Ever wonder why nutritionists are necessary and what they can do for the world? We’ve got the answers as to why this is an industry that needs to grow!
Our society sees a lot of chronic disease, overweight or obese and on medication for one or more lifestyle related maladies. Many infants are born toxin-laden and allergy-ridden, and heart disease now begins in youth.
We don't move like we are meant to. We live at a frantic stress that compromises our nutritional intake, sleep, and recreation time as a result. This self-abuse and neglect is now the norm, and it gets worse with the increase of cancer and heart disease.
Science confirms our top killers are diet and lifestyle related, meaning we can do something about it. Great news, right? Evidence-based science has proven plant-based diets can prevent, treat, and even reverse disease. This would seem to be powerful information our medical professionals and government would want us to know. Post it on the billboards, blast it on TV, the radio, and in the newspapers.
However our governments often convolute dietary recommendations in their dietary guidelines and give confusing and conflicting information. We also have the food industry spending billions to mislead us with self-serving information on the nutritional benefits of whatever it is they are selling. Our scenario worsens with the added chemicals found in processed foods. We are an addictive and emotional species hooked on the added fats, sugars, flavor enhancers, and stimulants found in these foods marketed to us every day.
Disease concern alone isn’t powerful enough to convince the majority of society to revamp their lifestyle, pass on these foods and eat better, move more, get outside, slow down, meditate… Trained and educated health advocate coaches are needed.
Eating is highly emotional and because North Americans are nutrient deprived, our hormones are off balance, our brains are nutrient starved, our nervous systems have run amuck, as a result our blood sugar levels rise and fall. Our sleep habits are a mess, exacerbating the impact of all the above challenges.
Great health involves our mind, body, heart, soul, and spirit. It’s a synergistic process just as is our food. To thrive we need balance, variety, and, yes, more plant-sourced food, like Sunwarrior proteins! We also need fresh produce, ideally in season and locally sourced. Lots more!
In 2010 the National Cancer Institute revealed astounding statistics on the North American diet:
- Three out of four Americans don’t eat any fruit on a given day
- Nine out of ten don’t reach the minimum intake of vegetables
- 96% don’t come close to the minimum requirement of greens and beans (3 servings a week for adults)
- 98% don’t reach the minimum for orange vegetables (2 servings per week)
- 99% don’t reach the minimum for whole grains (3–4 oz. per day)
As a long-time professional in the world of whole self-lifestyle wellness I marvel at these statistics. It seems unbelievable that in our first world country with information flooding our daily lives and fresh food readily available for most, the power of our diet upon our health continues to be shunned, ignored, or critiqued. Many are simply confused by the many mixed messages they receive.
People are in need of passionate, qualified, informed, non-conflicted industry funded/associated nutrition and wellness pros to help society relearn how to eat an affordable, well-balanced diet for both pleasure and health. For quality of life over quantity of inferior food intake and reliance on drugs to deal with health conditions that can otherwise be addressed with healthier everyday habits and needed nutrient intake!
Our own health depends on this as does the health of our planet. We cannot continue to live in a manner that ensures our poor health. Nor can our medical system and pocket book handle the number of chronic disease patients resulting from the current lifestyle norm. Education, inspiration, and how-to activation for healthier every-day living is needed. The ability to joyfully transition someone from the Standard North American Diet (SNAD) to sustainable, enjoyable and doable everyday whole foods, plant- strong diets is a force to be reckoned with.
Nutritionists, health coaches, and fitness pros lead by example. They educate, excite and inspire with sincere passion and enthusiasm and infect people with the health bug. Let’s spread it across the planet and infest every country with the gift of vibrant health rather than chronic and debilitating disorders. It can be done! It has already begun with health warriors like you. Carry on and connect with as many people as you can. The nutrition industry needs to grow. Together our collective efforts change the world in the best of ways.
Start your improvement of the health industry with a healthy dinner of Mexican couscous!
