Preparedness, as a behavior, not only includes the obvious (bug-out bags, emergency contacts, and stockpiling) it also includes knowing what plants to farm, and what livestock to raise when it comes to making healthy diet choices for you and your family. Preparedness starts now – while there are still stores, it’s important to know what food is “Rich” in nutrients and health benefits, and which food is “Poor.” From shopping to stockpiling to choosing what your garden/livestock will consist of, it’s important to know the difference between foods. Authors Mira (CN) and Jayson Calton (PhD), have spent the past 8 years digging to find the most user-friendly, easy, inexpensive, healthy system so that the average person will know what is in his or her best health interests when faced with overwhelming ads and mile-high store shelves. They have accomplished this through their books “Naked Calories,” a guide designed to help people to know which foods contain micronutrients, and “Rich Food, Poor Food,” a GPS devised for shoppers seeking healthy direction in their diets. Rich Food, Poor Food (Published February 26, 2013) is fresh and new on the bookshelves – and this week we emailed the Caltons to get the latest scoop on their brand-new book on the quest for a healthy diet:
Interview With Rich Food Poor Food Authors
1. What inspired you to write Rich Food, Poor Food?
“In our first book, Naked Calories, we introduced the incredible discovery we made during the Calton Project, our six-year, one hundred–country research expedition in which we studied the dietary and lifestyle habits of peoples around the world. Based on our observations of these different cultures we were able to make several unique conclusions about the causation of health and disease.
The first and perhaps most important conclusion was that micronutrient deficiency, or a lack of essential vitamins and mineral in the diet, is the most widespread and dangerous health condition of the twenty-first century. Reversing Mira’s advanced osteoporosis by making her once micronutrient-depleted body sufficient in these health-promoting factors inspired our mission to share with the world our realistic and sustainable program for achieving optimal health.
The first part of that mission was achieved when we published Naked Calories, which outlined our three-step approach to micronutrient sufficiency and introduced our Rich Food, Poor Food philosophy. The Rich Food, Poor Food philosophy states that regardless of which diet profile one follows (low-fat, low-carb, Primal/Paleo, low-calorie, vegan, vegetarian, etc.), the ultimate goal should be to reach a micronutrient-sufficient state. Consuming as many micronutrient-Rich Foods as possible helps achieve optimal health—preventing disease while naturally increasing youthful energy.
While Naked Calories introduced our Rich Food, Poor Food philosophy, many readers suggested that we write a companion food guide to help micronutrient-sufficiency seekers identify Rich Foods as they navigate the supermarket. So, we created this Grocery Purchasing System (GPS) to help identify Rich Foods and avoid Poor Foods in each and every aisle.”
2. Where did you come up with the idea for the book Rich Food, Poor Food?
“There seemed to be a real gap in the book industry that needed to be filled. After so many wrote in asking for our suggestions we searched and searched to find a resource to suggest to readers. Other swap guides, like Eat This Not That, focused only on calories, fat and sodium and therefor left out micronutrient rich foods like healthy grass fed meats and pastured pork. They also didn’t eliminate numerous dangerous ingredients like, BHA, BHT, artificial colors and GMOs. Additionally, they didn’t take into account proper processing techniques such as sprouting and fermenting. We felt they focused on the wrong things, and because of this we knew we had to write this ultimate guide to grocery shopping!”
Food Shopping Revolution?
As you can see, the Caltons have created a revolution in shopping for food, and localizing our health issues based on what we eat. Naked Calories and Rich Food, Poor Food are available for purchase on amazon, and the Caltons have provided their readers with a fabulous deal – free rich food poor food shopping totes ($2.95 shipping handling) This is just part one of the two-part series of interviews with the Caltons – so stay tuned to Mom Prepares for more professional information!