Faux/Foe Food
We all know someone with a food allergy or sensitivity. Hopefully we are starting to ask the question WHY? Why is it that 2 out of my five nieces and nephew have peanut allergies? Why is it that nearly 50% of my patients have odd reactions to certain foods such as wheat causing blotchy rashes or non organic veggies causing thyroid symptoms and a “prickly tongue feeling,” not to mention whole list of things. After spending much time acting like part detective, part annoying 5 year-old who asks why continually, I found some interesting information.
Let us touch on the big picture. Way back when, food was grow in nutrient rich soil where farmers practiced crop rotation, composting nutrient rich vegetation to put back into the soil, utilized symbiotic ways to grow crops-like planting the “three sisters”, and the farmers planted with the seasons. Now we over farm, we plant mono crops, rely on artificial fertilizers, and plant all year round. This method strips the land of nutrients and requires artificial support (but it is cheaper than the good stuff) therefore our food has less nutrients than our grandparent’s food. Plus the additives, pesticides, chemicals, and radiation inflicted on our food does not help either. (note: I love farmers- much of these practices are the only we they can survive without communities helping them to change)
Here are the Facts- unsugar coated 😉
Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999 Donald R. Davis, PhD, FACN, Melvin D. Epp, PhD and Hugh D. Riordan, result of this study: Results: As a group, the 43 foods show apparent, statistically reliable declines (R < 1) for 6 nutrients (protein, Ca, P, Fe, riboflavin and ascorbic acid), but no statistically reliable changes for 7 other nutrients. Declines in the medians range from 6% for protein to 38% for riboflavin. When evaluated for individual foods and nutrients, R-values are usually not distinguishable from 1 with current data. Depending on whether we use low or high estimates of the 1950 SEs, respectively 33% or 20% of the apparent R-values differ reliably from 1. Significantly, about 28% of these R-values exceed 1.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has approved more than 3,000 food additives for use in the United States.2 However, while approved for human consumption, food additives may still threaten our health. Americans spend about ninety percent of their food budget on processed foods, which, unlike whole foods, have been treated in some way after being harvested or butchered.1 Almost all of these processed foods contain additives, substances intended to change the food in some way before it is sold to consumers. Additives include flavorings that change a food’s taste, preservatives that extend its shelf life, colorings that change the way it looks, and dietary additives, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and other supplements. Packaging is considered an indirect food additive and, in fact, many kinds of packaging actually add substances to the food they enclose. (more info)
I will save artificial sweeteners for another post…but if you like Splenda you may want to think twice about the chlorine. Really, would you like the pool chlorine tablets?
In summary, with out putting you to sleep, are food is less nutritious and full of gunky additives. Our bodies are like high performance race cars (but far less temperamental). Our bodies react with allergy symptoms, fatigue, bloating, gas, rashes, acne, etc. if you put bad food into them just like a high performance car will knock, sputter, preform at a less optimum level if you put cheap gas in it. Just imagine if we stuck a little sugar in the gas tank too! You get then point, we run better on good whole foods without additives, and without sugar. We develop more allergies, fatigue, chronic pain, etc when we eat depleted, poisoned, processed food.
Please get informed about your food, support local farmers markets- feel better and look better as a result.
Video for you watching pleasure (don’t worry it is short- and so is the video)
A pretentious but wise kid to tell you more: Birke Baehr: What’s wrong with our food system
More info:
Hidden Sources of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) on Food Ingredient Labels
Why you should not eat enriched food. Okay, this guy is a bit boring and not all enriched food is completely bio-available
Health, Happiness and a bit of the Mystic 