The Whole Food Journal

There was a time when people didn’t have to worry about whether their food was nutritionally rich and sustaining to life. It just naturally was. That was before chemicals were introduced to agriculture, and the ground itself was rich in nutrients. That was before food science learned to manipulate nature. Gradually, taste and nutritional value were sacrificed for bigger yields, shipping hardiness and longer shelf-life. In the process, much of the live activity within the soil itself has been destroyed.

We are constantly told how we are the best fed nation in the world, but I have my doubts. And I think many other people do too. Why else would the sales of organic and whole foods be skyrocketing each and every year? I realize people are living longer now, or so the statistics say. But, have you ever observed how many medicines and drugs are keeping people going from day to day? Could it be that the very foods they eat aren’t doing the job? It’s no surprise that today’s food absolutely must be supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other elements.

So, what has happened, and what can we do about it as individuals. To begin with, the biggest culprit is commercially grown food, and the loss of topsoil through erosion and water runoff. Two centuries ago our land had about twenty inches of top soil. Today it is estimated that only about six inches remain. The nutrients in topsoil ideally are transfered to crops through “uptake” from this topsoil. They include, many trace minerals like iron, zinc, copper, manganese and boron. The transfer also includes calcium, magnesium, and a long list of vitamins. Sustainable farming methods, including cover crops, have for centuries replaced these nutrients back into the soil naturally and soil remained fertile. This began to change after World War II.

Commercial farming, excluding organic and chemical-free farming and gardening, does not replace depleted nutrients back into the soil naturally. Instead, the synthetic chemical fertilizers used by commercial farming are highly purified forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They can produce huge yields rapidly, but it is at the expense of minerals and other nutrients. Continued crop production using commercial methods without replenishing the soil results in further depletion of nutrients, and the the level of plant nourishment continues to go down with each season. Poor soil makes poor food. Poor food may fill us up, but does little to sustain or heal us. That’s why supplements are so important today.

Dealing with this absolutely requires that you and I to learn about the food lining the shelves where we shop. If we want to get the most nutrition out of the food we eat, we need to know a lot about it beyond whether it’s shiny or perfect in color or shape. Our best bet of all is relying on organic food, or at least food grown without synthetic chemicals and pesticides. Another good choice is your local Farmer’s Market. It’s easy to find out how local food is grown….. probably by people who actually do respect and replenish the soil.

You can also take matters into your own hands and grow at least some of your own food, no matter whether you’ve got acres to spare for a garden, or just room for a few tomato plants. If you do, get set to experience the thrill of nature at it’s best. And, if you’ve decided to grow some of your own food, do your part to preserve the heritage of open-pollinated heirloom seeds. Your reward will be delicious and healthy too.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 6:09 pm and is filed under Whole Food 101. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.