FOOD - what is it?

A century ago that question would have sounded totally irrelevant if not ridiculous. Everyone knew what food was. Farther back in history, food processors such as bakers who adulterated bread and brought it to market to be offered as food would risk their lives if they were discovered.

Today, a large segment of western people do not know what food is. We have gotten to believe that whatever appears on the shelves of supermarkets or is served in restaurants and fast food markets is food. Our grandparents would not have recognized 85-90% of what fills the supermarkets today as food. The sad and deadly reality is that this 85-90% is NOT food, but synthetic chemical imitations - fake foods.

There is an old and true axiom, “Saying so does not make it so.” Just because industrial ag, international processors, the USDA, FDA, Cargill, ConAgra, ADM, Nestle, Phillip Morris and other manufacturers “say so” does not make it so. Labeling something as food does not make it food, even though it is legal and approved by all the regulatory agencies in the world.

Preceding national elections in the USA we see hundreds of TV ads by political candidates that end up with a quote that goes something like this, “I am George Bush and I approve this message.” We all know that the words “I approve this message” does not make the message true, though that is its implication. Nor do statements like “FDA approved” turn anything into nourishing food. As a matter of fact, such statements are often a giveaway of the opposite. Let me illustrate.

When we see carrots, apples, onions, cabbages, beets, potatoes, celery, lettuce or pears in the produce department, we don't first look for a USDA or FDA endorsement that certifies these items to be food. We all recognize these as food. This is so self-evident we would be shocked to find a label on produce certifying that carrots, apples, onions, cabbage and such are indeed food, therefore worthy of consumption with confidence. By the time anything needs a label to inform (brainwash?) us that this or that product is “food,” BEWARE!

Fake foods generally do not appear in the produce or even meat, dairy, and cheese section of markets. They are typically packaged, canned, bagged or bottled. This fact alone should be enough to alert us to the likelihood that what is inside is NOT what it is purported to be.

So, what is food?

“Food,” according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is “any material, usually of plant or animal origin, containing or consisting of essential body nutrients, as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, that is taken in and assimilated by an organism to maintain life and growth.”

Much of what is marketed as food today does NOT consist of “essential body nutrients” and does NOT “maintain life and growth.” All one needs to do is read the ingredient list. To have some understanding of what the package contains practically requires a major or PhD in chemistry.

These exceptions to fake foods in the supermarkets today are the fresh and frozen produce isles. Here you're likely to find FOOD: carrots, cabbage, potatoes, beans, beets, kale, collards, lettuce, grapes, apples, oranges, spinach, etc. If our grandparents went shopping with us, they would recognize most of this because it comes from farms and is grown in the soil. In fact, some knowledgeable nutritionists use a food-buying rule that goes something like this: “If your grandparents would not recognize it is food, avoid it.” Not a bad guideline!

Another area of real food is the meat and dairy section, though all kinds of perversions and imitations are constantly creeping into this area, not to mention how the animals are fed and cared for. Not all meat, eggs and dairy products truly “maintain life and growth.” The more animals are confined (imprisoned) in feedlots or cages, and the more their diet is restricted to grains and factory made rations (instead of grasses), the more antibiotics and hormones will be given them and the more unhealthy they will be. And it is not a good idea to consume unhealthy anything.

There is another, though much smaller area in many food markets, where one can purchase grains and legumes. Legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are usually whole, while grains are often “polished” or otherwise messed with. Polished rice (white) is practically no different than white sugar, most of the fiber and nutrients having been removed. The same applies to “pearled” barley. Sure it takes a bit longer to start with raw, unprocessed, whole grains or legumes when preparing a meal. But making this food choice alone will get you much closer to real food than where convenience dictates the purchasing habits.

Take a look at the global shift in eating habits. As other nations copy our convenience and fast food mania, they invite the same plethora of degenerative diseases: obesity, diabetes, cancer, strokes, cardiovascular breakdowns and more. It does not take a rocket scientist to make this observation. There's hardly a day when some news media does not touch upon the health degeneration of developing nations as they begin to copy our lifestyle and eating habits. If they could only see the hook and know the danger that is hidden in the bait that looks so appealing.

Good places to find real food are local farms that deal directly with consumers. It is worth the time and effort to seek out these farms in the neighborhood. If possible, gang up with friends and neighbors and make the rounds on a weekly basis, saving gas, exchanging ideas and enhancing your social life all in one. Of course, no local farms can supply all our food needs, so incorporating a farmer's market or two, and possibly a food coop, could help fill many of the gaps.

All this takes time, effort and resources. When I am tempted to take shortcuts, I often ask myself: “Would you rather take chemo, radiation and undergo surgery, or consume delicious and nutritious food that was designed to enable your body to stay healthy and functional as long as possible?”

Whoa! That awakens me to the reality that “Food comes from the farm, not the pharmacy.” It brings me down to the fact that it's a lot more pleasant to visit farms, farmer's market and food coops, and spend a little time preparing nourishing foods, than wasting time running to clinics, hospitals, and doctors and be pumped up with toxic pharmaceuticals. Besides, I'd much rather visit the beautiful countryside than a stale hospital. I'd much rather visit with farmers and growers than doctors and nurses, and know what I am putting into the only body that I will ever have. How about you?