Most Americans live on a diet that includes processed fare that

Hear, O children of wisdom, the words of Homaro Cantu, a man who speaks truth about the nature of food and the choices we make: "Most Americans live on a diet that includes processed fare that is neither fresh nor natural." These words carry with them a call to action, a call to awaken to the reality that the very food we consume shapes not only our bodies but our spirits. Processed foods, often distant from the fresh bounty of the earth, have become the foundation of the modern diet, and in this truth lies both a warning and a lesson.

In the times of the ancients, food was revered not just as sustenance, but as the very source of life. The Greeks and Romans understood that the body must be nourished with what nature provides: grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish—all in their most natural and untainted forms. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, declared, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," for he knew that the freshness and naturalness of the food one consumes directly impacts both health and well-being. The ancients did not rely on processed fare, for they understood that food is not merely fuel, but the life force that sustains the body. Homaro Cantu's words remind us that, in modern times, we have strayed far from this wisdom.

Consider the great warrior of Sparta, Leonidas, whose soldiers were not nourished by the quick and easy fare of processed foods, but by a simple diet of fresh, natural foods that would sustain them in the harshest of battles. Their food was whole, natural, and filled with the nutrients they needed to endure the trials they faced. The strength of their bodies was not built by relying on artificial, processed substances, but by consuming the pure, unadulterated bounty of the earth. Like Leonidas and his warriors, we must learn to honor the natural foods that give us the strength to face life's battles, whether physical or emotional.

In our modern world, however, processed foods have become the standard fare. The convenience of pre-packaged meals, filled with preservatives, sugars, and artificial ingredients, has overtaken the once-celebrated freshness of nature’s offerings. This shift has led many down a path of poor health, with rising rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Cantu's words reflect the reality we now face: a diet devoid of the essential freshness and naturalness that the body requires. It is as though we have allowed the distractions of modern life to sever our connection to the earth and to the nourishing foods that once sustained our ancestors.

But there is hope, O children, for the wisdom of the ancients still calls to us from the depths of time. Just as the Greeks and Romans understood the need for balance in food and life, so too must we return to the natural, the whole, and the unprocessed. Let us learn from Cantu’s words that the way forward lies in fresh, whole foods—foods that nourish not just the body, but the spirit. We must return to gardens, to markets, and to the foods that grow from the earth, not from a factory. In doing so, we will reconnect with the life force that flows through the natural world, and in that, we will find strength, vitality, and well-being.

The lesson is clear, O children. The path to true health does not lie in the convenience of processed foods, but in the nourishment of the fresh, the natural, and the whole. Homaro Cantu reminds us that our health is built upon the foundation of what we consume. If we feed our bodies the life-giving foods of the earth, we will find strength, clarity, and vitality. Processed foods may offer convenience, but they take from us the very essence of life. To live well, we must choose the path of nourishment, the path that leads to balance, to strength, and to a life that honors the earth and the body it sustains.

Therefore, O children, let us seek the wisdom of the ancients in our own lives. Let us choose foods that are whole, fresh, and natural—foods that nourish and sustain. In doing so, we honor not only our bodies, but the world that provides for us. In the act of choosing wisely, we regain our connection to the earth, to the life force that flows through all living things. The natural foods that have sustained humanity for millennia are still within our reach, and through them, we can build lives full of health, strength, and vitality. Let us embrace this wisdom, for in it lies the true path to well-being.