We are what we eat

We may not realize it soon enough but we really are a result of what we eat. And it is really disconcerting to know that today's food has become poor in nutrition and high in calories.

- CHIT U. JUAN

I was just talking to an oncologist and he revealed that the cases for liver malignancies have been rising, to his shock and concern. Normal people are suddenly developing this sickness and he believes that the only habits that changed are our food habits. We eat out more often and do not know what oils are used, what process is used to cook our food and where the ingredients come from.

Then I watched a nutritionist who explained that as we eat more processed food, it changes our gut microbiome, and this changes how we process fat. Complicated is it not?

You may be cooking your grandmother's recipes but using canola oil or some processed fat instead of the usual coconut oil which our bodies are used to. You may be adding fish sauce that is processed or even imported, seasonings that are manufactured in labs and though the taste may be almost the same, the nutrients are different.

How about processed meat? Well, I learned that pigs in Italy and Spain are fed vegetables and acorns so their fat is plant-based fat. And that it is safer to eat than pork which comes from pigs that eat commercial feeds. Think about it. It makes a lot of sense to know where our meat comes from.