The original junk food was cultivated grain, that simple. Before there was bread and pasta made from wheat flour, or corn syrup secretly inserted into every grocery item at the market, or denatured white rice keeping the belly of a poor person full, or before when white potatoes were served at every fast food restaurant, there was hardly any obesity in the human race… and number of the diseases that accompany obesity were not astronomical as they are today.
Grain foods were a late addition to the human race’s diet. They were only hybridized from earlier crops as a cheap way to fill empty stomachs and keep one’s bodyweight up. In this era of surplus, abundance, and mastery over the earth, there’s no need to grow these foods for human consumption. The people have too much food, not too little.
Some might say wheat, rice, corn, and the like are part of a healthy diet, perhaps even the foundation of it. I say they are, at best, filler and at worst, hazardous. In my opinion, the American obesity epidemic can be attributed mostly to wheat flour and corn syrup. Rice is gluten-free and pretty neutral in nutritional value, and there are healthier things to eat.
The most researched and talked-about diet of 2013 and 2014 was the Paleo Diet, which is a throwback to the way cavemen ate before the advent of civilization, the cultivation of grain, and domestication of dairy animals. Paleo is by nature a diet low in refined sugars and starches, so it’s probably pretty good for you. It really is a step beyond the Low Carb Diet, as it restricts certain food groups, not just restricting total carb count.
Whereas the typical dieter would simply count carbs and calories, a Paleo dieter would not eat any dairy, beans, or grains, so their diet is low in total carbohydrate by nature. I think the evidence is overwhelming that low carb diets are better than low fat diets, and Paleo is a even more effective way to lose weight, heal disease, and fuel athletic performance.
Vegetables are man’s choicest foodstuffs and protein from animals that ate vegetables, such as wild-caught fish and organic eggs are vital to feeling good. Fruits, seeds, and nuts are also important. Dairy and grains were late additions to the human diet and should be eaten in moderation if at all. Humans evolved on natural foods for so long, and humans have been eating denatured, hybridized crops for so little time that there hasn’t been sufficient time to adapt to these junk foods. Grain is the foundation of all these unhealthy foods, and just by eliminating grain foods from your diet you can notice improvements.
The point is not to adhere to this dogma or that, but to do what’s best for yourself. You vote with your dollar bill, and I vote for a better nutrition for the world and I.