Ultra-processed foods are considered “Safe” by our governing bodies at the Federal and State levels. These ultra-processed foods and the corporations that make them are essentially protected by “food safety laws”. These food safety laws probably originated for “good reasons” at the time. Unfortunately, like many laws, food safety laws have resulted in unintended consequences. The consolidation of our food system, controlled by just a few corporations, has resulted in an abundance of food-like substances that are Safe but Unhealthy.
A simple processed food example
In the graphic above, note that General Mills owns “Yoplait” Yogurt. In Nebraska, I cannot buy a nutrient-dense (Biblical) fermented food such as yogurt, from raw milk, at a grocery store. Our food safety laws prohibit the purchase of raw milk products at grocery stores. These same food safety laws do allow me to purchase what sounds like a healthy food called Yoplait Light Strawberry Fat Free Yogurt.
Safe food-like substances, with ingredients like those shown in the graphic above, didn’t kill me the moment I consumed them. Over time, it is “safe food” like this that resulted in a diagnosis of Acid Reflux, a diagnosis that the strongest pharmaceuticals could not handle. These safe foods were slowly killing me. Luckily, I was able to heal myself with real food, sourced locally. Raw milk was one of the key foods that allowed me to completely heal Acid Reflux. An Acid Reflux diagnosis that a conventional Medical Doctor told me I would have to take a pill for the rest of my life.
Safe Food Laws Unintended Consequences:
- Loss of Local Foods
- Local foods can’t compete with “safety” requirements.
- Loss of Local Food = Food Insecurity
- Local foods can’t compete with “safety” requirements.
- Huge-scale consolidated production, outside of God’s design, results in large foodborne illness outbreaks
- Ultra-processed foods contribute to the rise in chronic disease
The bottom line, we have an overall unsafe food system.
Questionable solutions to our “safe” but unhealthy food system
Most likely, if you are reading this blog post, you have figured out that “safe food-like substances” are actually not good for you. If you have a chronic disease, similar to what I had with gut dysbiosis (an out-of-balance gut microbiome), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will suggest you visit MyPlate Plan (USDA). Using the MyPlate Plan, the CDC indicates I can prevent and help cure chronic disease.
A so-called, Healthy MyPlate Plan from the USDA
The graphic below displays a “healthy” food plan the USDA has in store for a 60-year-old male weighing 170 lb. at 6′ 0″ tall, with a moderate activity level.
Using the above “MyPlate Plan” I went to The P:E Diet Calculator and selected 20 food items that I would readily eat to fill each section of MyPlate shown above. I tried to pick items as described under each section. After right-sizing the 20 food items to match the sizes recommended for each section, I list below the percent of my final 2600-calorie daily diet by the three major macros:
- 15% Protein
- 31% Fat
- 54% Carbohydrates
When I enter the resulting information into the Protein to Energy Ratio Calculator, MyPlate Plan results in a P:E ratio of 0.28 and squarely places my “healthy” diet in the “FAT GAIN” section of the chart shown below. Fat Gain was not a “healthy alternative” I was looking for when I was looking to improve my diet.
So what is the solution to the challenges of eating a safe & healthy diet?
Currently, there is no simple answer to this question, but yet, in some way, there is a simple answer. We are all a little unique in what kinds of foods we can tolerate, especially if we have a disrupted gut/microbiome. It is time for us to listen to our bodies and regain our God given ability to discern nutritional wisdom. Through this blog and our newsletters, we have shared resources that we have found useful in our journey. Remember that every bite you take is a vote for the kind of food system you want to support. Rebuilding a vibrant local food system will go a long way in curing many of our nation’s problems. Here are a few quick resources to jump-start or continue your journey to better and safer health: