| The human body: a vast network of living cells | | | | of preservatives, additives, artificial flavorings, and |
| responsible for feeding the body with life sustaining | | | | various harmful chemical agents. |
| nutrients. Each person has approximately 100 trillion | | | | A 2005 report issued by the USDA stated every |
| cells that are in a continuous cycle of cell dying and | | | | person should consume between 5 to 13 servings of |
| reproduction. In fact, the cycle of old to new cell | | | | fresh vegetables and fruits daily. But, what is the |
| construction occurs at a rate of 300 million per minute. | | | | average American person of today feeding their |
| As the process of cell dying and replacement | | | | body? Current findings indicate that only 1% of |
| happens, new cells are formed by the nutrients | | | | American children meet their basic dietary necessities. |
| available to them at that time. The strength or | | | | In addition to that alarming statistic, a recent national |
| weakness of the new cell formations is dependent on | | | | survey indicated that 40% of American people eat NO |
| the degree of nutrients that are gathered from the | | | | fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis! In knowing |
| foods that are eaten. Therefore, if one eats "junk" the | | | | that they contain the important antioxidants needed in |
| cells are at risk of weak composition. If the cells are | | | | the fight of harmful molecular attacks on the body, is it |
| fed nutritional foods, the chances of healthy cell | | | | a wonder that we have a rise in health issues, learning |
| production are greater. | | | | difficulties, and developmental disabilities as we do in |
| During cell replacement, a complicated chemical | | | | this country? Over the past 20 years, there has been |
| process occurs that can lead to the production of | | | | an unprecedented rise in illness and disease such as |
| harmful atoms known as free radicals. Free radicals | | | | cancer, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and |
| begin a chain reaction that can result in cellular | | | | developmental differences such as autism. |
| damage. The best defense the human body has | | | | Even when one attempts to eat a well balanced, |
| against free radical damage is adequate amounts of | | | | nutritional diet, the truth is the fresh foods that are |
| molecules known as antioxidants. Antioxidants have | | | | generally available to most Americans have been |
| actually been found to reverse the damaging effects | | | | compromised by mass production and sprayed with |
| of free radicals by terminating their chain reaction. | | | | harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers that build up |
| These imperative molecules are most commonly | | | | as toxins within the fatty tissues of the body. The brain |
| found in many of the vitamins provided by different | | | | is one of those areas that toxins can accumulate. A |
| fresh fruits and vegetables. The big news is that the | | | | variety of recent studies indicate that the fresh |
| human body cannot produce these nutrients on its | | | | vegetables and fruits consumed by the American |
| own - they can only be acquired in the foods that are | | | | people now contain significantly lower amounts of |
| eaten! | | | | minerals and vitamins as compared to those of 50 |
| Think for a moment about an arcade game that | | | | years ago. |
| emerged in the early 1980's known as Pac-Man. | | | | So, just how important is food intake to the process of |
| In the game, Pac-Man roams the game board looking | | | | learning? Many studies that have been conducted on |
| for little pac-dots to devour. The more dots he "eats" | | | | this relationship show very distinctive links between the |
| the more points he gains. Antioxidants are like | | | | nutritional values in foods to a child's cognitive |
| Pac-Men: roaming around looking for deadly free | | | | development and behavior patterns. Children who do |
| radicals to overtake and destroy before they can | | | | not get adequate amounts of nutritional intake can be |
| accumulate into major cell damage - cell damage that | | | | less attentive, more hyperactive, easily distracted, |
| can result in illnesses and diseases. | | | | lacking in motor development skills, disorganized, and |
| According to Gerald Lemole, M.D., Chief of Cardiac | | | | demonstrate emotional abnormalities. They can |
| Surgery at Christina Care Hospital in Newark, | | | | demonstrate learning with disability patterns and suffer |
| Delaware, a look at history shows us that our | | | | underachievement in the functional activities required of |
| ancestors rarely died of diet related illnesses; their diets | | | | them on a daily basis. |
| were healthier and they were more active. Most | | | | In summary, do the foods consumed affect the overall |
| people raised and consumed most of their own meats, | | | | functioning of the human body and mind? Are we |
| fruits, and vegetables. In his book The Healing Diet | | | | what we eat? What roles does nutrition have on the |
| (2001), Dr. Lemole states that in 1940 processed food | | | | physical, neurological, and emotional health of this |
| constituted only 10 % of the American diet, whereas | | | | society? Big questions! In all actuality, is the proof in the |
| today's diet is 90% processed. He goes on to say that | | | | pudding? |
| the North American diet consists of high quantities of | | | | References |
| dairy products, sodas, and white bread products that | | | | 1. Lemole, M.D., Gerald. The Healing Diet. New York, NY: |
| as a whole do little to meet our nutritional needs. | | | | William Morrow & Company-An Imprint of |
| Jordan Ruban, author of The Maker's Diet (2004), | | | | HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Ruban, Jordan. |
| states that processed foods do not contain the | | | | 2. The Maker's Diet.. Lake Mary, FL: Siloam, 2004. |
| nutrients needed for healthy living, and they also are full | | | | |