Into my inbox floated the recipes: With exception of a few, there were myriad 'family favorites' prepared with a long list of, not Food - but "Food"... BRANDED food products, sitting in the ingredients lists as if they were a traditional staple.

(Note: if you are a sender of one of the recipes to me, I sincerely appreciate your heartfelt contribution, regardless of my critique.)

I suppose, given our food culture (or lack thereof), and the strong hold 50's style food customs have on our circa-2000 diet, I should not have been surprised. If I were writing to any cross-section of an American audience, I think I would have been less shocked. But these people were metropolitan New Yorkers, keen on current issues, conscious of diet as part of the picture of overall health.

One recipe in particular deserves to be printed for its complete lack of real food items, ignorance of traditional foods (... this is not Waldorf Salad...), and basically the less-than-pleasant feeling I get in my gut when I consider being presented with the final product:

I think this is called Waldorf Salad. It's a YUMMIE dessert.
1 carton cool whip
1 pkg pistacio pudding
1 can shreaded pineapple, drained
1 pkg mini marshmellows

warm cool whip to room temp, drain pineapple, and combine EVERYTHING!

Ewe! So what's the lesson here?

The lesson is that the food industry, with all their Food Products, and millions (if not billions) of advertising dollars, have convinced us - even the smartest among us - that their boxed, labeled food concoctions comprise the heartiest of American home cooking.

The lesson behind the scenes is that this is why we're getting fat, getting diabetes, heart issues - why in fact the top 8 diseases in this country are diet-related. Even when we set down to make a casual home-cooked meal, we are not eating food - we're eating food products.

It is my firm belief that focusing on health is not about food components, which fats to eat, how many carbs and proteins, but about food quality. The single most important thing people can do for their health is to eliminate food that comes in wrappers; that is - processed food, or "Food" (note the quotes).

"Food" is not Food. "Food" is processed food, meaning that what was once a plant or something natural, has been ground, extracted, boiled down, or broken down into its component parts, then reassembled, often with chemicals, additives, and other food parts to comprise something that looks natural. The problem is that it is not natural - and that we don't understand how our bodies process real food, which are the original plants themselves, that deliver a complex system of nutrients which all support each other's assimilation. When we fracture these elements and add unnatural components, we're fracturing the composition of the original food and making the body's job of digestion and absorption difficult and imbalanced. Not to mention all the sugar and fat that are usually added to make the final concoction palatable - which sabotage a healthy, balanced state. So if this is so precarious, why do we do it? WE don't do it - the food industry does, and they do it because it's really cheap to make, the profits are high, and they have lured us into thinking it's good for us.

Food means whole food - food that is as close to its natural form as possible. Be it plant or animal product, aside from the preparations we make in our kitchen, this Food is largely unadulterated, and our bodies have evolved on it for thousands of years.

There's a universe of amazing, beautiful, tasty whole foods out there just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. They are simple to prepare and you don't need to worry about whether they have, for instance, the right amount of protein per serving. They don't have brand names and can't bear labels that espouse their health properties. But if you eat them most of the time, and avoid the cool whip, fat-free cream cheese, and boxed cake mixes , you'll find yourself enjoying food more (without the stress) and feeling better.

Below are two recipes I received that are made with real food, which are simple and delicious. Thanks to the senders - you know who you are.

Pear Cranberry Walnut Salad with Apricot Dressing

Mixed Greens
A pear or two
Dried Cranberries
Walnuts
Crumbled Blue Cheese

Dressing:
Apricot Nectar
Dijon Mustard
Canola Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Peel, core, and chop pears. Toss greens, pear, and cranberries together. Add the walnuts
and blue cheese on top or you can mix those together too.

Dressing:
Whisk the nectar, oil, and vinegar in equal proportions with about
half the amount of mustard. Adjust the proportions to your liking.
Salt or pepper to taste. Voila!

Warm Quinoa Salad with Edamame & Tarragon

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup drained and diced jarred roasted red peppers
* 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1.Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for 8 minutes. Remove the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add edamame. Cover and continue to cook until the edamame and quinoa are tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Drain any remaining water, if necessary.

3. Whisk lemon zest and juice, oil, tarragon and salt in a large bowl. Add peppers and the quinoa mixture. Toss to combine. Divide among 4 plates and top with walnuts.