The upbeat American society is continuously pushing information about any and every topic imaginable. Nonetheless, there seems to be a veil covering many of the truths particularly when it comes to food. Therefore, here is my eater’s manifesto. I am not suggesting that I am going to completely transform the ways I have eaten for the past nineteen years, but rather I am willing to alter certain aspects of the way I choose food. Personally I find a declaration completely pointless unless there is a real desire backing it up. With all the information I have obtained throughout the past three months focusing on food production and authenticity, it would be impossible to continue to walk through a supermarket without questioning the origin of the products I am buying.
The first issue with the American diet is that we categorize what we eat. Michael Pollan makes an interesting argument in his article Our National Eating Disorder; he introduces the idea of the “omnivore’s dilemma” suggesting that we simply have too many food choices. For species such as cows or horses, their diet is strict and set. As herbivores they do not have many options other than grass or leaves. The same thing goes for those who are strictly carnivores. There is no wavering from their diet. However, we as omnivores have many more options. Pollan identifies one of the “central questions of life,” especially for omnivores, as “what should we have for dinner?” For the human race, the options are endless. Therefore, we are forced to sectionalize our food- determining what is healthy and what is not, foods that improve performance and those that will inhibit our maximum potential, et cetera. According to Pollan, we strive for order in the overwhelming amount of options.
Especially with this categorization, there is much to be said about the American food industry today. We are more concerned about the “perfection” of our food and how it looks than the nutritional value of it or how it tastes. Similar to Pollan, the author Barry Estabrook focuses on this paradigm shift that has occurred within the past fifty years. Using the introduction to Tomatoland as an example, Estabrook brings to the readers’ attention to how warped our idea of basic fruit and vegetables has become. We expect to walk into a supermarket to be greeted with a cornucopia of exotic produce choices all year long, which is exactly what we get (Estabrook). Just the other day I found myself in a local grocery store with the option of purchasing exotic fruits from countries like New Zealand and Southeast Asia. However, studies done by the United States Department of Agriculture show that the nutritional value of this produce has dropped significantly (Estabrook).
Unfortunately this nutrition issue does not just stop with produce. In another of his writings, An Animal’s Place, Pollan highlights the American view of animals. Obviously many Americans utilize animals for food as well, but many do not understand the process behind getting the cow or chicken from the “field” onto the plate. Pollan emphases how so many view animals as “things” and in turn detach any emotional value, therefore justifying any cruelty. Nonetheless, he points out that there is hope. After the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, light was shed on the slaughter industry and this trend has only increased with time. Especially now days, people are becoming more aware, legislation is being passed and articles such as this one are informing the public.
Most people know, as a general fact, that red meat is not really beneficial to one’s overall health. It has been linked to many chronic diseases particularly cardiovascular disease and in some cases even cancer. Nonetheless, as a nation we continue to increase our red meat consumption while increasing the mortality rate at the same time. After reading through Dr. Dean Ornish’s article Holy Cow! What’s good for you is good for our Planet, there were some interesting observations that I had never really considered. For example, I had never contemplated the carbon footprint produced by our consumption of red meat. It seems like a rather simple task to pull up to a drive-thru and order a hamburger with fries and maybe even a classic shake. However, a single “quarter-pounder with cheese takes twenty-six ounces of petroleum and leaves a thirteen pound carbon footprint” which is equivalent to burning seven pounds of coal (Ornish). That seems outrageous, yet we partake in this ritual every day.
The earth was simply not made to provide resources for the amount of livestock we currently have. Another environmental factor to our large consumption of red meat is the amount of greenhouse gases produced from the animal agriculture industry. By covering approximately thirty percent of the earth’s surface, livestock have a huge influence on the quality of the atmosphere. Especially as Americans, we focus more on our satisfaction than the impact that our consumerism has on the natural world. Deforestation of the rainforests is a well-known issue, however it is not only happening to further industrialization, but also to clear land for livestock to graze (Ornish). Some may think of this as an even exchange- nature for nature- but it is not the way that ecosystem was created to function.
Nonetheless, sometimes there are beneficial effects to the foods we consume without realizing it. For example, there are many aspects to the coconut that, even recently, have shown interesting advances in medical science. Last month the results from an experiment conducted at the University of Kerala in Kerala, India were published. The researchers were testing the effects of tender coconut water on rats with high fructose diets (Bhagya et al. 2012). Coconut water is different than coconut milk as it is the clear liquid produced from unripe coconuts (Benefits of Coconut Water). In the test, the rats were fed a high fructose diet for three days and then treated with the tender coconut water for three weeks. The results showed that the rats treated with the coconut water had reduced levels of triglycerides and lower blood pressures than the rats which were not treated. In the end this suggests that coconut water treatment might be able to prevent or possibly even “reverse high blood pressure induced by [a] high fructose diet (Bhagya et al. 2012).”
In addition to its ability to hydrate more than most other beverages and the high level of electrolytes, coconut water has also been known to be a substitute for blood plasma in extreme situations. The sterility of the water and the ideal pH levels allow this to be possible (Listverse).
It’s so easy for us to simply consume our food without considering the impact they have on the natural world. We have industrialized everything to the point that we can no longer see what it was originally designed for. Nevertheless, science continues to try to decipher these secrets and apply them to everyday life now, in this day and age.
As humans, we are easily influenced by others. This is not necessarily a negative quality however when it comes to dietary issues, Americans seem to be among the easiest to persuade to follow the newest health trend. Throughout the course of history we have altered the ways in which we eat based on the amount of crops produced, government regulations, health magazines, television shows and much more, but the real question is: what is actually healthy?
So many individuals are willing to follow whatever the newest diet fad is, as long as a ‘health’ guarantee comes along with it. Nonetheless, many times these ‘guarantees’ are empty and lack actual evidence to support their claims. In some cases, these fads encourage people to consume scientifically engineered food instead of food in its raw or organic state. Pollan discusses this subject in his article Unhappy Meal. There is a chasm that has formed between food and “edible foodlike substances (Pollan).” The majority of the food in the supermarkets is processed to stages so far away from the natural form it cannot be considered real food. Pollan suggests that even the foods that claim to be healthy and have additional benefits to support heart health or rich in certain nutrients are “apt to be heavily processed, and the claims are often dubious at best (Pollan).” As a whole, Pollan really focuses on keeping the foods we eat in their natural state and being willing to pay more for a higher quality, and in turn, consuming less.
I think when it comes down to it Americans like the idea of being healthy yet refuse to put these thoughts into action. I admit, I am guilty of this as well. Choosing the cereal that says it’s going to improve my health makes me feel good, but that does not mean that I indulge in a fresh mango instead of an Oreo. There are certainly flaws to the way Americans think about nutrition and food as a whole, because like Pollan said, most of what we consume here is not really food. Though his ideas are inspiring and I believe for the most part true, for many that type of lifestyle is not practical. In order to alter the way Americans eat, we must first change the way in which Americans live.
With our demanding culture it is almost impossible for the low-wage family to afford real food. Personally, I think the idea of stores like Whole Foods are great until I begin to walk around and observe the absurd prices they expect me to pay simply for wanting the healthier option. Though our nation continues to promote health and healthy choices, it is not always the affordable option. It is as if the USDA’s slogan should read “be healthy, but only if you can afford to do so.” This is where practicality has to meet the manifesto.
As a college student my resources, both financially and nutritionally, are limited. Who knows, maybe becoming a vegan or fruitarian would make me healthier, but honestly that is not even an option. After I came to school I made sure I tried to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible. I do not think a day has gone by throughout the past thirty weeks where I have neglected one of these at each meal. This is part of my diet which I plan to continue. My family has always been really good about keeping fresh produce in the kitchen, and I suppose I am blessed enough that we are able to do this. Nonetheless, there still remains a difference between the fruit purchased at the grocery store and that purchased at a farmer’s market. Though I am partial to the latter, it is more likely that the majority of our fruit will come from a store.
There are some aspects of my diet that I plan to change, for example, I never really ate breakfast until I came to school. Maybe it is because here, the meal is already prepared; however this is one aspect I plan to change. By reading the research done by my classmates, I have realized the importance of this meal and the energy I obtain when I start the morning off with something to eat.
Food seems like such a simple topic, however there are so many dimensions to it. No matter who you are or where you live, food seems to be the central point of all life. Where do people congregate in a home? The kitchen. What is often present when you are getting to know someone? A meal. This is what I have learned and this is what I propose I will do. The lines are vague as I think they should be because eating should never be a rulebook, but rather a guide that will hopefully spill out benefits into a lifestyle. Authenticity matters when it comes to food and I think this should be a main focus, however exceptions always have to be made.
Works Cited
Bhagya, D., L. Prema, and T. Rajamohan. "Therapeutic Effects of Tender Coconut Water on Oxidative Stress in Fructose Fed Insulin Resistant Hypertensive Rats." Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine 5.4 (2012): 270-76. Print.
Estabrook, Barry. "On the Tomato Trail." Tomatoland. Andrews McMeel, 2011. x-xvii. Print.
Ornish, Dean. "Holy Cow! What's Good for You Is Good for Our Planet." Archive of Internal Medicine 172.7 (2012): 563-64. Print.
Pollan, Michael. "An Animal's Place." The New York Times Magazine 10 Nov. 2002. Web.
Pollan, Michael. "Our National Eating Disorder." The New York Times Magazine 17 Oct. 2004. Web.
Pollan, Michael. "Unhappy Meals." The New York Times Magazine 28 Jan. 2007. Web.
"What Coconut Water Can Do For You." Benefits of Coconut Water. Web. 16 May 2012. <http://benefits-of-coconut-water.com/>.
