Caution, Poison!

We are living in the age of abundance and instant gratification, where everything is served on a silver platter with almost no effort. Are you hungry? Just go to one of the restaurants/kiosks/falafel stands, etc., and satisfy your hunger. You're right, if it’s already prepared for you, why bother?! Besides, the food is presented in such an appealing way, who can resist?

This abundance and instant gratification, which seem so enticing at first, turns out to cost us dearly. We are tempted to eat whatever is in front of us, both to save time and because we can’t resist, and we pay a high price in terms of our health. For this reason, it seems best to start our discussion with what foods to avoid. Ready? Here it goes: soup powder, white flour, salt, sugar, chocolate, various snacks, processed foods containing spicy seasonings, preservatives, stabilizers (mostly found in dairy desserts and ice creams), ready-to-heat foods containing monosodium glutamate, bromate, calcium propionate (mostly found in whole bread), phosphate, sodium carbonate, hardened or semi-hardened vegetable oils, including margarine (especially in crackers and cookies), food colorings, flavorings, vinegar, sugar substitutes like saccharine and similar, which are suspected of causing serious diseases (found in many sweets sold in health stores). Soft drinks, carbonated drinks, coffee, tea, various dairy desserts, types of cornflakes, assorted pickles, and food sold in canned goods. Did we forget something? Probably, but this list will suffice for now.

The rule is: any product containing basic elements like white sugar (or substitutes), excessive salt, spicy seasonings, white flour, preservatives, food colorings, and trans fats, as well as any food that loses its nutritional value through processing, is a poison to the body.  

Always read the "fine print" detailing product contents, and if you discover words you don’t know the meaning of, it’s likely these are harmful substances. Often, the names of harmful substances appear on food packaging in code or unfamiliar scientific language. Manufacturers simply exploit our ignorance...

Additionally, let go of the idea that everything sold in a health store is natural and improves health, and always make sure to read the "fine print." Apparently, only 10% or 20% of products sold in health stores are genuinely good. The percentage of good products increases in stores selling organic fruits and vegetables.  

Dr. Jerry Westin, former Director of Food Services at the Health Ministry, warned that studies show all artificial, and some natural, food colorings are first-class carcinogens and may cause fetal defects and allergies. According to him, the list of permissible food colorings in the country includes colors banned in the United States and Europe.

Why Can’t I Kick the Sweet Craving?

White sugar and white flour cause the body to become addicted to them. For this reason, many people find themselves eating chocolate and cakes, even if they are not hungry. They feel an intense urge to eat chocolate or something sweet, and later get upset with themselves for not being able to resist.

This cycle of eating sweets, followed by guilt, doesn’t start with eating sweets but with consuming white sugar and white flour. Their consumption leads to addiction, much like how people are addicted to cigarettes/coffee/drugs (though not at the same level of addiction). After the body becomes addicted to this "white" stuff, overcoming the addiction to sweets is nearly impossible. This is why the diet industry is so widespread and profitable—it’s very hard to achieve control and restraint regarding a substance the body is already addicted to.

How does it work precisely?

Carbohydrate-rich food provides energy which is converted into sugar in the body. When one eats empty carbohydrates, which are products made from white flour (ordinary bread, pasta, various sweets), and foods containing sugar, it’s like the body receives a "sugar bomb" it cannot handle. The sugar is quickly absorbed into the blood, causing a rapid increase in sugar levels along with mood and energy. Soon after, sugar levels plummet to a very low level, leading to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and low energy. This process leads to a desire for more sugar, and so the cycle continues.

The holy books liken the pleasures of this world to drinking salty water, leading to more and more consumption of harmful salty water. In contrast, with complex carbohydrates like whole wheat and brown rice, the sugar is absorbed gradually, the body processes it slowly, sugar levels are balanced, and no addiction to sugar or carbohydrates develops in our minds. Thus, one feels satiated and doesn’t "dream of food" all the time, enjoying an excellent mood throughout the day.

Therefore, anyone wishing to quit an addiction to sweets should only eat whole grains and brown rice, and within days will feel a difference. They will stop tormenting themselves for lacking control and restraint because they will no longer feel the urge to consume sweets.

Regarding brown sugar, it is not much better than white sugar, and instead, one can use a little organic cane sugar, a bit of honey, or silan.

The Dead Sea

Salt and sugar are slowly and sparingly excreted from the body. Our bodies are designed to conserve them because they are essential and typically not abundant in nature. The surplus retained in the body due to today’s overconsumption creates pressure on the kidneys and excessive sweating, causing the loss of valuable minerals. Quantities not excreted accumulate in cells, causing fluid retention and rapid aging.

Vegetables naturally contain sufficient organic salts, and no additional intake is required. As for salt in bread, unsalted cheese, and homemade mayonnaise, the quantity is small, so these products are also allowed for those suffering from high blood pressure. Excessive salting leads to fluid accumulation and its associated harm. Bought cheese contains salt, and vegan doctors note that anyone who doesn’t eat bought cheese should consume a little salt daily. Although too much salt leads to excessive fluid retention in the body’s cells, a small amount of quality salt helps body cells absorb the necessary fluid they require. As the sages say: "Salt - a little is good."

Preferably, the salt should be quality—pure sea salt. It’s good to know that if the salt is pure (i.e., without additives), it can be purchased from any company, with no need for certification.

Pure sea salt, which the body needs in small amounts, is grayish and moist and can be purchased at reputable health stores.

Salt should not be added to food during cooking, but only after cooking is complete.

***Sugar is sufficiently present in fresh fruits—but do not overconsume them, and especially don’t have too many dried fruits, to avoid overloading the body with sugar.

A research team from California concluded that sugar contributes to an increase in violence. The study was conducted across ten prisons, involving 3,400 inmates who agreed to give up added sugar in their diets. Results showed a sharp decline in inmates’ levels of violence.

Fans of Chinese restaurants should be aware that the food and sauces there are high in salt, sugar, spicy seasonings, monosodium glutamate, and vinegar, each of which is particularly harmful individually.

It’s worth knowing that sugar, white flour, and prolonged cooking are major contributors to calcium loss from the body, and that tea, coffee, and cola interfere with its absorption. For example, each teaspoon of salt in food results in the excretion of 23 mg of calcium, and sugar is notorious for depleting the body’s calcium.

In conclusion, let’s quote Professor Baruch Modan, former Director-General of the Health Ministry, who said in 1986 that studies show a diet based on fruits and vegetables prevents severe diseases. He even argued that fruits and vegetables must be subsidized to save on national health expenditures... It’s worth adding that subsidies should especially extend to organic food, due to the already proven damage from pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

In the meantime, may we all have a year of health and prosperity.