Everything your ancient ancestors ate was a “super food” in the sense that it was fresh, organic and relatively unprocessed. No fast food, junk food or even non-organic morsels passed their lips. Thus our genes were nourished. Hunter-gatherers had few resources for storage and so much of what they ate was fresh off the vine, so to speak. Food begins rotting and losing nutrients the moment it is cut, picked or otherwise killed. Today most food is trucked in from other states or even flown in from other countries. The average U.S. food travels 1,300 miles before being eaten. So, even if it started out organic and packed with nutrients, it may not be fresh by the time it enters your refrigerator, often to wait another few days before becoming dinner.Throughout most of history people ate seasonally. No strawberries in January. When they popped a bud, sprout or flower into their mouth it was at its peak, bursting with nutrients, some of which have not been identified. Our genetic ancestors weren’t tempted by empty calorie alternatives — they ate whole foods every day, every meal. No quick stops at the 7-11. No frivolous TV snacks. Their food processing consisted of cleaning, chopping and cooking. Later came fermentation, drying and crude grinding. Their food did not pass through milling, bleaching, extracting, canning or other modern inventions. Another important difference between the hunter-gatherer diet and yours: Due to environmental hardships, those living in northern climates required more calories than others. What happens when greater quantities of food are consumed? You take in more protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. The modern office worker does not require as many calories, but their genes still require the same level of nutrient density. Nutrition turns genes on and off. Good nutrition, in the right amount, turns health-promoting genes on. Skipping ahead from Hunter-Gatherers, it wasn’t until the chemical revolution of the past 100 years that people gave up eating nutrition-packed, organic, low-processed foods. In that relatively short 100 years, the majority of people moved from living a rural, farm-centered lifestyle to an urban, consumer society. In the last 30 years, the intensity of the urbanized diet has accelerated even faster. The result: Our genes have been vaulted into a nutritional wasteland.
Filed under: Commentary | Tags: diet, nutrition, organic
Everything your ancient ancestors ate was a “super food” in the sense that it was fresh, organic and relatively unprocessed. No fast food, junk food or even non-organic morsels passed their lips. Thus our genes were nourished. Hunter-gatherers had few resources for storage and so much of what they ate was fresh off the vine, so to speak. Food begins rotting and losing nutrients the moment it is cut, picked or otherwise killed. Today most food is trucked in from other states or even flown in from other countries. The average U.S. food travels 1,300 miles before being eaten. So, even if it started out organic and packed with nutrients, it may not be fresh by the time it enters your refrigerator, often to wait another few days before becoming dinner.Throughout most of history people ate seasonally. No strawberries in January. When they popped a bud, sprout or flower into their mouth it was at its peak, bursting with nutrients, some of which have not been identified. Our genetic ancestors weren’t tempted by empty calorie alternatives — they ate whole foods every day, every meal. No quick stops at the 7-11. No frivolous TV snacks. Their food processing consisted of cleaning, chopping and cooking. Later came fermentation, drying and crude grinding. Their food did not pass through milling, bleaching, extracting, canning or other modern inventions. Another important difference between the hunter-gatherer diet and yours: Due to environmental hardships, those living in northern climates required more calories than others. What happens when greater quantities of food are consumed? You take in more protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. The modern office worker does not require as many calories, but their genes still require the same level of nutrient density. Nutrition turns genes on and off. Good nutrition, in the right amount, turns health-promoting genes on. Skipping ahead from Hunter-Gatherers, it wasn’t until the chemical revolution of the past 100 years that people gave up eating nutrition-packed, organic, low-processed foods. In that relatively short 100 years, the majority of people moved from living a rural, farm-centered lifestyle to an urban, consumer society. In the last 30 years, the intensity of the urbanized diet has accelerated even faster. The result: Our genes have been vaulted into a nutritional wasteland.
Tom Ballard RN, ND
No Comments Yet so far
Leave a comment