Sup butts!?

In the first of a series that will answer all your Qs about the mad world of HEALTH + FOOD, here is our first answer to question one, asked by some sweet anonymous reader who we will call Ravin Junior, because that was one of Klara's lie names as a kid:

1. " Since when is healthy food such a big deal? If you're not obese why should you give a HOOT about what you put on your plate?? "

WERD! (insert applause emoji). Here are the 3 main surprising things that happened to make us REALLY start to care about what we ate :

insulin, the hormone that keeps our blood sugar nice and steady for optimal brain and body functioning is very closely linked to the food we eat at every single meal. SO WHAT? Here's what: HORMONES (e.g. thyroid hormones, sex hormones, sleep hormones, happy hormones, motivation hormones) ENERGY CONVERSION (metabolism and fat storage), FERTILITY (Polycystic ovaries, irregular ovulation, PMS symptoms) CONCENTRATION (brain fog, memory issues, attention deficit), INFLAMMATION (soooo many widespread inflammatory disorders these days unfortunately), CRAVINGS, MUSCLE MASS, EYE HEALTH, NERVE HEALTH, etcetera, etcetera!) Insulin affects a lot of stuff in the body. So we learned that, in this modern world of hyper-processed high GI everything, keeping insulin chilled-out and managing the glucose we eat can go a loooooong way in keeping our cells young and functional. Viva protein and complex carbs.
artificial chemicals in everything started taking its toll. We are animals after all. And such resilient beasts too. But something from nature will tolerate a foreign 'poison-like substance' only for so long before it reaches an exhausted, fed-up state and starts dysfunctioning in the most mysterious of ways. Examples? Remember when margarine was awesome and everyone jumped on it like it was the last fucking train to Disneyland, ever? We ate that crap and any version of it for years until some scientists wondered why heart disease is getting worse not better, then proceeded to figure out that an almost 14-step process of emulsifying, dyeing, hydrogenating and bleaching a food product can actually cause serious health issues in the body, beyond just our arteries. Wooopsies. So we started testing all kinds of chemicals on our food - pesticides on fruits and veg, chemicals in the plastic around all our food, colourants, preservatives, GMOs, syrups-, non-sugar sweeteners, all those big words on the ingredients list... we discovered that these foreign, factory creations are interfering big-time with our perfectly smart, self-correcting, self-healing bodies. More chemicals, more complications, more toxins, more cell confusion, more cancer?
drugs and 'medicine' companies got very powerful and we stopped trusting them. Healthcare became all about pharmaceuticals -- killing symptoms with chemicals in the form of patentable, profitable pills. Medical care became dishonest as it priorotized superficial, quick-fix surface 'treating' and ignored fundamental, deeper healing and prevention. A few really smart and still-sick patients realsized that modern medicine is great for acute emergency care but sucks when it comes to the chronic, more mysterious long-term health issues like heart disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, inflammatory conditions, fatigue, age-related issues, etc. Taking health into their own hands, these brave individuals removed toxins like drugs and focused on just supporting their whole bodies with the good basic building blocks - clean unprocessed, non-sprayed whole foods; pure untreated water; fewer artificial chemicals, more natural nutrients, less psychological stress. And YES, slowly their bodies started to get stronger and healthier again. No way. Suddenly, we all got super curious and the medical research exploded! Now it's a widely accepted verity: The healthcare needs of the 21st century can only be met with a medical model that is personalized, looks at all the interconnected body systems together, and addresses the underlying causes of disease rather than just numbing the after, aftermath signs and symptoms.

Now holistic health very much is the new black. Quinoa is the go-to not-grain that even your pet prefers. Smoothies are the cool self-care accessory, and Avocados are the Oprah of Instagram.

It's a good day to be alive. Ish. I got you. Stay tuned for satiety and sanity and everything in between.

Next question, next week. Love you like peanutbutter pie (with a quinoa crust). xox