Chapter 2
Diet and Lifestyle
Western Diet and Lifestyle
Today, we rarely sit down and enjoy a relaxed meal. Eating on the run, at our desk, or in the car is now the norm. Everything about the average twenty-first century Western lifestyle is fast, and that includes our approach to food.
Unfortunately, we now know that the breakneck pace at which many rush through life is not only stressful, but is also causing major health problems. It has been estimated that around 75 percent of all visits to doctors are due to stress-related ailments and disorders.
It is also a sad fact that the typical modern Western diet is not something to feel proud of. In fact, the words "Western diet" are now synonymous with negative health effects. For us, the term "Western diet" encompasses not just the types of food that are commonly consumed, but also the way in which they are eaten. A culture of fast food pervades throughout the Western world; fast-food restaurants are big business and if you don't have time to stop you can "drive through" to make it even quicker. Superstores have a "fast lane," you can buy "express coffee," and you can make a "meal in a minute" at the touch of a button.
Health Risks and the Western Diet
The fast-paced Western way of life and digestive disorders often go hand in hand. Eating on the run or in a stressful, hurried state can wreak havoc on your digestion, which in turn can have an impact on your overall health.
Health risks associated with the under-performing Western diet go even further, and we now know that dietary factors have a role to play in some cancers and many other chronic diseases.
The simple fact is that most people are already well aware that the typical Western diet and lifestyle don't bring out the best in us, or support optimal health and wellbeing. We also know that many people want to make changes but struggle to know what to do and how to put these changes into practice, surrounded by a sea of confusing and conflicting information. We know that there is a multitude of different "diets" and "diet foods" on offer, perhaps more than ever before, yet we are still set on the same course, sailing right into the eye of an obesity storm.
Your Health History
Your current health is a product not just of your own dietary choices but also of the choices of your parents, grandparents, and maybe even their ancestors too. Your food choices might well have an impact not just on the health of your children, but on that of your grandchildren and perhaps even on the health of your grandchildren's offspring. Now is the time to bring the focus right back to good nutrition and to make changes to benefit your own health and that of future generations.
The positive message sitting at the sometimes sharp, uncomfortable edge of all of this is that while food may well be working against many of us at the moment, it is completely possible to shift your dietary patterns toward those that work for you again. You can move toward ways of eating that promote optimal health and longevity, significantly reduce the risks of common chronic diseases, and that actively seek to promote an overall sense of wellbeing. You just need to decide to take the first step in a new direction and, if you take a look around, you will notice that others are starting to do the same.
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
LAO TZU
Slow Food
In 1986, "Slow Food" emerged in Italy, an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini to resist the opening of a fast-food outlet on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, with the ethos that "everyone has a right to good, clean, and fair food," the group now has branches in over 150 countries, and continues to grow (fast!). The idea of fast food is anathema to the traditional Mediterranean way of life, where every meal is a social, colorful, ceremonious feast where local artisan food producers are celebrated, and where consumers can be in touch with the origins of their food. Even the process of choosing food at the local market is a ritualistic and sociable event. This is, we believe, what real food is about.
A Very Short History of Diet
How have we arrived at this place where food choices and the way we involve food in our lives seem to be working against us, rather than with us?
If you journey back to the beginning of humankind's relationship with food, you will find that hunting and gathering was a central part of life and that daily "work" focused on finding food and other elements essential for survival. The hunter-gatherer concept of sharing-that is, the giving of something without immediate expectation of return-was a core value for early tribes. The hunter-gatherer mentality was gradually replaced by agriculture and animal husbandry. The Industrial Revolution, which took place some 250 years ago, brought about further changes, which increased food production and processing. In more recent years, we have seen significant changes in the way food is produced, with widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers in farming, increased refining and processing of foodstuffs, and technological advances that have disrupted the natural food chain. Social attitudes toward food have also changed dramatically over the years. Many couples and families now struggle to find the time to share meals together. Precious communication around the table each day is sadly no longer the norm and the maxim that "families that eat together, stay together" has been forgotten. For most people, the deep-rooted connection to food with which we evolved has also disappeared.
There is some debate that these dietary and social changes have happened too quickly from an evolutionary perspective, leaving our bodies unable to adapt successfully, and so causing health problems. Perhaps it is time to question whether we really want to adapt to the diet and lifestyle changes that are happening around us and that mainly serve to disconnect us from real food and our original hunter-gatherer instincts.
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots."
MARCUS GARVEY
For hunter-gatherers, food represents much more than a collection of nutrients on a plate. Food is sacred nourishment, and the act of eating nurtures a strong spiritual connection between those who share a meal. Hunter-gatherers revere food and give thanks for every meal.
Unlike the contemporary Western relationship with food, hunting and gathering is a way of life that has profound meaning for its practitioners. Hunter-gatherers have a strong and ever-present connection to the land, an unbreakable bond that gives this way of life such a strong sense of meaning. Perhaps it is time to reconnect with our hunter-gatherer roots.
Mindful Practice
The next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to think about the different ingredients that have come together just to make this one dish. Now take this thought exercise one step further.
How would you go about producing this meal and all its ingredients completely from scratch? What would that involve? Hunting? Farming? Growing? Processing? How long would it take? What space, equipment, and materials would you need? Would you need any help?
From this space you can start to acknowledge the collective effort that goes into your food and also start to nurture a connection to where your food has really come from (i.e. the soil not the supermarket). Finally, think about who and what you would give thanks to for each individual part of your meal.
Next time you tell yourself that you don't have time to sit down and eat, be it on your own or with others, think back to this exercise and about the collective time, effort, and wisdom that goes into your food.
CAMPFIRE FISH SERVED WITH HERB DRESSING AND SLOW-BAKED SWEET POTATO
Connect to your roots with this simple dish that gives campfire cooking a nutritious twist.
SERVES 4
Pan-Fried White Fish and Baked Sweet Potato
4 thick, skinless white fish fillets
3 sweet potatoes
olive oil
salad leaves, such as rocket or watercress
Place the sweet potatoes directly into the coals of your campfire. Remove after approximately 1 hour. Scrape the flesh out of the skins and mash together with some olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Discard the skins.
Pour a dash of olive oil into a frying pan and place on a cooking grate over the campfire. Heat the oil and add the fish fillets. The heat will be less direct than on a hob so they will likely take longer to cook. Turn them over regularly. When the meat is a shiny, white color and readily flakes, your fish is ready to eat.
Serve on a bed of sweet potato mash, topped with herb dressing and accompanied by the fresh salad leaves.
Herb Dressing
handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems discarded
2 large garlic cloves
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
large pinch of dried chili flakes
Put the parsley, garlic, oil, oregano, cumin, and chili in a cup and blend with a stick blender until the herbs are finely chopped and combined.
Finding a New Way Forward
It is tempting to look for a quick-fix solution to this long-standing problem, which we now know has taken many years to become fully ingrained in our lives....
