Opinion: Cues From My Grandmother

Seven Steps To Eating Holistically And Well — And Supporting The Earth’s Natural Cycle

By Anika Dunn

For the GPHN

I’m writing to you today as a young adult concerned for my future as well as the future of the planet. It’s time to change the paradigm of our food system.

Young people like me are waking up to the toxic nature of the government funding of big agricultural companies whose whole premise is to grow genetically modified corn, soy and canola. These raw materials form the basis for processed “food-like substances” and feed for conventional livestock.

Here’s how I’d like our food system to look:

1. Our government needs to shift from subsidizing mono crops to investing in clusters of small family farms. These farms will grow fresh produce, raise organic free range chickens and grass fed livestock and produce organic dairy. They will feed surrounding communities.

2. We need to eliminate concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and feedlots, and ensure that cows eat only grass and hay.

3. Chickens should roam free behind the cattle to eat healthy bugs and prep the cow dung for manure to help replenish the soil.

4. The government needs to stop supporting the marketing of processed “food-like” substances to marginalized communities and encourage community gardens, backyard gardening and education on selecting healthy foods.

No missing parts

Dr. Annemarie Colbin was a true leader in the field of natural health. She had a PhD in holistic nutrition, wrote multiple highly-regarded books on the topic and founded the oldest natural food cookery school in America. She also happens to be my grandmother.

In her book 1986 book Food and Healing, Colbin defined seven criteria for healthy food selection: choosing holistic and nutritious foods that are not only beneficial to humans but also support the Earth’s natural cycle.

Step one is to eat “whole foods,” as opposed to processed foods or food-like substances. A diet of whole foods has cooked or raw vegetables, fruits, whole grains and meats with all their edible parts. Whole foods have all the essential nutrients that the individual body needs, while also providing us with the life energy of the food itself. In many cultures, the whole animal is used; for example, a whole chicken can be cooked, then the bones, which contain collagen and minerals, can be made into stock.

Although they may taste satisfying, broken-down products like juices, sugar and other human-made foods lack many of the natural nutrients made for the body. So in order for them to be “healthful,” they are enriched with synthetic vitamins and minerals.

Colbin highlighted this point in a TEDx talk in Manhattan in 2013. “If any parts are missing, the body will know the difference and the complex system of food is ruptured. . . juice is not whole, sugar is not whole, white flour is not whole, that’s why when we eat those foods, they are not really satisfying — we always want something else.”

The second step is choosing “fresh, natural, real, organically grown” foods. Foods that are canned, frozen, and genetically modified do not have the same life energy and nutrients as foods that are fresh and natural — and pesticide-free.

Choosing to buy organic food is not only beneficial to humans but also supports the environment. When pesticides are used, it ruptures other living systems, contributing to climate change, damaging wildlife and the earth.

In sync with the Earth

Step three, healthy food should be “seasonal.” Summer foods such as fruits, salads, raw vegetables and lighter foods keep us cool, energized and in sync with the earth. Winter foods such as soups, stews and root vegetables warm up the body and keep us grounded during the cold season.

If you eat a tropical fruit salad in the middle of winter, the body prepares itself for warm weather and cools down, thus making the winter even colder. Same goes for eating a warm bowl of borscht during summertime. Because of its warming effect on the body, borscht is usually served on Christmas eve. That same warming effect can make us cranky and overheated in the summer.

The fourth criterion is that food should be “local.” Produce that travels long distances reduces freshness, nutritional value and doesn’t taste as satisfying. When we eat locally, it reduces the amount of fossil fuel used for transporting the product. One fifth of all carbon emissions come from the transportation of food. As noted in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, “The average food item on a US grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations”.

The fifth criterion is that food should be “in harmony with tradition.” What did your grandparents eat? Where was the food sourced? Colbin says it is important to incorporate foods that our ancestors ate because evolution has made our bodies more receptive to it. “There will never be a pill to replicate good old-fashioned home cooking,” she used to tell audiences.

Food for thought

The sixth criterion is “balance.” In order to have a healthy food balance you need to have the right amount of macro and micro nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. As Colbin would say, “It is just as important to not eat too much as it is to not eat too little.”

Lastly, the seventh and most important criterion is that food should be “delicious.” Delicious food ignites all the senses and brings joy and harmony to the eater.

By making policy changes like redirecting government subsidies and educating the public to make better decisions, we can effectively change the food system. This is no small task; in fact, it requires a paradigm shift.

The main question we need to ask is this: If what we are doing is unhealthy for people and the planet, why are we doing it?  A quote from the groundbreaking 2008 documentary Food, Inc. sums it up perfectly: “The industry doesn’t want you to know the truth about what you’re eating because if you knew, you might not want to eat it.”

I implore you, dear reader, to think about the possibility of change. You have the opportunity (three times a day, in fact) to be a part of history and help create a world where whole, fresh, seasonal, local, traditional, balanced and delicious food is the norm and boxed, ultra-processed food is a thing of the past. Let’s do this. Together.