Save Our Stomachs

Introduction

We take for granted just being able to go to our kitchens, open the fridge and grab ourselves a snack. Please spare a second thought for it on World Food Day on October 16th. There’s hope, but we must act now.

What is the stomach?

The stomach, or better, the digestive system, converts food into something that can keep us alive. The human digestive system, often considered our second brain, consists of the mouth, teeth, tongue, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and finally, the colon. The teeth bite and chew up the food in the mouth, making it easier to swallow and digest. Saliva is added to aid swallowing and enzymes begin digestion. Many enzymes are secreted into the food at different stages as it passes through us to maximize the absorption of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc. When it gets to the stomach, it is given a bath in hydrochloric acid to kill unwanted germs and further break up food. Then it passes into the small intestine where more enzymes are added and the real process of absorption begins. The large intestine continues the job and finally the spent food is ejected from the colon.

What is in the stomach (and what should not)?

 “You are what you eat,” as the old proverb goes, but these days, many stomachs go hungry and many consume far too much, but yet do not find fulfilment. A varied diet is essential for all of the body’s many functions. We must therefore be careful what we put into the digestive system, because the rate of absorption is very high, including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, etc. Here are some of the challenges facing humanity at the present moment…

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is common all over the world, even in developed Westernised countries. Since the pandemic, the divide between the haves and have nots has become even more pronounced, with the rich becoming even richer and the poor even poorer, and the middle class is disappearing everywhere. Poverty reduces access to quality food and a varied diet is becoming difficult, trying to guarantee just putting anything in your stomach or nothing at all becomes a frequent decision. Malnutrition often leads to obesity and poor health. In undeveloped and developing countries it is particularly associated with corruption, which prevents the population from leaving poverty. In developed countries, we have problems caused by excess and lack, curiously. We consume an excess of meat protein and carbohydrates, which is much higher than most people require, while fruit and vegetable consumption are usually lower than needed. Our diets also lack a variety of minerals and nutrients. The Meat Industry is the third largest polluter, after the Petroleum Industry and Clothing Industry. For this reason, I cannot stress how important it is for you to source the best quality ingredients you can afford and that they are as Fresh and Organic as possible. That also means trying to avoid preservatives, E numbers and any food additives that sound like tongue twisters. Try to make sure the goods are sourced locally as well to reduce your impact on the environment, and supporting your local farmers will go a long way towards knowing what goes in your system and benefitting your community. 

Think about how you consume liquids, as you might be getting too much or not enough. Good clean drinking water is as vital to good health as good food. As a rough daily guide, about 2 litres is required by an adult, but this can vary depending on climate, physical exertion and other factors. Listen to your body and try to understand what it is trying to tell you, because those urges to drink, or eat particular types of foods may suggest dietary inadequacies. Consider how you prepare your food, and your drinks, as cooking and heating may alter the nutritional value. Generally, the less they are manipulated and processed, the better it is for you. It may be more complicated to maintain a balanced and healthy diet for those who suffer from food allergies and intolerances, and who might benefit from a more basic diet, but not everyone needs to follow a specific diet (For example, gluten-free, lactose-free or fat-free), but if you have any doubts, please ask a qualified Dietician or consult your Doctor.

Waste

One of the greatest challenges facing the human race is Food wastage. In the Western World, around 40% of food being produced is just thrown away, much of it within plastic packaging which is terrible for the environment. We consume the equivalent of a credit card sized amount of plastics every week (5 grams!), and Bisphenol-A (BPA) and additives used in the making of plastics (Phthalates) are known to disrupt hormone function in humans and can cause infertility. Take time to learn how to preserve your foods in the most beneficial way, maximizing their shelf life (Refrigeration, freezing, salting, smoking, food-drying, etc). Take note how long something can be stored and what methods are best to achieve that (Vacuum-sealing, mason jars, safe plastic ware, etc). A use by date is very different to a best before date. People often do not know the difference and a lot of food is wasted when still perfectly edible, while others have made the mistake of eating something past its use by date and have become very ill, and even died.

Sleep

Sleep is also of huge importance and it helps your system to reboot and do essential maintenance. Many studies have proven the beneficial nature of good sleep. At the same time, spending time in nature (For example, near the sea, in a forest or up a mountain), far away from the stresses of modern life, supposedly helps to relieve stress and lower anxiety for your main brain. Many studies on poor sleep habits and insomnia relate to Depression. Your second brain is a complicated structure too and needs its own maintenance. Research is ongoing into the gut microbiome and the benefits it holds. Imbalances in those bacteria and organisms can lead to intestinal diseases and malfunction. Alcohol, drugs and most things artificial usually damage its functioning.

How does humanity benefit from the stomach?

The digestive system tries to remove the beneficial elements from the food and drink we consume. As a Nutritionist once told me, “If you listen to your stomach’s needs and cravings, you can often work out what dietary requirements are missing”

How to Save Our Stomachs?

Individually: We must educate ourselves about the products and chemicals we so freely put on our skin, including tattoos. Many of them are harmful to us and nature, and also find out about the substances we put inside our bodies, either deliberately or that might enter through our skin.

Collectively, including Governments: We should Government must be encouraged to do more to protect the rest of the flora and fauna too.

Unpopular opinion: If a supermarket has a health food section, what does that make the rest of the food in it? While I may not be an expert on the matter, I certainly realize when I have consumed something that my system does not recognize as either food or drink. We ought to eat and drink only things which are natural and good for our bodies. I realise it is quite hard to always do that, so try to limit the damage to a minimum. Protecting ourselves from further environmental disasters and cleaning up our mess must be top priorities. As my dearly departed mother always used to say, “Everything in moderation!”

 

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to check the veracity of the information contained within, certain limitations could result in not all data being current or completely accurate. Please feel free to contact us if you feel particular data needs updating.

Save Our Stomachs Test

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How it started

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SOSquiz Glossary of Terms (with links to Wikipedia)

 

5G technology

6th mass extinction (Holocene Extinction)

Abyss

Active Denial System

Activism

Adolescence

Ad hominem

Ad Populum

AEEA (Asociación Española de Educación Ambiental)

Agent Orange

Agrochemical industry

Alcoholism

Algal bloom

Algorithm

Alzheimer’s disease

Animal testing

Anorexia nervosa

Anxiety

Arable land

ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network)

Artefact

Asbestos

Atmosphere

Atmosphere of Earth

Atmospheric methane

Bacteria

Bad faith

Bank

Battlefield

Begging the question

Bill Gates

Biological warfare

Bisphenol-A

Bitcoin

Black carbon

Black sites

Blue whale

Body piercing

Bot

Bottom trawling

Brain

Burden of proof

Burnout

Cancer

Carbon

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere

Carbon Footprint

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carcinogen

Carpet bombing

Casualty of war

Central Nervous System

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Cetaceans

Challenger Deep

Chemical weapon

Chemotherapy

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Civil war

Climate change

Clinical Psychology

Clothing

Clothing Industry

Coastal erosion

Coastline

Cockroach

Common sense

Communism

Computer network

Conservation

Conspiracy theory

Consumerism

Contamination

Controversy

Copy and paste

Coral bleaching

Coronavirus (Covid-19 or SARS Cov-2)

Corruption

Cosmetics

Cosmetic Industry

Covid-19

COVID-19 recession

Cyber attack

Cyber warfare

Dark Web

DDT

Dead zone

Deepwater Horizon

Deep sea mining

Deforestation

Dementia

Depleted Uranium

Depression

Developed countries

Developing country

Dietician

Doctor

Domestic violence

Drinking water

Drought

Drunk driving

E number

Earth

Earth Overshoot Day

Eating disorders

Education

Eco-anxiety

Eco-friendly

Ecology

Economic sanctions

Economy

Ecosystem

Electric motor

Electric vehicle

Electromagnetic radiation

Electronic Waste

Elon Musk

Energy industry

Engine Efficiency

Environment

Environmental Disaster

Environmental education

Environmental impact of war

Environmental Issues

Environmental Report

European Union

Experience

Extinction

Extreme weather

Factory

Fallacy

False Dilemma

FAQ

Farmer

Fascism

Fast fashion

Fast food

Fauna

Fertilizers

Fibre

Fight Club

Fight or flight response

Flood

Flora

Food additive

Food allergy

Food industry

Food wastage

Food-drying

Forbes

Formaldehyde

Fossil fuel

Fossil fuel industry

Fracking

Free content

Friends of the Earth

Fungicide

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Geneva Convention

Global dimming

Global warming

Glyphosate

Government

Great Barrier Reef

Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse gas

Greenpeace

Greenwashing

Greta Thunberg

Groundwater

Guided bombs

Habitat destruction

Hasty Generalizations

Healthy diet

Heavy metals

Herbicide

Holocene Extinction

Horsepower

Human digestive system

Human impact on the environment

Humanitarian disaster

Humanity

Hybrid vehicle

Hydrothermal vent

Infectious Diseases

Infertility

Insecticide

Intensive farming

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Internal combustion engine (ICE)

International waters

Internet

Internet forums

Internet service providers (ISP)

Internet Troll

IPCC’s 6th Report

Knot

Lady Elliot Island

Land mine

Landfill

Larvacides

Lead poisoning

Lead–acid battery

Leather

Leather tanning

Light pollution

List of fallacies

Livestock

Long Covid

Luxury goods

Magnetic nanoparticles

Malnutrition

Marine diesel oil

Marine pollution

Massacre

Meat Industry

Mesothelioma

Microbiome

Microplastics

Microsoft

Mid-ocean ridge

Migration

Military-Industrial complex

Mindfulness

Mining

Mood disorders

Mooring

Museum

Napalm

NASA

National Geographic

National Security Agency (NSA)

Nature

Nature (Journal)

Neonicotinoid

NOAA

Noise pollution

NOx

Nuclear power

Nuclear weapons

Ocean acidification

Oceanography

Organic farming

Overfishing

Ozone

Ozone layer

Palm oil

Parabens

Parkinson’s disease

Particulate Matter (PM 10, 2.5 & UFP)

Peripheral

Peripheral Nervous System

Pesticide

Petroleum Industry

Petroleum Jelly

Pharmaceutical industry

Photosynthesis

Phthalates

Phytoplankton

Plastic

Plastic pollution

Plate tectonics

Plogging

Pollution

Polypropylene

Pornography

Post hoc

Poultry

Poverty

Precipitation

Preservative

Pressure

Prestige

Psychological impact of climate change

Psychotic disorders

Quality of life (QOL)

Quiz

Radiation

Rechargeable electric battery

Recycling

Renewable energy

Retail therapy

Road traffic safety

Sailing Yacht A

Salinity

Saliva

Sea

Sea level rise

Seabed

Seawater

Seawise Giant

Sensitive skin

Shelf life

Shoemaker

Shrapnel

Skin

Sleep

Social media

Soil

Soil erosion

Solar power

Soviet submarine K-222

Speed

Stomach

Straw man

Stress

Suicide

Surfers Against Sewage

Surveillance

Sustainable Fashion

Synapse

Synthetic fibres

Taboo

Talc

Tang Ping

Tattoo

Tectonic plates

TED (conferences)

Territorial waters

Tesla, Inc

Textile Industry

The Lancet (Journal)

The Matrix

Tornado

Toxic waste

Transport

Trivia

Troposphere

Ultrafine particles (UFP)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

Unmanned drones

Urban Heat island

Urban sprawl

Vaquita

Vendetta

Victoria

Volcano

Wall Street

War

Wastewater

Water table

Water vapour

Weapon

Weapons of mass destruction

Weather

Western world

White phosphorus

Wildfire

Wildlife

Wireless radiation

World Health Organization (WHO)

World Oceans Day

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

World Wide Web (www)

“Year without a summer”

Zooplankton