I have been reading the book by Steven G. Aldana, PHD - called Stop Go - Grocery Guide. These concepts are very interesting. Basically, the premise is that we are still very much cavemen! At least our bodies think so. The world has changed rapidly, but our bodies are still the same as early humans. Our ancestors lived off the land. They were hunters and gatherers. Wild game, gathered fruits and nuts were the mainstay of the human diet. Our stomachs are designed to digest natural, whole foods. Cavemen did not eat Hostess Twinkies or Diet Dr. Pepper.
Most foods in the stores today are modern foods and did not exist 100 years ago. Modern food is abundant but not compatible with our bodies. Cheese, butter, sugar, refined flours were not around until recent years and bodies are not adapting these foods. Along with these foods, the rates of type II diabetes, heart disease and obesity have risen. "Most chronic diseases that afflict the industrial world are caused by a diet and lifestyle that is inconsistent with the ancient bodies we inherited from our ancestors." Steven G Aldana.
The best science available calls the most unhealthy diet "The Western diet". People on a Westernized diet - like America - eat a lot of red meat, processed meats, refined flour, butter, high fat dairy products, with few fruits and fewer vegetables. The dietary pattern that associated with good health is called the "Prudent diet". This includes mostly whole grains, plant oils, vegetables, fruits and legumes.
So - what does this mean for us? We should eat like a cave man or cave woman! Eat whole foods - foods close to their natural form. Produce is a whole food. Oats are good option. Avoid the processed foods. Processed food undergoes many changes before it ends up on your plate or even in your shopping buggy!
Don't be fooled by nutrition labeling. Many of the "healthy" stamps on foods have been created by the food manufacturers to better market their products. Pepsico started their own label called Smart Spot. General Mills, Kellogg and Draft have another one called Smart Choices. These are not always healthy options, so be sure to read the labels for ingredients and avoid products with hydrogenated oils of any kind.
The Stop and Go Grocery Guide is a great resource and codes many of the products in the store as green light or red light.
Rules to live by from this book - I LOVE THESE!!!
1 - Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (this includes gogurt!)
2 - Avoid products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or d) high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Avoid food products that make health claims.
4 - Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. All of the whole and fresh food is on the perimeter.
5 - Get out of the supermarket whenever possible - get to the farmers market.
Embrace your inner caveman!!
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