we are what we eat

living in a society that values convenience over substance, it's no wonder so many of us are feeling more unfulfilled than ever. most of the food we consume (for convenience sake) is over processed, pumped full of unnecessary fillers and sugars, and completely lacking in any real nutritional value. have you read the labels of some of the packaged foods out there? just go to safeway and pick something at random off the shelf. do you really need 30 ingredients (most of which i can't even pronounce) to make that one little cookie?

don't get me wrong, it's not that i don't like to indulge in goodies. i personally LOVE bread. cheese. cinnamon rolls. cookies. ice cream. chocolate. coffee. wine. you name it. i am a comfort-food-aholic.


until recently, i had no idea the drastic effect these foods were having on my system.  

i happened across an article on body ecology and body alkalinity. because of the obscene amount of sugar (including alcohol) and over processed foods that most of us put in our bodies, we have essentially created a toxic internal environment that comes with a whole slew of unpleasant side effects such as; chronic fatigue,  poor memory and ability to concentrate, foggy headedness, insomnia, irritability, headaches, poor digestion, joint and muscle pain, diabetes, autism, a.d.d., mood swings, anxiety, depression and some bi-polar disorders (just to name a few).

the worst part is, we start to think it's normal to feel this way. to cope with many of these symptoms, we reach for more sugar laden, emotionally gratifying foods which further perpetuates the cycle, aging us rapidly and decreasing our quality of life.

with diet coke championing itself as 'heart healthy', misleading labels on so called 'healthy' store bought food and fast food garbage becoming the norm, it's no wonder we are in such total and utter confusion as to how to manage a healthy diet and inevitably a healthy body.


 
what it boils down to my friends is that we need to make a conscious effort to control our health. 


luckily we bay area dwellers live in an optimal place for health. there are local farmer's markets several times a week and stores like rainbow, whole foods, harvest urban market, real food co. and goodearth to keep us stocked with wholesome goodies.

there are soo many resources for health on the web as well. (i have a list of some of my favorite sites for health and wellness under "juicy links" for you to gander.)

after reading the book 'the body ecology diet' by donna gates, i decided that it was time to make some serious changes in my habits and am currently on the diet. i already feel things shifting positively and  will post more on the results as they come.

to sum it up my dears, i encourage you all to shop local, eat raw as much as possible, stay hydrated (water is one of our best friends, don't neglect it), cut out our keep to a minimum processed foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. your body and mind will thank you immensely.

don't be overwhelmed. keep it simple. if you need a hand, you're not alone.

health, happiness and unfathomable bliss to you all!

xo miss merriment