Renowned neurosurgeon, Larry McCleary, M.D., presents an interesting discussion point by his claim that about eighty percent of the food on shelves of supermarkets today didn’t exist 100 years ago. As we pondered the statement, one of the core questions arising from it surrounds the concept of food: What exactly is it?
Interestingly, some deep questions flow from looking at just a few definitions of food. Though the definitions are widely accepted, they are nonetheless controversial. This is because it is doubtful, if not conclusive, that the supermarket “foods” that did not exist 100 years ago (let’s call them “Recent Foods”) actually meet the criteria and descriptions outlined in the widely accepted definitions of food. So let`s begin…
The Lexico dictionary powered by Oxford defines food as any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth. Bearing this definition in mind, are Recent Foods “nutritious substances” and do they “maintain life and growth”???
Wikipedia’s definition is a bit more controversial for this discussion: Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. The suggestion here is that one’s objective in consuming something—anything– renegades it to the status of food. Thus, if someone believes that eating a tire will provide nutritional support and on the basis of that belief proceeds to do so, then it is food. Well, just because something is consumed to provide nutritional support, does not mean that it actually does that or that it should be considered food because it is believed to provide nutritional support.
On this point, the Lexico definition provides more concrete criteria…sort of: To definitively determine whether something is food, it comes down to this: Does what you’re eating provide nutritional support—yes or no? Yet here is where the waters get murky, so to speak: If only a portion of it supports nutrition, then what percentage of it does so and is that percentage enough to deem it “food”? Does the portion of it that does not support nutrition, simply not add nutritional value or actually degrade “life and growth”? The reality is that your belief about proposed “food” is irrelevant for the determination. Furthermore, belief only becomes relevant for changing consumption habits.
Wikipedia goes on to state that Food is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. If we accept that as true, then does Recent Food qualify as being of “plant or animal origin”? What percentage of a substance should be comprised of plant or animal matter in order to be considered “food”? When humans genetically modify living things, does that make the resulting organisms true plants or animals? If they are then used for human, plant or animal consumption, are they really “nutritious substances” that “maintain life and growth”???
The answers to the above questions are not necessarily simple. Though there is much debate and hesitation to draw firm conclusions, there are numerous data sources outlining the dangers that genetically modified and processed substances present to our health:
- Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods (GMO Foods)
- What are the pros and cons of GMO Foods?
- The Many Health Risks of Processed Foods
- Nine ways that processed foods are harming people
Thus, there is great scientific support for either refraining from eating genetically modified and processed “foods” or, at the very least, exercising great caution when considering whether to eat such “substances”. One of the points of this discussion is to encourage that consideration; let’s think about what we’re putting in our mouths, as well as the purpose of eating. We should also examine our beliefs about what we consume and why we consume what we do.
Supermarket vs. Farmers Market: What`s the Difference?
Wikipedia defines a supermarket as a “self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. The supermarket typically has aisles for meat, fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods. Shelf space is also reserved for canned and packaged goods as well as for various non-food items…”
There are many advantages offered by supermarkets, including nearness to residential areas, self-service coupled with absence of sales pressure, as well as generally low prices. However, one of the seemingly greatest advantages regarding food consumption is its wide offering of processed and packaged foods, which is a very tempting benefit in our fast-paced world. Travel time, as well as numerous players and processes involved with getting food from the farm field to supermarket shelves have a major impact on the content of “food” presented at a supermarket. An example is the addition of chemical preservatives and/or packaging to lengthen shelf-life.
A farmers’ market, on the other hand, is a food market at which local farmers sell fruits, vegetables and often meat, cheese, as well as bakery products directly to consumers. There are many reported advantages of shopping at a local farmer’s market as opposed to a supermarket including: Access to more organic produce; less GMO as well as more humanely, naturally-raised livestock and produce; perfectly ripe produce because travel time was not a factor; greater nutrition; more flavour; less chemical preservatives; more options to buy produce that does not travel well, and much more …[20 Benefits of Shopping at a Farmers’ Market vs the Supermarket].
For these reasons, we encourage you to shop as much as possible at your local farmers’ market.
Food, Health and You is an 8-episode documentary series wherein Dr. Carl Bamlet outlines how food played a major role in his healing and triumph over pineal germinoma, also known as brain cancer. The series also explores the world of natural disease prevention and reversal for such crippling conditions as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and more.
The Autoimmune Bible is the story of how Mark Stevens used ancient secrets hidden in the Bible, specifically about food, to heal himself from the life-threatening auto-immune disease, multiple sclerosis (MS). The vital information caused him to quickly slow down the disease and reverse the damage done to his brain. These same biblical secrets can be used to cure other autoimmune diseases like Grave’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and many more.
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To explore some of the options that have helped chronic disease sufferers restore the internal equilibrium within their bodies, including natural remedies and alternatives, purchase from our Health Treasures Series:
“Food, Health and You” at
https://www.pearlsofwisdomforabundantlife.com/food-health-and-you/ and/or
“The Autoimmune Bible” at
https://www.pearlsofwisdomforabundantlife.com/the-autoimmune-bible/
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