I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating healthily. I strongly believe that the body can transmit to the brain accurate information about its nutritional necessities: a moderate amount of food, and only foods that are beneficial for health.
Most of these natural eating instincts, alas, are lost on the way. Usually, during the growing process, adults project their unhealthy habits on children, offering them a range of foods that are not always the best choices. As adults, we form our own eating habits, which are more or less healthy. We usually worry about our children's eating habits, but their instinct is often correct.
My theory has as starting point my own experience as a child, when I recall rejecting foods that I found too greasy or too deeply fried. Observing the behaviour of babies and children towards feeding might give us an idea about what eating instinctively means. Small children who did not have the time to be influenced by adults, have their natural eating instincts unspoiled. Contrary to adults' opinion about eating, they want to eat many smaller meals and only when they are hungry.
To support my thesis, I resort to the recommendation made by specialists in baby nutrition. They advise on feeding babies on request, not forcing a program on them. Thus a meal program will be generated by their inner scheduler according to their needs.
So, from children we learn that one should eat when hungry, and the amount strictly required by body necessities. We should not be driven by social cues such as eating out with friends, even if we are not hungry, or take a lunch break just because it is 12 noon.
Another reason which supports the theory of a simpler way of eating is that based on foods offered by nature. All living creatures find in nature what they need to sustain life. Theoretically, foods of natural origin in their unspoiled state should be sufficient to ensure a healthy existence. While I do not support any kind of paleolithic diet, but we are bound to make reference to the simple way of eating in ancient times. In modern times modern and more complex diseases have developed. These include the increased incidence of tooth decay, allergies and various diseases of the digestive system such as diverticulitis, most of them tightly connected to modern diets. Man was not built for so many refined and super-refined processed foods. Cooking, the great discovery, was just a means to make foods more digestible. Nowadays we experience an extreme version of modern eating, one abounding in processed foods and pre-prepared meals.
Eating raw foods, such as vegetables and fruit, in proportion to cooked meals is definitely healthier. It is also healthy to choose unrefined foods, as natural as possible.
We need to reconsider our diets and healthier ways of eating. But it is harder to re-educate ourselves and easier to acquire good habits from scratch. First we need to forget everything we know, get rid of all our unhealthy habits and only then rediscover eating. And it is even harder to resist the many temptations scattered around us.
Laura Ciocan writes for http://www.dietsindex.com/ where you can find more information about all diets indexed
Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared.
Contact:lauracio@gmail.com
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?Communication! It permeates our... Read More
When it comes to food, we can't ignore the facts... Read More
In large part, you're in control of your health, not... Read More
The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams,... Read More
Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
Bread is one of the oldest known recipes to man.... Read More
Every where you look you see articles or news or... Read More
The Benefits of Green Tea Extract: Anti-Aging, Anti-Cancer, Weight Control... Read More
I'll preface this article by saying that it will help... Read More
Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More
Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More
All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More
Although you may have heard about soy and all of... Read More
Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More
While there are many effective ways to get more energy... Read More
Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More
Calcium helps reduce constipationUsing calcium and magnesium in the right... Read More
Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
Here is a continuation of the light and darkness metaphor:... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
Post nasal drip is a sensation of mucous build up... Read More
During the Second World War, the Germans used fluoride as... Read More
All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More
Eating grain products - breads, cakes, cereals - have long... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
The reason I remember the first time I was served... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
For all I prefer to buy my fresh produce at... Read More
I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More
You can spot a juicer a mile off at the... Read More
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
Biological clockObviously you need biological clock to time and alarm... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very... Read More
You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More
I want to tell you about the most healthful and... Read More
Fiber is the part of the plant that is resistant... Read More
Aging occurs when the body's cells die at faster rates... Read More
You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More
You've no doubt heard the saying, "You are what you... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More
A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More
One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More
In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More
Here's food for thought! Did you know the average restaurant... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More
Carbohydrates - found in grains, breads, pasta, and sugar, as... Read More
Eating out when you are on a restricted diet always... Read More
Nutrition |