I sent out a link to the free screening of the documentary film, Overfed and Undernourished, from Foodmatters.tv. I hope that you took the time to watch it. (If not, you can purchase it here.) I felt so much emotion when I viewed this documentary. I learned that, while we are all affected by struggles of how to best take care of ourselves, we all have the ability to make a huge difference, regardless of our age.
HE WAS CHEATING HIMSELF.
The film tells the true story of a young boy who is overweight due to the foods he is eating and too much time in front of the TV. His father feels horrible about it because he is the one making it available to his children. The boy has an aunt and uncle, Anthony and Kate Golle, both of whom teach health and wellness. They invited him to stay with them for a few months in hopes of improving his life. This was not easy for anyone involved. The young boy was scared. The aunt and uncle needed more patience and love than ever. It took a mental toll on everyone, especially when they found out that the young boy was sabotaging his efforts by throwing away the wonderful food he was given by his aunt and uncle and getting poisonous food from his classmates at school every day. That became the near breaking point. He almost went home because he wasn’t “all in”. Anthony and Kate were doing everything possible to help him and he was mistreating them (and himself) by being disrespectful. He cheated and was dishonest. Of course, he is a nice boy and did not mean harm towards anyone, but it took this tough and intense moment for him to understand that this was about his health and his future and that these people were there to help him. Though the aunt and uncle loved him, he had to be the one to do it and stay at it.
BUT IT’S EASIER TO EAT POISON!
I realize that it is easier to look the other way and food is not much different than trying to quite smoking. The more poison you eat, the harder it will become mentally and physically, to stop eating the poison. The good news is that you actually gain immediate benefits right away. It will feel tough, at first, but with practice, it gets easy to the point where you do not desire the poison you have been eating. Sure, there will be aromas that bring back pleasant family memories, but they do not make you want to eat that food again. You will simply enjoy the memory of the family being together, for example. It definitely takes practice and some guts. It is not an overnight thing (though some may go cold turkey); but rather, it is a lifestyle and it works if you want it.
HOW DO WE CHANGE?
How do we do it? How do we help each other? We have to educate ourselves. The schools and doctors do not have the information they should- YET. Dr. Mark Hyman, among others, is working diligently to get the right information into the hands of our community. In fact Dr. Hyman just spoke about how the medical community is asking him for help. They are not taught about how FOOD IS MEDICINE, something Dr. Josh Axe helps us understand as well; but more so they are taught what prescription to give someone. They are not taught that each condition within the human body is connected to other parts of the body and they affect one another…they treat each condition separately; hence, you or your grandmother have 15 pills to take each day!
I CRIED FOR THE PAIN HE FELT AND THE JOY HE FELT.
The story made me cry numerous times; there was a deep and intense pain that fell upon my heart as I watched the suffering the boy was going through each day. I also cried when I saw the joy that came out on the other side. You must watch this film with your family. It is a true story of something that is possible for anyone. Please don’t ignore what is happening with our food for fear of how difficult it will be. Choose to learn more so that you and your family can make a difference and feel great together.
With love and blessings,
Kyra