Does Food Matter to You?

What’s Happening to Us as Humans?

As long as I can remember there have been diets. Ways people believe will make them  look better, feel better. But there’s a new trend that is scaring me.

We are eating like astronauts, or very ill people.

Let me explain.  Today you can walk through nearly any grocery store, whether big box or online, and you will find aisle after aisle dedicated to products that contain nutrients, but they are not food.  They are pouches of powders or drinks or bars, tablets, or gels. Currently protein is the new nutritional darling, when in reality, protein is but one of three essential nutrients. (protein, complex carbs and fat). Along with that you may find an endless array of supplements, which sadly can be marketed as convenient replacements for food.    

These  are convenience products. They are not food.  When you buy these products instead of food, you may be ingesting some nutrients, but here are just a few things you are losing:

• the visual, aromatics and taste of a variety of foods

• the ideal mix of food based protein, complex carb and fat

• the experience of preparing food

• fiber for digestion and feeding the microbiome

• the need to chew, an important movement for the jaw, our body’s most powerful muscle that gives your face its shape

• the loss of communal eating and all that goes with it

The astronaut and the sick person are forced to get their nutrients in a non-food packaged way; the rest of us are not.  Astronauts eat dehydrated meals, rehydratable soups and drinks; very sick people with feeding tubes receive only fluids. My guess is they would much prefer to have the ability to sit and have a real meal.

Until recently, this way of eating was foreign to most of us, but sadly, it is becoming commonplace.  The stacks of packaging in stores tell us people are buying these products and living this way.

All through history humans have evolved.  Food was once regarded only as a means of survival; as society developed, we learned it could be a source of pleasure, and an experience shared in community. We risk losing that now.

Aristotle 384-322 BC:  Let food be thy medicine; let medicine be thy food.

As you can see, the diets in ancient times linked food to health. In my lifetime diets have mostly been linked to weight loss.  Every approach imaginable has been undertaken, with the results showing an 85% failure rate. That’s why I developed my 6 Weeks to Diet Freedom program, to help people break loose of the diet trap. I believe diet’s  failure rate is linked to the concept that humans just don’t like to feel deprived and can tolerate a strict restrictive way of eating for just so long.  It disconnects, rather than unites the dieter with food. Food becomes the enemy instead of a source of pleasure and satiety. Nothing lasting is learned.

But this powder and liquid approach aimed at replacing food is even more concerning. It disrupts the relationship between people and their food. Corporations are quite clever in designing things in shiny packages that speak to convenience and as something that will make you look better.  But will they?  With a single fresh apple containing 1100 phytonutrients, it is hard for me to believe a can of something could possibly be as good.

Concurrent trends

The powder,  liquid and supplement movement has a few companions. Let’s start with GLP-1.  Yes, the weight loss injectable.  These drugs help a person lose weight by slowing the natural process of digestion, leaving many with an ongoing lack of appetite and mild nausea.  Reminds me of early pregnancy.

As these companies highlight weight loss and a smaller clothing size, there is no focus on food,  nourishment, or health, further pushing users away from nutrition and community, the roots of a healthy culture.

Technology doesn’t help either.  If you’re lucky enough to live in a household where people still eat together, cell phones may be sitting like napkins next to you plate, getting checked every few minutes for the latest news that will be irrelevant within hours. I love technology but find I need to check myself on when I use it.  It can be a powerful but tragic escape from true human connection.

Thank you for reading.

As a nutrition and lifestyle coach and speaker, I think about these trends and how they may impact your health and happiness.  We have huge corporations that have funds to present enticing ads on programs with the highest number of viewers.  As you watch you will see junk food, ultra-processed food, powders, supplements for muscle building and whatever else will sell.  As you watch these ads, ask yourself the question “will this product keep me healthy?  will this product bring me around the table with others? Do the people in these ads really eat this way?  I’d say it is highly unlikely.   

We all want convenience, but at what cost?  Preserving your health is the most precious of all gifts. Choosing to consistently eat real food is an essential part of enduring wellness. Make it a habit.  In time, with a well stocked kitchen and a simple inventory of easy recipes, it becomes second nature to eat this way.  Stay on the natural food chain. It’s where we belong.  From the moment of conception, humans need the nourishment that comes from food, not chemicals.