Keep calm & Eat well.

By Robynne K. Chutkan, MD, FASGE Assistant Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital Founder and Medical Director, Digestive Center for Women

It's time to have a whinge.

Shopping at a supermarket today, I realised that my need to buy items from the shelves of our major chains is becoming increasingly less as my knowledge of food and cooking gets stronger.

Only a year or so ago, the supermarket was the FIRST place I would head when I needed to buy food or food like items. We are born into a civilised world of major businesses and packaged foods as a staple and it becomes hard to see any other way. After all...if we want to live, we need to it. Nowadays, I look to local farmers markets and health food stores and supermarkets have been bumped down the list.

Eating SHOULD NOT be something we need to think outside the box for, or actually have to TRY to accomplish. Unfortunately the typical westernised style of shopping and eating has made it increasingly difficult to simply eat FOOD.

When I say 'food' i'm talking about things that grow in the ground, on trees and things that will rot and die when picked or farmed. Things that don't contain more than one ingredient that is themselves and things that don't require a "shelf-life" as a guide to its freshness. I understand that its hard, I struggle trying to fit uni, living out of home, playing in a band AND feeding myself so my aim here is not to tell people how they SHOULD be purchasing or eating...but more to challenge peoples methods and thoughts about acquiring food.

I have slowly realised that eating well is SIMPLE. It only seems confusing because of all the marketing and boxed products that huge companies are pumping out to make a dollar. So when you next hit the shops, think about the following:

1. Companies DO NOT have our best health in mind. As much as i'd love to believe the opposite, unfortunately making a dollar will always come first. We can all relate to this. The ingredients inside those boxes and flavoured items may or may not be hurting us (some proven, some aren't) but the simple fact is this: If there is no nutritional requirement for a substance, it has no place in your body.

2. Shop the EDGES. Author Michael Pollan taught me this one. When you hit the supermarket next...do a quick lap around the outside edge of the shop. 9 times out of 10 you will find Fruit, Veg, Dairy & Meat. By all means venture in to get rice, pasta, herbs & spices etc. but take note...the edges is where the real food is.

3. You DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE. I know its massive in Australia, America, the UK etc...but many traditional cultures still obtain the majority of their food from markets. Not only are you most likely meeting the people who grew this food but you're also avoiding the ridiculous amount of hands, kilometers and who knows what else they supermarket produce has been through. Its easy, you can get everything from other places.

Hi,

I am a Nutritional Medicine student studying in Sydney and am nearing the completion of my study for the year. I will begin attending clinic next year and have gained a wealth of knowledge over the past year. I fundamentally believe in whole foods and am largely against the consumption of manufactured or "packaged" food products as I believe they are generally not the way humans are naturally meant to consume food for optimum health.

I have a simple issue, which is this:

Throughout my studies, as I mentioned I have learnt some of the most basic principles of health and nutrition and also some more detailed and specific things. The first lesson I attended lay the foundations of our further studies and introduced me to the concept of nutrients. Our lecturers taught us of 3 macronutrients and several micronutrients. Those macronutrients are Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat. Every text book obtained, teacher I have encountered and article I have read all speak of the same concept. To all nutrition students, these 3 main nutrients are undisputed and widely known to be essential for all human functioning and energy intake.

I am confused as to why your page labelled "Nutrients" displays 4 "key" nutrients. These are listed as Fat, Saturated Fat, Sugars and Sodium. These are indeed nutrients, that is not a lie...however the use of the word "key" is grosely out of place here. It frustrates me that a regulatory body who holds responsibility in the food industry are focusing on these nutrients as a priority. I believe firmly that every person has the right to make their own decisions when it comes to health and nutrition as long as we are all informed, and that the information provided is widely regarded as the truth (to the best of our current knowledge). This information you provide seems to belittle 2 of the major nutrients (carbohydrates and proteins) which could lead to an increase in misinformation leading to poor food choices in a nation plagued with confusion and instability in this area. The link you provide on your own page for the "National Health and Medical Research Council" even state that the macronutrients are Carbs, protein, fat and they include fibre in this list...which is fair enough.

I understand that these may be "key" to your agenda but I believe that your website is misinforming and misleading the public and should be re-written to address this issue.

To add to my point, when I (or anyone else) scroll down to the bottom of your nutrient page you give a brief description of each nutrient mentioned. The first sentence under the heading "Carbohydrates" reads:

"Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that fuels our body and everything it does, even thinking."

Seems pretty darn important to me...don't you think?