Column #57

 A friend my age said “I don’t want to stop having fun. I want to live a full life.” It was a response to my suggestion that instead of doctors and drugs, changing to a healthier (grain-free) diet might be a better way to address chronic diseases.

Many of us live contented lifestyles. We like where we live, our homes, our routines, our friends, and the foods we’ve traditionally eaten over the years. Going out to restaurants, nibbling on appetizers, attending social luncheons, and having a favorite treat is a central part of our social lives. The idea of changing any aspect of our fun-filled lives is not something we want to do.

Although accidents can happen, for the most part we are products of our own actions. If we set goals and take measures that increase the odds of success, that doesn’t assure success, but makes it more likely.

Are your eating habits ingrained? What’s your goal for a fulfilling life?

None of my friends (most of whom were born in the 1940s) want to die early. To avoid being crippled, disfigured, or limited by chronic diseases they visit doctors regularly, some frequently. To live their fun-filled lives they all take prescription drugs and some have endured painful operations.

Many of my friends started hitting the wall of chronic disease in their forties. Only with drugs and operations have they kept up their lifestyles. But, as they age and health issues occur, happiness competes with new concerns.

Numerous authoritative sources explain why our grain-based food system is a major cause of body failure. Since grain is our nation’s foundation food, leaders do not want to rock the boat because feeding the masses is top priority. So the best advice “officials” give is to eat whole grains rather than refined grains because seed husks and germ have more nutrients than endosperm. Unfortunately that hasn’t stopped or slowed the mounting toll of chronic disease and its associated costs.

Our bodies should replicate the chemical compositions of grass-fed meats and the green leafy vegetables which provide:

1) 1:1 balance of the essential Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids,
2) low glycemic,
3) all nutrients in a dense package.

Whole grain, seeds, nuts, and fruit do not provide those essential requirements the same way. None provide a proper balance of essential fats which leads to neurological disorders that are diseases of the brain, spine, and connecting nerves. Grain, seeds, and fruit have higher than acceptable glycemic indexes which cause sharp spikes in blood glucose concentration. This is associated with a higher risk of many diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fungal diseases. All four food groups have inferior quantities and balances of all required nutrients which contribute to complex health issues that defy solutions based on drugs and operations. All four food groups are excellent hosts for fungi that will infect them with mycotoxins.

My greatest enjoyment comes from being physically active, mentally alert, and independent of the medical community. That required changes in my ingrained habits and now I have less stress than my peers “enjoy.”

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

The Atomic Bomb of the American Food System

Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers

What Everyone Must Know About Fungus

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Linus Pauling Institute

Chemistry of Cereal Grains by Peter Koehler and Herbert Wieser