Why we literally are what we eat?

All nature, plant and animal, are composed of the elements found in the earth and in the air. The surface and deeper layers of the earth contain all of these elements, and from them, all things on this planet take on living form. The trees and other plants growing from the soil draw up the minerals from the ground and  use their power of building up (synthesizing) from the simple elements, complex organic entities such as the fruits and the berries, root vegetables and green vegetables, in fact everything for the growth, maintenance and life of man and animal.

At a microscopic level we are all composed of cells. We are made up of about 10 trillion cells divided into about 200 different types.

On chemical analysis the human body is made up of Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, fluorine, zinc, plus over 40 other minerals in trace amounts. It makes sense that no matter what the ratio is between the various components, each and everyone of them is important to our overall health, which includes our physical, emotional and spiritual well being. If we take a look at just a FEW of the amazing facts about our body, it gives us an insight into the sheer ingenuity of our design:

The point is that our body is a truly incredible feat of engineering. We surely have to believe that every tiny chemical compound is importance to the whole integration of our physiological/psychological make up. With this understanding it is clear to see why ‘we are what we eat’.  Our growth and development comes from the nutrients we absorb from our conception in the womb till the day we die.

There are 5 levels of organizations in the body: Atoms and molecules (these represent the lowest level of organizational complexity in the body and are essential to maintaining life; Cells – these are the basic unit of all living organism; Tissues – a group of similar cells that perform certain functions; Organs – tissues are grouped into structurally and functionally integrated units called organs e.g. lungs and heart. Systems – a system is a group of organs that work together to perform specific functions. The systems of the body include circulatory, skeletal, skin, respiratory, reproductive, endocrine, nervous, urinary, and digestive system. ALL of the above, from the tiniest atom right through to the bodies systems, rely on nutrients from the food we eat to grow and function correctly. Traditionally the body is divided into different systems according to their specific functions however; the ultimate purpose of each system is to maintain a constant internal environment for each cell to enable it to work.

All the food we eat consists of seven basic components:

Your body’s goal is to digest food and use it to keep your body alive. Each one of these basic components plays a complex essential role in maintaining our health, and all of our bodily functions. Here is a very brief overview of their functions:

Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel. (Like a car needs fuel, even if the mechanics are in perfect order it won't get out of the garage without fuel).

Proteins provide your body cells with the building material they need to grow and maintain their structure. A protein is a chain of amino acids. There are two different types essential and non essential. The non essential ones can be created out of the chemicals already in our body but the essential ones have to be obtained through food.

Fats are used as a valuable energy source when necessary, also some vitamins are fat soluble so they couldn't’t be absorbed without any fat.

Vitamins act as coenzymes or precursors of coenzymes, the body is able to produce its own Vitamin D but generally vitamins need to be provided in food. The body needs 13 different vitamins. There are very many diseases that are associated with a lack of various vitamins. . This is also the case with minerals.

Fibre aids in our complex but fascinating digestion process. The efficiency of your digestive system is paramount to good health.

The final component is water. The importance of drinking enough water in our diet is generally underestimated. Human survival is dependent on water. The average adult body is 55 to 75% water. Water plays a vital role in virtually everything taking place in the body. Water is the medium for various enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. It moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies and oxygen through the blood stream and lymphatic system. Water is the solvent of the body and it regulates all functions including the activity of everything it dissolves and circulates.

Unfortunately due to modern farming methods it is difficult for us to eat food the way nature really intended. Intensive farming methods have depleted the soils natural mineral content.  Many of today’s foods have been subjected to one or all of the following:  refining, pesticides, genetic modification, hormones, antibiotics, contamination (via packaging) etc.  On top of that we take in lots of artificial additives and preservatives, Most of the time we don’t even realize when these things are in our food. How many of us have the time to read all the food labels of every item we purchase in our supermarket trolley, so we rely on government legislation to keep us ‘safe’ .Unfortunately it would seem that the economic implications can outweigh safe farming practices. Unless you eat only organic food, one in three of all the foods you eat contain traces of pesticides, in fact, the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed by the average person in a year has the equivalent of up to one gallon of pesticides sprayed on it. To compound the problem no real tests have been carried out regarding the consequences of the infinite combinations of pesticides we are all regularly exposed to. In one test carried out on lettuces it was shown that an individual lettuce had a variety of 7 different compound residues on it. Unfortunately even if we wash our food quite thoroughly it is difficult to remove the chemicals as they are formulated to assist being resistant to the rain.  Individuals with poor detox function, the young, elderly and the stressed are even more susceptible than healthy adults to the effects of these chemicals.

As we literally are what we eat, it is no wonder that not very many of us feel 100% fit and vibrant every day. In fact, how many of us even know how we could feel if we were in a state of  optimum health?

Fortunately, we have the most amazing protection mechanism called the immune system. It is designed to defend you against millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites. The immune system is not a specific structural organ system but more of a functional system. It draws on the structures and processes of each of the organs, tissues, and cells of the body and the chemicals placed in them to eliminate any pathogen, foreign substance or toxic material that can be damaging to the body.  Your body can protect itself in various ways eg:  Mechanical barriers such as the skin and mucous membranes; by  releasing   Chemicals   such as interferon’s, complements and histamine; via  inflammation which entails  a sequence of events involving chemical and cellular activation that destroys pathogens and aids in the repair of tissues; by fever which works by raising the body temperature to slow down the process of the multiplication of the invading virus; our body also makes antibodies which are capable of neutralizing antigens and/or destroying them. The key cells of specific immunity are a specialized group of white blood cells called lymphocytes. They are capable of not only recognizing foreign agents, but also of remembering the agents they have encountered, and, therefore are able to react more rapidly with greater force if they are encountered again, hence the concept  of vaccines.

Once again it is imperative that we have a good supply of nourishing food in order for our immune defenses to work efficiently. Your immune strength is totally dependent on an optimal intake of vitamins and minerals. Deficiency of vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, C and E and deficiency of iron, zinc, magnesium and selenium suppresses immunity, (as does adrenaline which is released when we are stressed or when we take stimulants such as caffeine)  The production of antibodies, so critical in any infection, depends on B6 as does T-cell function. It is most likely that even with a healthy eating regime you will need to subsidize your daily intake of nutrients with a good combination antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplement. (Research has shown that the crops of today do not have as much mineral and vitamin content as those once available to our ancestors).

If we wish to attain optimum health we need to support our bodies in the struggle against free radicals, toxins, germs, bacteria etc. Instead, most of us inadvertently sabotage it by smoking, drinking alcohol, eating saturated fatty foods, eating refined sugar and flour products, drinking stimulants such as tea and coffee, not taking any exercise, living a stressful lifestyle, breathing in pollutants and basically taking it for granted that our body will just keep fighting our battles without any help from us. Unfortunately, by the time we get the symptoms that all is not well the damage has been done and it can be a long slow process to get back on track. We must be made aware of how important it is to take preventative measures by treating our bodies with respect, and realizing that everything we consume will have an effect on us in some way. We have the choice to influence that effect to be positive or negative, perhaps to feel vibrant, energetic, focused  - or lethargic, bloated, depressed -   after all,  WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.