It starts with Food!!!

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You are what you Eat!!!
We've all heard it before, but how well do we understand it?
What are the real implications of the food choices we make?

Well, it turns out that it's pretty serious stuff.  In fact, a large percentage of total healthcare costs in the United States is attributed to poor nutrition.  Over 20% of healthcare spending is associated with obesity alone!  Add to that the chronic diseases that have been linked to poor nutrition like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke; and you can start to understand just how important our diet really is.  The ailments just mentioned are some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. today, but what about quality of life?  We don't eat the right foods just to avoid dying, we eat them to enjoy living!  With a proper diet we can vastly improve our health, happiness and enjoyment of life! :)

So how do we do it right?

Luckily, eating the right foods is really simple!

There are many different ideas about what foods we should eat, and what foods to avoid.  But the general consensus is to eat "whole foods", meaning unprocessed food.  We know when a food is "whole" because it looks the same as when you picked it off the tree, pulled it from the ground, or cut it off the plant.  Fruits and vegetables contain essential enzymes and vitamins that are lost and destroyed by processing and over-cooking.
The basic formula for healthy eating is to have a variety of vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and berries.  Of course mushrooms, herbs and spices are welcome (always being cautious with herbs and spices, and learning the effects of what we're using).  The current science seems to show that while meat and dairy can be a part of a healthy diet, it is best to consume them sparingly.
We have definitely learned the hard way over the past century that food treated with pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics can cause a variety of health problems and what's more, the food doesn't taste as good!
Luckily for us, there is a growing movement and increased availability of "organic", "hormone and antibiotic free" foods. 
If we would like to be truly healthy, and experience the full benefits that come with eating a proper, whole-food diet; then we must try to use as much "organic", hormone and antibiotic free food as we can.  And if we are eating meat or dairy, it's even more important to be organic and free from hormones and antibiotics since chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides can be concentrated in the meat, eggs, and milk of an animal.  
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There are certainly individuals with particular food allergies and genetic differences that may be required to avoid certain foods.  These are realities that each one of us should explore with our trusted professional medical advisers, and with tools such as an elimination diet (print this out and try it!).  Most people are able to eat a wide variety of foods, but we should always be aware that - what is healthy for some, may be harmful to others.  It doesn't have to be difficult to find a proper balance of foods for yourself.  All we need to do is pay attention to our body.  If we're eating something that we shouldn't be - then we'll feel tired, irritable, have indigestion and bloating, and we'll get sick more often.  When we eat healthy foods - we'll have more energy, feel happier, our digestive system is healthy and our immune system is strong.  After all... You are what you eat!
So we've got a good idea about the foods that are healthy for us, but what about unhealthy foods?  Should we avoid junk food completely?
Well, there are certainly a lot of options when it comes to sweets and treats in our modern society.  Some can be respectable, like an organic pastry in a local bakery.  And some are just bad-news, like a candy bar in a gas station.
There is a huge amount of science linking diabetes and other major health problems to excessive sugar intake.  It can be frightening to try and avoid all those sweets that we're surrounded by on a daily basis.  It would seem that our bodies have evolved to crave sugar, and that's because there are natural sugars found in almost all foods.  However, the amounts of sugars in whole foods are typically very small compared to what is found in a standard candy bar or soda pop.  On the other hand, fruits generally have a considerable amount of sugar.  But what they also have is lots of fiber.  And fiber helps digest sugars properly.  There are also lots of vitamins and enzymes in fruit that helps to process those sugars safely.  When we eat a lot of candies and cookies, and drink sodas and juices, we are inviting a whole myriad of problems that can be totally avoided by simply eating some fruit, or drinking a smoothie when we get that sweet-tooth.

What about Drugs and Alcohol?

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Most of us have experimented with drugs and alcohol at one point or another.  Some of us didn't care for the effects and it never became a lifestyle, some enjoyed it too much and have had to find ways to quit and avoid those substances.  Others have become comfortable with their use and feel that it is an important part of their lives.  Ultimately everyone has to make their own decisions about what they ingest, and find their own balance.  We won't be listing pros and cons of substance use or abuse here, and we won't go too much into the scientific details.  There are plenty of fine informational websites that do that already.
We like to keep things simple and positive, so instead of telling you what drugs we should or shouldn't be using, we're going to talk about how we can find enjoyment and bliss simply by creating and nurturing balance in our lives.  After all, even if we manage to maintain a relatively harmless relationship with our drugs of choice, we all know that the blissful effects from those substances are very temporary and require constant use to try and keep that feeling.  This can get very costly, and even in moderation, will eventually result in some detriment to your health.
There is little doubt that some ailments and injuries can certainly be helped or healed by using medicines.  And pretty much all drugs have some medicinal use.  We believe strongly that if someone is using a drug, then there is a reason for it.  Sometimes it's a physical or emotional injury that they're treating.  Sometimes they are using it to find new perspective in their lives and help to move beyond the old patterns that were learned from parents or other influences.  Other times the whole point of using may simply be to learn that they don't really need that drug anymore.  Whatever someones reason for drug or alcohol use, it is something to be respected, treated with care, and understood that it is a part of our growth process to experience these things.

Let's take a quick look at the science...

This is how our brain works.  Specially shaped molecules called "neuro-transmitters" fit into tiny receptacles in our brains called "neuro-receptors".  This results in the transmission of an impulse that tells another part of the brain, or the body to do something.  It can also result in the releasing of other neurotransmitters.  Needless to say, there are a lot of different things happening in our brains all the time, so our brains are always trying to maintain a balance of all these different chemicals and processes that are occurring.  

The only reason that any drugs have any effect on us at all, is because we have neuroreceptors that fit that particular shape of molecule; and we already produce a similar shaped molecule (neurotransmitter) to fit there!
This is where it gets interesting.  The euphoric sensation that we experience when we use  drugs is actually a result of an imbalance of neurotransmitters in our brain.  That's exactly why we feel the low after "coming down".  As mentioned before, our brains are always trying to maintain equilibrium, so when there is an over-abundance of a certain transmitter molecule, our brains will stop producing that transmitter.  And if there is way too much, our brains will actually kill off the neuroreceptors in an effort to reduce uptake of that transmitter and restore a balance.
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click on this graphic for a more detailed depiction
That's when we end up depressed, anxious, angry, addicted, and all the other side affects that come along with drug use.  Even if the use is very moderate, it will result in an imbalance in our brains that will cause swings in emotions and energy levels.
Here's the good news - When we eat right, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and practice acceptance and optimism - our bodies and brains naturally produce a very delicate balance of all those different neurotransmitters that allow us to experience all of that joy and bliss, without the swings!  We can really have lasting happiness and ecstatic experience.  Try it and see!