The Agricultural Revolution: Farming on large scale. Breeding plants. Modifying plants for better digestibility. Storing crops. Domesticating animals for better breeding. Selective breeding. These changes supported the expansion of the human population. Reduced malnutrition by providing reliable access to food for all socioeconomic classes. What it also did though, was change our face. The structure and the appearance.
"When the jaw bone has enough nutrient density during development, it forms as a wide flat plane and all 32 teeth can come in unobstructed. When nutrients are lacking during the formative period, the bone bows and then the teeth come in crowded, crooked, with under bites, over bites or spaces."
Then there was the Industrial Revolution: Coming about in the late 1800's the industrial revolution introduced processing plants that allowed humans to process foods (grains, sugars etc) on a mass scale. This industrialisation of food opened the door for processed foods to be affordable, relied upon and socially accepted.
The key with processed foods though, is that they can be changed to suit the trends. For example, in the 1990's when doctors in the USA surmised that obesity was linked to high fat consumption, the craze became "low fat". At this time, the corporations producing processed foods had the agility to modify their recipes to reduce the amount of fat. However, in order to keep foods palatable, they added sugar. And lots of it. Sugar, creates a world of problems, literally. The world suffers because of sugar.
Sugar is everywhere. There are 600,000 processed food items in America and 80% of the have added sugar. The actual average daily sugar intake is 21 teaspoons against recommended 4 teaspoons daily from the American Heart association.
Processed food is much more powerful than anyone ever realised it would be. Humans have the power make food hyper palatable which means people come for it back again and again, just look at all of the major fast food outlets and their wild success. In one study, when cocaine addicted rats were given the choice of cocaine water or sugar water 40 out of 43 chose sugar water. The same study concluded that sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine.
Unfortunately, every generation of kids born after 1980 has and will grow up around highly addictive foods.
"Peasants in poor developing countries derive about 75% of their calories from high-fiber starchy foods. With modernisation, fiber-free fats and sugars became the source of 60% of calories. U.S. consumption of cereal fiber decreased by 90% between 1880 and 1976. In addition to lower fiber content, refined wheat products also had fewer vitamins and other micronutrients. Machinery allowed the production of margarine and vegetable oils. Sugar imports and snacking increased in the Western world."
Paleo methodology implies that people are overweight because we are not eating as our ancestors once did. Sugar. Processed foods. Generally eating too much, too often and eating all the time. Eating for meals, eating for leisure, drinking socially (coffee, alcohol). Excess in everything. And eating an excess of things that don't come from the ground.
Today we have food available at our convenience all the time - 27/7. Once upon a time humans used to have to go to the cold room or the "store" (when it was still a food store on your property) which might've been a half a kilometre from the main house to get food. Therefore, if you wanted to eat you needed to move. You could only add what existed in your pantry and back then, there was no high fructose corn syrup to be added to home cooking in times long passed. Plus the lack of convenience and package food meant that it wasn't as easy to eat as it is today. If you wanted bread, you had to make it.
So the question is, are we eating too much? Is not giving our body a break from digestion part of the reason why so many people are overweight? Are we full of fat because of our poor diets? Is this excess fat full of toxins because of the pollutants we inhale? Are we allowing our bodies that opportunity to perform at optimum levels by not giving them a chance to... well, starve (for lack of a better word)?
Once my vet told me that I should not feed my dog (a beagle) for one night, about once a fortnight to give his body a chance to have a break from digestion. She said that if you simulate what happens in the wild, a dog doesn't eat every day as they have to hunt for their food and therefore she suggested that it is good to not feed your dog once in a while. I never got the courage to do this, but I suppose if you subscribe to the evolution theory, the logic behind a cleanse would make sense, but for me, it's probably a bit far fetched.
I write all of this in reference to Isagenix call for "cleanse days".
I'll admit that I struggle with the idea of cleanse days. Although fasting is documented as far back as biblical times, I question the idea that fasting rids your body of toxins and flushes it out. I've done plenty of research on detoxing over the years and I've yet to find solid evidence that suggests that there is a way to in fact "detox" your body, other than your internal organs that are designed for that function of course;
Some people report feeling more focused and energetic during and after detox diets. However, there's little evidence that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body. Indeed, the kidneys and liver are generally quite effective at filtering and eliminating most ingested toxins.
So why do so many people claim to feel better after detoxification? It may be due in part to the fact that a detox diet eliminates highly processed foods that have solid fats and added sugar. Simply avoiding these high-calorie low-nutrition foods for a few days may be part of why people feel better.
ISAGENIX
I wouldn't say I was daunted by the amount of things that arrived in the post, although it is a very extensive pack. Then again, for the amount you pay, you'd kinda hope that everything but a red Ferrari arrives! Nevertheless, I've done different types meal replacement plans in the past and one thing they are never short of is boxes of potions and bottles of pills.
THE PLAN: Isagenix sends a very detailed plan on the model that is used for the 30 day cleanse. In a condensed version, the plan looks a bit like this;
5 days of shakes - where you have 2 shakes a day and one low calorie "knife and fork meal", plus a couple of snacks.
2 days of cleans - where you drink a cleans drink (provided to you by Isagenix in a powder form shipped to you in a small tub) and don't eat. You are allowed a couple of snacks during these cleans days too, but the idea is to give your body a break from digestion.
I've decided that whilst I can't find any definitive evidence to support the fact that you can "detox" your body I am going to aim for 2 day cleans. This is based for me, more on a mental test than anything. Can I really do it?
VITAMINS: On all of the days, you take about 16 supplements. Incidentally though, these supplements don't seem to make you sick. I am one of those people who struggles from feeling unwell when I take vitamins, especially on an empty stomach, but even though I have been taking them for a couple of days now, I've yet to experience the upset tummy that normally accompanies vitamins.
IONIX SUPREME: A nutrient-rich herbal tonic infused with natural vitamins, minerals and plant-based Adaptogens. It claims to be perfect for combating the effects of stress and fatigue.
SHAKES: Again, I am pleasantly surprised. The shakes arrive in two forms, an "on the go" packet and a large tub. Vanilla and Chocolate. They taste great. Admittedly I've had all sorts of foul tasting meal replacements in the past so my standards are probably pretty low, but honestly they taste NICE. I struggle big time digesting lactose, but these shakes don't seem to cause me any issues. That's a win. At $50 odd dollars per 14 serves, I would hope that they go down okay, and true to their word Isagenx has held up their promise.
BARS: There are also bars that can be used as meal replacements, but I haven't tried them yet.
Are you seeing a trend here though? Bottles, tubs, packets....
Incidentally it is the industrial revolution and food processing that paved the way for companies like Isagenix to even exist. One shake, completely balanced meal... the skeptic in me wonders. How are these processed foods really different to the processed foods that I believe got us into the obesity epidemic we are in now?
Isagenix converts would argue that the results speak for themselves. People don't shed 10 kilos in one week and rave about "mental clarity" if the product didn't work. Funnily enough I found a CBS news program from 2011 where the woman was raving about her mental clarity then. So clearly, this isn't a new thing.
Regardless of the fact that the claims of mental clarity have been around since the inception of the product, rather than getting caught into the Isagenix vortex, I am trying to keep my perspective on the situation. This test, my 30 day challenge is my own. And while I will read the research, reviews and comments that litter the internet regarding Isagenix... at the end of my 30 days, I will make my call based on MY experience.