What would you think if someone gave you a bag of dog food and told you that it was guaranteed to make your dog severely over weight, highly fatigued AND increase their risk of cancer by 500%. Oh, and they would also be guaranteed to develop some type of chronic illness that would require prescription medication for the rest of their life. Clearly you would never feed this food to your dog, yet this is exactly what we are feeding ourselves and our children every day.
How can it be that the United States, arguably the most intellectually advanced country in the world, also has the highest obesity rate of any society in history? The cancer rate has increased 500% over the last 50 years and at least 50% of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease. WAKE UP!!
Here are three things that I challenge you to think about when it comes to your health:
- Genetically modified seeds and animals make it more profitable for the Ag industry. Many seeds have been genetically modified so they can be mass treated with herbicides and pesticides. Many commercial meat farms treat their animals with growth hormones, antibiotics and preservatives that simply make them not as healthy. The result is foods with lower nutrient density that often contain harmful components. This doesn’t mean that you should not eat meat or produce, it means that you should do your own research and be thoughtful in order to make healthy choices.
- A longer shelf life and lower input costs are more profitable for the food industry. This is what leads to ingredients like gluten and high fructose corn syrup to be pumped into many of our foods. It’s a cheap input. In order to increase the shelf life, many foods have been processed to minimize inventory loss. Have you ever noticed that every center isle in the grocery store contains foods that are in a box, bag, jar or can? Once most foods are commercially processed, our bodies are not able to process them the same way as clean natural foods. Remember, “If it stays on the shelf, it stays on yourself”.
- Healthy isn’t profitably. The pharmaceutical industry has become one of the largest industries in the world. It is profitable to sell medicine, especially on a recurring basis. The majority of the medical industry is taught and trained not to prevent illness, but to suppress symptoms with medicine. Instead of asking what types of foods are causing heart burn, they are trained to give you a pill to suppress it. Do you find it weird that many conventional doctors will not help you identify the foods that are causing inflammation, rather they offer you a high margin pill that will make it less uncomfortable on a recurring basis?
Now that we have covered the problem, let’s move to the solution. View your food as fuel for your body to attain peak performance. With high performance fuel in your car, you will get more miles per gallon, better performance and a longer life. Your body is the same way. With only one vehicle to take you through life, why would you not want to put the highest quality fuel in it for peak performance?
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Super Immunity”, has been helping people heal themselves by changing their diet and giving their body the right kind of fuel. “Super Foods” are rich in phytochemical's and have a disproportionally high nutrient content relative to other foods. A diet rooted in super foods will give your body the fuel it needs for peak performance and optimal health. Eating the right foods will treat the “Root Cause”of chronic disease, versus a pill which simply treats the symptom. Here is a list of foods, as well as their associated Nutrient Index score (Super Foods at the top):
- Kale – 1000
- Watercress – 1000
- Collards – 1000
- Swiss Chard – 895
- Bok Choy – 865
- Spinach – 707
- Arugula – 604
- Romaine Lettuce – 510
- Brussel Sprouts – 490
- Carrots – 458
- Cabbage – 434
- Broccoli – 340
- Cauliflower – 315
- Red Bell Pepper – 265
- Mushrooms – 238
- Asparagus – 205
- Tomato – 186
- Strawberries – 182
- Blackberries – 171
- Leeks – 135
- Raspberries – 133
- Blueberries – 132
- Iceberg lettuce – 127
- Pomegranate – 119
- Grapes – 119
- Cantaloupe – 118
- Onions – 109
- Plums – 106
- Oranges – 98
- Cucumbers – 87
- Tofu – 82
- Beans (all varieties) – 71
- Seeds (flax, sunflower, sesame etc) – 68
- Green peas – 63
- Cherries – 55
- Apples – 53
- Peanut butter – 51
- Corn – 45
- Pistachio nuts – 37
- Oatmeal – 36
- Salmon – 34
- Milk (1%) – 31
- Eggs – 31
- Bananas – 30
- Walnuts – 30
- Whole wheat bread – 30
- Almonds – 28
- Avocados – 28
- White potato – 28
- Cashews – 27
- Chicken Breast – 24
- Ground beef (85% lean) – 21
- White bread – 17
- White pasta – 16
- Low fat cheddar cheese – 11
- Olive oil – 10
- Corn chips – 7
- Cola - 1
Nutritionist and Super Food expert David Wolf came up with the following list of recommended Super Foods:
- Goji Berries
- Cacao
- Maca
- Bee Products (Honey, Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Propolis)
- Spirulina
- Blue Algae
- Marine Phytoplankton
- Aloe Vera
- Hempseed
- Coconuts
- Açaí
- Came Camu Berry
- Chlorella
- Incan Berries
- Kelp
- Noni
- Yacon
If you are serious about optimizing your health, I encourage you to consider this Super Food Challenge for the next 30 days:
Daily Activities
- Eat a large salad every day.
- Eat half a cup of beans/legumes in soup, salad or another dish once daily.
- Eat at least three fresh fruits a day, especially berries, pomegranate, seeds, cherries, plums or oranges.
- Eat at least one ounce of raw nuts and seeds per day.
- Eat at least one large (double size) serving of green vegetables daily either raw, steamed or in soups or stews.
- Make up the majority of your diet with fresh organic Super Foods listed above. For animal protein, find wild caught, free range or antibiotic free options.
Avoid the Deadliest Foods
- Barbecued meats, processed meat and commercial red meat.
- Fried foods
- Full fat dairy (cheese, ice cream, butter, whole milk) and trans-fat margarine
- Soft drinks, sugar and artificial sweetener.
- White flour products.
My hope is that you will do your own research and make the decision to optimize your health. My hope is that you will think for yourself and not become a statistic. I will gladly purchase and send anyone a copy of “Super Immunity” that is serious about owning their health. Just shoot me an email at mlowe@swiftstraw.com, my treat. So take the Super Food Challenge, and take a major step in becoming the best version of yourself.