Why are we so sick as a nation? There are currently 6.2million people waiting for treatment from the NHS in the UK yet no one is asking what is making us all so sick? We are treating the symptoms of a sick society but not the cause. But no one seems to be asking about the cause of the mental and metabolic health disaster we are witnessing, does no one care?
The truth is out there. Over the last twenty years, there has been a seismic shift and greater understanding of the connection between the brain and our gut for optimal health. One of my heroes is Dr Robert Lusting, M.D. an expert on sugar and metabolic disease who believes the answer lies in the food we consume
The short answer is: as globalisation has spread, so has the consumption of palatable industrial food. Food develops the brain. Food changes the brain and food also poisons the brain. The study of this is part of the field of nutritional psychiatry. It also develops, changes and poisons the liver and the pancreas. This is addressed by the field of metabolic medicine. Both used to be the province of quacks and touchy feely granola types. But that was before the science. Now the science is in."
[Extract from Foreword: Smart Foods For ADHD and Brain Health by Dr Rachel V Gow]
So if the science is in and it tells us there is a profound connection between what we eat and what happens to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life as a consequence of this, why is there no collective will to make a change? The NHS has become a bottomless money pit and its current model is unsustainable. Is this deliberate? Is this political? Does anyone care?
The truth is, I don't know. I have never felt as disengaged from politics at any time in my life as I do now - and that's a dangerous thing. What I do see is the rise in numbers of people awaiting treatment and no attempt to figure out the root cause of all this illness. It's everywhere! Do we just accept this and give up? Why can't we rise up and push back against what we see? Its as if the food has sedated us and controlled us and we have become meek.
Dr Lustig believes that the food business, by pushing processed food loaded with sugar, has hacked our bodies and minds to pursue pleasure instead of happiness. This has led to an explosion of addiction interaction disorder and depression and created unsustainable levels of inflammation in our bodies. By consuming ultra processed food, we are setting our bodies up to fail. This isn't good. It may be cheap to buy this food in the short term but the long term cost to us as human beings is unacceptable and something needs to be done.
We need to take the power back and tell addiction and disease to take a hike!
Lustig tells us that by focusing on real food, we can beat the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity and disease. So if we want to beat the trend and stay out of the NHS - opt for real food without compromise and don't accept the rest.
Yes - It all starts with food!
Do you have a success story where diet has changed your way of life and helped you overcome an illness or chronic pain? We would love to hear from you - people need to hear these stories and understand how real-food can make a difference to their lives. Contact us at hello@primalcut.co.uk
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