After Thanksgiving, a fellow gym rat confessed they didn't want to read my latest article because he cheated a lot. Wow, it dawned on me that all I do is report the unholy modifications Big Food makes to your beloved food supply – food that sustains you mentally, physically and spiritually on life's journey. So, how do I get your attention when we so desperately need a change?
Yes, I'm the classic, passionate food nut who deeply cares for each and every one of you. It crushes my heart observing someone suffering needlessly from chronic disease while they plow through a bucket of KFC. But, letting go isn't easy since becoming obese, sick, and pooped all the time isn't entirely your fault! The only thing you've done wrong is to blindly trust authority. Big Foods' embarrassing attempt to become a nation's nutritionist is a folly.
At the turn of the century, some mastermind made a sweeping decision that pharmaceutical drugs, not Heaven’s apothecary would guide the course of a great nation's health. Billions of dollars later, we're sicker and fatter, less than whole. Prescription drugs do have a place, but shouldn't be a crutch for someone who could have avoided a potential health problem with educated dietary behavior.
My parents said, "Aw, go ahead, eat anything. Your body will handle all of it." Looking around, it doesn't appear the philosophy panned out. In fact, the myth has proven disastrous to a nation's collective health and happiness. You can only toss alien, factory foods into your sacred temple for so long before it rebels. Do you pump diesel into your gasoline-powered car?
Every time you eat or drink, you're either feeding or fighting disease, so you must learn to choose wisely, my friends. You're a valuable, however perishable item, so you must live accordingly by honoring your temple, the home of your soul. Any responsible health care worker will tell you proper nutrition is an instrumental component in the healing process. Your diet plays a huge part in your overall health. If you eat Little Debbie's every meal you'll not only feel worse than a person who eats properly, but your overall health will feel the pain.
If you are sick, remember that eating the same dead food over and over again and expecting disease to pass you by because you take pharmaceutical drugs is, well, a little nutso; you’re only playing into the hands of monsters who gleefully profit from your needless suffering. Truly heartbreaking.
My mentor, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, expressed it perfectly in 400 BC, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." What happened? We trusted the wrong folks like Tony the Tiger, Aunt Jemima, and Betty Crocker. Anyone note the irony that the Poppin' Fresh Doughboy is obese? Love yourself enough to end the suffering. Then, will someone remind Big Pharma of the Hippocratic Corpus: "first do no harm."
Chef Wendell hosts Eat Right Now on WISH TV 8 CBS Indianapolis. He can be reached at 317-372-2592 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Visit his website at Chefwendell.com.