Dead Foods
Something that’s changed significantly in the way that we eat is the type of foods that are available to us now -most of which weren’t the kinds of foods that our parents and grandparents were eating. Now we have all these processed and packaged foods with new labels and claims like “fat-free” and “heart healthy” which can make it difficult for us to understand what is and isn’t good for us. We get mislead and tricked into believing that certain products are healthy or good for us by creative marketing and advertisements that only give half-truths instead of really understanding what goes into our food and whether or not it’s actually good for our bodies to consume it.
How are we supposed to be able to tell what is good for us with all of these false labels and unchecked advertising? The answer comes in redefining the way that we look at our foods. What we used to think of as “healthy” has changed because of the way our food is processed and delivered to us and it may mean that we have to take an entirely new approach to what we eat and what we consider food.
Most of the foods that we currently eat are dead foods - foods that have no nutrients left in them and have been so processed and packaged that they don’t even resemble real, whole foods anymore. These foods all contain dangerous chemicals and additives as well and the industry that makes them knows this. There are plenty of chemicals and unique substances that can be added into food to make it look, smell, or taste more appealing and now food companies have taken it even further. There are new areas of development that help these kinds of companies make an even bigger impression when it comes to being part of the “natural food” market. Changing packaging or the look of the food just slightly can make a big difference when it comes to how people perceive the given health value of the products that they buy and companies know that in an increasingly health conscious world they have to change to keep up. It would be great if this meant that people were looking for ways to make healthier, more natural food that is more accessible and convenient but instead they continue to make processed crap that is still full of chemicals but now has the illusion of being a healthy food.
The solution, of course is to eat real, live, whole foods. The kinds of foods that don’t come inside boxes or bags are the ones that are really the most essential for us to eat. That means eating lots of fruit and vegetables, seeds, beans, whole grains, organic and wild poultry and fish, and some whole omega-3 eggs. Make a point of eating these foods as close to their natural state that they can possibly be. If you can manage to do that then you’ll be better off than most of the country.