The importance of food and its impact during the First 1000 Days.
Food is an incredible part of our daily journey. Even if you don't consider yourself a foodie, it plays a vital role in your life's story. As humans, eating isn't just a choice - it's essential for our survival. Food provides the energy that powers every heartbeat, every smile, and every precious moment with your little one. Our bodies need fats and carbohydrates, along with crucial building blocks for our muscles, cells, blood, hormones, and the countless processes that keep us thriving.
Food and Evolution.
Food has transformed dramatically in the past century. Throughout history, our ancestors faced food scarcity and developed ways to store energy and preserve food. They learned which plants were safe to eat and when. This valuable knowledge, gained over thousands of years, still influences us today. However, we now live in a world of abundance and choice, from simple fruits to carefully crafted convenience foods.
Food and sleep as basic needs
Food and sleep form the foundation of life. In our first 40 days, we learn to digest milk. Breastmilk is nature's perfect food, adapting to our needs throughout the day - providing melatonin for sleep and extra hydration when needed. Along with air, food is what we welcome into our bodies. Our senses help us understand what nourishes us and what doesn't, guided by information passed down through generations.
Modern food as our problem
In today's world, 90% of our food undergoes some form of processing. From simple steps like milk pasteurization to complex manufacturing of colourful and crispy cereals, processing varies widely. The more processed a food is, the more it's designed to appeal to our primitive brain rather than provide nutrition.
Food companies cleverly use a combination of about 45% carbohydrates (mostly sugars) and 35% fats - a ratio that makes it hard for us to resist overeating. This combination triggers our ancestral instincts, similar to finding a treasure trove of honey in nature. Many of us also carry genes that helped our ancestors survive by storing extra energy, but in our modern world of abundance, these genes contribute to weight gain.
We've lost touch with what our bodies truly need for nourishment. Despite incredible medical advances and food security, we're seeing a rise in preventable lifestyle-related health issues. More people, including younger generations, are developing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and inflammatory diseases. Even stress-related conditions like ADHD, depression, and anxiety are becoming more common.
These health challenges often stem from our food choices, particularly ultra-processed foods, combined with inactive lifestyles and stress levels. Interestingly, this impact begins during pregnancy, and some research suggests it may even be influenced by our parents' genetic makeup.
Food during the first 1000 days.
During pregnancy and the first three years of life, your baby's development lays the foundation for their future health and well-being. Research shows that your food choices during pregnancy already shape your little one's taste preferences - babies whose moms drank carrot juice during pregnancy showed a natural liking for carrots later!
After birth, your baby's flavor experiences come from your home's cooking aromas, breastmilk flavors, and their first foods. During these precious 1000 days, your baby's brain is incredibly adaptable, absorbing and remembering every taste and smell experience.
Food isn't just about nutrition - it shapes who we are, how we feel, and the choices we make throughout life. Let's create positive food experiences that support lifelong health and vitality.
