The Oldest Profession

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