Switch to Eco Healthy Eating Today

Written by: Emmanuel

By liking what we do and living our meaning, we're in harmony with everyone and everything. Emmanuel van der Meulen. CEO, Peace Evolution.

Published: November 10, 2020

What is Eco Healthy Eating?

When combining wholesome foods and drinks which are natural, balanced, nutritious, and digests easily, with where the food comes from and practicing healthy fasting, we speak of eco healthy eating.

  • When whole foods are produced in the next district, region, or another country, or continent, and the food is transported, that adds to the costs and to the production feasibility. We refer to this dynamic as the further foods and drinks are produced from our table, the less ecological the food is.
  • Processed foods aren’t healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The foods and drinks do not come in their whole form to our kitchen. We also do not always know the content of such foods, as described in 5 Side-Effects of Consuming Processed Food.
  • Added sugar is proliferated into non-whole foods and drinks, see Eco Healthy Eating: Zero Added Sugar. Such foods and drinks impact healthy eating.
  • The various ways of healthy fasting, are included in the concept of eco healthy eating.

When we’re practicing anything other than eco healthy eating as a way of life, it impacts our health and weight.

What follows is a compendium of details to add to the aforementioned summary.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a severe and chronic health condition where the weight of a person exceeds their normal or healthy weight limit. It negatively affects the different systems of our body. The obese or overweight population is mostly at the risk of developing many health problems. For example:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Joint problems
  • Bone diseases

What Causes Obesity?

Factors like lifestyle, genetics, eating habits, and the way our body handles energy are mainly responsible for obesity. The most common causes of obesity are our lifestyle and eating habits. People rarely balance their work life and their everyday life. Moreover, we’re increasing our consumption of junk food: Hence our introducing eco healthy eating.

Sometimes illnesses like polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s disease also lead to weight gain or obesity. In some cases, certain steroids and drugs to alleviate depression increase weight. However, the good thing is that obesity is not permanent. Losing weight depends on our dedication and intention.

Attacking the obesity epidemic by first figuring out its cause is the place to start.

The Role of Food and Eco Healthy Eating in Our Body

Food contains nutrients which help the cells in our body carry out different functions. These nutrients are essential for the growth and maintenance of our body. When our body does not get sufficient nutrients from the food we eat, our health starts declining.

It is important to make sure that we get sufficient nutrition from our foods or drinks. Otherwise, one of the following may affect us:

  • Health problems related to nutrition when nutrition is inadequate
  • Gastrointestinal health problems when our eating habits are unhealthy
  • Stomach health problems when what we eat doesn’t nourish us fully

Food and Health Problems

There was a time when scientists and researchers used to believe that gene mutation was behind obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and some types of Cancer. This belief has changed and our diet is now held partly responsible for many health problems.

Well-known Methods Of Fasting

Though there are different methods of fasting. The well-known ones are:

  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Water Fasting
  • Autophagy Fasting

Some Benefits of Fasting

There are many reasons for fasting. Some major ones are:

  • Soul cleansing
  • Health benefits
  • Inner satisfaction
  • Weight loss
  • Some medical tests require fasting
  • Stimulate or induce autophagy

It is fair to say that every diet has some pros and cons associated with it. Vegan Diet is the only diet that has maximum positive effects on humans, for animals, and the complete ecosystem. Here are some major benefits:

  • A Vegan diet is rich in some specific kinds of nutrients. When you start consuming a Vegan diet instead of your usual diet, you start consuming a lot of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, peas, beans, seeds, and nuts. With the consumption of these foods, your daily intake of various beneficial nutrients also increases. A Vegan diet provides more antioxidants, fibre, and plant compounds.
  • A Vegan diet helps you lose extra weight. Various observational studies have revealed that vegans are usually thinner and have low BMI (Body Mass Index) in comparison to non-vegans. Moreover, amongst all the diets, a Vegan diet is more effective when it comes to weight loss.
  • A Vegan diet helps in lowering the levels of blood sugar and improves kidney function. The Vegan diet helps in reducing the levels of blood sugar in diabetic patients. When people start following a Vegan diet, they usually substitute meat for plant proteins and this reduces the risk of improper kidney function.
  • Consider a Vegan or plant-based diet as eco healthy eating. It is close to local whole foods and drinks.

Eating Wholesome Food leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

When observing the current environmental and physical condition of planet earth, you’ll get a feeling that something is wrong somewhere. Planet earth is taking strain. A further observation is, some people cause harm to the environment whereas others take steps to save it?

The answer lies somewhere in your eating habits and the diet you take. Remember the old saying, You Are What You Eat. If the bigger portion of your diet is bad food (such as fast foods), and it affects your brain negatively, this in turn leads to further anomalies such as harming yourself and the environment.

There are some good foods one should consume and there are some bad foods one should avoid if one wants a healthy mind, body, and soul. While exploring eating patterns and diets, you come across diets claiming to be good, and you will also find numerous followers of these diets. All the followers of a particular eating habit believe that they are consuming good foods.

The concept of eco healthy eating ticks all boxes for sustained health and weight.

ECO HEALTHY EATING leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

Today, a lot of baffling advice is available when it comes to Eco Healthy Eating.. A group of experts view eggs as a natural bounty whereas another group emerges from the unknown and says that eggs raise cholesterol. Similarly, some people see coffee as a good healthy drink whereas some say that coffee causes cancer. This happens with all health products; all such claims are ambiguous and confusing.

We come across such conflicting nutritional advice and are confused. According to the American annual Food and Health Survey by The International Food Information Council (IFIC), people are now questioning their own food choices and are searching for ways to make their diet healthier.

fruit nuts veggies and herbs | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

Do you know the root cause of the confusion? It is the health food industry: the manufacturers, the marketers, and the advisors of healthy food. Their hunger for success is behind all the ambiguity and confusion, and we know very well that success in business is directly proportional to profits.

In order to make their brands accessible to more and more people, food producers frequently come up with new lines of healthy products and with numerous tips, tricks, and advice to remain healthy. This overflow of information results in confusion for those looking for eco-friendly food recipes..

Switch to Zero Added Sugar leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

  • When you regularly consume a diet rich in sugar, you’ll experience premature wrinkles and reduced elasticity. However, when you slash the sugar intake, you’ll get younger-looking skin.
  • You experience more comfort because heating and cooling via these systems is uniformly distributed within every area, removing cold or hot spots.
  • Added sugar is a simple carbohydrate and present in almost everybody’s diet. It is digested quickly and enters the bloodstream; a quick shot of energy and as soon as this shot is metabolized, you start feeling low on energy. When you skip added sugar, and eat healthy fat and high protein food, you’ll consistently get energy, which lasts longer.
  • A habit such as drinking sugary-soda daily, results in extra weight, especially in your belly area. When you cut out sugar from your diet, you’ll get rid of belly fat, fast.
  • The increased levels of blood sugar hormones not only affect the tummy, it puts fat cells all over the body resulting in increased weight. When the sugary foods in a diet are replaced with healthy fats, the blood sugar hormones remain stable and very few calories get converted into fat. The result is less hunger, increased metabolism, and the ability to lose weight without struggling.
  • When you eat fewer sweets, your blood sugar remains stable and you are easily able shed weight. Besides this, you also get protection against type-2 diabetes.

Sugar Disguised On Food Labels leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

After reading this, if you’re curious about finding out if the food product you are buying contains added sugar or not, you’ll find the list of ingredients on the side, bottom, or back of the food or drinks packaging.

Added sugar would be mentioned as sugar, corn sweetener, brown sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, glucose, fruit juice concentrate, honey, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltose, lactose, malt syrup or maple, nectars, molasses, sugar cane juice, raw sugar, and sucrose. In fact, the list is very long with more than 55 names.

Do not believe the phrase “lightly sweetened” on any product because it may contain anywhere from 1-100g or even more sugar. But if you find a product labeled as “No Added Sugar”, take a sigh of relief, that product is fine and beneficial to your health.

Processed Food leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

As with every diet, you experience benefits only when you are consistent and include various nutrient-rich green foods in your diet, instead of processed ones.

A type of diet that is above reproach and positively impacts the environment is the Vegan diet. All the food products in this diet are derived only from plants and fruit. All those eating a vegan diet cut out all animal products, even eggs, honey, dairy, and gelatin.

veggies on tablecloth | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution
berries in punnetts | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution
green smoothie with ingredients | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

The biggest followers of a vegan diet are those subscribing to an eco-lifestyle. They not only eat vegan diet foods, they also distance themselves from soaps, clothes, or other items sourced from animals in any manner.

Many people say that animal products are vital and an easily accessible source of vitamins, protein, minerals, iron, and non-saturated fats. A shift towards a vegan diet means searching for alternatives. But this small lifestyle change prevents cruelty towards animals, resolves environmental concerns and results in a healthier life.
You do not need a supplement-rich diet to make sure that all the essential nutrients enter your body. All you have to do is eat a balanced diet incorporating whole, natural foods and avoiding processed ones – this is the actual secret to eating.

Such an eco-lifestyle promotes eco healthy eating. As a consequence, it is good for humans and the environment.

Costs To Bring Non-Eco Food To The Table leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

  • The consumption of a Vegan diet reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. The production of livestock causes more than 14.5% of the total greenhouse gas emission. Lamb and beef are responsible for maximum greenhouse gas emissions. The emission from the production of one gram of lamb or beef is 250 times more than that for legumes.
  • When the demand for Vegan diet increases and livestock decreases, the damage caused to the soil and crops from their grazing also decreases.
  • A huge amount of water is required to raise livestock. When people consume a Vegan diet, they play a major role in saving water. Moreover, crowded farms generate a lot of waste and this waste is stored in big manure lagoons.
  • When taking this further, and consuming locally produced fruit and vegetables instead of transporting products from afar, further reduction in the carbon footprint is achieved (from reduced long haul fuel and vehicle costs). Roads are spared too. Traffic congestion is reduced. We’re spending less time on (less) congested roads.
  • Use eco healthy eating as a guideline to what you consume.

Organic Foods As Opposed To Conventional Foods Using Toxic Pesticides And Fertilizers leaves icon | eco healthy eating | Peace Evolution

The foods commonly available and consumed are grown with the help of artificial fertilizers and synthetic pesticides. Continuous exposure to some of these pesticides causes birth defects, development of malignant or benign tumors, toxicity to the fetus, genetic changes, nerve disorders, blood disorders, reproductive effects, and endocrine disruption. Thankfully, eco healthy eating ensures freedom from chemicals and minimizes the risks of such dangerous conditions.

Better Nutrition: When you choose eco healthy eating, you will be consuming organic food items and it is widely known that certified organic products contain high levels of minerals and vitamins. This better nutrition strengthens the immune system, lowers the blood pressure, and decelerates the signs of ageing.

Save the Pollinators: Since continuous exposure to pesticides can result in deadly effects on living beings, pollinators that directly come in contact with flowers and plants sprayed with pesticides can fall victim to these poisonous chemicals. When you choose eco healthy eating, food production happens without these deadly practices and pollinators such as bees are saved automatically.

  • In order to cut down sugar intake, people make a shift towards “healthy snacks”. The amount of sugar in these snacks is not less than their harmful counterparts. Similarly, avoid sugar-rich breakfasts.
  • To avoid food with added sugar is at first not an easy task. Certain savory food also contains lots of added sugar. Read the ingredients list on the packaging. Food companies are very clever, they mention added sugar by different names.
  • Cutting out sugar isn’t easy. Needless to say, as your awareness and understanding evolves, cutting out added sugar becomes a journey, a lifestyle changer, ideally you’ll evolve to the point of knowing what you’re eating, and even evolve to the point of preparing and cooking your own food, drinks and desserts. Joining eco healthy eating is a journey, a lifestyle with very many benefits for yourself. And incidentally, this lifestyle has an impact on the environment too.

Conclusion

Humanity has an easy choice. Switch to the concept of eco healthy eating or stick to eating habits that affect us and our environment.

The billions that are spent on health problems, being overweight and even being obese, and the associated discomforts and low self-esteem is easily remedied with one very simplistic and easy to follow concept: Eco Healthy Eating.

It’s time, make the switch.

 

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