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Are the Media Any Wiser About Health-Harming Processed Foods?

Perhaps, the New York Times has taken a step in the right direction regarding about the huge difference between real whole foods and processed and largely super-sized "unHappy" meals and how the latter can harm your health in this interesting piece written by Dr. Michael Pollan, Knight professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

At the heart of the confusion, Dr. Pollan says, is the usual unholy trio of entities that stand to gain a great deal, creating "a large gray fog" of confusion over which miracle diet of the moment "cures" a given health problem.

  • The food industry
  • Nutritional science
  • Journalism

When in doubt, Dr. Pollan offers a simple rule of thumb for discerning which foods are better than others: Anytime you see a health claim -- adding, for example, omega-3 fats to breakfast cereals -- on a food "product," chances are overwhelmingly good that same processed food really isn't food at all.

Fact is, most foods should be eaten as close to raw as possible to maximize their healing properties and according to your body's unique nutritional type.

Also, I strongly recommend reviewing this page to help you find sources of whole foods in your community.

New York Times January 28, 2007 Registration Required

International Herald-Tribune January 28, 2007





 
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Comment on This Article Community Comments (6)
 
 
Posted On Jan 31, 2007
The whole concept of optimum nutrition has been blown completely out of perspective and now appears too complicated for the average person to consider. Jack LaLanne said it well when he said; "If man made it, don't eat it." Nature has provided everything that we need and man has intervened, in order to make money. After all, it's all about the money, isn't it?

 
Nat
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 11/2006
Nat  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 31, 2007
I have spent the past twenty eight years in television and the last eighteen years as host of a lifestyle show, trying to impart reliable information about optimum health and optimum nutrition. It's amazing how many "experts" are out there and it's amazing how little they know. I have spent the last fifteen years researching health and nutrition and it's hard to find common ground on many subjects. Not surprisingly, most of the confusion seems to come from the food industry, drug companies and so called health authorities. Unfortunately, your health is your responsibility.

 
Nat
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 11/2006
Nat  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 29, 2007
Pollan's article goes a long way in explaining how badly the 'food chain' has been dumb-downed nutritionally in America, and other global locations adopting American dietary intake.

It's remarkable that this journalist, as Greg Crister is a journalist,  and author of the easy to read and recommeded 'Fat Land: How America Became The Most Obese Nation', have a better street smarts, or common-sense approaches, to articulating the problem, as well as offering wholesome and good for you suggestions to better health. 

Do not forget to read Dr. Mercola's SWEET DECEPTION also.

As a cautionary tale however, be careful that the jounalist gets it all correct.

In Pollan's book, he fails to make the link on refined corn based fructose, crystalline fructose, "glucose-fructose syrup" which is HFCS and deceptively mislabeled on the leading brand of sports beverage in America, and/or phony labeled attempts to hide refined fructose, like criminally fraudulaent 'agave', or chicory syrup, or undeclared  and highly refined hydrolyzed high fructose inulin syrups.

Remember, these refined fructose products, WHICH ARE NOT THE SAME AS FRUIT SUGAR, (first of all, they are not from fruit; secondly, they have no nutrient values from vitamin, minerals or fiber from fruit; thirdly, all fruits are multi saccharide and non just one mono saccharide; and finally fruit sugars are metabolized to blood glucose for energy) are harmful.

Refined fructose (not fruit levulose in polairty or metabolization) is metabolize directly to triglycerides (LDL or bad cholesterol precursor) and/or adipose tissue (body fat) and will HARM at any ingestion level.

It is refined based fructose sweeteners that are Public Enemy Number One in the food chain in triggering obesity, diabetes, hypoglycemia, Syndrome X and cardio vascular disease, if not many forms of cancer.

 
Russ Bianchi
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 9/2006
Russ Bianchi  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 29, 2007
Very good article, as I was reading it I thought I have read all this before.  It is most of the things you have said at one time or another on your website.  Eat unprocessed foods as close to their natural state as possible.  Eat a wide variety, especially your fruits and vegetables, meats and grains okay but not every day.

mmc88121

 
mmc88121
Moderator User Moderator User, Joined On 11/2006
mmc88121  
 
 
 
Posted On Jan 29, 2007
As long as the mainstream media and food industry conglomerates are fed by the same elite hand, I feel it is inaccurate to give the media credit for being wiser! With this powerful influence, the heavy hitting investigative journalism one can find on Dr. Mercola's site is likely to be kept from the masses as long as possible. A critically analytical and informed public is not good for business, silly rabbit!

 
Dr. Matthew J. Loop
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 6/2006
Dr. Matthew J. Loop  
Replied

Sheila C
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 1/2007
Sheila C  
 
Posted On Mar 10, 2007
On Dec.8, 2006 when Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Canada) announced the ban on legacy chemicals, after the announcement he took questions.  One reporter asked if the PM was concerned about the chemicals in our food that are on the shelves right now.  The PM replied that his government was concerned about the long term effect of the chemicals in our food which could lead to heart disease and cancer.  The media has never played this again.  Even our government wants to expose it, but the media is not letting him.
Sheila

 
 
 
 
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