-----Original Message----- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx Sent: Aug 31, 2004 10:45 PM To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [lit-ideas] "Natural [Organic] Food" (vs. "Unnatural [Junk] Food") A.A. I wonder what would constitute unnatural food in pre-19th century eras= ? Uncooked maybe? Somehow unnatural food and the year 1600 don't mix in m= y mind. I think refining came in toward the end of the 19th century, at th= e same time that wide-scale deficiency diseases emerged. Andy Amago =20 We are discussing the natural/non-natural distinction as it applies to _la = =20 cuisine_. =20 n a message dated 8/30/2004 9:28:56 AM Eastern Standard Time, =20 John McCreery writes: For an alternative view, I recall one of the characters in Bruce=20 Sterling's science fiction novel _Islands in the Net_, who refuses to=20 eat anything but chemically reconstituted petroleum. He argues that all=20 natural foods have evolved over millions of years to be poisonous to=20 predators--how could you possibly take the risk of eating that stuff. Interestingly, chemically reconstituted petroleum is not in the OED list of= =20 'natural food' -- some quotes 1671 onwards on this interesting phrase =20 collocation. =20 Cheers, =20 JL =20 Cites for 'natural food' in the OED =20 1671 J SHARP Midwives Bk. IV. viii. 224=20 =20 There is nothing better after conception, to prevent abortment than good= =20 *natural food moderately taken.=20 =20 1683 T TRYON Way to Health 489=20 =20 Nor [is it] lawful for any of us to eat Sweet-Meats or delicious Tarts,=20 after we have eaten sufficiently of other simple & natural Food.=20 =20 1841 F. MYERS Catholic Thoughts III. =A714. 52=20 =20 There is a considerable portion of all natural food..serving rather for t= he=20 vehicle than for the substance of our support.=20 =20 1934 H. C. SHERMAN Food & Health xvii. 160=20 =20 Natural foods,..nature's wholes of the kinds to which our own bodies have= =20 been adjusting themselves throughout our evolutionary history.=20 =20 1999 Healing Arts Festival 1999 Programme 14/2 (advt.)=20 =20 We are a one-stop organic and natural food supermarket in London. =20 ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html