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Myth: Food Groups; Ideal Foods for Humans (WAS: Raw food groups)

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Hi Nick,

 

I'd be happy to help with this. I sense some confusion on your part

regarding roots. These are for transportation ... movement ... not primarily

for storage. Similarly, within plants, sap is for movement, not primarily

for storage.

 

In contrast, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are primary storage

locations (depending upon the type of plant) and are associated with

reproduction.

 

That a vegetable is located underground does not diminish its distinct

structure and function. Make sense?

 

By way of distinction, leaves are the factories, the locations in which most

of the awareness and metabolic work of the plant take place. Leaves are

vegetation, the food of true herbivores, not vegetables.

 

Regarding your initial question, from my perspective we serve ourselves best

by abandoning any notion of " food groups " . This conception was invented

circa 1947 by the chemical industry, via its food-processing and

agricultural subsidiaries and dependents, to protect themselves against the

effect of emerging research linking the consumption of animal foods with

death from heart disease. (Yep, ALL the way back then! :) As such, any such

notion connects us to a whole belief system contrary to Nature's design.

 

We humans are designed to eat, digest, and metabolize primarily

high-water-content, low-fat, low-protein foods. Our long digestive tract

mandates this, for foods that remain too long tend to ferment

(carbohydrates) and/or rot (proteins).

 

Fruits and green leaves top the list of such high-water-content foods. Some

people also consider (some of the) vegetables primary, as well. But many

vegetables are very high in starch, indigestible fiber, and/or irritants.

Examples include potatoes, cauliflower, and onions/garlic, respectively. I

do not perceive any of these as particularly constructive foods for our

species.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Best regards,

Elchanan

 

PS: I rather doubt that the local hillbillies serve as your best available

food-assessment resource. :)

_____

 

Nick Hein

Sunday, February 15, 2009 12:08 PM

 

Raw food groups

 

Good afternoon (EST),

Are there food groups for raw food - I was thinking that they might fall

into....

Fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, seeds, roots

 

And I've been thinking roots aren't getting the attention they deserve. They

taste really good this time of year, and they are available fresh/local.

Botanically I know that they are the plant's storage chamber for the coming

year. I also read a research article saying that root vegetables have been

found to be more common in early native diets than was previously known - as

if they liked them.

 

We have a local root plant called ramps (a local variety of wild leek that

can't be cultivated) that taste/feel great and have been a local tradition

for Spring cleansing - among the long-time local residents colloquially

known as hillbillies.

 

Nick Hein

Morgantown, WV

 

 

 

 

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Elchanan,

Thanks for your post, I really appreciate your direct and knowledgable comments.

I have to concede that I know little about our natural needs (which we evolved

to thrive on over millions of years without packaging or advertising to

recommend it). I had a salad last nite made entirely from shredded turnips and

parsnips.

 

I'd really just like to know if roots are sub-optimal, transitional, seasonally

ideal or generally ideal. My personal convictions are for minimizing food

transport as well as maximizing my benefit from eating it. I've seen

anthropological research showing that native cultures in our climate actually

really LIKED root crops and ate them even when more palatable (by our current

standards) crops were available. Additionally, in this part of the country

roots are the only vegetable I can see as being available local and fresh this

month.

 

As for the PS, I wasn't suggesting that anyone is the best food-assessment

resource. However, I think that ramps are interesting because this is one of

WV's only native, indigenous edible plants. They are a big deal with the

natives for a few weeks in March because they are cleansing. The fact that the

locals NEED cleansing because of poor food choices the rest of the year is a

topic for another time.

 

Also the word " hillbilly " is a little incendiary around here - not to the

hillbillies, but to the ones that live next to them and don't want to be grouped

with them. I think that's why we're called the Mountain State and not the hill

state :-)

 

Thanks again for your help in understanding and discovery.

Nick Hein

Morgantown, WV

 

 

 

-

Elchanan

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 4:07 PM

Myth: Food Groups; Ideal Foods for Humans (WAS: Raw

food groups)

 

 

Hi Nick,

 

I'd be happy to help with this. I sense some confusion on your part

regarding roots. These are for transportation ... movement ... not primarily

for storage. Similarly, within plants, sap is for movement, not primarily

for storage.

 

In contrast, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are primary storage

locations (depending upon the type of plant) and are associated with

reproduction.

 

That a vegetable is located underground does not diminish its distinct

structure and function. Make sense?

 

By way of distinction, leaves are the factories, the locations in which most

of the awareness and metabolic work of the plant take place. Leaves are

vegetation, the food of true herbivores, not vegetables.

 

Regarding your initial question, from my perspective we serve ourselves best

by abandoning any notion of " food groups " . This conception was invented

circa 1947 by the chemical industry, via its food-processing and

agricultural subsidiaries and dependents, to protect themselves against the

effect of emerging research linking the consumption of animal foods with

death from heart disease. (Yep, ALL the way back then! :) As such, any such

notion connects us to a whole belief system contrary to Nature's design.

 

We humans are designed to eat, digest, and metabolize primarily

high-water-content, low-fat, low-protein foods. Our long digestive tract

mandates this, for foods that remain too long tend to ferment

(carbohydrates) and/or rot (proteins).

 

Fruits and green leaves top the list of such high-water-content foods. Some

people also consider (some of the) vegetables primary, as well. But many

vegetables are very high in starch, indigestible fiber, and/or irritants.

Examples include potatoes, cauliflower, and onions/garlic, respectively. I

do not perceive any of these as particularly constructive foods for our

species.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Best regards,

Elchanan

 

PS: I rather doubt that the local hillbillies serve as your best available

food-assessment resource. :)

_____

 

Nick Hein

Sunday, February 15, 2009 12:08 PM

Raw food groups

 

Good afternoon (EST),

Are there food groups for raw food - I was thinking that they might fall

into....

Fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, seeds, roots

 

And I've been thinking roots aren't getting the attention they deserve. They

taste really good this time of year, and they are available fresh/local.

Botanically I know that they are the plant's storage chamber for the coming

year. I also read a research article saying that root vegetables have been

found to be more common in early native diets than was previously known - as

if they liked them.

 

We have a local root plant called ramps (a local variety of wild leek that

can't be cultivated) that taste/feel great and have been a local tradition

for Spring cleansing - among the long-time local residents colloquially

known as hillbillies.

 

Nick Hein

Morgantown, WV

 

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