HISTORY

When selecting food to eat, it is important to understanding who made (or preferably grew) the food and from where it came. We can unknowingly ingest ingredients that our body may see as foreign, therefore, has to work even harder to digest or remove. It is foreign to the body because it is so far removed from what our human bodies have historically found in nature. Food found in nature, alive, nourishes the body and is simple for the body to digest.

At Bridging Wellness, we focus on connection with nature, the way the planet and food sources were meant to be for human beings, just like all other animals.

During our time together, I will help explain what you need to know about food systems, history and what impacts your decisions so you can be more thoughtful in how it impacts your health. If you’d like to dive deeper into this content, I’ve shared podcasts and resources below.

1977 McGovern Report The United States recognized we had an upward trend in overweight individuals. After conducting the scientific analysis, the McGovern administration was about to launch recommendations which closely reassembled a Mediterranean diet. More vegetables, less red meat and dairy and include healthy fats such as those found in olives, avocados and the such. The meat and dairy industry got wind of this and lobbied against the recommendations changing them to state lean meats and dairy (hence skim milk) and no mention of increased vegetables and fruits. This resulted in Americans getting more sugar-added to replace the fat and the trajectory went the wrong way.

As companies tried to reduce the “fat” content in processed foods, they had to add sugar or sugar substitutes to make the food taste somewhat appealing. Here is where sugar and substitutes started to infiltrate the market at just about every level. From the breads we buy off the shelf and even if you were eating salads, the dressing in the 1980’s was surely filled with low-fat substitutes and emulsifiers. Throughout our health coaching, I’ll explain why those can be a detriment to our goals and not part of a solid foundation.

Glyphosate use began in the 1970’s and has evolved over the past 50 years. Not only did the use increase in the early 2000’s but it’s application changed from an early-stage crop herbicide to a late-stage drying agent. This means that the crops had less time for rain to dilute and wash it away and more toxicity on our foods. While the EPA claims no risks to humans, the studies have not looked at the mircobiomes, gut lining and they are still researching environmental impacts. Understanding the microbiome and the gut lining is crucial to overall health. Maintaining this internal homeostasis builds immunity and digestive strength which is why we must pay attention to the chemical applications on our foods.

To learn more about the systems and how they’ve impacted each individual - below are resources as a starting place. I reassure clients that we can work within this and build our own systems for health.