A Whole New Meaning For Fast Food

When I was pregnant with my most recent child, (last year) I wanted to re-familiarize just how much salt that I, as a gestating mom, should take. As we all know, too much salt leads to those swollen ankles we despise so much as well, as raising our blood pressure.  What I discovered was an epiphany that led to an altered lifestyle. Salt that has been hailed as villainous, something to be completely eradicated from our diets is something we, as human beings, essentially need to survive. Without salt our bodies would not be able to function…literally. Read my story here. 

The culprit was not in salt itself, but in the processing of salt. With this new mindset, I diligently shared this information with my family and set about replacing table salt for unrefined salt,  Himalayan Salt is the unrefined salt of our choice. 

With my latest research on coconut oil and all of its wonderful benefits, brought about a familiar theme. My first experience with coconut oil was a refined product, was not a positive one. Now, coconut oil that has been refined typically has solvents added to it. What the solvents do is introduce hydrogenation to the oil create a more stable shelf life, this process changes what is good, into bad trans fats. (Source: www.2-clicks-coconutoil.com  )

These two personal experiences tell me that the industrialization of foods has created an imbalance. An imbalance of the quality of life one lives. This goes beyond avoiding processed foods. It speaks of our understanding and perception of  “good health” vs. “bad health”. For example: Doctors will tell you that salt is bad for you and that you should avoid most, if not eliminate, all salt in your diet. But this knowledge is based on the general industrialization of salt. Scientific studies that doctors quote are based on the industrialization of salt.  When the reality is, salt, complete and whole with it’s minerals intact, is an essential part of a healthy diet. 

“Despite what we have been led to believe, salt is equally as important to the human body as water. As long as you are drinking enough water, salt is absolutely essential for the body to generate hydroelectric energy, maintain good blood chemistry, balance the correct amount of water in our blood and cells, aid digestion and allow our nervous system and muscles to function normally. Without salt you would not be able to think nor act.” – DetoxYourWorld.com

The same can be said about  fats, are fats really bad for us or is the industrialization of fats bad? Sure I can eliminate fried foods and start using PAM cooking spray (which I also question) for all my cooking needs. But  am I depriving my body of essential, wholesome fats because my understanding of fats has been tainted by the industrialization of the food market as a whole?  Do take a moment and read this fascinating and mind-opening article on Marianita’s Story on www.coconutoil.com.

Fast food has a whole different meaning to me now. It no longer means the McDonald’s down the street, but rather, the industry machines “purifying” our food.