Daily eating habits could end up being lifelong regrets

Watch what you put in your mouth. (Photo:Courtesy)

By JAMES GITAU

It is common knowledge that despite increases in income, easy access to information and major advances in medicine, people all over the world are facing huge health challenges.

Lifestyle diseases are on the rise, and most health institutions are stretched to the limit.  The quantity of resources being channeled into trying to treat the symptoms of these preventable diseases is astronomical. I say treatment of symptoms because modern medicine, in most cases, does not focus on helping the body heal itself, but on suppressing the symptoms.

The suffering, that people go through, as a result of poor health, cannot be described in words. Thus, this week, I share some fundamental mistakes many people make, and which almost guarantee them untold pain and suffering in future.

1. SELF-POISONING

Yes, you read it right. Most people poison themselves and their families on a daily basis. They do this out of ignorance or because their biochemistry has been manipulated by food companies that use the three most addictive elements — sugar, salt and fat — in a way that ensures the brain reward centre continuously craves their products. You find yourself eating more of these products, even when you know they are bad for you. I wrote a little about this in my last article.

Under self-poisoning, there are a number of highly destructive foods that people put into their bodies constantly. The most common ones are:

a. Sugar

Sugar in any form is dangerous for your health. Unfortunately, sugar, which is highly addictive, is found in large quantities in many products on the supermarkets shelves. Many of the so-called ‘health’ and ‘energy’ drinks are loaded with sugar. Many of the drinks marketed as ‘diet’ and ‘sugar-free’, contain artificial sweeteners, which are more dangerous than table sugar. Indeed, there is evidence to show that artificial sweeteners cause more weight gain than table sugar.

b. Highly processed foods

As our lives become more sophisticated, our desire for highly refined foods increases. We have moved away from eating whole foods, which are rich in fibre and nutrients.

Highly refined foods such as white flour and white rice release huge amounts of glucose in the body. The body then tries to bring down the blood sugar levels by producing insulin.  Over time, your body may become insulin-resistant, and diabetes type 2 sets in.

In addition, you start experiencing hunger shortly after eating highly refined meals.

c. Cooking oil

When you cook with polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as corn and soy oil) oxidised cholesterol is introduced into your system. As the oil is heated and mixed with oxygen, it becomes acidic, or what is referred to as rancid. Rancid oil should not be consumed. It leads to vascular disease.

Unfortunately, most families are unaware of this fact.  It is not uncommon to see this rancid oil being reused repeatedly to deep fry fish, chips and mandazi.

2. OVER-EATING

Most people overload their system with too much food. As we continue to eat more sugary, fatty and salty foods, our appetite increases and we lose control over the amount we eat.

Many people eat a heavy breakfast, and then have some mandazi at 10am, which is accompanied by a mug of tea or coffee. Lunch follows shortly, and then comes a heavy dinner in the evening.

This habit leads to an overloaded system, which hardly gets time to rest and rejuvenate. The digestive system, therefore, becomes sluggish and inefficient.  Assimilation of nutrients and elimination of waste is adversely affected. This is why more people have potbellies, which is basically excess and waste that never left the body.