Most people seem to be unaware of the drastic changes in food during the past decade or so.
Several factors have come together that affect food. Among these are:
- Overpopulation - now over 7 billion people
- Soil depletion-erosion, salinization, deforestation, over-tillage, synthetic chemicals.
- Water depletion - only .007 percent of all water is potable
- Toxic chemicals -over 75,000 synthetic chemicals invented since 1940
- Total pesticide use in the United States is about 1 billion pounds per year.
- Factory Food - big business takeover of of small farms and food production
- Climate change- drastic affects on food supply
These factors are inter-related and have been accelerating to such an extent that, combined the effect is alarming. A few decades ago we ate mostly real food that was grown on many small farms. Increasingly we are eating factory products that only appear to be food. Huge supermarkets are filled with thousands of products in slick packages that are attractive and convenient but deceptive.
Almost all of the food in these supermarkets now has little or no nutritional value and may be addictive or even toxic. Usually the expensive packaging actually costs more than the contents which are essentially worthless. Avoid food that is packaged. Just eat real food. Nutrition has been sacrificed for convenience and artificial flavor. Even the so-called fresh vegetables loose most of their food value a few days after being harvested.
As soil depletion worsens, the plants grown in it are become increasingly undernourished and sickly, so ever more chemical intensive means are being employed to get marketable crops. Most people don't really understand this or just assume incorrectly that food in the supermarkets is being monitored for harmful substances. Due to soil depletion, dwindling clean water, monocropping and pollution, most food in the regular grocery stores has so little nutritional value, it leaves us chronically hungry, malnourished, and increasingly vulnerable to illness and obesity..
One out of every two people in most industrialized countries is expected to get cancer and one out of three to contract diabetes. If someone was mugging you and taking your money, you would put a stop to it. But if they were secretly cooking the books and robbing you blind, you might go broke. The analogy here is that we need to wake up and take a defensive health posture before illness takes it's toll.
So what are the alternatives? When hungry we probably will eat whatever is available. So having nourishing food on hand is essential. Dr. Joel Fuhrman has identified super foods that are the most healthy, and high in micronutrients. A simple way to remember them is to remember the word GOMBS. :
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Greens
– Green vegetables have lots of different nutrients and systems that
put a silicone like slippery coating on the inside of your blood
vessels. They activate something inside the blood vessel called the Nrf2
mechanism that prevents plaque from binding to blood vessels and
accelerates the rate at which fat melts away from the inside of the
blood vessel.
Onions – In The Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition a large study in Europe showed people who ate onions regularly showed a 60 to 70% reduction in all major cancers. That would be a reduction in prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer just from the higher consumption of onions. When you cut an onion, the gas that is given off creates disulfides and anti-cancer nutrients that are formed. Mushrooms - A Recent study published in the international Journal of Cancer showed women who regularly consumed mushrooms are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. That was about 10 g of mushrooms daily. That same study showed that the women who ate 10 g of mushrooms and simultaneously consumed green tea had 89% less likely to develop breast cancer. Beans and Berries - Beans and berries have high cancer preventive antioxidants levels and promotes healthy brain function. Seeds - Raw seeds and nuts contain phytochemicals and fats that help reduce inflammation, help reduce cholesterol, and helps the absorption of other important micronutrients. Dr. Fuhrman suggests having nuts as part of your salad or even making a salad dressing from them. . |
If you intend to eat healthier food you need to find ways to make it convent and savory. Frozen food is convenient. Commercially prepared frozen vegetables and fruit usually go quickly from the field to the freezer. Larger packages of them are economical. You can re-package them into smaller sizes at home. If you cook something healthy, make a larger amount and freeze some of it. Small size plastic zip top bags are easy, but if you leave air spaces in the bag the contents will get freezer burn, so fill the bag with liquid and squeeze the air out as you zip up the bag. Vegetable broth or even water will work. A small chest freezer is a wise investment.
To make food taste good you need to think ahead. Here is a list of some things to have on hand: garlic salt, curry powder, dried mixed herbs, red and black pepper, olive oil, soy sauce or bean paste. Spices in the bulk section of a health food store are usually fresher, better and less expensive than bottled ones in the supermarkets. Mixed dried Italian or French herbs can be used on many foods, but some have too much oregano to be very versatile. Another good tip is to keep some curry powder in a closed container with a shaker top. Just a few dashes will often enliven flavors without turning it into a curry dish. Turmeric is one of the dominant ingredients and it is a powerful anti-oxidant with other health benefits. Nutritional yeast, mushroom powder, herbs and spices, and bean paste are also good to have on hand.
A good Caesar Salad dressing is also a quick and versatile way to perk up left-overs and other dishes. Newman's Own brand is tasty. Hummus is easy to make and is a versatile snack. Find a recipe you like and experiment with variations. Essentially it is a paste of garbanzo beans (chick peas), oil and garlic with a little lime juice, salt and pepper. But you could use just the garbanzos and Caesar salad dressing for a quick snack. Another version is to combine a can of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed) with a can of hominy and a ripe avocado.
Canned beans are economical and versatile. Black beans and chili beans (vegetarian) can be added to various salads, soups, pasta and other dishes. After opening the can if you drain and then wash them in a strainer you get rid of most of the BPA from the plastic liner of the can and rinse away the bean juice that gives some people gas problems during digestion. Black bean paste gives much more flavor than soy bean sauce. Make your own by mashing or blending the beans with salt and garlic if you like.
Frozen veggie-burger patties and salmon patties make a quick and nutritious meal. Also, individually wrapped frozen salmon fillets cost as little as $1 each when bought in a package of a few pounds. Don't buy it unless it says "wild salmon" on the package.
So the idea is just to eat mostly vegetables, which means you need to learn about beans and rice and other grains. Soaking dry beans in water overnight makes them cook quicker. And in a pressure cooker it takes only a few minutes. It gets more interesting if you experiment by mixing more than one kind of beans with barley and other grains, dried mushrooms, onions, etc. When the beans and grains are almost cooked, you can also add softer vegetables.
Here are a few other very handy and inexpensive kitchen utensils:
| Cleaver | Slicer Grater set | Zester/Grater | Spiral slicer |
Facts about the human body:
Scientists estimate that the average adult human body contains between 50 and 60 trillion cells.The human body replaces 200 to 300 billion cells every day--
a rate of about 200 to 300 million cells per minute!
Stress consumes the same nutrients that would be used for growth and body maintenance.
Examine.com is a Canadian company that runs an online encyclopedia covering health, nutrition and supplementation. The website collates scientific research using evidence-based practice methodology. Examine.com is led by Kamal Patel, and includes scientists, editors and peer reviewers.
DeliciousTV blog
Food, Inc. Watch Free Documentary Online - Preview
For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc.
examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and
environmental impact.Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from
all angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and CEOs.
Food Matters - 2008-NR-77 minutes
With a staggering number of Americans suffering from obesity and other
food-related maladies, this film takes a timely and hard-hitting look at
how the food we eat is helping or hurting our health, and what we can
do to live (and eat) better. Nutritionists, naturopaths, scientists,
doctors, medical journalists and more weigh in on everything from using
food as medicine to the value of organic food and the safety of the food
we consume.
Forks Over Knives - 2011-PG-96 minutes
Focusing on the research of two food scientists, this earnest
documentary reveals that despite broad advances in medical technology,
the popularity of modern processed foods has led to epidemic rates of
obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The Future of Food - 2004-NR-88 minutes
Before compiling your next grocery list, you might want to watch
filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia's eye-opening documentary, which sheds
light on a shadowy relationship between agriculture, big business and
government. By examining the effects of biotechnology on the nation's
smallest farmers, the film reveals the unappetizing truth about
genetically modified foods: You could unknowingly be serving them for
dinner.
Ingredients - 2009-NR-66 minutes
Narrated by actress Bebe Neuwirth, this engaging documentary weighs the
shortcomings of America's industrialized food system against a rising
local-growth movement, whose proponents are shrinking the gap between
farmland and dinner table. With chefs Alice Waters and Greg Higgins as
guiding lights, growers, restaurateurs and consumers around the country,
from Oregon to Harlem, New York, discuss their methods for bringing
food production back home.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
- 2010 -NR- 97 minutes - Focusing on two men whose bodies have been
trashed by steroids, obesity and illness, this documentary chronicles
the rigorous healing path -- including a two-month diet of fruits and
vegetables -- that both attempt in a bid to rescue their health.
King Corn - 2007-NR-90 minutes
In Aaron Woolf's thought-provoking documentary, friends Ian Cheney and
Curt Ellis move back to America's Corn Belt to plant an acre of the
nation's most-grown and most-subsidized grain and follow their crop into
the U.S. food supply.
How to Cook Your Life - 2007-PG-1392 minutes
German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned
Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary
classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role
food plays in our bodies and spirits.
The Natural History of the Chicken - 2001-NR-55 minutes
Although chicken is a staple in the diet of most Americans, the history
of this tasty bird has yet to be really explored -- until now. Poultry
is as popular as ever as an entrée choice, and this tongue-in-cheek
documentary sets out to uncover the truth about the bird that has
touched the lives, and stomachs, of so many. Included are amusing and
often surprisingly touching stories that will forever change your view
of the flavorful fowl.
Life Running Out of Control (Leben ausser Kontrolle) - 2004-NR-94 minutes
Since the mid-1980s, the science of genetics has exploded, offering hope
for medical researchers and biologists seeking to feed people, as well
as deep concerns for proponents of organic foods and activists worried
about human gene manipulation. This documentary explores the powerful
ways in which biotechnology affects our lives, from the sale of
genetically altered salmon to the obtaining of consent for unwitting
donors of human tissue.
Hungry For Change 90 minute documentary exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss and food that the industry doesn't want you to know about. Nutritional consultants and documentary filmmakers James Colquhoun and
Laurentine ten Bosch have teamed up with the world’s leading experts in
nutrition and natural medicine to create Hungry for Change—a
groundbreaking documentary film and a practical, prescriptive companion
volume to help you transform your eating habits and change your life. A
“How-to Guide for Breaking Free from the Diet Trap,” Hungry for Change
is based on the indisputable premise that “Food Matters,” as it exposes
the truth about the diet industries and the dangers of food addictions,
and enables you to take charge of your health and strengthen your mind
and body.
The Gerson therapy is a nutritional approach to detoxification
and a sophisticated way to strengthen the immune system. The intense
detoxification program consists of juices, enemas, food and supplements. The Gerson Miracle examines many of the elements of the Gerson Therapy, explaining why we are so ill and how many people have overcome serious illness that regular medicine failed to cure.
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