The diseases of civilization have arisen from our changed lifestyles. This includes not exercising enough or eating industrially produced foods – at the cost of such foods containing preservatives and flavor enhancers. First and foremost are salt and sugar, which are hidden in almost all highly processed foods.
What makes us sick?
If you approach the topics of "healthy living" and "health", you can also ask the opposite question: What actually makes us sick, apart from genetic dispositions?? A clear indication is given by the statistics of the most frequent causes of death in 2014 according to the German Medical Newspaper:
– Cardiovascular diseases: 338.056
– Cancer: 223.758
– Diseases of the respiratory system: 58.604
– Diseases of the digestive system: 38.537
Nutrition and lifestyle are decisive factors in the development of these diseases.
Obesity: food as a disease maker
Obesity as a widespread disease is also caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. As a result, the risk of developing diabetes increases by 1,500 percent if you are overweight. An increased risk of cancer in the intestine, uterus, breast, prostate and gall bladder can also be the result. The liver or the vascular system are affected, as are strokes, high blood pressure, heart attacks or joint problems.
Fresh and wholesome: the right diet
If you look at the body from a purely functional point of view, it performs numerous individual tasks and requires energy to do so. With a car, people make sure to fill up with exactly the right fuel so that the engine doesn’t break down or to use brand-name oil. However, when it comes to cooking oil, many people set the bar lower. In everyday life, it is not always important what is good and nutritious, but what tastes good or has an effect on the psyche. The latter refers, for example, to alcohol, cigarettes and also sweets. A return to natural, unprocessed foods that contain many nutrients, vital substances and fiber is an important step. In general, it is the dose that determines how negative an effect something can have. A diet that is too one-sided also backfires and leads to nutrient deficiencies.
Rule of thumb:
Problem case meat
The diet in Germany is meat-heavy. Toxins accumulate in the food chain from plants to animals to humans, especially in meat. Also, conventional meat from farm animals contains harmful substances like
– Antibiotics,
– Growth promoters,
– Anti-stress agents as well as
– hormones.
In addition, eating too much red meat or sausage from beef, venison and pork promotes disease. It increases cholesterol levels and, due to the unsaturated arachidonic fatty acid, the risks of arthritis and rheumatism. The likelihood of developing cancer also increases. Pork in particular, which is often found in everyday products such as grilled sausages or currywurst, should be avoided because pigs accumulate pollutants in their fatty tissue to a great extent. Beef or pork muscle meat contains about 60 milligrams of purines, which as uric acid precursors cause gout.
Praise and blame of heating
Frying or boiling kills germs; on the other hand, strong heating produces harmful amines. It also alters essential fatty acids – which increases cancer risk. This is why increased meat consumption should be viewed with caution.
Drinking: the body in flow
Humans are made up of about 70 percent water. No wonder that we need 1.5-2 liters a day to maintain all bodily functions. Water cools through sweat and thus regulates body temperature. Also blood and urine consist to substantial parts of water, which ensures so the transport of different materials by the body. This extends to the cell, in which all essential substances are dissolved with the help of water. Too little water leads to decreased blood flow, which results in insufficient blood flow to the hair vessels and a stalled supply to the body. The performance of the brain is reduced, the mucous membranes dry out and the digestive process is impeded. All this makes it easier for bacteria and viruses to damage the so impaired body more easily.