Are you what you eat?

By WENDY KALE Colorado Daily Staff Writer

8/12/2003

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You are what you eat. That's what author Steve Gagn/ believes. The natural foods expert has written the book "Energetics of Food: Encounters With Your Most Intimate Relationship" and he is coming to Boulder this month to talk about his theories.

Gagn/ has taught natural foods classes throughout America and Europe for the past 25 years and he is considered to be one of the foremost experts on the history and function of natural foods. Gagn/ is also familiar with Boulder's health-food scene, as he used to teach an accredited course in natural health and healing at Naropa University.

The author is convinced that the eating patterns of ancient peoples can be used as the basis for a healthy American diet. Gagn/'s contemporary studies of food energetics originate in the wisdom and dietary traditions of pre-20th century cultures, and he believes that incorporating those factors into the modern world can aid contemporary health problems.

"Americans are nuts about food," said Gagn/. "I mean that in both senses of the word "nuts.' We are crazy about food and obsessed with food. And, our commonly accepted beliefs, concepts and ways of judging and evaluating food most often are crazy too. 'Energetics of Food' helps people take a good look at the 'what you eat' part and see beyond it and explains why you are what you eat."

Gagn/ is convinced that most Americans think they're on the "perfect" diet. Either they follow fads like the Atkins Plan or follow rigorous plans such as a raw food diet. The author says that after researching his material, he feels that neither regimen is correct.


Researching his work for over three years, Gagn/ claims that modern science is now supporting the health wisdom gleaned from ancient cultures. The word has been spreading about the author's work and he is now conducting workshops in America and Europe covering the energetic temperaments of food, specific health-promoting foods, and the mysteries surrounding ancient agriculture.

"I started gaining my information after studying Chinese medicine," said Gagn/. "I found there was a correlation with ancient cultures and what we know about the properties of food in today's world. I compared the information to fad diets and I knew there was important information to get out based on the history of food and diet."

Gagn/ found that our not-so-distant ancient cousins had a rhyme and reason for every thing they put into their bodies. According to the author, indigenous people had the time to really look at fruits and vegetables, and discovered that foods' appearance gave clues to its function in the human body.

"A root plant like the carrot is grown underground and its function is to absorb and assimilate. The ancient peoples figured out that root vegetables would affect organs that command those processes. Today we look at organs that assimilate and absorb and we know that's what the small intestine does. The ancients also watched plants move and figured out that green leafy plants could be used for respiratory diseases. Today, we know that the plants contain chlorophyll, and they do aid the respiratory system," explained Gagn/.

The author believes that this long-lost information fuses quite well with modern scientific discoveries. He says knowing these facts will help people make better food choices and help them determine their own health.

The book also includes an extensive chart that talks about the energy properties of foods. Using the Chinese medical terms of warm, dry, or damp foods, the author lists the physical aspects of each food type. The speed of the food energy is also included on the list and it shows how wide-awake or slowed the body will be after eating each food.

For example, foods like rice and cheese induce a slower pace in the body - and modern science has shown how good those foods are at stopping such maladies as Montezuma's Revenge. On the other hand, many whole grains, fruits and vegetables have a fast energy vibration, and it has been verified that a diet heavy in grains and natural veggies will amp up your energy.

However, Gagn/'s theories are all about balancing the body and he says that there's always a plus and a trade-off with everything we eat. The author has made quite a few vegetarians upset, as he claims that there are plusses and minuses to a non-meat diet.

"It really doesn't matter if you're a vegetarian or not," said Gagn/. "It's all a matter of choice, if you're supplying your body's needs. You're going to have protein issues if you're on a vegetarian diet, but as long as you address that you should be fine. These days you also have to be careful where you buy your meat and vegetables, and processed meats are not going to be very healthy."

Gagn/ says that if you're aiming for good nutrition, the only way to go is to buy free-range meats. The author also revealed that fruits and vegetable are less affected by modern technologies and that it's OK to buy those items in regular grocery stores.

The author's talk will also cover the importance of quality food and the dynamics of food transformation that takes place when food is cooked or fermented.

"Today's modern diets are too processed and synthesized," said Gagn/. "Even vitamins are synthetic and we're getting fake nutrients in processed foods. That doesn't contribute to the body's health and it's causing a breakdown of the species. To remedy that, we need to understand the foods we eat."

The most fascinating of part of Gagn/'s material covers the specific healing properties of certain foods. The author says that one of the hottest new food finds is the rediscovery of coconut oil. Modern science has recently found that coconut oil can be used for weight loss, and as an antiviral and antibacterial agent.

Gagn/ also sings the praises of using sea vegetables in the diet. Although algae and seaweed have been used for centuries in the Orient, modern research is proving that the sea greens possess certain nutrients for building up blood cells.

The one modern food fad that Gagn/ says to stay away from is flaxseed oil. The oil is now being used for everything from eyesight to anti-aging problems, but the author says it has been found to be very unstable in the body.

"There's also a debate about using soy," said Gagn/. "We have to take a look at where science is coming from and what the modern trends are. You can also go too extreme into health fads. Right now a lot of people are going on raw food diets, because raw foodists say that early man lived on fruits and nuts. My studies show that isn't true; early humans were gatherers and scavengers and if they found a dead lion, they'd eat it."

Gagn/ will also be discussing the ancients' use of spices and condiments in his lecture. The author believes they are "the movers and shakers" of the diet.

"The ancient people knew that herbs and spices sprinkled on meats made the food more bio-available to the body. Pepper was worth its weight in gold and herbs like cayenne and turmeric were added to the foods for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It was important in those days to add the herbs to help preserve the meats for travel," explained Gagn/.

Food is more than a social experience or a fad. It can add or detract to the body's health and there is much more than meets the eye when you sit down to dinner. Gagn/ hopes that by understanding the food we eat that we can fuse together the worlds of ancient wisdom and modern science to obtain maximum health benefits.