Overfed and Undernourished: You Are What You Eat
Access to nutritionally depleted, technologically created, chemically treated “food” has many of us taking in thousands of empty calories, each and every day, without realizing the cost.
The saying, "you are what you eat" carries a serious measure of truth. If you’re like most people, you’re overfed and undernourished. And when it comes to your weight and overall health, that’s no laughing matter.
It’s so easy to grab prepackaged, convenient vending machine, drive-thru or shelf food – but what price are you really paying for all that “convenience”?
• Larger sized clothing • Higher medical bills • Decreased energy and quality of life
Our bodies are designed to eat fresh, natural, whole foods that supply us with an endless variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and incredible nutrients.
Think about all the many benefits (including better, fresher, more satisfying taste) that healthy foods provide. Is it really worth it to save a few short minutes of your day, pulling through the fast food drive-thru and spending your hard-earned dollars on items that can take even more from you – like your health, youth and energy?
You may not realize it, but here’s what also happens when you eat this way:
• Since foods that don’t nourish you can’t truly satisfy you, you overeat to try to find that satisfaction.
• These are the foods that are the root cause of many illnesses and diseases.
• All of the overeating to feel satisfied... quickly causes weight gain.
• When your weight starts to impact you enough, you may deny yourself food, believing that deprivation and discomfort is the only way to get control of your weight again.
• When you just can’t take going without food any longer – you go right back to eating the way you were eating.
• Now you battle feelings of failure, because of old habits resurfacing.
• The negative emotions push you toward taking some kind of action to feel better and, if you typically use food as your drug of choice, well – you’re looking at a discouraging cycle of mental, physical and emotional upset – all due to the choices you make and the way you see food.
Sound familiar? And not only does this kind of pattern chip away at your confidence and self-esteem, it will keep you on a rollercoaster ride of blood sugar, mood and weight fluctuations, laying the groundwork for insulin resistance (a pre-curser to diabetes) and other chronic illnesses. Of course, no one enjoys being frustrated, discouraged and exhausted. No one ever wants to have issues with:
• Digestive health • Mood issues • Adrenal glands • Infertility • Skin problems • Hair loss • Immune system issues • Lack of sleep • Ability to heal – and more…
All of these can result from being overfed and undernourished, but before you get too frustrated with yourself, read on.
You’re not alone. You’re not lazy. You don’t just have bad habits.
These types of eating patterns cause intense cravings, so your desire for high sugar and empty foods feels almost drug-like. There are often feelings of temporary numbing and calm after overloading yourself with these foods, which floods your body with hormones and chemicals, providing temporary relief. It really is similar to a drug-like state.
Unfortunately, eating this way only further depletes and desensitizes your body, making it more and more difficult to achieve a healthy balance. You can lose your sensitivity to taste – so you need to have more and more to achieve the same result. You may lose your sense of freedom as these foods gain a stronger and tighter grip on you. Without realizing it, over time these choices sabotage your body from achieving a natural, healthy weight.
But all of this can be changed!
• You can experience peace and calm around food. • Food can be used to nourish your body and mind without fear. • You can change your eating behaviors. • You can overcome the frustration of being overfed and undernourished – even if it’s been years or decades.
Photo from here, with thanks.
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