Are you in a "prearranged relationship" with food that has now become an "abusive" on? The answer is probably yes. A little far fetched you think? Well let's take a look.
During early childhood development we had no say in the type of nourishment we received. Whether we were fed breast milk, manufactured formula or the milk of a cow the choice was made by our parents or caregivers. Then by the time we grew teeth and could chew solid foods they also decided which foods would carry us into adulthood. Jarred baby food or homemade and purred, processed or homemade, organic or not, meat eater or vegetarian, farm raised or free range. Your relationship with food had been decided for you well before you were born. Believe it or not your grandparents very likely also influenced most, if not all, of the food choices made for you.
More often than not when a doctor asks, "Did your mom or dad ever have cancer or diabetes". What they really mean is, "What was your parents relationship with food like because it's probable that that's what you've been taught as well, so we can just cut to the chase." Or, "What did your parents teach you to put on the end of your fork?" That's where the "abuse" comes in.
Abuse is when there is evident of physical maltreatment. If our relationship with food has consisted of excessive amounts of fried foods, processed foods, artificial flavoring and coloring then the physical maltreatment will become evident. It will show up by way of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis, gout, anemia and not to mention obesity.
If your relationship with another person looked anything like your "abusive relationship" with food wouldn't you want to get them out of your life. What would it take for you to get out of that prearranged relationship? I often say the most I was taught about food as a child was, if it looks good, smells good and is seasoned well then we eat it. I was never taught about what food does to my body on a molecular level and how it could become detriment to my health.
Before you have any of the above diseases your body will show signs of oxidative stress. Here's what to look our for:
- Decreased night vision
- Fatigue
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Wrinkles
- Brain fog
- Headaches and sensitivity to noise
- Weakened immune system
Do your meals consist of fried foods, bacon, sausage, fast food, lunch meats, fatty meats and very little fresh fruits and vegetables? Do you have more bagged or boxed meals in your frozen fruits or veggies? Do you eat fast food more than once a week? Our parents had no idea that the relationship they put us in with food would become an abusive one, they did the best they could. Now that you know better it's imperative that you do better, your health depends on it.