SAD Commentary

“The Universe was created with the intent that all elements and life be in a state of balance to enhance the natural process of life.” Dr. Alvin Stjernholm, ND, DC

The American public is literally starving to death, in a nation with a vast “food” supply.

Our bodies have evolved to live and thrive on the foods given to us by Mother Nature. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is SADly lacking the life-giving qualities of the naturally grown foods we are meant to eat. Most of the foods grown in this country are mass-produced in depleted soils, coaxed along by whatever chemical concoctions and pesticides will bring them to maturity. In addition, much of the produce found in the supermarket has been sprayed, fogged, waxed, irradiated, genetically altered, and likely other things we know nothing about. A Rutgers University study found conventionally-grown (supermarket) produce to be far inferior in mineral and other nutritional content to organically grown produce.

However, even fresh non-organic supermarket produce is preferable to the bulk of food consumed by the American public. Once grains and produce have been harvested, they are often processed (removing most life-giving nutrients), heated, boiled, fried, sweetened, salted, infused with man-made chemicals to make them taste more like food, and to give them an indefinite shelf life. They are then packaged in boxes, styrofoam, plastic and cans for presentation to the American public, via supermarket aisles or drive-through fast-food windows.

Americans also have a love affair with beef, pork, chicken and dairy products. But they do not really want to know what they are eating. Many of these animals are raised in crowded conditions, many never going outside or having the benefit of sunlight. They are fed processed, “scientific” formulas rather than the foods they evolved to receive by grazing. Because their living conditions are conducive to the development of disease, they are given courses of antibiotics and hormones to prevent disease and speed growth. Many of these drugs are still present in the meat and dairy products when they reach market. Dairy products are pasteurized, destroying the enzymes, which would make them a whole food, the body can recognize.

Our bodies do not know what to do with the host of chemicals and adulterated foods they are receiving.

The body, in its quest for balance, sends hunger signals in an attempt to receive the nutrients it needs for life and health. In response, its “owner” eats more and more (empty) food in an attempt to fill the void. The rate of obesity in the U.S. is rising in direct proportion to the rate of the “supersizing” of french fries and sodas! In addition to obesity, diseases of all kinds are rapidly increasing—heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and a host of others, most of which are lifestyle diseases

The SAD diet (low in fresh vegetables and fruits and rich in meat, dairy, sugar, and refined food) is highly acid-forming to the body. And an overly acidic body is a breeding ground for disease.

The Good News

The good news is that the body’s natural inclination is to move towards homeostasis, or balance. When the body is given the elements it requires for health and healing, it will naturally seek to heal and balance itself.

Changing the way one eats can seem like an overwhelming task. A good first start is to begin a sound program of nutritional supplementation. As the body begins to receive the nutrients it needs, energy increases, along with a sense of well-being. Eventually, the appetite begins to change and even the desire for empty foods weakens. As the body heals and rebuilds, so do the mind and spirit, and the whole outlook on life brightens.

Our bodies hunger for the fresh vegetables, fruits and grains provided for by Mother Earth. Most of us badly need a rest from the overload of animal protein (from meat and dairy) which we consume with the best of misinformed intentions. And probably most of all, our bodies hunger for pure, clean water—lots of it, instead of the caffeinated, sugar-laden and aspartame-laden beverages we are become used to drinking.

Make an honest assessment of what foods you are actually putting into your body. Then decide to make small changes, one step at a time. Eventually, the small changes add up to a positive transition over time, and the rewards are great.

Ultimately, give your body a rest—give it the fresh food and water it desires and needs to build health!