“I eat very healthy.” “My doctor tells me I can get all the
vitamins and minerals I need from food.”
I often hear one or both of these statements from my
clients.
Here’s my response: It is great that you eat healthy because
that is the foundation to build upon. However, it is very unlikely that you can
get everything you need from your food. There are two main reasons for this.
First, most people have not eaten “very healthy” most of their lives. Therefore
they are likely to have nutritional deficiencies. Second, and most important –
what we eat today is very different from what our ancestors ate, and by
ancestors I mean our grandparents and great-grandparents (think the 1920s). In
the rest of this article we will explore some of the key differences between “traditional
diets” and “modern diets.”
To get right to the point according to Sally Fallon Morrell,
President of the Weston Price Foundation, “traditional diets maximized
nutrients while modern diets minimize nutrients!” Here’s why:
Traditional diets foods came from fertile soil. Modern diets
foods come from depleted soil. Numerous studies support the reduction of vitamin
content of food since the 1930’s. Modern mass farming techniques do not
replenish nutrients into the soil.
Traditional diets favored organ meats over muscle meats.
Modern diets are almost entirely muscle meats with very few organ meats. Organ
meats are loaded with specific nutrients that are essential to that specific
organ’s function. For example, liver is loaded with B vitamins and Vitamins A
and D. Muscle meat is mostly protein. True protein is important, but so are
other nutrients.
Traditional diets emphasized animal fats. Modern diets
stress vegetable oils. Animal fats are high in fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E
and K) and do not oxidize when cooked. Vegetable oils are highly processed such
as corn oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, or canola oil. These
oils are inflammatory to the body. Of course even worse are the trans-fats in
margarine.
Traditional diets had animals that were raised in pastures.
Modern diets have animals raised in confinement. Animals raised in pastures are
generally healthier and eat the foods they were designed to eat. Cows eat grass
and their fat becomes Omega 3. When cows eat grains and corn they produce
inflammatory Omega 6 fats. Chickens are not vegetarians! Animals raised in confinement
are fed hormones to grow faster and given antibiotics to control bacterial
infections. We are what we eat eats and these substances are being found in
samples of our blood!
Traditional diets had dairy products that were raw or
fermented. Modern diets have pasteurized dairy products. Raw or fermented dairy
products contain their natural vitamins and healthy bacteria. Pasteurization kills
the nutrients or makes them bio-unavailable while homogenizing makes the fats
unusable to the body as well.
Traditional diets had grains and legumes that were soaked
and/or fermented. Modern diets have refined and extruded grains. Soaked and
fermented grains and legumes are easily digestible. Refined grains have the
protein and fat removed so we are just left with the starch. Diets high in
refined grains keep blood sugar levels high resulting in inflammation, heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer. Extruded grains are damaged by the heating
process, so even whole grain cereals are not healthy as the fats have been
damaged during the processing.
Traditional diets had unrefined sweeteners such as honey and
maple syrup. Modern diets have refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Refined sugars are linked to all modern diseases and artificial sweeteners are
no better!
Traditional diets had lacto-fermented vegetables. Modern
diets have canned vegetables. Lacto-fermented vegetables are more easily
digested, contain healthy bacteria, and have all their nutrients. The canning
process reduces the nutrient content of the vegetables.
Traditional diets had lacto-fermented beverages. Modern
diets have soft drinks. Lacto-fermented beverages contain healthy bacteria and
vital nutrients. Soft drinks are loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners,
artificial colors, and artificial flavors.
Traditional diets had unrefined salt. Modern diets have
refined salt. Unrefined salts contain high volumes of trace minerals. Refined
salt is just sodium.
Traditional diets had natural vitamins in foods. Modern
diets have synthetic vitamins added. Real food has real vitamins and minerals.
Processed foods lose the real vitamins and minerals during processing so
synthetic vitamins are added back to make the food appear nutritious, but these
synthetic vitamins are often rejected by the body.
Traditional diets had natural seeds. Modern diets have
hybrid and GMO seeds. Natural seeds are as nature designed. Hybrid and GMO
seeds are designed by man to produce greater yield. At the same time they allow
for a large amount of pesticides and herbicides which are getting into the food
and stay in our bodies wrecking much havoc, similar to the antibiotics and
hormones being fed to confined animals.
So, as you can see Sally Fallon Morrell is right. By their
very nature traditional diets maximized nutrient content while the modern diets
minimize nutrients. This is why it is unlikely that you can get sufficient
vitamins and minerals from your food unless you are very strict. I have been
brief with all the points due to space limitations here, but elsewhere on my
blog you can see many articles providing more details.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create
individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To
learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call
(262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
Posts
