My garlic usually comes from China (who produces 80% of the global output) but recently it’s been Argentina, Mexico and Spain! If fossil fuelled transport and harvesting costs were realistically priced rather than being globally subsidised to the tune of $200 billion dollars a year, then local produce would be competitive and the community could benefit from local sales and increased employment (as long as outlet cartels were willing to buy local produce at a price that reflected the true worth of labour.)

Genetically modified organisms/foods (GMO) have also been developed with the intent of increased production and profits without there ever having been a long term study on the health effects of GMO foods. Most packaged foods have soy or corn additives (check the small print) and most of these will have come from genetically modified sources. Researchers affiliated with the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering concluded that:   

‘...the data — which Monsanto claimed proved the corn varieties were safe to eat — actually suggest potential kidney and liver problems ... as well as negative effects in the heart, adrenal glands, and spleen.’

There are currently 64 countries that require labelling of genetically engineered foods and the US is not one of them. Add to this the requirement of buying new seed every year and you get the Indian farmer dilemma which has allegedly resulted in 250,000 suicides in the last decade - although these figures have been refuted and the debate has become increasingly heated. Then there’s the Indian ‘cancer trains’ which trace back to an age of pesticide use which was at the time an essential part of the food production process.  

‘Using intricate, yet traditional crossbreeding techniques, experts have learned to develop multiple strains of "Green Super Rice" that's resistant to salt water, tough against droughts and able to produce above-average yield without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. The rice, which is environmentally safe, is specifically bred for taste and feel according to the region that it's grown in.’

Do we need or want more food at a cheaper price when the spin-offs are ‘plastic foods’ and diminished employment? If our health is directly influenced by the microbial content of our digestive tract then why should we eat foods that are sterilised, preserved, genetically modified, artificially flavoured and generally denatured?

Our health dictates our moods; overindulge in escapist revelry and the next day is forgotten. The strange thing is that those escapes may alter perspectives, or secure mateship bonds, or provide memories that ultimately make life more meaningful. Meaning is essential to life but so too is a ‘healthy’ lifestyle.

The last few decades have seen an increase in cancer rates that are predicted to continue, along with an epidemic of diabetes resulting from poor diet, excess body weight and physical inactivity.

 ‘Increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have led to obesity rates that have risen three-fold or more since 1980 ...The obesity epidemic is not restricted to industrialized societies; this increase is often faster in developing countries’

- World Health Organisation Report - 2003

Refined sugar stripped of nutrients leaches precious vitamins and minerals from the body, ultimately leading to multiple disease states while at the same time making us hungrier. Natural sugars like maple syrup, honey or unrefined sugar cane are better although still high in fructose.

Natural forms of salt (sea water) are essential for health and contain all the minerals and trace elements needed for tissue growth, but conversely refined Table Salt (sodium chloride plus additives) is extremely negative to health, damaging the circulatory, lymph and nervous systems, while also making us hungrier. The hamburger bun contains both refined sugar and refined salt and is designed to make us want another one.

Hunger sensations can be decreased by avoiding refined sugar and salt, and by increasing water intake, drinking green tea, eating dark chocolate, nuts, avocados, apples, oatmeal, oily fish, ginger, cinnamon, walnuts, chillies and many more nutrient rich foods.

Once hunger is controlled you can move on to eating naturally which includes intermittent periods of not eating (akin to fasting). Give the digestive system a break by only eating twice a day a couple of times a week. The body uses these breaks to strengthen the immune system by breaking down bad stuff and renewing the stem cells that are an essential part of longevity.

Refined sugar and salt increase our appetites while trans-fats are used to cut food processing costs; both deliver food industry profit which then has a spin-off in medical industry profit and leads into the hugely lucrative industry of patented pharmaceutical drugs.  

Natural practitioners, using time proven remedies, have a place among the marvels of modern medicine, especially so as the ‘baby boomers’ reach their use-by date. We need more health care practitioners and a greater knowledge of the complex and holistic nature of the human body. There is potentially a huge labour market for naturopaths, herbalists, acupuncturists, homeopaths, hypnotherapists, oriental medicine practitioners, chiropractors, massage therapists, yoga instructors, home care helpers, community welfare workers, fitness advisors, leech therapists (!), etc; to go alongside medical professionals - many of whom are overloaded with stress, excessive hours of service and the complications of pharmaceutical drugs that require further medication, and in most cases the eventual use of invasive surgical procedures.

In a Dan Rather interview (episode 524, AXS TV) on the subject of ‘Obamacare’ (The Patient Protection and  Affordable Care Act), Lew Morris, (Chief Counsel for the Office of Inspector General) envisioned that:

Under the new law-- drug companies, device companies, and others are going to have to publish on the website of the secretary all the payments they make to doctors. This will help beneficiaries understand what kind of payments their doctors are getting so they can have an informed discussion with the physician and ask, "Are you putting me on this drug because you're on the payroll of the pharmaceutical company or is it because you genuinely believe it's best for me?"

Contrary to popular understanding saturated fats from free ranging animals, lard from pigs, coconut oil and monounsaturated fats like olive oil actually quench the appetite and are good for you. But don’t let the fast food industry fool you with polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils which have been heated or processed and contain toxic trans-fatty acids which are the major cause of clogged arteries, heart problems and stroke.  

‘… most trans fat is formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. This partially hydrogenated oil is less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life.’

Trans-fatty acids are common in commercial cakes, cookies, pie crusts, potato chips, corn chips, popcorn, French fries, doughnuts, frozen pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, most margarine’s, and many more.