Nature's Perfect Food

I remember once having a conversation with my father and I don't even remember what we were talking about, but he said, in passing, that potatoes were natures perfect food.  I took this to heart and have used it to justify ordering baked potatoes with half a pound of butter and sour cream with my steak, for the last 30 years.  Some time later I heard someone else say that eggs are nature's perfect food.  And I suppose you could make a pretty good argument that they are.  But then I also heard that bananas are nature's perfect food and then I knew something was up.  Not that I have anything against bananas, but surely there cannot be THREE perfect foods.  Well, I was thinking about this a few nights ago as I was admiring someone at TGI Friday's who was eating a baked potato and decided to do a little research.  (If you can call googling for 30 minutes research.)  It turns out I was really wrong about the perfect food thing.  Here, according to several mildly biased and mostly anonymous people on the internet, is what is actually Nature's Perfect Food.

There are over 3 million edible plants on our planet, and no other single plant source can compare with the nutritional value of hemp seeds. Both the complete protein and the essential oils contained in hemp seeds are in ideal ratios for human nutrition. 65% of the protein content is in the form of globulin edestin, so that it can actually be used by the body in its raw state, unlike that in soya beans, which have to be cooked or sprouted. The word edestin comes from the Greek "edestos," meaning edible.

I can't say that I am terribly surprised that Hemp Seeds came up on the top of a google search.  The Hemp Nation is nothing if not organized and zealous.  One of the sites that is promoting hemp seeds was also saying how wonderful hemp seed butter is.  MMMMm.... I could use a good HSB&J sandwich right about now.

Algae has been eaten by man for centuries, but scientists have only recently focused on its nutritional potential. Blue-green algae grows in Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon, far from urban pollution, under the most natural Conditions possible. Also known as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, blue-green algae contains no heavy metals or harmful bacteria, and supplies the most complete range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals available in any single food. It is a virtual powerhouse of nutrition.

Mmmmm...  Algae.  Now I'm sorry I've already filled up on that breakfast of eggs, bacon and coffee.  I could have had some Southern Oregon Algae.

Millions worldwide are taking Chlorella because it:  Lessens the severity of an illness, and you recover more quickly from it.  Reduces the effects of aging and increases longevity.  Relieves the effects of arthritis and fybromyalgia pain.  Protects the brain from age-related memory loss.  Normalizes blood pressure and promotes a lower 'bad' cholesterol count.  Detoxifies the body, removing even heavy metals and pesticides.  Protects against some cancer-causing agents found in food.  Boosts the immune system, increasing the body's resistance to bacteria, viruses, and toxic chemicals.  And regulates digestion and supports good bowel health.

Yeah, that's nice and all, but isn't chlorella just algae?  I'm sorry, but you health nuts may have tricked me into eating seaweed by wrapping it around fish and rice, but I won't be fooled into drinking green slime, no matter how good it is for my bowels.

And speaking of seaweed.

Move over seaweed! There is a new superfood to contend with. Acai is the Brazilian berry that is being hailed as “nature’s perfect food” by the US Health Science Institute.

I'm sure we've all been spammed a few thousand times now about how much Oprah loves Acai berry, but I've tasted this stuff.  And it is nasty.  I'll wait until it comes in a capsule, thank-you-very-much.

And for breathless excitement, this one seems to be the winner.

Green drinks are the superfoods that may be considered nutritional life insurance when they are taken as green food powder added to liquid or as green food powder incorporated into caplets.  Just such green superfoods should be taken daily with a diet that includes as many other superfoods as possible such as leafy greens, spirulina, cayenne pepper, garlic, onions, most types of seeds, turmeric, wheat grass and many others.

In the case of "Perfect Food", these superfoods seem to consist of Cereal Grass Juices, Phytoplanktons, Spirulina, Chlorella, Vegetable Juices, Acerola Cherry, Seeds, Legumes, and Grains.

In fact, this MUST be Nature's Perfect Food, because this guy seems to have trademarked the name "Perfect Food".  So, there you go, then.  Case closed.  But again, putting a bunch of algae in a powder or a capsule is not really going to make me salivate.  I was ok with the grains, legumes, garlic, onions and cayenne pepper, mentioned above.  Maybe I could take all that and make a bean burrito.  But I'm pretty sure that putting algae in a burrito isn't really going to help the taste.  

A bit more googling turned up more candidates for 'perfect food'.  These included Bananas, Bee Pollen, Raw Milk, Lentils, Chia seeds, Eggs, and Egg Whites.  So maybe I was right about bananas and eggs.  Nevertheless, by the time you get into the third and fourth pages of a google search, you have finally uncoverred the REAL perfect foods.  On that list is Bacon, Kielbasa, Pizza, Chili Dogs and McDonalds French Fries.  See that?  French Fries.  So Dad was right about potatoes after all.  That's good to know.