What do we mean when we call any group a cult? Definingthat term is a slippery proposition – the word cult is provocative and arguably pejorative. Does it necessarily refer to a religious group? A group with a charismatic leader? Or something darker and more sinister? Because beliefs and practices surrounding food often inspire religious and political fervor, as well as function to unite people into insular groups, it is inevitable that "food cults" would emerge. Studying the extreme beliefs and practices of such food cults allows us to see the ways in which food serves as a nexus for religious beliefs, sexuality, death anxiety, preoccupation with the body, asceticism, and hedonism, to name a few. In contrast to religious and political cults, food cults have the added dimension of mediating cultural trends in nutrition and diet through their membership. Should we then consider raw foodists, many of whom believe that cooked food is poison, a type of food cult? What about paleo diet adherents or those who follow a restricted calorie diet for longevity? Food Cults explores these questions by looking at domestic and international, contemporary and historic food communities characterized by extreme nutritional beliefs or viewed as "fringe" movements by mainstream culture. While there are a variety of accounts of such food communities across disciplines, this collection pulls together these works and explains why we gravitate toward such groups and the social and psychological functions they serve. This volume describes how contemporary and historic food communities come together and foment fanaticism, judgment, charisma, dogma, passion, longevity, condemnation and exaltation.

Today, nutrition is mainly discussed under nutritional, medical-health or ideological aspects (e.g. vegetarianism, veganism, etc.). Although the food industry represents one of the most important markets, questions of food production, agriculture, food trade and biodiversity are mostly discussed under national auspices. Not only on the producer side, but also from the consumer perspective, food markets - although still nationally structured - have become more and more global markets, which can be seen, for example, in the development of food commodity prices. In addition, large food corporations are pursuing the strategy of standardizing the entire value chains in the agricultural and food sectors - under their control, mind you. The book addresses economic issues related to food production, agriculture, food trade and biodiversity. Alternatives to traditional agriculture, factory farming, and biodiversity loss are discussed - and reflected upon from an economic perspective. Particular attention is paid to aspects of globalization. This book is a translation of the original German 1st edition Ernährung, Nahrungsmittelmärkte und Landwirtschaft by Christian J. Jäggi, published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2018. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.

From “The Four Hour Body,” to “Atkins,” there are diet cults to match seemingly any mood and personality type. Everywhere we turn, someone is preaching the “One True Way” to eat for maximum health. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Low-carb gurus demonize carbs, then there are the low-fat prophets. But they agree on one thing: there is only one true way to eat for maximum health. The first clue that that is a fallacy is the sheer variety of diets advocated. Indeed, while all of these competing views claim to be backed by “science,” a good look at actual nutritional science itself suggests that it is impossible to identify a single best way to eat. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating habits, based on one’s own habits, life- style, and genetics/body type. Many professional athletes already practice this “Good Enough” diet, and now we can too and ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good.

Holy Food explores the influence of newer and unorthodox beliefs on modern American food. Beginning with the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s to the celebratory cakes of the Unarius practitioners in present-day California, Ward shows us a range of feasting and fasting. Religious beliefs have been the source of food "rules" since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe G-d just said "no"), and a long-ago Pope forbade Catholics to eat meat on Fridays (one should fast to atone for committed sins). In America, where the freedom to believe whatever you want and worship the god of not only of your own choice but of your own making embraced old traditions and invented new ones. Holy Food looks at how the explosion of new religious movements since the Great Awakening birthed a cottage industry of food fads that gained mainstream acceptance. And at the obscure sects and non-religious communities of the 20th Century that dabbled in vague spirituality that used food to both entice and control followers. Ward skillfully navigates between her vast cookbook collection, academic texts, and interviews to make sharp observations and new insights in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen. Included are examples of rare cookbooks, interviews, and updated versions of holyrecipes, and a lively narrative that weaves it all together.