Food has been known for centuries as one of the most powerful healing tools for man. There have been a lot of recent complications added to our foods. It has been changed around for the worse, and we have used chemicals which should not be ingested on our foods. The soil which holds the nutrients that our plants need has been destroyed. Plus, our foods are being taken apart in a lab and reconstructed with harmful and unfitting substances. With this in mind, how do we harness the power of food in addiction recovery?
It sounds like a Dystopia, but we do still have access to healthy, whole, as-nature-intended foods. Healthy, Organic plants which have minimal interference and healthy soil, unpolluted air and water, and animals which are humanely treated with open space, healthy foods that their bodies require and also provided with unpolluted water and air, and from which unnecessary drugs are kept away – these are the foods which heal.
The power of food can change your life around. It can prevent disease, improve memory, and support overall good health. When a person feels healthy and vibrant they are less likely to use addictive substances. So, you might say food acts a preventative measure. When it comes to food in addiction recovery, one needs to know what food items that are presented as food aren’t healthy to consume, and which foods bring health, vitality, and the ability to heal.
What Does GMO Mean?
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. These are foods which have been made in a lab and are chemically altered; they can add or remove anything from the food product, for example, the first FDA approved GMO produce item was a tomato, with intended abilities to stop it from naturally rotting, the tomato had pig genes structured into it.
There has not been sufficient research on GMO foods; we don’t know the effects they have when eaten over many years. GMO products can become way out of hand, to the point that we’re not aware of what we are producing and it’s capabilities. For example, many GMO products are created to be “pest”-resistant, but scientists don’t know all of the capabilities that the new product has, i.e., the GMO “Superweed” which is very hard to kill.
GMOs don’t allow the body to function correctly, they have been linked to the widespread killings of frogs, earthworms, and fisheries among others, they have also contributed to soil erosion. Needless to say, GMOs are potentially dangerous and should be avoided.
It is unfortunate that all kinds of our foods are Genetically Modified (GM). Over 80% of the US’s packaged foods contain GMOs.
Some common Genetically Modified “foods” are in most of our food items, some of these well-used ingredient items are:
- Soy
- Corn
- Rice
- Wheat
- Canola
- Cotton Seed Oil
Most “foods” offered to us are GMO food items. Besides being added to processed foods, they are added to seemingly healthy substances such as vitamins. GMOs are covertly added to most things we eat since there is no requirement for labeling and we don’t even know what it is we are consuming as anything can be added to it, and its DNA is changed around. This can have a big impact on the power of food in addiction recovery. If the food isn’t supplying much-needed nutrition, the person doesn’t get the results they hope for.
GMO is also overtly and covertly promoted, for example, Oprah helped put out a commercial showing a family eating together a big meal, stated to be healthy and it was a GMO meal.
At this point, we need to know what foods are GMO and what foods aren’t, we can do this by finding foods which are labeled “Non-GMO,” asking local farmers, and buying Organic.
What Is Non-GMO?
Non-GMO is any food which is not genetically modified. You know what is in it, as the ingredients are what they say they are. Many foods are labeled or certified as Non-GMO. These are important to learn so you can find foods without genetic modification – whether DNA has been taken out, DNA structure has been changed, or DNA of other plants or animals have been added to its DNA, creating a new and unknown food item, disguised under the same name as the actual food.
Just because something is Non-GM doesn’t mean that it isn’t sprayed with herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides which are all risks to health. For example, high levels of herbicides can lead to congenital disabilities, immune weakness, behavioral delays and other potential dangers such as the development of cancer. Which is why the next best option up from Non-GMO is Organic.
Organic vs. GMO
Organic Certified foods are those natural foods which have not been Genetically Modified (are Non-GMO) and which aren’t sprayed with chemicals, like herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides.
This is the best you can find unless you can get Organic, Local, Sustainable and as with animals, Humane.
Local would be foods grown nearby, generally from individual farmers rather than big corporations.
Sustainable means you are not destroying the land and the food while you are growing so it can be used continually to produce more, and the soil is healthy. It is based on studying the balance and relationship of the ecosystem and factoring that into farming practices.
Humane standards vary as do certifications; however, if you can find a farmer who takes care of the animals he raises without the widely spread physical abuse that large companies practice on their livestock, and you study the different standards and certifications, then you can recognize humane meats.
Organic foods provide optimal health benefits. They help to fight disease in humans, protect crops, preserve soil, reduce pollution and is the way our fruits, herbs, and vegetables have been grown throughout history.
When looking at produce, you can spot which are Organic and sometimes you can detect which ones are Genetically Modified. There are stickers with a code, and if a five digit code begins with the digit nine, then this signifies it is Organic.
It is currently not mandatory to label GMO, however, sometimes there is a five digit code that is labeled with an 8, and that indicates GM. Although, GMOs are also classified under other codes.
Learn More About Food in Addiction Recovery
Knowing what foods are Organic VS. GMO is the first step to eating a healthy diet which can support you in healing and be energizing during recovery. Organic food in addiction recovery is going to make for a better, more successful outcome.
Article Source: bestdrugrehabilitation.com
