I support and love the world’s oldest profession. From the story
of humanity as written 2 million years ago we have been able to discover much about how we came to be the
people we are today. We see it in the bones of the past and the human record.
If you are a health food buff- I’m
about to rain on your parade.
Cooking is the world’s oldest profession. Don’t be fooled by
the stories you hear otherwise. It was the advent of cooking that changed the
world. Diet changed the entire course of
human history.
Amaranth eaters beware! That statement was not for you. Don’t
feel validated just yet. (If you don’t know what amaranth even is, don’t be
overly alarmed- it’s an ancient grain and comes with the territory of the
health food industry.)
The health food industry and fitness professionals tout one phenomenal
philosophy: You Are What You Eat. Under this banner, millions flock to the life
enhancing powers of diet and exercise. It
is a true statement- diet and exercise are absolutely, without a doubt,
verifiably life enhancing. More
importantly, you ARE what you eat.
Two million years ago cooking advanced humanity. Raw foodists,
I understand what you believe but I very apologetically submit that cooking and
food processing was in the most literal sense, food for thought. The nutritional
punch of cooking foods fostered brain development and growth. Many ancient
foods, and now modern foods in their raw form are poisonous to humans. Yes, I’m
looking at you Mr. Potato; the number two food staple in the world today
feeding most of the world’s population.
Bikini ready body season flooded my Facebook feed with
endless posts and picture-proof updates of resolutions to only eat protein and complex carbs and a
healthy dose of fruits and veggies in 2-3 hour increments. I myself was in the throes of a food-identity
crisis. Weighing in at 115 lbs and 17%
BMI, I had never been more proud of my diet and exercise success. What began as
a quest into food as medicine resulted in a full-blown obsession. I ate at
regular intervals a regimented diet, exercised religiously and felt my stress
melt away with the fat laden free-radicals and toxins stored up from all the
wrong foods. What I ate changed my ability to function giving me more energy
and happiness. My mental acuity grew, my emotions stabilized, and I felt
empowered and ready to take on the world. But there was one fundamental
problem- no matter what I did that nag at the base of the brain sent up a red
flag. ....Let the rain begin.
Lithe, sleek, toned, slim. Beautiful. A sexy body is a tan
and toned body. Culturally we are programmed to believe beautiful is healthy.
The wealthy can afford these bodies. This is the model of perfection, the model
of health and wealth and happiness. Unfortunately, we’ve been duped by the
fitness industry once again. I’ve seen the documentaries and read all the
books, The China Study, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Food Inc, and the one that
started it all Super Size Me. Jamie Oliver stands gloriously perched on a
podium in my mind to this day. I praise everyone who has brought the dark side
of food to the public’s knowledge. But, take it with a grain of salt. Actually,
skip the salt. Today’s food fads (Diet) are effective for achieving the body
you’ve always wanted, or think you’ve wanted. Unfortunately they aren’t as
healthy as you think. Double standards abound. I’m no nutritionist but it seems
logical to conclude that eating organic and fresh and gluten free amounts to
nothing the second you ingested that protein shake. I don’t remember seeing any
natural ingredients in my protein powder. I did add water- so I guess that
counts as a natural ingredient. Our bodies are hardwired to love fat and sugar-
it gives us energy quickly. Health food buffs shun those- well, we use the term
“healthy” fats. In the absence of flavor, we add salt. In large amounts. Have
you had your blood pressure checked lately? In the absence of one thou shalt
over apply another to compensate. Is this really healthy?
I submit a crazy but startling thought: There is another
form of disordered eating. In my obsessed food-identity crisis I became
concerned with everything I consumed. Food as fuel. I forgot food is a unifier, a means of bonding
with people, an activity, enjoyment of the senses, and that my body is an
amazing and complex machine. My lifestyle change became anxiety and stress if I
ate the wrong thing. The empowerment I felt is a classic sign of disordered
eating- the feeling I can control my body in the way it looks and behaves and
that if I don’t, I am less than desirable and successful. How many of you feel
this way? Better take a second look at what you think is healthy. An eating
disorder isn’t limited to anorexia and bulimia. The food and fitness industry
has taken full advantage of this and exploited it into a word: Diet.
I can’t tell you what is and what isn’t correct when it
comes to food philosophy and what’s healthy and what isn’t. But what I can tell
you is there is a startling and oh-so-subtle difference between food as
medicine and food as an eating disorder. Before you disagree I’ll leave you
with one simple example. Gluten free. The rate of gluten intolerance has become startling.
In fact, if you were to classify this as an actual problem, it would be an
epidemic. Granted, I know the grain politics, Monsanto, GMO’s, and the
agricultural revolution. I won’t pretend wheat isn’t a problem. National news
hasn’t covered this epidemic. Why not? There isn’t one. The gluten free
intolerance epidemic coincided with the latest food fad. Simply put, if you
remove something from your diet and then reintroduce it, typically there is an
intolerance to it. This is also true for dairy, sugar, and anything that will
change your body’s digestive chemistry. Ironically we also call these items “bad”
for us. So is salt. Essentially, baby food and it’s Ph is the only thing you
can rely on to keep you from getting sick. Let’s start a baby food diet.
I do believe in food as medicine and I believe the right
food is a lifestyle choice. I do believe food can enhance and enrich your life.
I do believe there is a measure of truth to a lot of the information pop
culture feeds us. But don’t be fooled that Diet is the same as diet. A healthy
diet doesn’t make you sick if you stop eating something, it doesn’t require
mental strength to stick to when your body screams at you it needs nutrition
you aren’t giving it, it only requires a stock of real food and a bit of time
to cook. The world’s oldest profession is a fundamental building block of our
history. We run into it every day in public and in private whether we go out or
stay in. Stay informed, not influenced. You are what you eat. "You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie."
Human beings do not eat nutrients. They eat food.
~Mary Catherine Bateson
