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As our seasons change to spring and summer, I look forward to shopping in the many farmers markets in our region. I’ve always been a fan and believe that health is even more important than financial wealth. As Dr. Hans Diehl said at a conference I attended: “Health isn’t everything, but without it everything is nothing.” I live by that notion, and thoroughly believe it.   

Farmers markets are open-air displays of the bounty we are so blessed to enjoy. (Did you know our state grows more than 400 types of crops and feeds much of the nation?) More important than the variety is the quality. In stall after stall, fruits, vegetables and other crops are displayed in their natural state — no additives or chemically induced changes that food often goes through in commercial processing. And chances are the food available in farmers markets was just picked from the field or off the vine that same day.   

Many farmers market vendors are certified by California or the USDA for using organic farming practices. That means they use only eco-friendly pest controls that protect water quality and preserve soils. Also, no growth hormones or antibiotics in meat and poultry. Organic farmers do not genetically modify their crops or add artificial flavors or colors. In short, they grow food or raise meat and poultry in ways that are healthy for the planet and for us. That’s something that’s becoming less true for commercial food production that relies more and more on industrial practices and chemistry to create what we eat.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that it has approved about 10,000 chemicals it considers safe for food production, but that includes at least 950 that are banned in Europe.  Reports I have seen show that Europe has only allowed 450 of these 10,000 in their food production and banned the rest.

The National Institute of Health estimates about half the calories we consume daily are from “ultra-processed” food that has been genetically altered in a laboratory to make it more appealing. Reports say that some food additives might cause an addiction of sorts that brings the consumer back to them time after time, even if they include empty calories with little nutritional value. I think it’s outrageous that what passes for “cheese-like” flavoring on crackers for example, is a yellow dye made from petroleum byproducts. Other artificial dyes become “frosting” on sugared-up breakfast cereal, which contributes to hyper-activity among kids. (Please reduce your consumption of processed breakfast cereals.)

Most scientific studies have not assessed the long-term consequences of eating genetically modified food. But researchers are discovering that the added sugar, fat and excessive use of seed-based oils in ultra-processed food are very effective in creating the addictions the lab scientists intended. This is troubling, but many pieces I’ve read suggest this to be true.

One of the nation’s most respected nutrition scientists at the NIH, Kevin Hall, has documented how our brain records the satisfaction of eating ultra-processed foods and how they create a “craving” for it. According to Hall’s research, that reward center in our brain wants us to be happy, and it reminds us of the foods that made us feel that way. As a result, chicken nuggets, potato chips and other fried foods, sugar-rich soft drinks and foods with artificial flavor can be as addictive as smoking and just as hard to quit.      

Have you noticed the increased obesity in our country — it affects one in three adults, according to a Kaiser Foundation study that covered 23 states — which leads to heart disease and diabetes? One of Hall’s projects published in the Journal of Nutrition found that people fed 500 calories a day of ultra-processed food gained two pounds per week, compared to a controlled group with a more nutritious diet where each person lost weight.

California already requires school lunches to be free of artificial dyes by 2028, along with 23 other states that have some bans of these dyes in effect. Washington, D.C., seems to be following suit. While I was finishing this column, the FDA announced it was revoking its prior approval for two artificial dyes and would work with the food industry to phase out six more by 2028 after linking them to hyperactivity and obesity. I ask, why wait til 2028? Good grief!

My choice is always as fresh and natural from the field as I can find. Sometimes that means from my very own back yard, where I grow a number of vegetables.

I want a healthy and energetic America, a bright and educated America, an America that is full of innovation in every category. Let’s make better choices for ourselves and our families.

Winnie Comstock-Carlson
President and Publisher

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