| Exploring the bio chemical effect of foods on us | | | | needs. Talk to someone in a coffee bar, and |
| and our well being. | | | | you’ll see what I mean! Addiction to |
| I am firmly of the belief that every item of food | | | | stimulants is a real danger as resistance is |
| or drink we consume has a biochemical effect on | | | | developed and more and greater doses are |
| us, some negative and some of course positive. | | | | required for the same heady effect! Avoid this |
| Furthermore it could be said that along with all the | | | | group and your reward will be better energy |
| conventional methods of grouping foods that we | | | | levels and a more stable and genuine mood, with |
| could use the following: | | | | greater resistance to temptation! Check out the |
| Nutrient, stimulant and empty calories, let me | | | | ingredient panel of food packaging, manufacturers |
| explain group by group. | | | | have to list ingredients in order of volume in the |
| Nutrients are natural food stuffs that are not | | | | product, if sugar is in the top 4 leave it out of |
| processed or altered from their original state by | | | | your shopping trolley. Isn’t it crazy that |
| modern food industry practise. This means their | | | | most breakfast cereals have a huge amount of |
| natural chemical compounds and nutrients are left | | | | sugar in? Stuff a load of sugar down first thing |
| intact and are able to feed the body and have | | | | and you’ll be on a sugar craving roller |
| positive biochemical effects. This group includes all | | | | coaster all day. |
| fresh fruits and vegetables and other natural | | | | Empty calories, this is the U.F.O. food group, |
| foods nuts, seeds, beans, greens, oats, brown | | | | Unidentified Food Objects you know the score |
| rice and all those other items that look the same | | | | funny looking and smelling things that resemble |
| served up as they do growing wild. This group is | | | | nothing in its natural state! Generally they are |
| called Nutrients because they offer all the life | | | | cheap and certainly in the junk category. |
| giving power of natural foods whose positive | | | | As we all know cheap isn’t necessarily a |
| effects are still to be fully understood. | | | | good thing. Cheap batteries in your walkie talkie |
| Stimulants these are the temporary boost foods, | | | | on a jungle trip could be a bad thing! Cheap food |
| usually high in sugar, caffeine or other artificial | | | | during your lifetime will definitely have a negative |
| stimulants that give temporary energy followed | | | | effect. These empty calories can have an |
| by a low or crash as their active ingredients | | | | extraordinary effect as they are calorie rich, high |
| rapidly pass through the blood stream and are | | | | in sugar and other addictive ingredients BUT |
| processed by the body. So tea, coffee, stimulant | | | | nutritionally poor, leading to over eating as the |
| drinks, sugar rich foods and drinks. This group is | | | | body craves nutrients and gets addicted to the |
| probably the most harmful to the wellbeing of the | | | | sugar boost. It’s impressive that a junk |
| mind and body and also can be dangerously | | | | food addict can be at once obese AND |
| addictive as the boost delivered is desirable and | | | | malnourished, a testimony to the emptiness of |
| may be repeated with another dose! Stimulants | | | | the calories in this food group! |
| are exactly that, nutritionally pretty void, they | | | | I hope this simple look at foods makes you keen |
| boost the body in an artificial short term way | | | | to explore the positive effects of great natural |
| instead of fuelling the body with the nutrients it | | | | nutrition. |