Wizard Recipes

Fish can usually be purchased at a lower price than meat, and for this reason possesses an economic advantage over it. Besides the price, the substitution of fish for meat makes for economy in a number of ways to which consideration is not usually given.

These will become clearly evident when it is remembered that nearly all land animals that furnish meat live on many agricultural products that might be used for human food. Then, too, other foods fed to animals, although not actually human foods, require in their raising the use of soil that might otherwise be utilized for the raising of food for human beings. This is not true in the case of fish.

They consume the vegetation that grows in lakes, streams, and the ocean, as well as various kinds of insects, small fish, etc., which cannot be used as human food and which do not require the use of the soil.

In addition, much of the food that animals, which are warm-blooded, take into their bodies is required to maintain a constant temperature above that of their surroundings, so that not all of what they eat is used in building up the tissues of their bodies.

With fish, however, it is different. As they are cold-blooded and actually receive heat from their surroundings, they do not require food for bodily warmth. Practically all that they take into the body is built up into a supply of flesh that may be used as food for human beings.

With fish, as with other foods, some varieties are sought more than others, the popularity of certain kinds depending on the individual taste or the preference of the people in a particular locality.

Such popularity, however, is often a disadvantage to the purchaser, because a large demand for certain varieties has a tendency to cause a rise in price. The increased price does not indicate that the fish is of more value to the consumer than some other fish that may be cheaper because it is less popular, although quite as valuable from a food standpoint.

The preference for particular kinds of fish and the persistent disregard of others that are edible is for the most part due to prejudice. In certain localities, one kind of fish may be extremely popular while in others the same fish may not be used for food at all.

Such prejudice should be overcome, for, as a matter of fact, practically every fish taken from pure water is fit to eat, in the sense that it furnishes food and is not injurious to health. In addition, any edible fish should be eaten in the locality where it is caught.

The transportation of this food is a rather difficult matter, and, besides, it adds to the cost. It is therefore an excellent plan to make use of the kind of fish that is most plentiful, as such practice will insure both better quality and a lower market price.

As is well known, fish is an extremely perishable food. Therefore, when it is caught in quantities too great to be used at one time, it is preserved in various ways. The preservation methods that have proved to be the most satisfactory are canning, salting and drying, smoking, and preserving in various kinds of brine and pickle.

As such methods are usually carried out in the locality where the fish is caught, many varieties of fish can be conveniently stored for long periods of time and so distributed as to meet the requirements of the consumer. This plan enables persons far removed from the Source of supply to procure fish frequently.

In general, the composition of fish is similar to that of meat, for both of them are high-protein foods. However, some varieties of fish contain large quantities of fat and others contain very little of this substance, so the food value of the different kinds varies greatly. As in the case of meat, fish is lacking in carbohydrate.

Because of the close similarity between these two foods, fish is a very desirable substitute for meat. In fact, fish is in some respects a better food than meat, but it cannot be used so continuously as meat without becoming monotonous; that is to say, a person will grow tired of fish much more quickly than of most meats.

The similarity between the composition of fish and that of meat has much to do with regulating the price of these protein foods, which, are the highest priced foods on the market.

So much variety exists among salads that it is somewhat difficult to give a comprehensive definition of this class of foods. In general, however, salads may be considered as a dish of green herbs or vegetables, sometimes cooked, and usually chopped or sliced, sometimes mixed with fruit or with cooked and chopped cold meat, fish, etc., and generally served with a dressing.

For the most part, salads take their name from their chief ingredient, as, for instance, chicken salad, tomato salad, pineapple salad, etc. Just what place salads have in the meal depends on the salad itself. A high-protein salad, such as lobster salad, should take the place of the meat course, whereas, a light salad of vegetables or fruits may be used as an additional course.

IMPORTANCE OF SALADS.

Salads are often considered to be a dish of little importance; that is, something that may be left out or added to a meal without affecting it to any great extent. While this may be the case in a meal that is composed of a sufficient variety of foods, salads have a definite place in meals as they are planned in the majority of households.

Often there is a tendency to limit green vegetables or fresh fruits in the diet, but if the members of a family are to be fed an ideal diet it is extremely important that some of these foods enter into each day’s meals, a fact that is often overlooked.

There is no more effective nor appetizing way in which to include them in a meal than in the serving of salads. In addition, salads make a strong appeal to the appetite and at the same time are beneficial so far as the health of the family is concerned.

PURPOSES OF SALADS.

Because of the wide variety of salads and the large number of ingredients from which a selection may be made in their preparation, salads can be used for various purposes. The housewife who gives much attention to the artistic side of the serving of food in her home will often use a salad to carry out a color scheme in her meal.

This is, of course, the least valuable use that salads have, but it is a point that should not be overlooked. The chief purpose of salads in a meal is to provide something that the rest of the foods served in the meal lack.

Even though it is not desired to use the salad to carry out a color scheme, it should always be made an attractive dish. As is well known, nothing is so unappetizing as a salad in which the ingredients have not been properly prepared, the garnish is not fresh and crisp, or the dressing and salad ingredients have been combined in such a way as to appear messy or stale looking.

There is no excuse for such conditions, and they need not exist if proper attention is given to the preparation of the salad.

SELECTION OF SALADS

Although salads, through their variety, offer the housewife an opportunity to vary her meals, they require a little attention as to their selection if a properly balanced meal is to be the result. Salads that are high in food value or contain ingredients similar to those found in the other dishes served in the meal, should be avoided with dinners or with other heavy meals.

For instance, a fish or a meat salad should not be served with a dinner, for it would supply a quantity of protein to a meal that is already sufficiently high in this food substance because of the fact that meat also is included. Such a salad, however, has a place in a very light luncheon or a supper, for it helps to balance such a meal.

The correct salad to serve with a dinner that contains a number of heavy dishes is a vegetable salad, if enough vegetables are not already included, or a fruit salad, if the dessert does not consist of fruit. In case a fruit salad is selected, it is often made to serve for both the salad and the dessert course.

In order to stay healthy, we must consume a varied diet that contains all the essential nutrients. In addition, we must limit our intake of foods that can be harmful in large quantities. Although researchers still have much to learn about nutrition and our knowledge is constantly changing,there is strong evidence about what good eating patterns are.

According to government health agencies, the following guidelines are suggested for maintaining a healthful diet. It should be noted that these are only general recommendations for people who are already healthy and want to stay that way. They are not necessarily for those who need special diets because of disease or other abnormal conditions.

1. Getting Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs

The greater the variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups we consume, the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need. Choosing nutrient-dense foods and avoiding empty calories is necessary in order for us to get adequate nutrition without consuming too many calories in the process. Choose foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt,and alcohol.

2. Managing Weight

To maintain a healthy body weight, balance the calories you consume with the calories you burn. People who are greatly overweight are more likely to develop certain chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. People who consume more calories than they burn off will gain weight.

To prevent gradual weight gain, make small decreases in the calories you consume and increase your physical activity. Rather than depending on crash diets, it is usually better to lose weight slowly and gradually, to develop better habits of eating, and to increase physical activity.

To get all the nutrients you need while cutting down on calories, cut down on foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients, especially fat and fatty foods, sugar and sweets and alcohol.

3. Engaging in Physical Activity

Engaging in regular physical activity promotes health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight. For general health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, getting at least 30 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise every day is desirable, and more and longer vigorous exercise can be even more beneficial.

In order to avoid gaining weight, adults should try to get 60 minutes of exercise most days, while at the same time not consuming too many calories. For those who wish to lose weight gradually,try to get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise most days, again while limiting calorie intake.

4. Selecting from the Right Food Groups

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products are the foods with the highest nutrient density. These foods should be strongly emphasized in a healthy diet. In particular, someone who consumes 2,000 calories a day should try to eat the following daily:

• 2 cups (4 servings) of fruit, selecting from a variety of fruits.
• 21?2 cups (5 servings) of vegetables, selected from as many of the basic vegetable groups as possible: dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, starchy vegetables and others.
• 3 servings of whole grains.
• 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk or its equivalent in other dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese.

In the United States, these food groups, along with others including meats, poultry, and fish, form what is known as the food guide pyramid.

5. Manage Consumption of Fats

Keep total fat intake between 20 and 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. This means that for a diet of 2,000 calories daily, calories from fat should be between 400 and 700.

Why not lower than 20 percent? Remember that some fatty acids are essential nutrients, and fats also carry fat-soluble vitamins. Consuming less fat than 20 percent of daily calories could be unhealthy.

Keep consumption of saturated fats, especially trans fats, as low as possible.Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids.Consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.

When selecting and preparing meat, poultry,dry  beans and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.

Remember: High fat intake, especially of saturated fats and cholesterol, is associated with such conditions as heart disease and high blood pressure. Although  other factors contribute to these diseases, such as heredity and smoking, following this dietary recommendation should increase the chances of staying healthy.

6. Manage Consumption of Carbohydrates

Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods are the sources of the most healthful carbohydrates. Avoid prepared foods high in added sugars.

Reducing refined sugars and starches in the diet has the added benefit of helping reduce tooth decay.

7. Manage Consumption of Sodium and Potassium

Consume less than 2,300 mg (approximately 1 tsp or 5 mL of salt) of sodium per day. Sodium appears to contribute to high blood pressure. For people who already have high blood pressure, it is especially important to cut down on sodium in the diet. The best ways to do this are to decrease the use of salt in the kitchen and at the table and to limit the intake of prepared foods that are high in salt, such as potato chips, salted nuts, pretzels, pickled foods ,cured meats ,and salty condiments like soy sauce.

Reduce the harmful effects of sodium by eating potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

8. Manage Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages

People who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation- defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

Alcoholic beverages are high in calories while providing few other nutrients.

Heavy drinking may cause a variety of serious diseases. Moderate drinking-one or two drinks a day-appears to do little harm and may, in fact, be of some benefit.

Many people, including children and adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, people taking medications that interact with alcohol, and people with certain medical conditions, should avoid alcohol completely.

In addition, alcoholic beverages should be avoided by people engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination, such as driving or operating machinery.

The foods we buy and consume have an impact on our economy as well as our environment and there is a growing concern about how the way we live affects our global environment. Two words that are growing in popularity are green and sustainability. They both refer to the idea that products can be high quality and good for the environment, or at least not harmful.

The cost of putting food on our tables has gone down over the past few decades, mostly due to advances in agricultural techniques that allow farms to produce massive amounts of crops and animals in less time or in smaller spaces. But there are questions about how this food production is affecting our planet. Fisheries are being over-fished, rain-forests are being destroyed to make way for food production, and fertilizer and pesticide use is increasing as farmland erosion occurs worldwide. Large-scale farming also relies on massive amounts of fossil fuels and water. Plus even more fuel is used to transport foods to the market

Some forms of agriculture are more sustainable. They pollute less, may be better for the environment and include more humane farming practices for food animals. You can support sustainable agriculture by following a few green tips for your diet. Here are some ways:

Support locally grown foods. Food grown close to home requires less fuel and other resources to get to your grocery store. Eating local is also a good way to support your local economy because you buy products produced by farmers who live in your area. You can also join a Community Supported Agriculture group in your area to make supporting nearby growers easy.

Eat less beef. Meat products require more resources to produce because the animals need to be fed until they are large enough for slaughter. It takes eight pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. From this perspective, chicken is a more sustainable choice because it takes about two pounds of grain to produce one pound of chicken. Fish and seafood require even less - about a pound in a half to produce a pound of farm raised fish.

Choose fish carefully. When you buy fish, you can choose either wild-caught fish or farm-raised fish. The most sustainable choices include farm-raised plant-eating species such as catfish, tilapia, and trout, which are grown in farm ponds that take up relatively small amounts of space and are quite productive. Wild-caught salmon and pollack from the Pacific ocean are also fairly sustainable, but farm-raised salmon and other carnivorous species such as tuna and sea bass are not as sustainable when compared to their plant-eating counterparts. Also avoid predator species such as swordfish, marlin, bluefin and albacore tuna.

Go organic. Plants that have been raised organically have not been exposed to artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Organically produced animal products such as milk, milk, eggs, poultry and seafood are produced from animals that have not been raised with growth hormones or given antibiotics. Organic foods are becoming more common in most grocery stores, just be sure to look for the “100% Organic” label on the product.

Read labels carefully. Some labels, such as the 100% organic labels are regulated, but words like natural and healthy aren’t regulated to mean anything specific. Other labels have low standards, for example free range chickens only need to be outside for five minutes each day. They can spend the rest of the day confined in small cages and still be considered to be free range. When you read the claims on food packaging labels, look for some indication of a certification from an organization - they’re more likely to be sustainable.

Grow your own foods. Depending on the time you have and the amount of land you own, you can grow some of your own food in a vegetable garden or possibly raise a few chickens for poultry and eggs. But even if you don’t have much space, you can still grow a few greens or tomatoes in a small container garden on your deck or if space is even tighter you can have a little herb garden in your kitchen.

Buy shade-grown, fair-trade products. Many of the regions where coffee and cocoa for chocolate are grown are suffering from loss of biodiversity as the forests are destroyed to produce cropland. Shade-grown, fair-trade products may be better for the environment and buying them helps to support small farm families who grow them.

Reuse grocery bags and containers. Many stores offer inexpensive but durable grocery bags that you can reuse every time you shop. Some stores offer incentives such as giving you a few cents off your order when you bring a bag back in. Reusing grocery bags cuts down on the number of plastic or paper bags that need to produced, and since most of them end up in the garbage, reusing garbage bags cuts back on litter and landfill use.

Filter your own water. Those plastic bottles of water may be convenient but they take a lot of resources to produce. And while some bottles are recycled, most end up in the trash. You’ll save money and help the environment by filtering your own tap water and reusing your own water bottles

Apart from breastmilk, no single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently. The nutritional value of a person’s diet depends on the overall balance of foods that is eaten over a period of time, as well as on the needs of the individual. A healthy diet is likely to include a large number or variety of foods, from each of the food groups, as this allows us to get all the nutrients that we need.

We need energy to live and this is provided by the carbohydrate, protein and fat in our diets. But the balance between these nutrients must be right for us to remain healthy. Getting the right amounts of vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and water is also important for health.

So what becomes as important as the type of foods we eat, is the amount and frequency that we include different foods in our diet. All foods can be part of a healthy diet, so you don’t have to give up the foods that are a real treat, as the key message is that it is the overall balance of foods that is important for health.

The food groups

We can think of all foods as belonging to one of five different food groups:

• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
• Fruit and vegetables
• Milk and dairy foods
• Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
• Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.

We will look at these food groups in more detail on the following pages, but let’s first think about the proportions of these food groups in our diet.

Our diets should be based on bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods and rich in fruit and vegetables. A variety of foods from these two groups should make up two-thirds of the food we eat. Most of the remaining third of the diet should be made up of milk and dairy foods, meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, with limited amounts of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar.

It might be helpful for you to think of your diet as a big plate, with sections representing the different food groups. This is the healthy eating model that we use in the UK to describe a healthy varied diet and it is called the eatwell plate.

You should aim to achieve this balance every day, although it is not necessary to achieve it at every meal.

This guide is appropriate for most people over the age of two years, including: vegetarians; people of all ethnic origins; people who are a healthy weight for their height as well as those who are overweight; and pregnant women. People under medical supervision or with special dietary requirements may want to check with their doctor if this general description of healthy eating applies to them.

Children under the age of two years have high energy needs compared to their size and capacity for food so some of the foods (especially those low in fat or high in fibre) included on the eatwell plate are not suitable for them. But between the ages of two and five years, children can make a gradual transition towards the type of diet depicted in the eatwell plate.

For most healthy people, eating a healthy varied diet will provide all the vitamins and minerals the body needs. There are certain times in our lives when we may benefit from taking supplements, e.g. when you are thinking about having a baby or when you get older and you need to take a vitamin D supplement. But you should remember that supplements cannot replace a healthy diet.

Here are two easy examples to help you see that by making very simple changes to your diet, you can easily achieve the right proportions of different food groups within a meal.

Pizza:

Pizza can contain ingredients from the four main food groups:

• A dough base – from the  bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods group
• Tomato puree and other vegetables such as mushrooms, sweetcorn and peppers – from the fruit and vegetable group
• A moderate amount of cheese, or low fat cheese - from the milk and dairy foods group
• A moderate amount of ham or tuna - from the meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein group.

Bacon sandwich:

A bacon sandwich can contain ingredients from three main food groups:

• Two slices of thick cut wholemeal bread – from the  bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods group
• Lean, grilled bacon – from the meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein group
• The sandwich can be filled with plenty of lettuce and tomato and served with a glass of pure fruit juice or a piece of fruit – from the fruit and vegetable group
• If served with a glass of low fat milk, all four groups would be met.

The Mediterranean diet is touted as among the world’s healthiest-and it’s perfect for an easy meal. Try these simple and delicious ways to serve up the best from Italy, France, Spain, Greece and the Middle East

The Mediterranean way of eating-lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs, grains and fish, with a little wine on the side-is a diet I’d choose through sheer love of the options alone, but it’s also very good for you. Research published in the British Medical Journal in September 2008 concluded it really is one of the world’s healthiest diets. The study found eating this way helps make the body less susceptible to major chronic diseases, including cancer. That has a lot to do with the powerhouse omega-3s found in this diet. And it doesn’t feel like a hardship to cut back on rich sauces and butter when you have beautiful relishes and delicious olive oil to enjoy.

The Mediterranean diet is not just about what you eat, but how you eat: It’s a way of living that encourages people to take more time to relax over meals. Studies say that’s good for us, too. Scientists suggest that gathering around the table to eat and giving yourself time to digest a meal before rushing off to the next thing are as important as the actual ingredients. And eating a platter of varied, delicious, fresh and healthy foods with family or friends lends itself perfectly to lingering over your meal.

Try these easy Mediterranean-inspired platters the next time you’re planning an alfresco gathering. Some of the ingredients you may have on hand, and others will offer a chance to add new life to your spice rack or pantry. The result is platters full of colours, contrasting textures and tastes that work together beautifully.

Cooking the Mediterranean way

• Use herbs, garlic and nuts generously, not just as a garnish.
• Use yogurt instead of cream in soups and on meats.

• Try grains such as couscous, polenta and bulghur instead of potatoes or white rice.

• Crush avocados, not butter, onto sourdough bread.
• Choose local, seasonal foods over processed.
• Get protein in the form of eggs and cheese.

• If you had a heavy lunch, stick to soup in the evening: a minestrone, pumpkin soup or gazpacho.

• Eat fish and seafood at least twice a week.

• Garnish meals with roasted cherry tomatoes, and relishes such as olive tapenade.
• Finish the meal with fresh fruit or a little cheese.

5 healthy Mediterranean platters

• Italian Riviera Platter
  Oven-warm frittata, a few slices of prosciutto and a mozzarella and tomato salad turn antipasto into a feast.
• Middle East Platter
  Make your own pita crisps to scoop up still-warm, creamy baba ghanouj (eggplant dip). Sumac is a wonderfully sour Middle Eastern spice that adds a lemony tang.
• Niçoise Platter
  When in doubt, opt for a niçoise salad, or a version thereof, for lunch or dinner. It appeals to almost everyone because it brilliantly combines a little bit of everything.
• Spanish Platter
  Garlicky shrimp, fruity roasted peppers and fat green olives turn your dinner table into a tapas bar.

• Greek Island Platter
Greek food is utterly delicious, but whenever I eat it at a restaurant I end up finishing everything on the table and waddling home clutching my stomach. This way I get to taste everything and stay within the limits of human consumption

In 1930, with the discovery of vitamins, scientists have understood what had happened and so the miller men began adding B vitamins to refined grain. So the obvious deficiencies have been corrected. More recently, scientists have recognized that many of our diets contain not enough folic acid, so in 1996 the public health authorities have imposed those from the milling industry to add folic acid to flour. But it will take a long time until the science will understand that this strategy of addition for the “wonder bread”, so as it was called by a nutritionist, will not resolve all issues generated from the refining of grain. Diseases caused by deficiencies are easier to follow and to be treated (the successful medicine in their treatment is an important element for the nutrition prestige) rather than chronic diseases and found that the refinement of carbohydrate is involved in the appearance of some chronic diseases- like diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancers.

The refined grain story is a parable about the reductionist science boundaries which are applied to something so complex as food. For several years, nutritionists know that a food rich in whole grains reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. (The statement remains valid even beyond the indication that people who eat more whole grains probably have a healthier lifestyle and other point of view) Different nutritionists have attributed the benefits of whole grains to different nutrients: fiber of bran, folic acid and other vitamin B from the germ, antioxidants and various minerals. In 2003, “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” published a non-reductionist study which demonstrates that benefits of whole grains can not be attributed to a single nutrient. The usual reductionist analysis of isolated nutriments could not explain the health improvement of whole grains consumers.

The epidemiologists David R. Jacobs and Lyn M. Steffen from the University of Minnesota has reread previous research and discovered ample evidence of the fact that a rich in whole grains diet reduces mortality which has different causes. Surprising was the fact that, after adjusting the levels of fibers, vitamin E, folic acid, fitic acid, iron, zinc, magnesium and manganese in food (all the benefits that we know about are found in whole grains) it has been discovered an additional benefit of consumption of whole grains, which couldn’t be attributed to any single nutrient nor their totality. So, subjects receiving the same amount of the listed nutrients, but from other sources were not as healthy as those who ate whole grains, “the analysis suggests that another element from the whole grains protects against death”. The authors concluded, somehow vague, but suggestive that “the various grains and their component act synergistically” and they have suggested to their colleagues to take into account the concept of “food synergy”. So here is an argument for a revolutionary idée in relation to the nutritional standards: it could happen that a whole product is much more than the amount of nutrients that it is made.

It is no need to tell you that the proposal was not enthusiastically received by the food industry and this thing is probably not happening anytime soon. Even while I write, Coca-Cola launches drinks full of vitamins, there is the concept of “wonder bread” for industrial food products in their ultimate state (wonder drink?). Since ever there have been invested large amounts of money for processed food and not in whole food marketing and probably the industry investment in a reductionist approach to nutrition is just one. The problem is that there is something in us that love carbs, and that something is the human brain. Human brain keens on to carbs that are reduced to their essence power, which is pure glucose. Once the industry discovered a way to transform the seeds of cereals in the chemical equivalent of sugar, there was no going back.

Price was heading towards an organic vision of food and health, being much ahead of its time. He understood that by eating we are bounding with the earth and its elements, as well as solar energy. “Dinner that I took tonight,” as he was saying in a lecture that he held in 1928, “was part of the sun with a few months ago. The food industry hides and diminishes these links. By stretching the Tropic chain, so that the population from the big cities can be nourished using far away soil, we violate the “laws of nature” at least twice: stealing nutrients from the soil in which plants were grown and then wasting them trough food processing. Unlike the indigenous populations studied by Price, which endeavored to return nutrients back to the local soils on which their entire existence depended, “our modern civilization returns extremely few nutrients compared to the quantities consumed”. Renner shows us how Price came to the conclusion that the food and health problem is actually an organic dysfunction. Destroying links between local soils, local food and local populations, the industrial system, it can not fulfill the biochemical requirements of the body, which, by not having time to adapt, will collapse.

Regardless whether or not you are willing to follow Dr. Price in his long journey, he and all other researchers of western diets from the twentieth century that have returned to the civilized world with the same simple conclusion, devastating and hard to resist: the human animal is adapted and apparently can prosper on the basis of extremely varied diets, but the Western diet, however you define it does not seem to be a part of them.

But the ecological critic of the industrial civilization that was promoted by Weston Price in 1930 hasn’t survived the Second World War.  The niche of this type of writings-in which Sir Howard and Lord Northbourne from England and the American agrarians took part- closed shortly after Price published “Nutrition and Physical degeneration” in 1939. Soon, people had to turn the back to the attacks on “industrial civilization”, on which their salvation depended in time of war. At the end of the war, the industrial civilization strengthens his position, becoming more confident.

The next consolidation was the agriculture industry (that had a benefit from the transformation of the mountains in soil fertilizers and toxic gas in pesticides) shortly the other types of agriculture disappeared. Weston Price and his colleagues who had studied the western diseases had been forgotten by now. No one was willing to look back or to recognize the wisdom of the primitive groups, moreover, they disappeared or were quickly assimilate, even Aborigines were moving to the city.

In terms of the Western diseases, these didn’t disappeared- immediately after the war the rates of heart disease have exploded-but now they remained to the responsibility of modern medicine and to the reductionist science.          The nourishment became a widely language accepted in discussion about nutrition and health. The industrial food chain would be brought up again late in the 60s along with the rise of organic agriculture.

Eventually, even the largest, most ambitious and most cited study on nutrition and health like Nurses’ Health Study, Women’s Health Initiative and almost all the other, leave the main features of Western food unaffected: many food products and processed meats, many added sugars and fats, except fruit, vegetables and whole grains. According to the nutritionist paradigm and the limits of reductionist science, most researchers are playing with various nutrients individually analyzed, but the subjects with whom they are working are ordinary Americans which are behaving like any ordinary American:          tries to eat smaller amounts of X nutrient and greater quantities of the Y nutrient according to the latest points of view from the nutrition field. But the global nourishment pattern is regarded as a “but” more or less invariable. Therefore probably it should not surprise us the fact that the results of these researches are so modest, equivocal and confuse.

But what about the obvious truth which nobody wants to talk about and what is the food model called Western diet? In the middle of all the nutritional confusion which is getting bigger and bigger, maybe it would be useful to take one step back and fix our eyes on this model, to review all that we know about the Western nutrition and its effects on health. We know that populations that eat like us, Westerners, register much higher rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity than those whit a traditionally diet. We also know that those who come to the Occident and behave and adopt our behavior food are quickly affected by these diseases and very often these diseases occur in an extremely virulent form, as happens in case of aboriginal and other indigenous peoples.

The story so-called Western diseases and their links with Western diet starts in the first decades of the twentieth century. At that time, some brave doctors, Europeans and Americans, working with various indigenous populations around the world have started to notice the virtual absence of chronic disease among these individuals, diseases that in fact had become current in the West. Albert Schweitzer in Africa and Denis P. Burkitt, Robert McCarrison in India, Samuel Hutton among Eskimos of Labrador, anthropologist Ales Hrdlicka among Native Americans and dentist Weston A Price in the middle of 12 different groups from all around the world (among the Peruvian Indians, aborigines from Australia and highlander from Switzerland) are drawn, all similar reports.

Researchers have developed lists, most published in medical journals, whit diseases which haven’t  been discovered on  indigenous populations that have been treated or studied: very few cases or no cases of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension or heart attack: no case of appendicitis , diverticulitis, deformed dental arches or tooth decay, no case of varicose veins, ulcers or hemorrhoids.

Suddenly, the researchers began to look all these conditions in a new light, just as it is shown by the name of “Western diseases” proposed for the affections by the British doctor Denis Burkitt, who worked in Africa during the Second World War. The formula suggested that these different diseases were somehow related and that probably had a common cause.

Leaving aside the causes of confusion, populations that eat according to the rules of traditional food culture, are generally much healthier than populations that have adopted contemporary Western diet. This is valid for Japanese cuisine and for other Asian cuisines, as well as for traditional food from Mexico, India and the Mediterranean regions, including France Italy and Greece. Probably there are some exceptions to this rule-for example lets think about my ancestors Eastern European Jews nutrition.

But who knows? You may find that chicken fat and duck fat are much healthier than expected now at the present. (Weston Price would not be at all surprised) I tend to believe that all traditional nourishments are healthy, otherwise, nutrition and population in question would have disappeared long ago.

Traditional nourishments have two dimensions- the consumed food and the way it is prepared- and it is possible that both can be equally important for our health. Let us talk first about the content of traditional food, regarding the form in the next section.

In some ways, traditional diets resemble other cultural autochthon creations, such as architecture. During a long process of trial and failure, cultures discover strategies that works- the best way to reconcile human needs with what nature can offer in a certain region.

Thus, as the inclination of a roof reflects the amount of rain or snow in that area, they are greater as a rainfall is more abundant, and the degree of seasoning in some kitchens reflects in another way the local climate. Spicy food helps people to face high temperature; also many spices have properties against germs, so essential in regions with a hot climate, where food can easily alter. According to research, the more the climate is warmer, the spicier are the local dishes.

Of course, traditional food concerns only health or biology, many of the culinary practices are arbitrary and possibly inappropriate, such as refined rice. Kitchens can have purely cultural functions, which is one of the ways by which a society expresses its identity and shows their differences in relation to other societies. (For example kashrus is a set of Jewish dietary laws that fulfill these functions for Jews respectively for Islam)

This would explain why traditional kitchens refuse changes; it is said that in an immigrant household, the last place you’ll find signs of assimilation is the storehouse. But as shown by food psychologist Paul Rozin, “aromatic principles” of a sustainable kitchen- Whether it is lemon and olive oil in Mediterranean, soy sauce and ginger in Asia or even the ketchup in America- allow that culture to assimilate new and useful food easier, which we might think they taste so completely foreign.

Yet, the act of eating is more than other cultural practices, deeply linked to nature-on one hand it is linked to the human biology, and on the other to the natural world. The specific food combinations of a certain kitchen and the food preparation methods are a source of knowledge stored in terms of diet, health and region. Many traditional culinary practices are the product of a biocultural evolution so the modern science is trying to decode its ingenuity.

In Latin America, corn is traditionally consumed in combination with beans; each of the two plants has a deficiency of a specific type of essential amino acid that is plenty contained in the other one; therefore, consumed together, corn and beans make up a balanced and no meat Menu. Also, in countries from Latin America, corn is milled or macerated with limestone to achieve to contain vitamin B, without which people will get sick of pellagra.

Often when a society adopted a new food, but without adopting the afferent culinary culture, as happened when the maize was brought to Europe, Africa and Asia, people got sick. The context in which a particular food is consumed can be as important as the food itself.