Healthy eaters in love.
Halfway through this post, I segue into the topic of relationships and success. If you’re not paying attention, you may lose track of the thread. But this is how I think — ideas breed more ideas, and so on, so that in the end we may end up with more insight than we expected. And so we begin…
When we think of organic, we think, “good for us and the environment.” But not everyone may know all the benefits from eating organic food. One benefit is the positive effect organic food may have on our metabolism. This is valuable not only for those at risk of obesity, type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome, but also for everyone else because we can all benefit from more and/or sustained energy.
Some of our body’s cells have receptors that detect the nutrients in the food we eat. Based on the nutritional content that these receptors detect, our bodies release hormones to help balance blood glucose levels and energy production. These nutrient detectors are called T1R3 receptors, and are located on our tongue and in our pancreas and intestines.
A new study from the Monell Center and Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that the herbicides commonly used in farming of non-organic food block our T1R3 receptors. Knowing the role that T1R3 receptors play in metabolism, one would think that we’d want to avoid chemical herbicides. (Note that the same study found that some cholesterol-lowering drugs have the same effect on T1R3 receptors as the herbicides.)
T1R3 receptors tell our body what it needs to do with food after we eat it.The exact effects of not being able to recognize the food we eat is yet unknown. However, it makes sense to assume that shutting off our T1R3 receptors would lead to inefficient digestion and metabolism. After all, how can our digestive system do its job well if it’s not even aware of what it needs to do?
The hormonal effects of shutting off our T1R3 receptors could lead to an uncontrolled blood glucose level and fatigue because of poor digestion and metabolism.
A balanced blood glucose level is important for optimal health. We don’t want it too high or too low. If it’s too high, we may eventually feel fatigued. If it’s too low, we may feel anxious and confused. There are other symptoms like dizziness, headaches, weakness, and serious complications of diabetes. However, I’d like to focus on anxiousness, confusion and fatigue because I feel it offers a nice segue into a discussion on healthy relationships and success…
In terms of relationships, anxiousness could prevent us from having the patience to understand others’ perspectives. We might be irritable and lack the tolerance to appropriately respond to the diverse behaviors and personalities that color our world. These attributes — patience and tolerance — can mean the difference between having a bad day or a great one.
Now, the way I view fatigue is that we wouldn’t have the energy or motivation to participate in life and to achieve our goals. This would limit our potential and prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest.
So, as an exercise in simplicity — let’s say that eating organic food (i.e. foods without chemical herbicides) is not only good for our health, but can also help us enjoy life, be successful, and interact with others harmoniously.
Carl is a former engineer who applies rational thought to the often subjective nature of traditional healing. He practices acupuncture in San Diego, CA.