When we talk about ‘health’ we consider a number of key factors: diet, physical movement (exercise), stress (mental health), hygiene and  access to medical care, to name a few. The health of an individual is relative to that person’s social and biological circumstances, and therefore it is difficult to prescribe universal expectations to his or hers health. This is not to say that we do not need health standards. Instead, when we discuss the health of an individual or population, we must identify the main factors and restrain the tendency to make broad claims or general assumptions. That said, in my experience, diet, exercise and stress have impacted my sense of healthiness. In this second installment of “the 100-mile diet vs. world hunger,” let’s examine the nutritional argument against the 100-mile diet.

…my father grew up with a (wartime enforced) 100 mile diet. as a result, he has no memory of eating fruit at any point in his childhood, and rarely did they have greens- they just couldnt grow so far north. given the poor conditions, life expectancy was low, and my father lost all his teeth by his early 20s. a 100 mile diet is fine if you live in a temperate place like portland, but what if you live in northern scotland? or siberia?

Let me begin by stating that I am not a nutritionist (though I muse the idea of pursuing the degree.) My understanding of ‘health’ and ‘nutrition’ is minimal. Although, due to my strong interest in whole foods and animal fats, I have read more than some people on the nutrition of these particular items. And yes I have a bias.

With regard to my friend’s comment, my immediate reply is that I know little about her father and the details of his wartime experiences. I am sure he had a minimal variety of food options. I’m sure it was an awful time to be hungry and it’s clearly upsetting to hear of his deteriorating health (during that period.) At the same time, I have no idea what foods were local at that time and place. I assume the farming techniques included grass-fed beef,lamb and hog and the chickens were pasture-raised too. If this were true, then the butter, milk, cream and eggs that frequented his meals were actually rather healthy. In the frigid climates of Northern Scotland I imagine the winter storage room consisted of root vegetables and beer. I don’t know if the cold prevented kale, chard, spinach or collards from growing. I do believe that edible native species existed – plants with the proper nutrients that domesticated plants could not provide during the season. And there was definitely no fruit.

Last year when my wife and I lived by the 100-mile diet, we did not have fruit in the winter time – and we survived. If we live without fruit for many years during the coldest months, will our health be affected? I don’t know. As I said earlier, I cannot control all the variables that affect my lifestyle, even as they have influence on the results. During that fruitless season, we did have to “outsource” our vegetables. Without a proper cold storage unit we could not store produce for the winter. We did freeze some of the summer’s bounty and we learned how to can apple sauce, but we still relied on California’s humongous, year-round harvest.

Even without a chest freezer and a vast knowledge on preserving foods, we kept to the season’s bounty as best we could. This year we have the freezer and a temperate climate, but we are still learning how to preserve food.  That said, the ideal of eating seasonally limits our diets to whole foods that are grown fresh in the regional vicinity. When we consider “local food” we are thinking of local farms within 100-200 miles away. Consequently, we seek whole, fresh produce, farm fresh eggs and locally raised and butchered meat. Eating seasonally and thus locally, forces us to eat healthier meals. This is my main point. The time and energy devoted to finding (and eating) local and seasonal foods as well as native and edible plants, will surely improve our health in the long-term.

There is one other elephant in the room though and this is life expectancy. As my friend states, during her father’s wartime diet the life span of his peers was low. (Check out this chart to see the life expectancy of populations around the world today.) The debate over the length of one’s life is complex and getting rather controversial nowadays. In the context of accessing healthy foods, I believe everyone has the right to wholesome, seasonal and organically grown fruits, vegetables and meats. At the same time, we need to reform our definition of a “well-balanced meal” to better fit the climates and regions of the world. I want people to live long and healthy lives that are fueled by healthy food not junk food. For me, the question becomes this:

Should the length of our life be determined by eating healthy foods (whole foods especially) or by synthetic drugs of pharmaceutical making?

Please share your comments to this question as well as your thoughts on this issue in general.

Related posts:

1. The 100-Mile Diet vs. World Hunger (part 1)
2. The 100-Mile Diet vs. World Hunger (part 3)
3. The Elimination Diet and a Cleanse
4. The Menu Consultant
5. Good-Bye Grocery Store (part 1)

Tags: Food Politics, Grass-Fed, local food movement, Nutrition, seasonal eating