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July 25, 2009

The Problem with Eating Clean

Barbara Berkeley

Virtually all maintainers practice some form of “clean” eating. Whether they are Primarian, Vegetarian, Vegan, Mediterranean or just careful omnivores, POWs have found that they need to keep “modern” foods to a minimum and eat closer to their original human nutritional needs. Here’s the rub. The edible substances which pass for food these days are a far cry from the complex plant matter and healthful animal sources we once knew. Eating closer to the original human diet is easy in theory, but devilishly difficult in practice.

I haven’t had a chance to see the new documentary “Food, Inc.”, but I’ve been reading its companion book for the past week. (“Food, Inc.,” Karl Weber, Ed, Public Affairs Press) I recommend it. The book is essentially a series of essays, each one written by an expert who deals with food related issues. Most of Food, Inc. revolves around agribusiness and our modern methods of food production. Topics include discussions of the corporate forces behind our food, the production of organic foods, the problems created by turning corn into ethanol, the dangers of pesticides, the mistreatment of animals grown for slaughter and many others. There is also a hefty section on the effect of our American food production on world hunger.

Reading this book has given me another kind of food: food for thought. There are so many possible contributors to our modern disease and obesity epidemic. How do the hormones and antibiotics given to animals figure in? What about the growth hormones given to cows to increase milk production? And how’s this for a thought: We may think we are avoiding “fake” foods by passing up the processed stuff, but the food we grow is so uniform, has so little diversity and is grown under such unnatural conditions, that even our fresh food is pretty unrelated to what humans once ate.

Here are some interesting factoids from the book

• About 2/3 of all cattle raised for slaughter in the U.S. is injected with growth hormones. You might think that this practice has been proven safe, but the European Union would not agree. These hormones have been banned by the EU since the 1980s. In fact, the EU will not import any U.S. beef because of its hormonal content.

• Over 50% of large dairy cow herd farmers in the U.S. use recombinant bovine growth hormone to stimulate increased milk production. Safe? Not according to Canada, Australia, Japan and the European Union, all of whom have prohibited its use.

• Most of our food production has been concentrated in the hands of a few very large companies. Powerful lobbyists for these entities have prevented them from being regulated at adequate levels. To quote the book, “ … corporations subject to few external controls are experimenting with our food supply, using chemical additives, hormone treatments, pesticides and fertilizers, and mechanized production methods that represent a revolutionary break with almost 10,000 years of agricultural history.”

• According to the FDA, half of our produce tests positive for some measurable level of pesticides.

In addition, most of our crops are grown in soil that is fertilized with man-made chemicals instead of through a natural process of soil enrichment. Our animal foods come mostly from huge feedlots or poultry operations or fish farms. None of these animals is eating what it would naturally consume and all are raised in highly stressful environments which undoubtedly change the nature of the hormones they produce. An enormous proportion of our fields are devoted to growing corn and soy and the fruits and vegetables which we do grow tend to represent the same varieties over and over. The average produce in your grocery store travels about 1500 miles to get there. Apart from the enormous energy usage this entails, the produce passes through the hands of multiple shippers—each of whom treats the product differently.

Recently, our hospital system decided to sponsor a local farmer’s market on its grounds. While I have been involved in developing this idea, my thoughts about it have mostly revolved around the benefit to local growers. “Food Inc.” has made me think a lot harder about the benefits of eating a wider variety of foods grown in a sustainable way. I also like the idea of being able to talk with the farmers and see exactly how and under what conditions their food is grown. Local produce markets (which also sell animal products like grass-fed beef) are one excellent way of taking back the power over what you consume. The book contains an excellent section called “Questions for a Farmer.” Additional info on this topic can be found at www.sustainabletable.org.

Don and I have also expanded our own vegetable garden this year. There is nary a pesticide in sight, even though the leaves of some of the plants might be a little moth eaten. I am also working on promoting a community garden on our hospital property so that those who want to grow-their-own but lack space can participate.

“Food Inc.” contains a number of useful addresses for getting more information and/or becoming more involved in the movement to improve your food. [www.foodandwaterwatch.org will link you to a nonprofit organization dedicated to clean water and safe food. [www.localharvest.org gives you access to information on small farms and farmer’s markets in your area. www.organicconsumers.org is the website of the Organic Consumer’s Association, an organization that represents those who buy organic foods and support sustainable farming.

It all comes down to what Food and Water Watch calls “Food Sovereignty.” There is no doubt in my mind that those of us who have remade our diets to include fewer calories, more whole foods and more healthful choices have another step to take. We can go the extra mile toward health for ourselves and our families if we give up the notion that all “healthy” foods are equal. Unfortunately, the difficult work or finding clean food must fall to each of us.