Laudan says nothing can “erase the fact that our ancestors lived mean, short lives, constantly plagued by disease, many of which can be directly attributed to what he ate and did not eat” (Laudan 305). What he means by this statement is that not only what they actually ate is taken into account, but also how it was prepared and the work they put into preparing what they ate. It was hard work for a woman to cut, blend, grind and cook all the food for her family. Men were born into a life of hard work in agricultural labor. There is no doubt that the means of modernization would have been a valuable resource for people living long ago in completing daily meal preparation tasks. This is the exact point Laudan is trying to convey to his readers. He says, “If we fail to understand that most people had no choice but to dedicate their lives to growing and cooking food, we fail to understand that modern food allows unprecedented choices not only in diet but about what to do with our lives” (Laudan 306). Women spent a lot of time (which is no longer necessary) in the kitchen, away from families, preparing meals and trying to make food healthier. At the time not only was the idea of ​​"healthy" different, but so was the preparation needed to prepare this "healthy"”.”