Anne Dunev, PhD CN
If you look around your kitchen, you can find lots of different things to eat. Many things we eat come in boxes and packages. A lot of these things taste good. They are bright colors, many are very sweet and there are lots of flavors to choose from.
So, with all this prepared, packaged food around, why do we eat plants?
People say that eating plants are good for us. But plants don’t always taste as good as the food that comes in boxes. So, what is the big deal with eating plants?
Some plants do taste good. Strawberries and apples and watermelons are plants. So are oranges and carrots and peas. Then there is broccoli and celery. And who can forget cauliflower and Brussels sprouts? Those are the ones that smell funny when you cook them. Why eat something that smells like that?
People have been eating plants for thousands and thousands of years. Before they had farms, people gathered green plants and fruits from the forests. People have always eaten plants. So, does that mean we need to eat them today, when we have so many other things to eat?
What is it about plants?
It starts with dirt. Really.
Our bodies have something in common with dirt. Minerals. Dirt is made up of rocks that are broken down into small bits. The rocks are made of minerals.
Human bodies are about 70% minerals. Teeth and bones are mostly made of a mineral called calcium. But there are dozens of other minerals in the body, in all parts of the body. Some of these are magnesium, zinc and copper. There are even tiny amounts of silver and gold in our bodies.
We can’t eat dirt. And even if we do eat dirt, we can’t use the minerals in ground up rocks. These minerals are called “inorganic”. That means the minerals are good for rocks, but not usable for living bodies.
Here is where the plants come in. Plants make their own food in their leaves, and they love minerals. Plants are little factories that suck up the inorganic minerals through their roots. They use the ground up rocks in the dirt, or soil. Then they change the minerals into the “organic” form, the form of minerals that can be used by our living bodies to make strong bones and teeth.
If your bones could talk to you, they would say, “More spinach, please. And how about some nice Kale.” Dark, green leafy vegetables have the most calcium.
Just think. All the food that our bodies actually need to be healthy exists in Nature. All the food we need grows, either from the ground, or in animals. There is nothing in factory-produced food, made of artificial colors and flavors and chemicals, which our body needs. Most factory food is not healthy at all because there are hardly any vitamins or minerals in it. Factory-made food, also known as “junk” food can make us fat, and feel tired and bad.
If our bodies could vote, they would vote for foods from Nature. It is a natural choice if you want to feel great and be great. You have it in you. Feed it with plants.