TheHolisticParent.ORG Ways of Eating

                                     Different Ways of Eating

There are various methods of eating. Many people don’t give much thought to the way
they eat. Americans are shockingly out of touch with their food. We basically shove just
about anything that tastes good into our mouths mindlessly. We don’t know what
different types of food actually do in our bodies. We don’t know which foods possess
which nutrients. Food can be extremely fascinating when studied with these thoughts in
mind. Below are different sections of different ways that people do choose to eat. These
are addressed in respect to the child in mind, though children do not require things too
much differently than adults do.

1)        Vegetarianism
I am quite fond of vegetarianism as I am one myself, actually my whole family is. We got
to the point where we didn’t have to “give up” meat, we simply couldn’t handle eating it
any longer. This was the most easy, natural health transformation I have ever made. I
do not believe humans are designed to be carnivores. Yes, our systems may tolerate
meat, but we are not biologically supposed to be eating animals. After much research, I
feel that this is an acceptable and even appropriate diet for everyone, including children.
For people that feel they could never give up meat, I have to ask; is it the actual meat
you’re attached to or the condiments and spices. For some people, it may actually be
plain old meat, but for a great deal of people, it is the flavorings that we become so
accustomed to. Plop a big hunk of meat on a plate, it’s not very appealing. Dress it up
with condiments, and it tastes so good. This is the design of the condiments. Most
people couldn’t stomach eating their meat completely raw as well as other parts of the
animal raw. True carnivores relish this. There are some great books on this topic in our
resource section.

2)        Vegan
Vegan is a difficult diet to follow in our country. It’s basically a diet with no animal
products whatsoever. This cuts out eggs, cheese, and butter. It’s almost impossible to
eat out in restaurants, though we technically shouldn’t be anyway. It’s hard to find
recipes, but it is possible. Personally, I lean towards being in favor of this diet as well. I
believe that to be healthy, a person needs essential nutrients, which can pretty much be
found in fruits and vegetables with the addition of a few other items. Neither meat,
cheese, eggs, nor butter really give us the nutrition that we need, so I fail to see why
vegan wouldn’t be a splendid idea. However, at this time, I have not concluded 100%
either way as to a recommendation for children. It stands to reason from the research
that I have done that it would be fine for children, though I can’t state this with complete
confidence.

3)        Raw Foods
Raw foods is a way of eating in which cooking is avoided. There are different degrees
of this diet. Some people consider themselves raw foodists even if their diet is
comprised of some cooked food. I like this way of eating because I believe at least the
majority of the diet should be raw as intended by nature. When food gets cooked, it
changes the protein structures, damaging the food and potentially ourselves. Cooking
also removes many of the important nutrients in food. One criticism of the raw food
approach is that it doesn’t take into account Chinese principles of hot and cold. Many
people into alternative nutrition find this aspect important. Sometimes, perhaps the
body does need a balance. Either way, I feel there is no denying that it is beneficial to
eat this way as much as possible because then you’re getting in probably decent
amounts of fruits and veggies. I feel this is a good way of eating for children, though
sometimes, I believe it is practical for most families to make some acceptions.

4)        Fruitarian
Fruitarians are commonly thought of as eating only fruit. This is not entirely true as they
also eat some types of vegetables and also nuts and seeds. My opinions regarding
this diet are honestly still a little up in the air. I like many things about the diet. I do not
fully understand its suitability for children yet enough to make a recommendation. I
know people do raise their children on this diet with no complications, but these people
are obviously fairly rare in our society. I am just not sure enough research has been
done in this area. I do believe the diet should consist of mainly fruits and vegetables.
This diet is not too drastically different than the previous ones I have mentioned, but I
would only wonder if some of the very subtle differences are of importance, especially
to a growing child. I don’t think this diet is truly practical for most people in the long
term. If it interests you, however, I wouldn’t rule it out; I would just recommend during
thorough research first.

5)        Macrobiotic
There are some good things and some bad things about this diet. This diet focuses on
making grains a staple in the diet. Very little fruit is eaten. Personally, I feel the focus of
one’s diet should be fruits and vegetables. Macrobiotics is typically a lifestyle, however.
An emphasis is placed on choosing unprocessed and local foods. A great deal of
attention is paid to yin and yang foods, which is essentially about balance. Some of this
information is quite wise, though I feel it more important to get a wide variety of fresh,
raw fruits and vegetables. This is not a diet I would consider personally for myself. I do
not know enough information about this diet to recommend it as healthy for children,
and I wouldn’t consider it for my own.

6)        Conventional
This is the Standard American Diet or SAD. I would say any of the above diets are more
than likely healthier than this one. This is what the majority of Americans eat their entire
lives without one thought about it. People don’t care where their food comes from, so
long as they don’t ever go hungry. And the majority of us don’t either as it has been
estimated the average American eats 500 times more food in their lifetime than anyone
else. I can guarantee that if you follow this way of eating (basically whatever you want
when you want it), you will at some point find your body in ill health. It can come in the
form of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or whatever else, but it will show up
somewhere. The principles of health are very basic; you must give your body what it
needs and don’t give it what it doesn’t need. This is very basic, but very hard for many to
put into practice. It’s not totally us that is at fault either. It is very hard to control your mind
and simply have the “will power” to overcome issues with food when there are
chemicals in nearly every food presented to you to get you to become addicted to this
food. Our food supply in American is purposefully, deceitfully snuffing our health out
from right under our feet, and most people don’t even realize it. If you’re not aware of
what you’re eating; if you’re not being mindful and conscious of everything that goes in
your mouth; if you think it is okay to make exceptions; then you will more than likely find
yourself in poor health. Poor health is not normal by any stretch of the imagination. It is
extremely common, but not normal. I cannot stress enough the importance of eating
nutritious food and staying away from the junk. Someday, your children will thank you.

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