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Okay so has the news media and all the advice of what to eat gotten to you yet?
We are constantly bombarded with advice on eating this and eating that, but very seldom are we told of why we should. In fact most of the time that we are told the “why”, it almost never includes the whole story. So today much of the nutritional information, is unfortunately given to us in half-truths. They are not quite lying, but they are not quite telling you the whole truth either.
Well in my passion for dissecting popular media myths when it comes to nutrition and getting the truth – the complete truth out there, in this article I want to share with you a behind the scenes look at a few popular items that we are told to eat or drink and examine the rationale for each one.
We Are Told To Eat Salmon
Perhaps fish in general, but the focus always seems to be the most on the salmon. So do you know why? Ah yes, of course for the important healthy fatty acid called omega-3.
What is true today, is that the average person’s diet is way too high in omega-6 (linoleic acid) and way too low in omega-3 (alpha-linoleic acid) and these two need to be in a special ratio for optimal health. Most doctors recommend anywhere from a 1:1 (omega-6 to omega-3), which is believed to be how our ancestors ate, to at most a 10:1 ratio. However most people today eat as high as a 20:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. The culprit for this is our high fatty diets and huge reliance on processed and oily food.
Diets high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 are inflammatory diets, and most of us know that inflammatory diseases, including heart disease run rampant in our society today.
So back to the fish. Ocean fish today contain high levels of various toxins, but especially heavy metals, like mercury, not to mention the fact that they are being over fished from our oceans and collapsing ecosystems as we speak. Farm fish are given antibiotics, pesticides and they are even fed a synthetic pigment to turn their flesh from gray to pink.
Hence with these grim facts, why not just get the omega-3 from where the fish get theirs – plants!
The best plant sources of omega-3 include Salba seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts. In fact a handful of walnuts each day, supplies us with all the omega-3 one would typically need per day.
Check out the following information table from World’s Healthiest Foods for comparison:
We Are Told To Drink Red Wine
One cannot escape the frequent blurbs here and there about how good red wine is for your health and how much you are encouraged to drink it. So why are we told this? For the main reason that red wine contains a polyphenol compound in it called resveratrol.
Resveratrol is an antioxidant like pigment found in the skins of red grapes. It has been found to drastically improve heart health and decrease the risk of a stroke, by decreasing the tendency of blood to clot, as well it can decrease LDL cholesterol from sticking in the arteries, and is being studied currently in the reversal of aging of the human body. One can be sure that this is indeed one powerful little antioxidant.
However, never mind that alcohol is alcohol and has no room in an optimally healthy person’s diet or lifestyle, but do you know how much red wine you need to drink for that resveratrol to actually make the difference? 1000 bottles per day! Well naturally no one in their right mind is going to do that.
But again as with the fish and omega-3, why not go to the source of the action, and that is the red grapes themselves. Red grapes contain more than double the amount of resveratrol than red wine when compared unit for unit.
So is it possible that we can get all the benefits of a healthy heart, plus some delicious and natural tastes and others vitamins and minerals, while avoiding putting a toxic substance into our system? You bet!
And as one final note, if you want a healthy heart, how about eating a diet that is low in fat in general, full of only good fats and exercising regularly? By no means, should you ever think though, that you are missing out on some health benefit if you do not consume alcohol.
We Are Told To Eat Dairy
North Americans are constantly told that they do not eat enough dairy and to eat more dairy. Why is that? Well for the main reason of dairy being coined as the ultimate calcium provider for strong bones.
While it is true that the bone thinning disease – osteoporosis is on the rise and cases of it are increasing in men, not just women, drinking all the milk in the world is not going to help you prevent it. In fact, some of the highest dairy consuming countries like Canada and the United States, have some of the highest levels of osteoporosis. So clearly something is not right there, when it comes to correlating dairy with strong bones.
For starters, we need to start focusing on what not to put into our bodies, rather than what to put into them when it comes to strong bones. The North American diet is highly, highly acidic, while the human body is slightly basic. So day in and day out, most people’s bodies are fighting to neutralize the acids and keep the body at slightly alkaline levels. And how do they do that? By taking alkaline minerals like calcium and magnesium from your bones into your blood to maintain that sacred alkaline balance.
So what foods are acid forming? Sugar, alcohol, refined grains, meat, coffee and sodas are the biggest culprits. Hmmm, does not describe the Western diet at all, does it? And here is the kicker, dairy is also acid forming, so no surprise that the biggest dairy consumers on the planet are not helping themselves avoid osteoporosis. On top of that, dairy does not even include a highly absorbable form of calcium for us, not to mention is high in saturated fat and comes from animals that are injected all sorts of substances that should not be in our bodies.
So what is the alternative? For starters cutting down or avoiding some of the above mentioned products. Secondly, exercise – something that builds strong bones and most people do not get nearly enough of in the Western world. And last but not least, go to the source again! Minerals like calcium and magnesium are originally found in the soil. Well clearly we cannot eat soil, but what we can eat is all the wonderful alkalizing, green plants that absorb them from the soil and synthesize them into highly usable minerals for us. Sources of these include, kale, swiss chard and broccoli just to name a few.
We Are Told To Eat Whole Grains
The craze for whole grains started about 10 years ago, when most companies were adding in whole grain options to most of their lines. The time had come and we as consumers demanded healthier products. So why are we told to eat whole grains? For the main reasons that they are not refined, that should speak for itself and thus they contain the original, high amounts of healthy and natural fats, complex carbs, vitamins and minerals. Their bleached and stripped white counterparts do not come close and in fact by law have to be fortified synthetically because they are so nutrient deficient.
So what is the problem here? The problem is what typically happens when everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Some people today look for whole grain (most commonly wheat) products in the bread, pasta and cereal sections. However, let us take a step back for a second, the last time I looked at a box of say Cheerios, I know I did not see any whole grains. And here is the culprit.
While it is a step in the right direction to use whole grain flours and like products, let us look and read those words again “whole grain“. The healthiest products and ones that are really worthy of that title are ones where you can actually SEE the whole grains. When simply whole grain flours are used, too much processing is still involved and a reduction in nutritional content occurs, not to mention that your body treats them still more like simple sugars, rather than complex carbohydrates.
So what is the solution? For breakfast, ditch the boxes and look for products that come in bags where you can actually see the whole grains you are eating, without the need too for all the added sugars, colors and flavors. For lunches and dinners, focus more on whole grain options like brown rice, barley, quinoa and teff and less on pastas. And in breads, the first ingredient should be a whole flour and many whole grains should be included and seen in the bread.
We Are Told To Eat Chocolate
How many studies have come out and how many times have we heard to eat chocolate and that it is good for us? I am sure you can think of many. Why chocolate? For the main reason of it having an abundantly high supply of antioxidants.
Specifically, these compounds called phenolic phytochemicals, or flavonoids, have been linked to being preventative in warding off cancer, heart disease and some other ailments.
The truth? While the cocoa bean itself is extremely rich in these antioxidants, most commercial chocolate is not, being nothing more than a lot of saturated fat and sugar.
If you want the benefits of the cocoa bean, then you have to consider products like pure cocoa powder to make hot cocoa with, like Van Houten Pure Cocoa Powder, not Nesquick hot chocolate mix or similar. And find chocolate that is of the dark variety and as pure cocoa bean/powder and as low in sugar and cocoa butter as possible. However, all these are still quite highly processed products.
Plus it would all be great if it were easy to find a pure cocoa source, but having access to pure cocoa beans is very difficult unless you generally live where they grow. So what is the solution? Simple – a diet high in fruits and vegetables is naturally high in antioxidants, plus there are many more ways to get antioxidants into your body like cinnamon and other spices. This way you get all the benefits of pure antioxidants, without any of the disadvantages.
Conclusion
While I am sure there are still many other food products or ingredients that we can dissect, these are the most common ones that one cannot miss while listening to the news media or even doctors.
Remember, no matter what the food item is, we should always, always look deeper into a supposed fact before we run with it. It is no surprise that today we get a lot of half-truths as there is a lot of money at stake for many companies and corporations. But unfortunately, that cannot come at the sake of our health. Till next time, be healthy by being conscious of where your information comes from and what you put into your body!
*Photograph courtesy of Rob Qld
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
16 Comments to “Going Behind The Scenes Of The Food We Are Told To Eat By The News Media”
Outstanding post. We need more of these articles to demystify the health myth commercials promote. I’d add soy products such as tofu (btw no tofu is raw — those packed tofu is made of cooked soy beans) and soy milk.
[...] This article in Evolving Wellness asks the question: if milk prevents osteoporosis, then why do the US and Canada (some of the largest dairy consuming countries) have the highest rates of said osteoporosis? It also asks wonders about the reasons for pushing red wine, whole grains, chocolate, and salmon. [...]
Excellent article! You’ve hit the nail right on the head and you’ve presented the facts perfectly.
I felt like having some bread a while ago and thought I’d try for the healthiest bread in the supermarket. After reading the labels I eventually left without any bread. Even the ones stating that they’re whole grain, still list white flour as their first ingredient. Just adding a few whole grains and some colorant does not make a bread whole grain! Typically we limit our grain intake to brown rice and barley… I would love to try quinoa, but haven’t seen it here yet!
Akemi is right, soy definitely deserves a mention, as does coffee and I think yogurt deserves a special mention.
1,000 BOTTLES??? The things “they” don’t tell us… tsk tsk. ;)
Did you see Doc Nicole’s remark on Facebook the other day about grains? …that they should really be considered as condiments. Loved that! That said, the only true whole-grain bread I’ve been able to find is “European Style” bread from Trader Joe’s. You read the label, and you look at the slices, and then you wonder how in the world all those seeds and kernels are even held together!! It’s a dark bread and very delicious, especially when toasted.
Your omega-6 and omega-3 info was reassuring. Now I know the flax seeds and flax meal I include in my “cereal” each morning is all I need. My “cereal” is about 2 T. of assorted nuts, seeds, and dried and fresh fruits…swimming in soy milk. So now I want to know more about all things soy, please! Thank you, teacher. ;)
And the most eye-opening was the dairy info. You synthesized everything so clearly. MOST helpful was how you explained acidity in terms of our bodies and our foods. I don’t eat dairy—just, rarely, some white cheese—only because I feel better when I avoid it, and now I know the technical reasons why.
I’m printing this one, Evita, for reference whenever visitors ask me about my diet. And I’m e-mailing the link to family and friends. :)
@ AKEMI – Hello Akemi and thank you! And that is a great idea to uncover a few other food items like soy, I think we might just have a part 2 to this article!
@ HANLIE – Thanks Hanlie and I have to say I was there with the bread too. For almost 6 months last year we stopped eating bread because there really was not one that I was proud to call optimally healthy. Then I found a company that uses sprouted grains and has generally good ingredients and tried a few, but ultimately I knew, I knew better.
So this past fall/winter I discovered Ezekiel Bread (Bible referenced bread prepared with sprouted whole wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt and no yeast, eggs, sugar or preservatives). And although it is in many ways still a form of “processed food”, I feel very comfortable with all of the ingredients and the nutritional values are excellent, so I don’t mind enjoying it the odd breakfast with some almond butter on top.
As for the coffee and yogurt and soy as Akemi mentioned, I will definitely be putting together a part 2 to this article, so many thanks for the feedback!
@ JULIE – Oh Julie thank you so much for all the feedback and I am thrilled that I am able to be of service to others where good health info is concerned. And don’t get me started on the dairy…I have learned so much about dairy in the last year (that I have been dairy free) that I cringe sometimes at the tought of how much of it I once ate, because everyone around me professed “eat dairy, it is good for you”
And no I did not see Doc Nicole’s message, but a few health proponents like Dr. Mercola and Dr. Olson too are anti-grains. That is not my stance (I will explain in an article fully why at some point), but for short, I believe they have a lot of nutritional benefits for us, but I agree that they should always be the lesser part of the plate (perhaps something like 25% grains to 75% veggies and beans).
As for the soy, yes there are definitely lots and lots of things about this one too that should be brought out into the light and most not even close to as good as we are lead to believe. Just a quick note, I would probably recommend you swith to almond or brown rice milk. I have even heard of a simple, natural and raw banana milk recipe:
Take a banana and put it in a blender with some water (make it watery enough for milk texture) and bingo you have a delicious banana milk that I am sure will be fabulous for your cereal mixture. But more on soy coming up soon!
Thank you so much again Julie for all your support :)
I found this article through Akemi’s tweet. This is seriously good stuff. I always thought that red wine can’t possibly be as good for you as the media makes it out to be. Thanks for giving us the real facts.
[...] Wellness has a solid background in science and I especially love her posts on healthy eating. Like this one that demystifies the “healthy” dinner of salmon, whole wheat bread, red wine, dairy, and [...]
LOVE the banana milk recipe, Evita; thank you! Yes, almond milk is delicious and I’ve yet to try the rice. As for the grains, I can’t imagine eliminating them, but they do cause me great discomfort except in the tiniest doses. That’s why I enjoyed Nicole’s “condiments” comment; it seems to fit my needs. I’m really looking forward to your Part 2. Evita, you’re such a blessing to us all! Thank you.
[...] Read this post from Evita at Evolving Wellness – Going behind the scenes of the foods we are told to eat by the news media. You will be amazed at the misinformation out there! And don’t miss Dr. Mercola’s [...]
I think that in some cases, we are told to eat certain products because those industries have put enough contributions into political arenas and have paid enough in advertising to tells us what to eat with a positive slant. But every person’s body is different, and we all need to just cut out all of the processing and other bad things in our diet so we can just be in tune and listen to what it needs – not wants, but actually needs.
Great article, and alternatives to certain things we “should” be having!
~ Kristi
Hi Evita,
I see you’re keeping the campaign going strongly and continuing to spread the word of good health (and education). Excellent post. I am always surprised when people claim one food or another is the key to good health, especially when it’s a thing like chocolate or alcohol. While I admit I do enjoy a glass of wine here and there, I don’t for one minute think I’m helping myself grow healthier! I’m also amazed that the mob mentality still lives on, although I suppose it shouldn’t be such a shock considering how easily it is to consume media messages and take them at face value. Those 24 hour “news channels” may just be the end of us all…sadly, I actually believe that when you actually stop and listen to what they’re “reporting.” Nothing but fear and hype.
@ KRISTI – Very well said Kristi! There are indeed many campaigns that are put forth to make some products more appealing and necessary than others. In reality, though we do have to look inside and really think for ourselves what is right and what isn’t.
While learning from others is one thing, ultimately we have to research ourselves and make the decisions that are best for us based on knowledge, not based on what other people tell us.
@ BEN – Thanks Ben – yup keeping the passions alive indeed!
It has always made me curious when companies went out of their way to advertise for example stuff that is supposed to be “healthy”. Healthy food does not need advertising, we don’t see any for lettuce or apples, now do we…
I really like the thought you included about how you consume wine – it is honest and logical! Awesome job!
And indeed in the end media is almost always about nothing more than fear and hype, two things that hopefully don’t suck us in or pull us down.
Personally I prefer to stick to a balanced diet rather than rushing around to add on the latest “superfood”. If I keep my normal diet and wait long enough sooner or later the media are going bananas over something I already eat.
I’d like to see a source on the “human body is alkaline” stuff; that is vague enough to be meaningless but looks suspect to me. Most of us is pH neutral, and you better hope the stomach is acidic!
@ ALEX – Hi Alex, I definitely agree, the latest superfoods can and often are greatly misrepresented. However, I don’t really find the above items superfoods in the traditional sense – they just seem to be regular food that is pushed on us for one reason or another.
In terms of one’s diet – there is lots of research out there today, and each one of us have to decide for ourselves what we choose to look into further or what we choose to feel comfortable with eating as is. The only thing I try to relay to people is that all the info for optimal health is there – now it is up to us what we do about it. I know it happens and will continue to happen, where someone says in the future, “I wish I had known”.
Anyhow, the acid-alkaline balance is a well known system in the area of natural health and the basis by which naturopathic doctors work. Having said this, I know it is a foreign concept to most other people out there still and even regular doctors. Modern medicine is all about surface health, instead of looking deeper into things at the original root causes. However, more and more information is coming out about this and more people are supportive of it whether from a scientific perspective or traditional healing.
Our blood is slightly alkaline. This fluid accounts for a huge volume in our body. Even though our saliva should be neutral, and the stomach acid acidic, most of our body is actually slightly alkaline.
So here is what happens, the SAD diet is highly acidic – we are not talking about citrus fruits here, but what “ash” is left over when each food breaks down. As most nutrients are pretty much absorbed into the blood stream, this would cause the pH of our blood to decrease and this cannot happen. As we know it is a matter of life and death and our blood barely moves between 0.1 of units based on the pH scale.
Hence in order to combat this, our bodies will release basic substances to maintain the blood at the optimal pH (the only time it loses is in cases of a drug overdose or similar). Now what are these basic substances that it can use – minerals, like calcium. As our body has a huge reserve of this, it can use it to maintain this delicate balance. A second action is to protect the body from the acid by packaging it in fat cells.
Nothing happens to us at first, but of course over the years, this means lots of things like: weak, brittle bones, overweight and hard to lose weight, more infections, problems with kidneys, etc…
You can read up more on this from many credible sources out there like:
1. The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Robert Young
2. Diet for a Poisoned Planet by David Steinman
3. The China Study by Dr. Colin T Campbell
4. Skinny Bitch or Fat Bastard Books
5. The work of known doctors like Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Joel Fuhrman and many others
6. The tradition of Ayurveda
and the list goes on…. but those are just a few sources that I can think of at the moment.
Hope that gives you a better idea of what I was talking about – thanks again for stopping by :)
Thanks for all the eye-opening articles. I will definitely share these articles with family and friends.
Peanuts also contain resveratrol just like red grapes.
Thanks
Hi Stephen
You are so welcome and I thank you so much for the feedback!
That is definitely news to me about the peanuts – thank you so much for sharing and for anyone else who would like to read up more on it, check out this link:
http://www.peanut-institute.org/Resveratrol_PR.html