By the time the food is on our fork and poised for consumption, a lot of thoughts oftentimes accompany this simple act.
“Is this good for me?”
“Is this bad for me?”
“Should I be eating this?”
“Should I be eating more of this?”
“Am I going to regret eating this?”
Or, “why am I so concerned and confused about eating in general?”
Enjoying what we eat while we are eating is critical for numerous reasons the least of which is the hope of achieving a state of guilt-free, worry-free satisfaction once we push away from the table. Inventive marketing from the food industry desperate to sell products doesn’t simplify things. Unless we live off the grid, there is virtually no escape from advertising and educational information that overwhelms us and can constantly cause us to question what it is we know or think to be true about healthy diet choices. This threat to our certainty and peace of mind can take the enjoyment out of eating. Let’s walk through a safe path away from the dark road of “food anxiety.”
For a lot of us, we grew up during a time when virtually all food was okay. We could move through a grocery store and fill our cart with pretty much anything long as we didn’t cram it full of sweets. We didn’t read labels much and had no real concern for hidden ingredients, pesticides, artificial colors or serious toxins. But the times have changed due to the incorporation of commerce with the food industry. Food preservatives, artificial flavors, poisonous pesticides, genetically modified foods and flat-out false advertising has created a quagmire of confusing choices that make it hard or impossible to feel completely good about what we buy and eat.
Again, it wasn’t always this way. We used to enjoy food in a carefree manner that typically only young children get to experience.
But now health concerns and the growing awareness of the undeniable danger many foods contain has taken away the innocence of eating for fun and enjoyment.
Doctors like gastroenterologists treat patients for the end results of bad or uninformed dietary choices. In fact, there is an entire industry dedicated to addressing the problems that food itself can cause. This can simply be described as the “health care industry.” Some people call this the “sick care industry” since it mainly has to do with managing sick people instead of creating healthy people and healthy generations.
The way out seems to be a clear and stark detachment from tradition. Buying what looks good, seems good, sounds good or even just tastes good is risky at best. Relying on advertising for facts is futile. We are all responsible for ourselves and our family. Eating strategies honed today affect future generations and it’s critical that we team up with those in-the-know experts who are not agents of the food industry in order to get up-to-date information about the reality of the state of food and to receive guidance on our eating practices.
Gratefully, the informed and educated consumer has inadvertently created a new industry focused on relentlessly refining eating plans and habits. This industry has many names: Holistic Healthcare, Naturopathic Healthcare, Integrative Healthcare and Functional Medicine are just some of the popular fields of study.
Some of the best alternative doctors are based in Michigan. Though Michigan is not ranked as one of the nation’s top healthiest states, it has created and driven this alternative healthcare industry stronger than states much larger. Now, Holistic healthcare providers are available in Michigan that can provide help and quality, sustainable eating guidance. Thanks to technology, some of the most sought-after doctors can help people anywhere in the world virtually by providing comprehensive online services.
The far-reaching capabilities these new types of doctors now possess can impact individuals and families anywhere. What we might get from them is not what we might classically expect from a doctor. Traditional healthcare typically treats symptoms and omits looking for causation of health issues. Gladly, this new breed of healthcare provider focuses on cause and prevention. These cutting-edge Naturopathic, Holistic, Integrative and Functional Medicine doctors always take into account the long health history of each individual and then utilize special, non-medical testing in order to create precision eating strategies. These non-medical tests can test for hidden problems such as Food Sensitivities that can wreak havoc even on an otherwise healthy person. Food Sensitivities are not allergies but instead just represent foods that cause a state of low-level yet chronic inflammation which can contribute to low energy, pain, auto-immune disease, medication use or worse. By using some simple but special information derived from specialty test results, these revolutionary health care providers can guide their clients on how they need to eat for lower inflammation and maximum authentic health. In addition, these kinds of providers are sure to provide a detailed approach regarding avoiding pesticides, toxins and food additives that, though they may appear healthy, are in reality not.
Avoiding pesticides, GMO foods, poisonous food colorings, neurotoxic sweeteners, high sources of sugar, high sources of salt, high fructose corn syrup and more are new habits that must be formed and reinforced upon individuals seeking health. Alternative health providers are leading this crucial movement. This is a complete break from the norm of eating what just “looks good”, “seems good”, “sounds good” or merely “tastes good.” It breaks the mold of following the masses who are obedient to advertising. For those of us who naturally swim upstream like salmon, our numbers are growing.
Lifting that fork or spoon is meant to be 100% enjoyable. Food is life and food brings us together. With the help and management of natural healthcare providers, researchers, authors, spokespersons and teachers we can eat with peace of mind. Knowledge is power and today we are fortunate to have access to outside-of-the-box strategies that can keep us smiling as we chew.
The best thing you can do is to look for Naturopathic doctors, Functional Medicine doctors and Holistic healthcare providers. Modern Medical care shines in the emergency room but unfortunately just “manages” disease. Holistic healthcare providers are more inclined to incorporate non-medical approaches focused on detecting things that create disease processes. In a broad sense, inflammation is the cause of many common health concerns. Naturopathic and holistic providers look for sources of inflammation such as heavy metal toxicity, environmental toxins, food sensitivities, vitamin deficiencies and lifestyle issues that are adding to a state of inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s way of fighting invaders and fixing problems but sadly can actually create debilitating health issues. Holistic doctors look to locate and eliminate sources of inflammation using Functional Medicine testing utilizing blood, urine, saliva, stool or hair samples in order to create a Holistic approach to lower inflammation and to bring the body back into balance.
Necessity is the mother of invention. The need for Functional Medicine, drug-free, Holistic and Naturopathic healthcare practitioners is overwhelming. These exploding fields will certainly add to the possibility of true health and stress-free eating strategies.
About the author: Dr. Daniel J. Farkas, DC, CFMP is a Certified Functional Medicine practitioner, a member of the Gluten-Free Society and a drug-free pain physician. He current lives and practices in Troy, Michigan. He can be found at www.backtohealthnaturalsolutions.com and welcomes questions.
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