Conquering Unhealthy Eating Habits

In the United States approximately 10% of girls and women (numbering up to 10 million) and 1 million boys and men are struggling with unhealthy eating habits (this is over 5 times the number of people dealing with HIV and AIDS).  At least 50,000 individuals will die as a direct result!  Unhealthy eating habits are characterized by behavioral disturbances in food intake. They have a complex array of causative factors—including emotional, familial, cultural, and biological factors. These unhealthy eating habits are commonly labeled anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating and over eating.

· Unhealthy eating habits are established during childhood. More than 60% of young people eat too much fat, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

· 75 % of women are dissatisfied with their appearance. The average woman is 5′4″ and weighs 140 pounds. The average model is 5′11″ and weighs 117 pounds. Most models are thinner than 98% of American women— Models often maintain their thin body weight through the unhealthy eating habits labeled anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

· 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting.  Of those 20-25% progress to partial or full-syndrome eating problems.

· 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.

· Food manufacturers have indoctrinated us to eat different foods for the sake of eating different food. Eating different food for the sake of eating different food is counterproductive. Providing the food consistent with your blood and body type will meet your nutritional requirements. Food manufacturers spend considerable time and money for teams of psychologists and researchers to create food that is esthetically enticing. For example: The red juice from beef is not the natural blood of cattle. The majority of blood is drained from the meat during processing and is replaced with red dyed water. Why? Because the natural color of beef is considered an unappealing blue/gray color.  Red dye is toxic, however, meat processors are compelled to use the red dye to satisfy consumers’ preference to have beef appear ‘blood red.’ Red dye in meat is seldom used in other countries.

· Research on body types indicates Sweet Crunchy foods are appealing to more people than Crunchy Pungent foods. The majority of processed food uses a plethora of sweetners —Corn syrup, Glucose, Glucose syrup, Sucrose, Dextrose, Maltose; as well as artificial sweetners—aspartame, saccharine, acesulfame k and sorbitol that proves the point.

· By today’s Hollywood standards, Marilyn Monroe would be considered overweight! In the Renaissance period, Marilyn Monroe would be considered too thin and sickly. This was when food was scarce and to be what we now call “fat” was considered a sign of health and wealth. There are many perfect body-shapes. It is unfortunate that we allow ourselves to be influenced by Hollywood’s narrow, limiting, and unhealthy standards. The Hollywood ideal is not only disrespectful to our inherent body structure, but the process of reaching it causes a severe risk to one’s health. We need to change our individual and collective body image ideal. We need to change our distorted perceptions of what constitutes a beautiful body. Until then, people will continue to strive for the impossible, remaining in a constant state of self-hatred and unhappiness.

What can we do?  The answer is simple—Stop dieting—Learn healthy eating habits for your body and blood type.

Humans are born with the most important effective food/weight management tool—a hypothalamus, which regulates the amount of food required for maintaining optimum health and weight. The main function of the hypothalamus is homeostasis, or maintaining the body’s status quo. Factors such as blood pressure, body temperature, fluid and electrolyte balance, and body weight are held to a precise value called the set-point. Although this set-point can migrate over time, from day to day it is remarkably fixed.

You know it is difficult to make children eat when they are not hungry—and it is almost impossible to deal with them when they are hungry. Toddlers in perpetual motion sometimes eat only small amounts of food, but they eat frequently enough to meet their needs, because at this juncture their natural food management tool has not been overridden or indoctrinated with unhealthy nutrition habits and eating practices. You have probably noticed that during periods of rapid growth, particularly the teen years, children may be hungry all the time. When their caloric requirements decrease, they lose interest in food—thus they avoid eating more than their body needs.  Adults can recapture this natural process of food intake.  Simply put—only eat when you are truly hungry and eat right for your blood and body type.

Each blood type is better fueled by certain foods. And each body type has a unique like or dislike to certain textures and tastes. Deepak Chopra, MD author of “Perfect Health: Complete Mind/Body Guide” identifies three body types: The thin, restless Vata; enterprising, efficient Pitta; tranquil, steady Kapha; or any combination of these three. These body types become the basis for a specific Ayurvedic food plan for optimum health, stress reduction, neuromuscular integration, exercise and daily routines. The result is a total plan, tailor-made for each individual, to reestablish the body’s essential balance with nature; to strengthen the mind body connection; and to use the power of quantum healing to transcend the ordinary limitations of disease and aging—in short, for achieving Perfect health.

Vata body types prefer: Warm food (not hot), moderately heavy textures, added butter or fat, Salt, sour, and sweet tastes; soothing and satisfying foods. All soothing foods are good for settling disturbed Vata. Use foods such as: Warm drinks, cream, butter, warm soups, stews, hot cereals, fresh baked bread. Since vata is a cold dry dosha, warm, nourishing foods such as these are good for stabilizing vata types. On the other hand cold foods such as cold salads, iced drinks, raw vegetables and greens are not very good for persons with vata imbalance. Use hot cereals such as: Cream of wheat or rice—provided there is no sensitivity to wheat or rice. Type B blood types need to avoid Wheat and Corn.

Coupled with “Eat Right for Your Type,” Peter D’Adamo, there is a clear, simple food plan for each blood type that anyone can follow.  There is a direct connection between stress, autoimmune disorders and red meat in the Type B system. I can attest to this research. Long before “Eat Right for Your Type” was published, I discovered red meat caused me to feel pain in my stomach and nerve endings. I discovered this pain was prevalent after eating red meat, thus, I stopped eating red meat and the pain ceased. Many years later without knowing my blood type, I read “Eat Right for Your Type” and wondered if my blood type was B. I was not surprised to discover my blood type is B positive.

Nutrition based on your blood and body type will deliver vital nutrients at the cellular level, to support total well-being and promote long-term good health.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life’s challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net