Is it REAL Food?

We have gotten away from what we know about Real Food.  The first grocery store was not around until the 1940’s, before that time our ancestors had to grow, maintain, harvest, barter or forage for food.  Most families had chickens, for eggs and eating (they were easy to harvest in your backyard). All families, had gardens.  Some families had cows for milking and other animals to eat. There were no cereal boxes, pop-tarts, candy, frozen dinners, low fat or fat free milk, sugar free jelly, chicken nuggets that were shaped like dinosaurs or yogurt in a tube.  There were vegetables that were seasonal, eggs and milk daily (raw and unpasteurized-GASP), healthy grass fed animals that were on pasture (not stuck standing knee deep in manure force fed corn and soy)  You get the picture, it was a ‘farm’ that you can only imagine now.
Most food today is not what we consider ‘Real Food’  boxes upon boxes of pale, lifeless food that never rots or spoils.  The average food travels 1,500 miles before it reaches your plate.  Around 80% of the antibiotics used today are on animals that are kept in confinement and sick.  Most CAFO animals are constantly given a low dose of the antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to gain weight before slaughter.  The fact is, that they are making the animals (and those who consume them) worse. Antibiotic resistant superbugs are all over the place and we can’t kill them.  It is because of the amount to drugs given to animals at such a low dose, builds up a resistance. Eventually there will be a breakdown.  Superbugs, salmonella, e-coli 01571 and other nasties.

PESTICIDES KILL LIVING THINGS! The average child get five or more servings of pesticide residues in their Food and Water DAILY! This is five too many. Toxins are stored in fat cells-the brain is 60% fat.  There is a huge correlation with the amount of toxins stored in our bodies (specifically brain) and the amount of brain related disorders that are prevalent in our youth today. ADD, ADHD, Autism, sleep disorders, bi-polar, schizophrenia, emotional disturbances, and a host of other learning disabilities and disorders.

We have to get back to our true roots and learn what ‘real food’ is about. Real food rots and spoils, it has a short shelf life because it is alive and full of Beneficial Bacterial that MOST AMERICANS are LACKING!!! Real food is what our ancestors ate.  Who, by the way, were not diseased, sick or unhealthy. They ate seasonal vegetables and fruits, lots of REAL FAT (like butter, cream, whole milk, cheese and yogurt) Pastured and properly fed animals (cows were designed to eat GRASS, not grain. Cows that eat grain have a much higher incidence of e-coli and their levels of unhealthy fats are off the charts).

So what do you do?

• To find Real food go to localharvest.org and other pages like mine that share recipes, tips and information about REAL FOOD.
• Find your local farmers market and ask questions. Find sources for local meat, milk, and cheese if available.  
• Start a garden (even if it is a small one)
• Learn to cook
• READ FOOD LABELS, and buy ORGANIC when possible (if not local)
• If you are lucky enough to have your grandparents (or parents) still alive....go and have a conversation about what kinds of food they ate and ask for recipes. You’ll be surprised what you learn.  
• Most of all take time to realize that food and all its parts is ESSENTIAL to HEALTH!