* This is part of a year-long series called "52 Weeks to Eating better than Ever". Click on the side bar for more information and to read the previous essays.
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In general, we want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and fish, with some light dairy, beans, and whole grains.  Sticking to the aisles is a good way to do that, and as a result:

• Eat more nutrients 
• Eat healthier food 
• Eat fresher food &
• Consumer fewer calories….

 
The next time you go to the grocery store, hang a right and head straight for the produce- plums, watermelons, and berries, sweet potatoes, corn, and broccoli.  Some multi-grain bread, with live grains, if you like.  But take a look in the middle of the store as you’re doing that.  You may need to slip in for some oatmeal, some canned vegetables or beans, some spices, or oils.  But overall, bypass most of that inner store junk food- the chips, crackers, processed cakes and so on.  Most of the healthy things in the grocery store are on the outside.  It’s not a black and white rule, but it’s a good plan overall and you know by now, little things add up quickly.  

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What is Postmodernism?
 
Everyone should know what postmodernism is, because we live in a postmodern world.  
 
The premodern world was tribal, communal, and all individuals were embedded in a cultural situation.  
 
The modern world saw the onset of individualism and utopianism (anything is possible and humanity can be perfected), which led to many pathological ideologies like fascism, communism, and eugenics.  
 
People in the modern world believed that they could create a type of heaven on earth, a utopia.  Some people in our current postmodern world still have premodern and modern beliefs and systems of thinking, but the culture we live in is predominately postmodern.  
 
If I had to sum up postmodernism, I would characterize it with this simple phrase:
 
Nothing is true and nothing means anything.    
 
We have all been conditioned to think this way, whether we realize it or not.
 
Postmodernism also has these characteristics:
 

• Epistemological and moral relativism- This basically means that nothing is true, or better, either in values, morals, or even in science, denying the existence of truth in any realm.
• Pluralism- coexistence.  
• Irreverence– complete commitment to ironic distance, and profane (anti-sacred) ways of living.  
• Self-Referentiality– every person is his own god and judge of what is right and wrong. 

 
At first glance, this postmodernism doesn’t look too bad in some ways, in that it appears to be laisse faire- live and let live, especially the pluralism.  It would be more acceptable if it really were this way.  The problem with postmodernism is that instead of a true and tolerant plurality developing, it often makes it impossible to build agreement and it fragments the social world, as people retreat into various camps.  Postmodern people have not changed human nature, they have only retreated into tribes and into increasing social isolation.  This is one reason conflict has increased so much politically in the US.  
 
Postmodernism is leading to a conflict in the US between cultural forces and anti-cultural forces, which don’t cut clearly down any one political line, and which many people are not even aware is happening. 

The end of history will be a very sad time. The struggle for recognition, the willingness to risk one’s life for a purely abstract goal, the worldwide struggle that called forth daring, courage, imagination, and idealism, will be replaced by economic calculation, the endless solving of technical problems, environmental concerns, and the satisfaction of sophisticated consumer demands. In the post-historical period there will be neither art nor philosophy, just the perpetual catering of the museum of human history. 
 
– Francis Fukayama, The End of History
 
The quote above by Francis Fukayama in his famous book, The End of History, is telling.  Many naïve people believed that with limitless diversions, humans would drift into a postmodern bliss of tolerance and freedom, thus “ending history”.  The opposite is happening, as the world is beginning to be made anew, with a slow re-enchantment of pious devotions to things bigger than the self, and a gnashing for meaning.  
 
Many people don’t want to live meaningless, masturbatory lives.  They want to care about things, that make life worth living. Postmodernism is the embodiment of a doomed system, a faulty way of looking at the world.  It is an anti-culture that doesn’t support human life, and like a 3-legged table with enough weight it will collapse.   Real people make real cultures, so an anti-culture cannot last over the long haul. Any true culture must confront an anti-culture, by its very nature.  
 
Perhaps in the future, every one of us postmodern people will come to the table again and start to discuss what is good, true, and beautiful and then discuss how to proceed accordingly.  And make a new and healthy culture by keeping the best of the old ways, and reforming the rest.  If we don’t the future may not be happy and free.  Awareness is a good first step. 

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* This is part of a year-long series called "52 Weeks to Eating better than Ever". Click on the side bar for more information and to read the previous essays.

When was the last time you set the table?  It’s not as common as it used to be, for certain.  I can remember growing up we did set the table in the evening, but it became less common over time.  This is important, because as formality has declined in our culture, obesity and poor eating habits have risen and I believe there is a connection.  Mindless and sloppy eating increases caloric intake, decreases food quality, and lowers the overall standards in the way we approach food. 
 
One major task we have in our efforts to eat healthier is to raise awareness, to raise consciousness, and to elevate the experience of eating back to its due importance.  And I’m talking about the whole aspect, from farm to table, and not neglecting the table.  Setting the table is a good metaphor for being more aware of what it is we are doing when we eat.  It’s not something you would typically think of, but increasing the formality with which we approach food can help us eat better.  Setting the table, so to speak, creates more order in the experience.  It raises our mindfulness, and that’s important because mindless eating often means poor health.
 
We get angry, so we eat junk food to feel better.  We plan our day poorly, so we’re starving and have nothing to eat at home and so we get fast food instead.  After a long day, we reach straight for the bag of chips to feel better.  We stuff our face quickly, gorging ourselves, not even taking the time to enjoy eating.  We drink to avoid dealing with problems, and the problems never go away.  These are all common experiences we have with eating (and drinking).
 
I’m not recommending that we need to necessarily have a complicated and stuffy type of formality when we eat, but I am recommending slowing down and preparing a meal in a proper way.  This slowing down can give us a chance to catch up with other people, enjoy our food, and eat less.  We aren’t animals and we don’t have to act like it when we eat, slopping our way quickly through a messy meal.  Let’s plan a meal, set the table a bit, and sit down and savor and enjoy it.  Let’s take our time.  
 
We are all ritual creatures, there’s no way to escape it.  Even though life is much less formal and prescribed than it once was, it is still a series of rituals.  We shake hands, we go to work, we put on clothes, we address people in a certain way, we dress the way we dress.  The man or woman who “doesn’t care about rituals” even has a ritual – that of not caring about rituals!  Even if we have rituals that are doing us harm, they are still rituals.  Why not have healthy rituals?  
 
Setting the table needs to make a comeback because it raises our lifestyle to a healthier and higher level. It reinforces the idea that food and eating are important, and that breaking bread is a special form of communion. This has nothing to do with pretense and everything to do with keeping our dignity, sanity, and health.  It creates order out of chaos, and chisels out a joyful moment in a day that may or may not have been so joyous.  Set the table, serve a healthy meal, and then sit back and enjoy.  
 
Read next: The "Religion of Health"

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* This is part of a year-long series called "52 Weeks to Eating better than Ever". Click on the side bar for more information and to read the previous essays.
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The first rule of good medicine is to “do no harm”, and food is our best medicine.  In general, I want you to minimize the additives and preservatives you consume.  One of our main tasks with this series of essays on eating has been to simplify the approach to eating better.  We are learning to KISS- Keep It Simple & Short. If it’s not natural and if it’s processed, try to avoid it, and this includes additives and preservatives, and pesticides too.  It’s not the end of the world if you have the occasional Diet soda, birthday cake, or Cheetoh’s.  But look at that type of food as a rare thing.  Avoid all the extras most all of the time.  
 
It’s not that every additive and preservative is always harmful, not in the least.  They have both played a key role in survival and in making food taste better.  Where would we be without salt?  But in general, we want to eat for health, and not waste calories and intake on things which are not nutrient dense, on one hand, and may have harmful side effects on the other.  If there is a proven downside, risk, or even a potential risk, why not minimize it? It makes sense.
 
Preservatives and additives have been around forever.  Think about it.  Humans have been using salt, vinegar, and sugar to change and preserve food forever. Food colorings and other chemical substances added to increase the shelf life and taste of food are much newer. That being said, they aren’t all bad. But consider this scenario. You’re in a gas station on a 4-hour trip, and you’re starving.  Gas station food is notoriously unhealthy, so what are you going to choose?
            

• Worst choice: A regular soda and a pack of chips- No nutritional content, high sugar, high sodium, high fat. 

 

• Next worse choice: A regular soda and peanuts- Good fats, but high in sugar, sodium, and preservatives.  

 

• Good choice (tie): A diet soda and a pack of peanuts- High in preservatives, some caffeine, artificial sugar, and sodium.  But healthy fats and no sugar, better than juice for weight loss. 

 

• Good choice (tie):  A regular juice and peanuts- High in sugar and sodium, but low in preservatives, and high in good fat.  Not as good when trying to lose weight.  

 

• Best choice: A bottled water, a banana, and peanuts- Low in calories, low in preservatives, and high in nutrients, hydration, and good fat.  

 

• Possible best choice-  Don’t eat at all.  No calories, no preservatives, but no nutrients.  Wait until you find a healthy place to eat.  *Warning, may cause disorientation and bad driving.  

 
Again, it’s not that you can never have processed food or food containing food coloring or preservatives, but cut way back.  Minimize those things, or if you can eliminate them from what you regularly eat. When you buy fruit or veggies, wash them before you eat them, and buy organic if you can afford it.  
 
In another common example, it’s best to choose breads which are made fresh, or which you buy frozen. Check the ingredients.  If you can’t pronounce it, it may not be the best choice!
 
Here are some other facts about preservatives:

• Food coloring has been inconclusively linked to asthma and hyperactivity. Limit.
• High fructose corn syrup is not necessarily any worse than any other type of sugar, but it’s still sugar, which can cause health problems. Limit your sugar intake.  
• Aspartame has been studied at length and found to be safe, but then again, why push the envelope if you don’t know for certain. Moderation is sound and Stevia is an all-natural substitute, but try to break the addiction to sweet, real or artificial. 
• MSG- a form of glutamate, which occurs naturally, and serves to add flavor.  Some people swear they are allergic to it, but the evidence is slim.  Proceed with caution.  
• Sodium Benzoate- A food additive preservative. Inconclusive findings but avoid if possible.  It may cause hyperactivity in children. 
• Nitrates are preservatives for meat, which are associated with cancer, though the link is inconclusive.  Avoid if possible.
• Trans fats are one of the worst things you can eat.  Avoid at all costs, and check food labels.  Restaurants serve fried foods, baked foods, and deserts which may be high in trans fats.  
• Sulfites are a preservative found in wine, and in certain types of juices.  Probably safe, but may cause allergic reactions.  I have had certain wines cause this.
• Pesticides are made to kill things.  Why would we want to ingest them?

So, the philosophy is simple, when it comes to additives and preservatives:
 
Choose foods that are unrefined and unaltered most all the time because you’ll get more nutrient density and less chance of harm.

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