Glossary: Terms (D-F)

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EGG PRODUCTION: in the Western world, eggs are produced on an industrial scale. The conditions and treatment of chickens in CAFOs is abusive and unsanitary (watch a few videos on YouTube). Male chicks are ground alive or thrown away alive—in a trash bin or tied up in garbage bags. The living hens have the tips of their beaks cut off so they don’t peck at eachother (which is a stress-induced reaction from living in cages on top of one another). The dairy industry in North America has made a fortune off of ignorance. Do your research before you consume egg products.

If you choose to eat eggs, make sure that you are purchasing your products from farmers who not only can be transparent about their farming processes with you, but who grass feed their animals in truly free-range conditions. Farmers’ Markets are a great place to find grass-fed, free-range dairy products directly from the farmer.

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ELECTROLYTES: Electrolytes are salts that your cells (especially nerve, heart and muscle) use to maintain voltages across their cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses and muscle contractions) across themselves and to other cells. Despite any changes in your body, kidneys keep the electrolyte concentrations in your blood constant. When you exercise, you lose electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium. This is why sports drinks are heavily marketed to people who exercise or those who suffer from a dehydrating illness. Unfortunately, most sports drinks contain processed sugars, usually the evil high fructose corn syrup along with fake colors, fake flavors and more. Keep the electrolyte concentrations of your body fluids constant with natural replenishing liquids like coconut water or homemade sports drinks. Seaweeds, especially dulse and citrus fruits are good ways to replenish lost electrolytes as well.

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EMPTY FOOD: A term used to describe foods that are highly-processed, resulting in little to no nutritional value. Empty foods usually lead to weight gain due to the fact that they never seem to satisfy your body, leaving you hungry.

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ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFAs): The body is able to produce fatty acids, where essential fatty acids cannot be produced in the body and therefore need to come from food sources. You may have heard of the health benefits of the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. A balance of these fatty acids is a very important part of overall health—cell repair and regeneration, skin health, reduced inflammation, efficient brain development in children and the body’s ability to ward off infection name a few. EFA’s are critical for the normal growth and functioning of the cells, muscles, nerves, and organs. Brendan Brazier, vegan author of one of our favorite reads, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, recommends flaxseed, flaxseed oil, hemp protein, hemp oil, hemp seed, hemp flour and walnuts for Omega-3’s and hemp protein, hemp flour, hemp seed, hemp oil, most nuts, seeds, avocados and vegetable oils, including olive oil for vital omega-6’s. Symptoms of EFA deficiency or imbalance include dry or scaly skin, excessively dry hair, cracked fingernails, fatigue, weakness, frequent infections, allergies, mood disorders, hyperactivity, depression, memory/learning problems, slow wound healing, aching joints, poor digestion, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. Make sure to get your EFAs!

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FACTORY FARMING: is the practice of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a factory—a practice typical in industrial farming by agribusinesses.

In the Western world, meat, dairy, poultry and eggs are produced on an industrial scale in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The animals are fed diets that they aren’t designed to eat in an effort to get them from birth to processing as quickly and as unnaturally large as possible. The animals get sick from eating poor diets, living in confined, feces-caked spaces and to keep them alive they are given mass quantities of dangerous antibiotics.

Consumers are separated from the production of meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. We pick up that nice package with the sunny farm logo on it without a clue to how it arrived at our store. There is no emotional association with the trauma, suffering, knee-deep feces, force-feeding of GMO grain they are not designed to ingest (hence massive amounts of antibiotics to keep them alive), mutilation (ie: snipped tails and de-beaking), cannibalism and vicious fighting that make up the lifecycle of these animals. The environmental damage and the hidden costs of CAFO agribusiness is also something everyone should be aware of before they make their “vote” at the grocery store or restaurant. Do. Your. Research.

If you choose to consume meat, poultry, eggs or dairy, make sure that you are purchasing your products from farmers who not only can be transparent about their farming processes with you, but who grass feed their animals in truly free-range conditions. Farmers’ Markets are a great place to find grass-fed, free-range products directly from the farmer.

Films/documentaries to watch
Books to read

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FOOD COMBINING: refers to the combination of foods which are compatible with each other in terms of digestive chemistry. Food combining is a basic component of optimal nutrition because it allows the body to digest and utilize the nutrients in our foods to their full extent. Proponents believe that foods are consumed that don’t combine correctly the digestive system gets “mixed signals” about which digestives juices and enzymes to release. Food remains in the digestive tract too long and it begins to ferment. The rotting food becomes poison and builds up on the walls of our digestive tract. Donna Gates explains in her book The Body Ecology, “[Rotting food] forms a landscape that only viruses, cancer cells and parasites can tolerate, just as rats and other scavengers live off city landfills and industrial waste sites. Proper food combining greatly reduces gas, bloating and excess weight.”

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FOODIE: is a person who is not a professional gourmet, but who is obsessively interested in learning about and experiencing all things culinary.

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FRANKENFOOD: A playful, yet serious term that we use to describe highly-processed foods with many additives that alter their basic nature. Frankenfoods are a large part of the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) and they also stealthily make their way into the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle under the guise of “organic”, “meat-free” or “dairy-free.” For example, organic, dairy-free Oreos are still junky Frankenfood. Frankenfoods are also food-like substances that have been been genetically enhanced or grown using growth or other hormones.

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FREE-RANGE: Wikipedia says that Free-Range is a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. In theory, it sounds like a great alternative to Factory Farming, but be careful. The U.S. Department certification of “free-range” just means that the animals have to have access to the outdoors. Many times, animals are born, packed in and raised in a window-less facility and treated the same way that factory farmed animals are, but because the back door is open, they can walk out of it if they want to. Since chickens have been re-engineered over the last 50 years to grow twice as big in half the time, their legs can barely support the weight of their immense breast meat to take a walk out that tiny open door. While “free-range” practices may be less inhumane than the horrors animals are forced to endure on conventional factory farms, they are still very far from cruelty-free. If you can, opt for grass-fed meats and read up on how “free” Free-Range really is.

References:
1. Wikipedia

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