Foods that Harm Foods that Heal A Personal Inquiry by Wendy Harper
Nov 22, 2014
Foods that Harm Foods that Heal
A Personal Inquiry by
Wendy Harper
My Rich Question:
Can I Disease Proof
My Body
With Food?
Which Diseases are Believed to be caused by diet?
• Cancer• Heart Disease• Type 2 Diabetes• Stroke• Kidney Failure• Dementia• Coughs & colds• Eye disease
About the About the good foodsgood foods
Which foods are believed to fight disease?
• Foods that are rich in essential nutrients are believed to fight disease;
• Foods that are rich in certain nutrients build up our immune system;
• Some foods provide nutrients which make our cells stronger;
• Others are high in fibre and liquid so they move quickly through our bodies to avoid the build up of toxins.
Examples of Examples of Food…Food…
Examples of Disease Fighting Foods
• Green leafy vegetables, eg: spinach• Broccoli• Mushrooms• Eggs• Oily fish• Flax seed, olive, canola oils• Herbs (herbal medicine)• Water• Milk
Foods to Foods to Avoid…Avoid…
What foods should I avoid?
• Foods that are high in fat, sugar, artificial colours and flavours, preservatives and Genetically Modified foods have all been linked with a number of diseases and conditions that affect our health
• Foods which are low in nutrients also have little or no positive affect on our health
• Foods that have been overly processed also seem to be bad for our health
• Basically, avoid most fast foods, junk foods, lollies and alcohol – or at least eat these foods in moderation
Where is the Where is the Chemistry?Chemistry?
Where is the chemistry?
• You need to be a food expert to know about food but you also need to know about the chemistry involved in food.
• Testing for nutrient levels in food tells us what is in the food that is good for us.
• Scientists are also able to test and investigate the effect of different ingredients such as what artificial colours and flavours can do to our cell structure
Conclusion
• Diseases can be caused by any number of factors including environment, genetics, general lifestyle and perhaps just bad luck.
• However, there are many diseases which can be prevented, treated by or the affects of the disease reduced by diet ………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Cancer• Cancer is …..• There are many different forms of cancer
such as….• Cancer is believed to be caused by a
number of factors including diet• Bowel cancer…..• Stomach cancer…..• Even cancers not directly caused by diet
may be treated or avoided by …..Back to disease
list….
Heart Disease
• Heart disease is……
• Link to research on diet/food
Back to disease list….
Type 2 Diabetes
Back to disease list….
Stroke
Back to disease list….
Kidney Failure
Back to disease list….
Dimentia
Back to disease list….
Coughs & Colds
Back to disease list….
Eye Disease
Back to disease list….
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Green leafy vegetables
• Green leafy vegetables are rich in the following nutrients:– Vitamin C– Vitamin A– Calcium– Iron
• They also have a high water content and are high in fibre – making them excellent for your digestive health and the health of your bowel
Broccoli
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Mushrooms
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Eggs
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Oily Fish
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Flax seed, olive and canola Oils
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Herbal Medicine
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Water
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Milk
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Vitamin A
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Vitamin B
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Vitamin C
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Vitamin D
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Vitamin E
Back to foods that heal…
Vitamin K
Back to foods that heal…
Folate
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Niacin
Back to foods that heal…
Iron
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Protein
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Calcium
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Fibre
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Fats
Back to foods to avoid
Sugar/Carbs
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Artificial colours & flavours
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Preservatives
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GMO Foods
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My ConclusionSo can I disease proof my body with food?In some ways the answer is “Yes”. I can minimise the risk of
developing or catching certain illnesses by building up my immune system with food; I can increase my chances of preventing some diseases by eating certain foods and avoiding others and I can fight disease by taking in particular nutrients.
However, I can never fully disease proof my body with food due to hereditary diseases, my environment (pollution etc.), other aspects of my lifestyle and contraction of diseases not related to diet (eg viruses etc.) So in some ways the answer is “No”.
Ultimately, the evidence suggests that I can greatly improve my chances of avoiding, fighting and over coming many diseases by eating the right diet, but I will never get a 100% guarantee– so I believe that it is worth eating the right foods to give me the best possible chance!