Introduction
I wish we could just start at the beginning. It would be so much easier. But we can't. The area of nutrition is so shrouded in deception, confusion, half-truths, and emotional baggage, that any attempt to bring clarity to the subject requires that we take several steps back as we begin our exploration.
For years, we were a people in denial. Doctors told us that it didn't matter what we ate; that nutrition didn't have anything to do with our health problems — and most of us believed them. We wanted to. It was convenient. Entire industries depended on and were sustained by our denial. Then, when the evidence that nutrition played a vital role in our well-being became undeniable, powerful forces attempted to tell us what we should eat. Most of this information is not grounded in an honest understanding of human beings and their biochemistry. Greed, materialism, and a limited scientific paradigm skewed the entire conversation.
We, as a society, are paying dearly for the road we have travelled. Even the medical profession now admits that most cancers, Type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease is often diet-related. Billions of healthcare dollars are spent each year, primarily on last-ditch efforts to eke out a few more months or years of life for the millions who suffer from such chronic degenerative diseases. Americans are getting sicker and fatter at an alarming rate, and throwing more money at the problem is not getting to a solution.
The answer to our current health challenges lies primarily in a new awareness of and responsibility for the choices we make individually and collectively in what I call the Six Essentials. The six essentials are how we Eat, Drink, Exercise, Rest, Breathe, and Think
Based on the choices we make in the Six Essentials, our subconscious mind and body respond according to plan. The purpose of the plan is to help us survive right now. Once we make our choices, the "game" is over. You can't go around hating people and then control the type of hormones your body makes. You can't drink 64 ounces of Coke and then try to control how much insulin your body is going to secrete into your bloodstream. Once you put the nickel in the juke-box and press A-7, the same record will play every time! That's just the way it is! What buttons are we pressing on our "jukebox" on a daily basis?
The good news is that the body is very resilient and has amazing healing power. We just need to learn to cooperate with the way we were designed.
This manual will focus on two of the Six Essentials: How we Eat and Drink.
Human Beings as Open Systems
One of the distinguishing characteristics of living beings (including humans) is that they are constantly exchanging energy and information with their environment. With every breath we take and thought we think, this mysterious exchange continues. Nutrition can be viewed as an expression of our relationship with Mother Earth, the elements, and the Kingdoms of Nature. Plants take up nutrients from the soil. We either eat the plant, or we eat animals who have eaten the plant, or we eat animals that have eaten other animals that have eaten plant, etc.
We drink water that originally began as rain, and became part of the oceans, lakes, and icebergs. Detailed studies of water molecules demonstrate that as the water is assimilated by the soil, then plants, animals, and humans, it undergoes subtle, yet important transformations. Even boiling water alters the energetic and structure of the water molecule!
Viewed from such a perspective, the awareness and balance with which we eat and drink take on far greater significance than most of us realize. Proper nutrition helps to anchor a balanced connection with the physical plane of existence so that the "Fullness" of our Being can express in a more complete, healthy, and joyous way here and now.
Eating as Ritual
Mealtime can be much more that just getting the protein, fats, carbohydrates, water, fibre, vitamins, and minerals that we need. Mealtime can be an important and enjoyable ritual for connecting more fully with Life, and with family and friends. The old phrase, "Breaking bread together" speaks powerfully to the importance of the role of mealtime as ritual.
Man attempts to bring order to a potentially chaotic existence in many ways. We seek order in time (rhythm) as well as space. Mealtimes can be an important way to establish important health-promoting rhythms in our life. My clinical experience shows me over and over again that people who eat at chaotic schedules also think chaotically, and generally have disordered lives. The opposite is also true. Regular mealtimes can be a very stabilizing influence in our lives, especially if these times are approached with a sense of sacredness and appreciation.
The "Biggies" (Our most critical dietary mistakes)
I wish we could just start at the beginning. It would be so much easier. But we can't. The area of nutrition is so shrouded in deception, confusion, half-truths, and emotional baggage, that any attempt to bring clarity to the subject requires that we take several steps back as we begin our exploration.
For years, we were a people in denial. Doctors told us that it didn't matter what we ate; that nutrition didn't have anything to do with our health problems — and most of us believed them. We wanted to. It was convenient. Entire industries depended on and were sustained by our denial. Then, when the evidence that nutrition played a vital role in our well-being became undeniable, powerful forces attempted to tell us what we should eat. Most of this information is not grounded in an honest understanding of human beings and their biochemistry. Greed, materialism, and a limited scientific paradigm skewed the entire conversation.
We, as a society, are paying dearly for the road we have travelled. Even the medical profession now admits that most cancers, Type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease is often diet-related. Billions of healthcare dollars are spent each year, primarily on last-ditch efforts to eke out a few more months or years of life for the millions who suffer from such chronic degenerative diseases. Americans are getting sicker and fatter at an alarming rate, and throwing more money at the problem is not getting to a solution.
The answer to our current health challenges lies primarily in a new awareness of and responsibility for the choices we make individually and collectively in what I call the Six Essentials. The six essentials are how we Eat, Drink, Exercise, Rest, Breathe, and Think
Based on the choices we make in the Six Essentials, our subconscious mind and body respond according to plan. The purpose of the plan is to help us survive right now. Once we make our choices, the "game" is over. You can't go around hating people and then control the type of hormones your body makes. You can't drink 64 ounces of Coke and then try to control how much insulin your body is going to secrete into your bloodstream. Once you put the nickel in the juke-box and press A-7, the same record will play every time! That's just the way it is! What buttons are we pressing on our "jukebox" on a daily basis?
The good news is that the body is very resilient and has amazing healing power. We just need to learn to cooperate with the way we were designed.
This manual will focus on two of the Six Essentials: How we Eat and Drink.
Human Beings as Open Systems
One of the distinguishing characteristics of living beings (including humans) is that they are constantly exchanging energy and information with their environment. With every breath we take and thought we think, this mysterious exchange continues. Nutrition can be viewed as an expression of our relationship with Mother Earth, the elements, and the Kingdoms of Nature. Plants take up nutrients from the soil. We either eat the plant, or we eat animals who have eaten the plant, or we eat animals that have eaten other animals that have eaten plant, etc.
We drink water that originally began as rain, and became part of the oceans, lakes, and icebergs. Detailed studies of water molecules demonstrate that as the water is assimilated by the soil, then plants, animals, and humans, it undergoes subtle, yet important transformations. Even boiling water alters the energetic and structure of the water molecule!
Viewed from such a perspective, the awareness and balance with which we eat and drink take on far greater significance than most of us realize. Proper nutrition helps to anchor a balanced connection with the physical plane of existence so that the "Fullness" of our Being can express in a more complete, healthy, and joyous way here and now.
Eating as Ritual
Mealtime can be much more that just getting the protein, fats, carbohydrates, water, fibre, vitamins, and minerals that we need. Mealtime can be an important and enjoyable ritual for connecting more fully with Life, and with family and friends. The old phrase, "Breaking bread together" speaks powerfully to the importance of the role of mealtime as ritual.
Man attempts to bring order to a potentially chaotic existence in many ways. We seek order in time (rhythm) as well as space. Mealtimes can be an important way to establish important health-promoting rhythms in our life. My clinical experience shows me over and over again that people who eat at chaotic schedules also think chaotically, and generally have disordered lives. The opposite is also true. Regular mealtimes can be a very stabilizing influence in our lives, especially if these times are approached with a sense of sacredness and appreciation.
The "Biggies" (Our most critical dietary mistakes)
In no particular order, these are the biggest dietary mistakes I see most Americans making on a consistent basis:
1. Too much refined carbohydrates
2. Too little high-quality water
3. Eating partially hydrogenated oils
4. Relying on poor topsoil as a mineral source
5. Relying on artificial sweeteners and soft drinks as beverages
6. Lack of non-starchy vegetables
7. Over-reliance on caffeine
8. Lack of fibre
9. Eating too small a variety of foods over and over, leading to food sensitivities
10. Overeating at night
11. Going too long between meals
12. Under or overeating in general
13. Lack of high-quality protein throughout the day
14. Eating as an attempt to deal with negative emotions
Final Thoughts
Thank you for coming along with me on this fairly lengthy journey. Nutrition is a big topic – and one that has a major impact on our lives. As you take a deeper look at your relationship to food, you will be taking a deeper look at yourself — and you will change!!! You really will.
There's quite a bit of truth to the old adage, "We are what we eat." Food is energy. As we change the foods we eat, we change ourselves at the cellular level.
Good Luck on your road to greater health and well-being. Remember, it's truly is a journey – and the journey is everything!
Let me know if I can be of help.
Dr. David Kamnitzer
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