Pete's 8 Pillars of Health – Wholefoods
Hey guys, it's been a while! Thought I'd give you some inspiration in getting into one of the most important aspects of health!
The next health pillar I would like to give you info on is Wholefoods.
So what is a wholefood?
I am not talking about the whole pizza, the whole doughnut, or the doughnut hole, I am talking about actual food that is grown from the ground or on a tree, one that gives us energy, and adds nutrients and vitamins to us. These include your nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, organic and grass-fed organic meats and eggs.
There are many food chemicals to preserve food that you see on your shelves at Coles or Woolworths, chemical sweeteners, artificial flavours, and pesticides used to kill insects. When you are eating a bunch of these chemicals you become chemically addicted to the food. Look at the back of your product package, if you can count more ingredients than you can on the number of fingers on your hands, then you know the product is full of a lot of crap!
Doctrine of Signatures is a philosophy dating back to the time of Galen, a Roman physician and philosopher, that states that every plant was created with a “sign”, indicating its purpose, he contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a Body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a Signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater.
As an example, a carrot looks like the iris of the eyes when you cut it open, and many studies show it improves blood flow to your eyes and prevents macular degeneration.
Another example is how a tomato looks like a heart with four chambers, it is red, and the size of the heart. The American Heart Foundation says it’s the best food for your heart because of its lycopene content, a phytonutrient that has been used for treating cardiovascular disease.
If you take a look at a celery stick, you’ll see that it is shaped like bones and thus prevents osteoporosis, builds strong bones, and increases body mass. It has a high level of sodium in similar proportions to our bones, which is the basic building block for calcium.
Kidney Beans heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the Human kidneys.
Figs, like testicles, hang in twos and are full of seeds that are contained in a sack. Studies show figs increase sperm motility and quantity.
A walnut looks exactly like the brain, from the husk that looks like the skin to the shell which is like the skull. The left and right ‘hemispheres’ and other parts look identical as well. A University in America had found omega 369’s in walnuts that cross the blood-brain barrier and enhance brain function. These omega fats are also perfect for growth and repair.
Hippocrates once said. “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food”.
If you are aware of something, knowledge is the power to take action and clean out the things that are not clean. What we believe is not necessarily true all the time.
“You are what you eat” is the old cliché that you are no doubt familiar with, but have you ever realized just how profound this notion is and applied it in your life? As a culture, we tend to generally accept that some foods are good and some are bad for us but beyond this level of understanding, there is no deeper meaning behind the way we eat. We eat habitually and not intentionally. We eat without conscious thought as to what this food is doing within our body beyond the momentary taste sensation in the mouth. And all because we have become so disconnected from the natural world and where our food comes from.
Eating whole foods from nature calms your body and mind so that you can be conscious and
present in life. On the other hand, eating pastry and having a cup of coffee can cause you to feel more anxious.
Some healthy daily eating tips I live by I have listed below.
Try it for at least 2-3 days and see how your body is much lighter and has higher energy and clarity throughout the day.
Avoidance of refined sugar (lollies/chocolates) and refined carbohydrates (white breads etc.) that are nothing more than empty calories and pharmaceutical foods
Eating foods in their whole and natural state.
Don’t overeat – it ruins digestion & makes you lethargic. I am still trying to overcome this habit myself!
Chew properly and slowly – chew your food 15 times so it is properly broken up and allows your digestive system to work more effectively.
Eat less processed and farmed meats. Animals are kept sick their entire lives by being fed foods that are unnatural & being injected with hormones & antibiotics (which end up in your body). Try and eat grass-fed and organic meats.
Pay attention to how it feels in your body. Is the food working for you? How’s my energy after a meal? – ask yourself how you feel after the meal and which foods make you feel lethargic
If you need some tips on eating healthy and removing any digestive issues, just email me and I am more than happy to give you some of my insights..
Be well,
Pete Volos