Diet and Its Effects on Health

Your diet is the number one contributing factor to your health and well-being. While it may not be the end all be all, it is the foundation for a happy, healthy, and vibrant life. There are many common misconceptions about diet including what foods are bad/good for you, what diet can do for you physically and mentally, and in what quantities things are good. Here we will break down these misconceptions and outline the basics of a healthy diet.

Although we may suggest a certain kind of food or advise against eating another food, every individual is different and should take these suggestions and their own experiences into consideration. Finding the diet that suits you and your goals best is a journey of its own with lots of experimentation and adjustments. In short, if a certain kind of food does not work for you, or you experience negative consequences as a result of eating it, simply stop and try something else.

The basic cornerstones of a great diet are quality, digestibility, and moderation. Almost all food sources found in nature are good for you in some quantity. The key is finding how much your body needs. It is also important that you eat as many natural whole foods as possible. The more processed the product is the worse it is for you. Look for things like whole fruits and vegetables and non-processed cuts of meat. The quicker it gets from the farm to your mouth the better off it is going to be for you. It is also important to try to eat organic produce whenever possible and search for naturally-fed animal products. Many of our produce is sprayed with toxic chemicals to keep off insects and other pests. These chemicals can stay on your food and seriously damage your gut and have harmful effects on your body. These same products can be used on animal feed which can lead to these same issues. The best kinds of meat to get are free-range or pasture-raised chickens, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught seafood.

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding diet and health circles is fat. Many people believe fat to be extremely unhealthy and a leader in many common diseases. This is partially true. Most of the fat consumed today comes from what is known as “seed oils”. These oils, commonly referred to as vegetable oils (with no real vegetable contents), include sunflower, soybean, canola, corn, rapeseed, and safflower oil. Compared to healthier fats such as olive, coconut, and avocado oil along with butter, ghee, and grass-fed animal fats, these oils are terrible for your health. They come loaded with polyunsaturated fatty acids and are commonly made with tons of chemicals through an extensive process. They are also commonly found in animal feed, which is another reason it is important to eat high-quality meats that are fed healthier diets. Comparatively, healthy fats have been shown to increase gray matter in the brain and decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Another common misconception surrounding dieting is the idea that more calories are not good for you. The amount of calories you eat does not have any effect on your health. With that being said, highly processed meals, especially those coming from fast-food restaurants, tend to be extremely high in calories. This is mostly due to the industrial vegetable oils that are used to cook 95% of their products. Calories are simply a measure of the energy stored within your food. People need calories to run, jump, walk, breathe and even think. If you are burning more calories than you are consuming you will be in what is called a caloric deficit, where you will experience a loss of weight. The opposite of this is called a caloric surplus, in which you will be gaining weight. If you are ingesting whole foods in large quantities resulting in a high caloric intake you may gain some weight as a result, but you will not be less healthy as a result.

Diet is only one aspect of overall health and well-being. With that being said it can be the driving force behind your physical, mental, and even spiritual health. Maintaining a good diet is a great way to manage stress, fight disease and prevent illness down the road. Without a solid diet, you are left without a leg to stand on in regard to your health. We at CPR Savers hope you choose to look after yourself and take care of your body throughout your years on this earth.

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