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Although I am a healthcare provider, I am not your provider. The information provided here is strictly informational and for reference and should never be used in place of you or your child’s health care providers’ diagnoses or personalized advice.

Thousands of years ago, food was hunted and gathered and we ate what we had and when we could. As technology was developed and improved allowing food to be stored and prepared in all kinds of new manors, our whole perception of food became more for enjoyment and not sustenance.

When you think of food, what is the first thing that comes to mind? You may think of your favorite entrée or dessert. Or,

you may think of the preparation and planning of food. Do you think of mealtime as a chore or a hobby? Our perception of food has changed over the years.

As taste has become a defining factor in the food we eat, food manufacturers have focused less on the nutrients food provides and more on how to enhance taste and improve storage and shelf life. This, in turn has introduced us to un-natural preservatives and harmful addictions to sugar.

Americans consume on average over 40 tsp of sugar each day. This equivalates to about 150 pounds of sugar per year per person. Did you know that sugar is in just about EVERYTHING you eat. Some sugars are natural and less harmful, such as those in fruit. Other sugar, such as cane sugar and sweeteners are often added to foods.

Next time you go to the grocery store, check out the label of a few of your favorite staples. Look for words such as:

• dextrose, fructose, maltose, glucose, lactulose
• corn syrup
• Molassas
• Sorbitol
• fruit juice concentrate

*This list is not all inclusive. When sugar intake became a topic of conversation, manufacturers started labeling sugar in more hidden terms to keep the sweetness of their food while manipulating the label of it.

Our bodies resspond to exessive amounts of sugar by producing insulin which tells our cells to store the sugar. Remember, humans used to have to eat when food was available. Part of our evolution was that our bodies learned how to store nutrients for when food was scarce. Current times, especially in developed countries, food is less scarce and sugar is of excess so we store it as fat cells. As Americans have become more sedentary over generations, we no longer use the excess stores our body has hoarded which leads us to the obesity epidemic.

What can we do?

We have to change our mindset of food. God promised that he would provide us with all of our needs, especially in our food. He gave us all the animals and plants to eat for all of our days. That does not mean that we should not prepare for scarcity or continue to develop means of preservation. What it means is that we need to think of food as a gift from God and that he will provide ENOUGH! The word enough is the key here. If we can change our mindset to think of food as nutrients and fuel to our body and mind and eat ENOUGH to meet our needs and not our desires, our bodies can start a return to health.

When we provide our body ENOUGH of key nutrients, without EXCESS, our body responds by feeling cleaner. Our systems relearn to trust that we will provide timely and adequate nutrients, therefore our bodies will thank us by producing more energy, more refreshing sleep and a clearer mind.

How do we do this?

• Understanding the many disguises of sugar is the first thing to combat unhealthy nutrition.
• Read your food labels
• Understand how your body uses nutrients
• Know what your body needs (Recommended daily allowances-RDA)
• Stop when you feel full
• Eat just ENOUGH
• Change your MINDSET. Remind yourself “I have had enough to fulfill my body’s needs”
• Drink appropriate amounts of water