built with the wellness and health of their participants in mind. We, unfortunately, live in a world where these three components have been compromised. The American dream has allowed these systems to be monetized and the unfortunate greed of those in power work endlessly to preserve their position at the top. In short, our food system does not consider our health and our healthcare system does not consider our food. So long as these institutions ignore their correlation, we will be subject to a broken system.
The majority of our grocery stores are filled with foods that come in boxes, containers, or packaging riddled with colors, animations, and sponsored content. This is intentional. In order to maximize profits, the food system needs to do two things; sell more products and ensure the product lasts a long time on the shelf. To achieve this, they've created a whole new career, the "food scientist." These professionals to research the impact of combining "ingredients" to make the packaged food-like substances highly palatable, less filling, and worst of all, addicting. The addictive nature is at the hormonal level. These scientists are able to blend ingredients to get the highest pleasure hit with the least satiation. This causes us to eat more because we cannot physically help it. The food industry then pushes the message to eat less and move more and those that are obese are lazy, knowing that behind your back, they have worked endlessly to make their product highly addictive. To pile on, they slap cheap health claims on them such as "high protein", "good source of calcium", or even my biggest pet peeve, "heart-healthy". So now we are hormonally addicted to the packaged product and are falsely armed with rationalization by parroting the claim on the box. No wonder we are confused! Of course, the "health" claims on the box are backed by research paid for by the very maker of the product. Coincidence, I think not.
Next, "health" care. Unfortunately, our medical education system, method of care, and treatment are centered on the concept of diagnose and prescribe. Again, taking care of our fellow man has been monetized, with more efforts placed on creating medications for eliminating symptoms rather than solving the root cause because after all, it is more lucrative to keep treating symptoms than solving the root. One of many examples is the treatment of diabetes. Insulin is prescribed to temporarily control blood sugar with the known notion that this will be chronic. So long as the body is insulin resistant, more insulin will be required to control blood sugar. However, eliminate the need for insulin, and the patient is free from the prescription. Too much of the curriculum in our medical schools and the research behind the treatment methods are sponsored and authored by the pharmaceutical companies that sell the drugs. Coincidence, I think not.
We have put trust in our food system and the doctors that treat us, but the way the systems are built, we are left on our own to seek out the best information to succeed. If trust is blindly placed in these institutions, you can now understand how 70% of our population is metabolically compromised and we have a nation burdened by the cost of our healthcare.
We have a failed social experiment in plain sight. Take a look around at airports, malls, or even your nurses at the doctor's offices. We have all become complacent and accepted this state of obesity and compromised metabolic health as the "norm" or a factor of aging. Blame is placed on the individual, however, due to the above, this is not the case. Our bodies have been hormonally hijacked and the information we're given has been manipulated. But there is a way out!
You are now armed with this information, so now every action from here on out is your fault. Take a moment to forgive yourself. Free yourself from the blame society has placed on you. It is time to make some changes. I can promise you if you free yourself from the processed food industry, you will free yourself from reliance on the healthcare system.
Let's start today with a tangible goal, start slowly replacing foods in boxes and bags with more wholesome sources. Let's work on eliminating ingredients little by little. An apple is just an apple, there no label required. If it grew in the ground or walked the land, take a bite. If it was made in a lab, put it back! Your tastebuds will adjust, the temptation will be there, but we can do this together.
Don't just take my word for it, here are the experts that enlightened me to these realities:
The Obesity Epidemic - Zoƫ Harcombe
Hacking of the American Mind - Robert Lustig
Food Fix - Mark Hyman
Stay tuned on eliminating foods with labels, identifying harmful ingredients, and exposing flawed science.