by
Madeeha Sajeel – Hiba team writer
You may have heard the old adage ‘you are what you eat’. One cannot find a more apt description of our modern lifestyle which is as littered with junk food and plastic as our oceans. Our current lifestyle has given us the highest ever rates worldwide of obesity, chronic diseases such as diabetes, and life threatening cancer amongst other health issues. In the garb of convenience and a fast track life, we have dug our own graves as a whole, adopting practices which are killing us slowly.
Unhealthy food choices
We are poisoning ourselves by eating food which is processed, full of sugar and sodium and packed in plastic. From oils to sausages and all things in between, food today is so highly processed that it not only loses its nutritional benefits, it in fact becomes unhealthy. This leads to myriad health issues like heart attacks, kidney failure and even hormonal imbalances.
Even when we replace this with seemingly healthier options like vegetables and fruits, we are still consuming pesticides and other chemicals that are the crux of modern farming. Modern farming techniques often use GM seeds and toxic chemicals to increase productivity at the cost of food quality. In addition, we now consume injurious quantities of refined sugar, the leading cause of diabetes and as many studies prove, also the main culprit behind cancer. Not only do we eat refined sugar but we also consume it in shocking amounts in useless junk food such as candy bars, biscuits and sodas.
Our method of cooking has also impacted our lifestyle. The ease that a microwave brings to life has made it an essential kitchen appliance. However, heating and cooking food in a microwave can lead to radiation, leeching of harmful chemicals and sizeable nutrient loss. It can also lead to hormonal disruptions.
Deceptive plastic, chemicals and technology
Not only that, we also surround ourselves with other “silent killers”.
Take a minute to look around you. Can you list the number of things which are made of plastic? Now step into your kitchen and just glance around your drawers and cupboards. You will find them filled with a variety of plastic products, from baskets and jars to glasses, plates and even cutlery. Even our drinking water is stored in plastic utensils.
Many studies have confirmed that when plastic is exposed to heat, it releases a high amount of carcinogenic chemicals. Also, plastic products don’t have a never ending life. Tupperware which is comparatively safer as it is made following strict quality control is also not recommended for use beyond 10 years. However, we reuse even the lowest quality plastic containers over and over, not realising that with each passing day, these are leeching harmful chemicals into our food and water. Moreover when we cook food in nonstick or aluminum pots we are actually turning it into a toxic mix.Even when we replace this with seemingly healthier options like vegetables and fruits, we are still putting into our bodies food which is literally drowning in pesticides and other poisonous chemicals! Modern farming aims at producing a higher quantity of food at the cost of quality.
Add to this Our obsession with sugar and you can understand why we are seeing serious health conditions arise at earlier ages than ever seen before. Sugar as has been proven in many studies is the main culprit behind cancer. It is also one of the leading causes of diabetes and despite that we see high amounts of sugar in an array of food and drinks. Be it a simple soda, a small takeaway treat or even a slice of bread, everything is laced with high amounts of sugar.
The ease that a microwave brings to life has made it one of the essentials of a modern home. However, this ease is in fact the harbinger of great hardships. Microwaved food is not a healthy option. The heating of food in a microwave can lead to not only harmful chemicals from the container leeching into the food, it also causes sizeable nutrient loss as well the production of harmful chemicals within the heated food. It can also lead to hormonal disruptions.
In addition, consider personal care products, medication and modern technology. Who would have thought that something as simple as deodorant was actually detrimental to human health? We now know about the negative effects of birth control medication, a highly popular manifestation of our lifestyle choices. Once considered the wonder drug which would “set the modern woman free”, scientists are now documenting how these pills can not only affect our hormones and fertility but can also lead to diseases like cancer. Then, there is the ubiquitous cellphone without which we cannot function. The radiation from cellphones is something we are just beginning to gauge and cell phone addiction is now the bane of society, with ‘wifi detoxification’ an actual therapy.
Make informed changes
These are just a fraction of the many factors of our modern life which are literally inviting physical disease and mental imbalances. However, we can reverse its negative impacts and prevent further damage by making changes in our daily routine and set-ups.
- Put an immediate end to our suicidal dietary practices by adding more organic vegetables and fruits into our diets. Even meat and dairy products should be sourced from organic farms.
- While it may sound difficult we can minimize the presence of plastic in our lives. Replace plastic water bottles and straws with glass, steel or bamboo; plastic boxes with glass, wood, metal or clay containers and plastic food packaging with paper or cloth bags.
- Replace toxic non-stick pans and pots with clay, copper, iron or steel utensils.
- Replace oils and other processed foods with alternatives like organically derived oils and fresh produce. It may be more expensive, but weigh it against the cost of illness, the stress of medical bills and a debilitating lifestyle.
- Foods with high sugar content like sodas, juices and bakery items can easily be avoided or replaced with fresh fruit juices, honey and wholegrain items.
- Microwaves need to be removed from homes and food can easily be cooked or reheated on stoves- it is simply a matter of priorities and re-organising your life around informed lifestyle choices.
- Many daily use chemical products like deodorants and shampoos can easily be replaced with natural goods like alum and organic soap and shampoo bars.
- We should monitor and regulate our own cell phone usage.
In short we only need to inculcate a paradigm shift. We need to fix our priorities and choose health over ease and comfort. The endeavour may seem difficult as it is definitely going against the stream, however we will secure a much healthier life not only for ourselves but also for our future generations.
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