Chapter 2.4 From Scarce to Superabundant

The way we view and interact with food has changed significantly over the past few generations. While it is not surprising that our perceptions of food have evolved from those of our ancestors, the extent to which they have shifted is startling. Our modern relationship with food, particularly when it comes to food security, would likely be incomprehensible to our great grandparents.

For most of the history of the human race food security was one of the top concerns of just about every man and woman alive. This was because food was a perishable, finite and scarce resource. These facts manifested itself in the cycles of ‘feast and famine’ that most societies went through on a regular basis. The feast part of the cycle usually coincided with harvest time or the conclusion of the hunt. People would very often eat to excess at these times as they knew that the lean times were on their way. Lean times did indeed appear with clockwork-like regularity. They could normally be traced back to:

• Changes in the season
• Failed harvests or hunts
• The inability to keep food from spoiling
• Ongoing struggles to move food from places where it was plentiful to where it was not

The fact that food was scarce inevitably led to it being viewed as a precious commodity that should be used wisely. This does not mean that previous generations were ‘food saints’, they did however strive to use the food they had in the best possible ways. These included:

• Using as much of a particular food source as possible
• Efforts to minimize waste. “Waste not, want not!”
• Adjusting consumption patterns to coincide with times, particularly certain seasons, when certain food sources were plentiful.

All of the above factors often translate into remarkably healthy eating patterns, especially when you consider that very few people had the opportunities for the kinds of overindulgence that are so prevalent in modern society.

It is, of course, no secret that the consumption patterns discussed above belong firmly in the past for most people. There are several reasons behind this shift:

• Improved transport links shrank the world to such an extent that we now think nothing of eating food produced in several different countries with almost every meal.
• Pesticides and fertilizers dramatically increased agricultural yields. This did not come without a price tag attached – as was noted in the previous section.
• Greenhouse and cooling technology allow us to virtually eliminate seasonality. We can now eat anything, anytime, anywhere.
• Industrial production methods were increasingly applied to every step of the food production process. This is nowhere more apparent than in the so-called ‘fast food’ industry where every step of the production chain is automated in the service of producing super cheap, and superabundant, food.

The purpose of this section is not to romanticize and glorify the past. No one in his or her right mind would choose to live in a society where the majority of people are not certain where the next meal will come from. The fact is, however, that the superabundance of food that most North Americans currently experience did not come without some severe consequences. The most damaging of these consequences is the devaluing of food in our culture. The perception that food is ‘just there’, and not a valuable resource, led to many people being much more careless in thinking about what they put in their mouths and what it is likely to do to them.

The problem is compounded even further, especially from the perspective of those who battle the effects of ADD/ADHD, by the fact that the types of food that lend themselves to successful mass production are often exactly the types of foods that should be avoided. The best way to confirm this is to pay a little visit to just about any ‘fast food’ outlet. The products on display are the result of intensive industrially inspired production and preparation methods. They are also very likely to be high in saturated fats, high on the Glycemic Index, and filled with preservatives and other additives.

It is perhaps quite easy to decry the effects of food superabundance. It is, however, much more difficult to decide what to do about it. It would surely not be advisable to wish for a return to the kind of ‘hand to mouth’ existence that many previous generations were used to. We should however recognize the fact that having so much more than what we really need is harming us in some subtle, and not so subtle, ways. Our response to this recognition should translate into some practical steps on the road towards enjoying the abundance around us without being seduced into patterns of consumption that could be very harmful over the long run. The next section will focus on ways in which this can be achieved. 

How to know if you are a ‘victim of superabundance’…

Food superabundance has a particularly negative effect on those struggling with the effects of ADD/ADHD as the kinds of food that are the most abundant are often precisely the kinds of food that should be avoided because of their effects on human attention and brain function. So how to best live in this world where it is much easier to be a contented ‘grazer’ than the ‘lean mean hunting machines’ that we were designed to be? Some suggestions for doing so are the following:

Listen to your body: Our bodies have very specific ways of reacting to the oversupply of food. The most obvious sign that you are overindulging is obviously the one that you see as you get on the bathroom scale every morning! The signals that your body are sending goes way beyond weight gain however. The following can sometimes (although not necessarily always) be messages from your body that you should change your eating patterns:

A bad taste in the mouth: This can often be due to the prolonging of the digestive process due to excessive amounts of food.

Heartburn: Heartburn could have many underlying reasons but can in many cases be blamed on overeating.

A heavily coated tongue: A coated tongue can often be nature’s way of signaling the fact that the nutritional system is overcrowded and that intake should be reduced. This is because it is an indication that the tongue has been ‘roped in’ to assist with the dispatch of waste products.

A ‘muddy’ skin: This occurs with ‘big league’ overeating and is a sign that the body has to get rid of so much waste products that it attempts to release some of it through the skin! 

Dull eyes: If too much bile is released into the bloodstream it can affect the whites of the eyes, usually by making it dull or giving it a greenish tinge. 

It should be emphasized again that all of the symptoms mentioned above can have causes other than overeating. The point is, however, that excessive food intake should at least be considered as an option if you experience any of them. 

Avoid the Temples of Superabundance

One of the most visible results of the food superabundance in our society is the proliferation of ‘fast food’ outlets. It is no secret that many of these establishments work on the principle of the lowest common denominator by offering the largest possible portions at the lowest possible price. This is mostly done at the expense of quality and nutritional value. It does not make sense to ‘rejoice’ in the fact that you got so much food for so little if you have to count the cost in terms of negative nutritional and emotional outcomes afterwards. I realize that going out for ‘fast food’ is almost a ritual in our society but we really need to begin counting the cost of this habit. This is especially true in the case of families who are struggling with the management of ADD/ADHD in one of its members. The average fast food meal could almost have been custom designed to exacerbate ADD/ADHD as it usually contains:

• Highly refined carbohydrates at the top end of the Glycemic Index
• Very high amounts of saturated fats that could seriously impede brain function by limiting the absorption of ‘good’ fats.
• High levels of sugar, guaranteed to shoot blood sugar levels through the roof and set the ‘Blood Sugar Rollercoaster’ rolling.
• High levels of caffeine in soft drinks. This could lead to a worsening of ADD/ADHD symptoms or even to an ADD/ADHD misdiagnosis (Due to sleep deprivation being mistaken for the condition)
• Many different kinds of additives and preservatives that could interfere with natural digestion and absorption processes. 

The list above should make it clear that limiting your ‘fast food visits’ to special treats, rather than twice weekly occurrences, can be one of the easiest ways to tune out of some of the more destructive effects of food superabundance. 

Developing ‘Food Mindfulness’ 

Food Mindfulness can be described, in this context, as the firm resolve to react to the superabundance around you by putting strategies in place to ensure that you do not overindulge. This kind of mindfulness is necessary because the superabundance around us means that food, and lots of it, is almost always present. It is therefore very easy to ‘eat on autopilot’.

We can keep from autopilot eating by constantly reminding ourselves that “If it is there we will eat it!” It seems that centuries of scarcity have conditioned us humans that if food is available we should make the most of it. Our default response to available food is therefore to eat as much as possible. The amazing extent to which this is true was proven by an ingenious experiment conducted by Cornell University in which moviegoers were served 14 day old popcorn (Many of them described the taste of the popcorn as ‘terrible’ afterwards!). The study found that rather than simply leaving the popcorn alone, the moviegoers ate significant amounts of it: In direct proportion to the amount that they were served! The fact is we will eat even unappetizing food if it is readily available and our consumption of it will be directly related to portion sizes. The problem is made worse by the fact that we are dealing with severe ‘portion inflation’ in our society. Today’s ‘small’ is very often yesterday’s ‘large’! Some possible responses to our built-in ‘If it is there we will eat it’ responses include the following:

Use smaller plates and containers: The popcorn experiment discussed above drove home a simple point. The larger the container in which food is served the more we will eat! A logical response to this would be to simply make use of smaller plates, cups, bowls etc.! This may seem like a rather simplistic way to attempt to manage your food intake but the ‘Bigger plate – bigger meal’ (and vice versa) rule has been proved again and again by research. If you are particularly serious about blood sugar management you can beat this rule by always eating from a side plate.  People may give you a few funny looks in restaurants if you transfer some of your food from the main plate to a smaller plate but the health benefits will be worth it!

Don’t be swayed by portion sizes and ‘upgrade’ offers: I have already mentioned the huge (literally!) problem of ‘portion inflation’. You would be well advised to be aware of this as you make your food choices and of the fact that choosing a ‘small’ does not mean that you are depriving yourself but rather that you are making sensible food choices: Choices not dependant on other people inviting you to completely overindulge by the benchmarks that they have set. Don’t even get me started on ‘Supersize’ and other upgrade offers! Their only purpose is to make more money for food outlets. Nobody else receives any benefits from them (despite the insistence that you will be getting a ‘good deal’), especially since the long term use of such offers is quite likely to lead you into some pretty serious health issues.

Keep a food diary: One of the best ways of modifying your eating habits is to keep a detailed daily food diary. This technique is especially valuable for those dealing with the impact of ADD/ADHD as it can also help you to determine which foods seem to exacerbate the condition. Here’s how it works: Keep a little book with you and make a note of every single thing that you put into your mouth over a set period (I would recommend at least a month). This will help you to identify negative patterns and habits. It is also very effective in keeping you from overindulging. This may seem like a very tedious thing to do but studies have shown that food diaries have the ability to break even long term destructive habits.Food superabundance is a daily fact of life, much of our present and future health will depend on how we respond to it. I used a very important word earlier on: Mindfulness. The goal is to get to the point where you make conscious food choices based on what you really need and not on what society tells you to consume.