We Become What We Eat

October 6, 2005

I was surprised to find this letter in the

newspaper Sat Oct. 1st. Three paragraphs of so much

wisdom from a professor of Nutrition at University of

Manitoba . I'd like to photocopy it and

hand it to every friend I have. Now I can forward this

email. I hope you might consider it too. It's a short

starting place for Standard Diet eaters.

Re Preventing Cancer: Does Diet Matter

Diet does matter. It is a myth to believe that what

we put in our mouths does not affect us. Every cell in

the body is made only and completely from the food we eat

( with a little help from oxygen). Every mechanism that

drives our metabolism is comprised of elements that are

derived from the food that grows out of the earth and

contains all the known nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers,

growth enhancers and every other molecule that we put into

the environment.

The myth persists, because when we eat a food it

promptly disappears down our esophagus , however this

does not mean we can forget about it. Foods are either

digested or excreted and in both cases are intimately

involved with very sensitive organs, the gut, then the liver

and then all the rest of us. If we open the hood of our

car and throw a monkey wrench into the engine , the first

time it may be spit out. Constant wrench throwing will

eventually change the way in which the engine works and so too

will our bodies when we constantly expose them to molecules

that were never designed for human consumption.

We nutritionists have only in the past few decades really

accepted that nutrients/foods can optimize our health rather

than just prevent deficiency diseases. Recent failures such

as Vitamin E probably not preventing heart disease and fibre

likely not preventing colon cancer mean only that we have

not yet been asking the right questions. You will become what

you eat so choose wisely.

James Friel Professor of Nutrition

and Pediatrics University of Manitoba

Winnipeg

October 6, 2005

Good find Mike! Thanks for sharing it...

Timviolinmike2002 <violinmike2002 wrote:

I was surprised to find this letter in thenewspaper Sat Oct. 1st. Three paragraphs of so muchwisdom from a professor of Nutrition at University ofManitoba . I'd like to photocopy it andhand it to every friend I have. Now I can forward thisemail. I hope you might consider it too. It's a shortstarting place for Standard Diet eaters.Re Preventing Cancer: Does Diet MatterDiet does matter. It is a myth to believe that whatwe put in our mouths does not affect us. Every cell inthe body is made only and completely from the food we eat( with a little help from oxygen). Every mechanism thatdrives our metabolism is comprised of elements that arederived from the food that grows out of the earth andcontains all the known nutrients, pesticides, fertilizers,growth enhancers and every other molecule that we put intothe

environment.The myth persists, because when we eat a food itpromptly disappears down our esophagus , however thisdoes not mean we can forget about it. Foods are eitherdigested or excreted and in both cases are intimatelyinvolved with very sensitive organs, the gut, then the liverand then all the rest of us. If we open the hood of ourcar and throw a monkey wrench into the engine , the firsttime it may be spit out. Constant wrench throwing willeventually change the way in which the engine works and so toowill our bodies when we constantly expose them to moleculesthat were never designed for human consumption.We nutritionists have only in the past few decades reallyaccepted that nutrients/foods can optimize our health ratherthan just prevent deficiency diseases. Recent failures suchas Vitamin E probably not preventing heart disease and fibrelikely not preventing colon cancer mean only that we havenot yet been asking

the right questions. You will become whatyou eat so choose wisely.James Friel Professor of Nutritionand Pediatrics University of ManitobaWinnipeg