I’m going to say something shocking. Prepare yourself.
About 70% of the “food” available for purchase at your local supermarket isn’t food.
Confused?
If it’s refined or processed, it isn’t food. It’s junk, no matter what its label says. It’s manufactured. It’s engineered by food scientists. It’s what I call an “edible foodlike substance.”
Back in the 1920s, a dentist named Weston A. Price grew dismayed by the rapidly declining health of his patients. Suspecting that the introduction and acceptance of newfangled industrial dietary changes were at the root of this turn for the worse, he traveled the world in search of healthy populations.
He found them.
These people didn’t eat refined sugar or white flour, didn’t cook with vegetable oils, and didn’t eat food canned with modern methods. They also didn’t have heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
They did eat foods high in vitamins and minerals, animal fats (including butter), and organ meats. And, roughly 60-80% of their diet was enzyme-rich — either fermented or raw. Plus, they prepared their foods according to centuries old traditions.
They ate real food.
So can you.
Why would you build your body out of materials which are completely new to the human diet? What are your cells supposed to do with hydrogenated fats and refined vegetable oils? What are they going to make out of the devitalized and denatured substances that are used to manufacture your convenience foods?
We’re not adapted to eating this way. Our bodies respond badly. We get diabetes, heart disease, cancer. We gain weight, get depressed, and have digestive problems. Our brains stop functioning properly. We have trouble concentrating and develop mental disorders. We experience nervous systems on the fritz. Why would you want to be a guinea pig in a vast food experiment that’s going bad?
So, return to your roots. Eat traditional foods. Eat real food. Rebel against the diet dictocrats. Become a food renegade.
Here’s a rule of thumb to get you started: when at the grocery store, ask yourself if your great grandmother would have recognized what you’re putting in your cart as food.
If you need further guidance, check out this selection of Must Reads.
When you’re ready to take the next steps, click on Rebel to see what sorts of classes and tutorials I’ve made available.
And, as always, you’re welcome to join me at the Food Renegade Blog.
Happy eating!
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