MRS. T. writes:

I found your posts on chopping and processed food very interesting. I certainly believe the decline of health goes hand in hand with the modern American diet.

This particular quote from Dr. Alexis Carrel struck me: “Although modern hygiene has considerably prolonged the average length of life, it is very far from having done away with diseases. It has simply changed their nature .. The organism has become more susceptible to degenerative diseases … The ordinary staple foods do not contain the same nutritive substances as in former times.” I look at my dear mother-in-law, who lives with us, as a prime example.

Born in ’51, she had a mother who worked constantly outside the home in order to support their little family, which consisted of my mother-in-law, her brother, mother and alcoholic father. They were very poor. Because of their family’s circumstances, I believe my mother-in-law was never taught how to prepare a proper meal. Coupled with several failed marriages and having to be the primary bread winner in each relationship, food was simply substance to fill a void. You’re hungry? Eat this. I see that now in her eating habits. There is little planning, preparation or care when it comes to food. It is an impulse fueled by moments of sheer hunger since there is no set time for meals. I’ve watched her staring deadpan into her cupboard, overflowing with packaged and ready-in-five-minute meals, without a clue as what to eat.

My husband and I have tried many times over during the three years we’ve lived together to urge her to sit down with us and enjoy a balanced meal. She refuses. Food is either her momentary savior or her punishment. Overindulgence in heavily processed items has left her with a myriad of health problems, from endless tooth complications to diabetes. At 62, she moves with the grace of a 92-year-old. It is difficult to watch. While she will visit her doctor occasionally for certain concerns, he simply prescribes another set of pills to cover her problems, not treat them. However, she refuses to change. So instead, we quietly “allow” her to go about her way. There is not much one can do when faced with a loved one who simply will not take care of themselves. It is a frustrating position to be in.

I am sorry if I have strayed off the original topic with my long story. While I am no religious health “foodie,” I most fervently believe that, in the end, processed food has only aided in crippling families and corrupting our overall health. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Laura writes:

You’re very wise to refrain from pressuring your mother-in-law. She has settled habits. Foods are habituating, not just physically but emotionally. It is probably too late for her to change dramatically. If she does change, it will probably be because she observes alternatives and wants to try them, not because you have pressured her. She may understandably want to preserve some of her independence by doing things as she has always done them. In fact, I would go so far as to eat occasionally as she eats to make her feel that she is not living in an alien environment.

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