Food is one of the basic need of every human, it remains the most important because we need it to stay alive; from it we derive energy to go with doing a lot of things that includes surviving. I love food a lot and I can say it has over 65% impact on our health, the things we take into the body have so much effect on our health physically and mentally.
I grew up in a family that places so much importance on the things we put in our belly, and our style of living can be passed down to the coming generation. During childhood days, we lived in an undeveloped area where fruits and vegetables were accessible to everyone, all you had to do then was clear an empty land and sprinkle your seeds. The owners of the lands were happy giving their lands out because it would save them the stress of coming to clear the bushes from time to time, there was natural food in surplus in the community and you can get them at a very cheap price.
We usually take vegetables directly from our backyards which doesn’t happen anymore, people reared their meat and fish. We use to have snails picked during the rainy season, we cared for our chicken egg so that it can hatch and we do have more chicken for consumption when they grow but these things can be hardly seen today. My mother ensures she cooked every meal. She doesn’t trust food vendors and that habit has been passed on to my generation, I can’t even remember the last time I bought cooked food, a lot of families were like that as well then but suddenly everything changed all in the name of development in the society.
I have appreciated a lot of improvement in the world talking about technology's impact on society but I don’t appreciate some impact of technology on farming. Despite the dislike I have for these things, I wouldn’t want to blame the people who came up with artificial methods of growing food and rearing animals because they are only trying to meet up with the demands of the world.
One thing the inhabitant of the world have failed to understand is that every problem we are struggling with today are connected and we are responsible for it, I strongly believe that the drastic increase in the world population has contributed to the unhealthy eating habit we see in the world today but the good thing is knowing that there are still a good percentage people who choose to eat healthy meals. Aside from the fact that genetically modified foods are everywhere today, a lot of people have embraced junk food which is depreciating the world health value. The world is suffering at the hands of numerous diseases as a result of the things we eat but the sweetness and satisfaction people get from junk meals are so addicting that people wouldn’t want to quit.
We hide under the shadow of a busy lifestyle to consume junk food day and night forgetting that it is only when we are healthy we can enjoy the health we have always worked for, the earlier we realize how dangerous these things are –the better for us.
Food is medicine.
A lot of us think food only makes us grow, it does more than that. The things we eat have a lot on not just our physical health only, our mental health is involved as well.
The biggest of it is that "Food is medicine", every class of food has nutrients that it gives to the body which is why we must it healthy foods. Food works as herbs and fruit and vegetables do a lot in treating some illnesses, I know a few and I do practice them a lot because it works for me.
Bitter and basil leaf soup works for stomach disorders, indigestion, pile, and others.
This soup works a lot for me, they are everywhere on the internet but we depend so much on drugs and needles for things healthy foods can take care of easily.
My Simple Tips to Staying Healthy?
Staying healthy is cheap; you don’t need to break the bank to stay healthy. The reality is that this junk food costs twice the price of a healthy meal.
Avoid processed or can food.
The world consumes a lot of can food today which is unhealthy, some years back I learned that some preservatives are harmful to the body system yet many of us cannot live without processed food.
These can foods sometimes comes with artificial flavors and coloring, all these things are chemical that shouldn't be taken for consumption in the first place not to talk of them staying in a can for months before it is been bought for consumption. Most processed food comes with zero nutrient value because they have been kept in chemicals and cans for too long, they end up having less impact on growth.
Avoid junk food.
The demand for junk food is something else today, and that industry is growing so much that people earn millions of dollars selling junk. These food are unhealthy, have no nutritional value, and only pile up fats in our bodies.
What surprises me is how people tend to complain about being broke and eating junk, it is just too expensive for me. Why should I spend $8 - $10 on something that adds no value to me?
I take this when my body craves junk, fried potatoes, and plantain with pepper. This is homemade and cost me $1
There are times we crave these things but must be disciplined enough to do away with them as much as possible, you won't just be only healthy by staying away from junk, you will also be able to save money.
Stop eating out.
This might sound stressful but the truth is that homemade meals are the best, there is nothing as good as preparing your meals at home.
A few years ago, a food vendor was caught selling unhealthy food. She doesn't cook her meat thoroughly before putting it in the soup to sell to people, she washes it and pours it into her soup. Meat comes with bacteria that can be killed by killing by boiling so it automatically means her buyers are eating unhealthy food.
My homemade food from beans.
There are many instances of these cases, even the big eateries can't be trusted because we don't see the things they do behind closed doors. Making your meal at home can guarantee that you have cooked it well, and followed the proper cooking hygiene which makes the food perfect for consumption.
Detoxify the body from time to time.
It is very hard not to fall out of the healthy eating habit, chocolates, ice cream, sweets, gum, snacks, and bottled drinks are sometimes unavoidable, they end up leaving a remnant of unhealthy particles in the body which requires detoxification.
My morning dose of ginger drink.
There are lots of ways to detoxify the body which includes taking a lot of water but I include ginger in my detoxification process. I blend it and add it to a big cup of water and slowly drink it most times on an empty belly.
Avoid pet and can drinks, sealed flavored water.
These drinks are mostly flavored and filled with excess sugar, the producers end up lying that it is 100% natural.
Homemade smoothie.
There is no trick to making a drink, get oranges and blend them, make your drinks from fruit and you will sure that you are not just gulping down some chemicals claiming to be refreshing. You can learn a lot from the Internet if you are willing to do so.
Eat fresh foods always.
Eating fresh food is complicated these days and it is hard to know what was grown naturally or artificially so the best thing is having your fruit and vegetable garden, you will trust your process of growing them.
I think underdeveloped countries still have access to naturally grown fresh food since they still can't maintain doing things artificially and a lot of people are into farming. Here I can easily get fresh food, there is a specific market for it and it is always crowded because people still value that food a lot.
Staying healthy should be a priority for everyone because good health is the foundation to having a good life.
At the level of world inflation, I expect everyone to focus more on saving costs by eating healthy food to avoid wasting money and even paying huge hospital bills when the repercussions of the unhealthy meals begin.
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