What's Old Is New Again

I have a theory that diversity of diet is part of the problem. While researchers look for the specific compounds that trigger different cancers and diseases, I'd suggest that the root cause is more about non-indigenous foods.

One of the oldest sayings I remember is "you are what you eat". Maybe that has something to do with geography, too. Italians (in Italy) eat olive oil, tomatoes, and other Italian foods. Norwegians and Japanese eat lots of fish. Here in the Midwest, I can eat any kind of food I want, from greasy fast food to top-shelf French cuisine. Even as far as I am from Chicago, I can get some of the best Thai food I've ever had any time I want. We're pretty far from an ocean, yet we can get decent sushi.

This is an extravagance and I am well aware of it. Yesterday, I heard an interview with a guy that eats nothing but Mars (candy) bars every day. He does take some vitamin supplements, but other than that, only candy bars (10-12 a day). Despite the obvious concerns, his doctor claims he's in excellent health. Also, there's a guy in Wisconsin that eats two Big Macs every day. He may or may not eat other stuff, but he never misses the Big Macs. His doctor, also, gives him a nearly perfect bill of health.

Now, I see that these two are anomalies, but my theory is only begun here. My grandpa smoked (a LOT) and drank pretty hard his whole life. Sure, his lungs are in rough shape at nearly 90 years of age. His liver has held up, though, and cancer never entered the equation. On the one hand, he likely has a stellar genetic composition. On the other hand, his diet was very simple. I'd guess the majority of meals in his entire life were ham and butter sandwiches.

My dog eats the same food every day and does not fluctuate in weight or health unless we change something like food brand or exercise. She'd love to eat whatever we're eating instead because it smells good to her, but I wouldn't give her what we eat because I know it would be more detrimental than good. Hm.

The latest trends in food, both in grocery stores and restaurants, is to use organic and locally-sourced foods as much as possible. So here we are, in the age of information and manufacturing, moving forward by going back to how we did things before the age of information and manufacturing. Pre-chemical and pre-transcontinental cartage. We're paying a premium to eat what we have around us.

Eh, who am I fooling? I love the variety.