Some of the health disparities in the city are caused by the foods that people are eating. Lactose-free milk isn't about being a yuppie; most members of our species cannot break down lactase after infancy:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddise...seintolerance/

Only certain cultures, largely in Northern Europe, globally evolved the ability to break down milk protein. The majority of people of African, Asian, and Native American descent are intolerant. Taking a wild guess, I'd be willing to bet that far more people in the city lack the ability to process lactase than those who can.

I've been in the naysayers' shoes before. When I moved to Ann Arbor in 2005, I made fun of everyone and everything, even here at DYes. I especially made fun of "Whole Paycheck," "Farmer's Markets," and all the other strange "SWPL" habits [[see Christian Lander's infamous blog: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/full...e-people-like/ -- oddly enough, accordingly to this parody, I'm white).

But a strange thing happened. You see, I'd suffered from gastrointestinal problems my entire adult life. GERD at 19, peptic ulcers at 23, etc. Typical Detroit girl; typical Detroit diet. I wasn't trying to eat grass, leaves, roots, and shrubs, or so I thought. When my housemate first moved in [[a near-vegetarian with a vegan boyfriend), she suggested a few changes to my diet. She eats CHEAPLY, more cheaply than anyone I know who does frozen/dried/canned/prepared foods. Some of what she makes I don't care for, but some of it is awesome, amazingly filling, fresh, and inexpensive. She works an 8-6 professional job, so it's not as if she has a lot of time. Her belief is that most of us just don't know how to eat. She encouraged me to read Michael Pollan, to watch docs on food and learn what ADM and Monsanto are doing to our cornflakes and hamburgers, etc.

It worked. From 2006 until 2010, I didn't suffer from any gastro issues for the first time in my life...

...until this fall, when I started crashing in Southfield through the week and working in Detroit. I live with an older relative through the week. They cook heavy, traditional meals, they are offended when I do not eat, and they pack their fridge so that I can't fit in any stuff I buy. So I decided to do in Detroit what Detroiters do. It's OK to eat conventional and from the food court if you're busy, right?

Wrong. GERD and heartburn are back, I gained 15 pounds over the winter, and for the first time ever, I heard "your pressure's high" at the doctor's office.

As a black Detroiter, I say this without malice, and with a lot of concern: we are already eating too much canned, processed, and fast food crap. The obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure rates in our community are beyond ridiculous. It's no longer just buppies or "wannabes" who get this -- why do people think Goodwells and The Raw Cafe opened? Everyone needs to eat to live, not just live to eat.

I'm not hating on Aldi. Aldi is good for some things. But eating 100% conventional food today in 2011 and expecting to be totally healthy is like playing roulette for most people. I mean, some of that stuff doesn't even taste like it did in 1985... we are a step away from Soylent Green, folks. So we need low-end, high-end, and middle brow options for better and more nutritious foods. The more the merrier. Whole Foods is a welcome addition, but others will follow.