What does it mean to be nourished? The word nutrition, related to “nourish,” comes from nutrire (Latin), meaning to feed, support, nurture, and also nurse. “Food,” from foda (Old English), is related to “fodder” and “feed,” and means nourishment or fuel. The purpose of food is to nourish. There is a fair bit of controversy about what constitutes good nutrition, but most successful strategies recommend increasing high-fiber foods like produce, legumes, and whole grains, while simultaneously decreasing ultraprocessed items like chips, commercially baked items, and “fast” food. Continue reading
Tag Archives: retronyms
Retronyms, or What’s So Wild About Salmon?
Have you ever thought about why we call potatoes “organic”? What makes oats “old-fashioned”?, cereal “whole-grain”?, flour “whole-wheat”?, or strawberries “pesticide-free”? And what about “wild salmon,” “free-range chicken,” “pastured lamb,” or “hormone-free milk”? Continue reading