So I recently had a conversation with someone who was asking me what kinds of common concerns or issues I see during my nutrition sessions with clients. What I realized was that the majority of people that come to me for help feel like they don't know how to "put a meal together." When I tell them to stop eating shit like bread, pasta, tortillas, and cereal, it's like the brain reverts back to childhood and they are helpless.
All of a sudden I felt my heart rate elevating and my mouth getting dry. I started ranting. Like CRAZY. It sounded a little something like this:
What the hell?
People don't know how to eat anymore!
How did this happen?
This is bullshit!
They've robbed us so blindly of our connection to the Earth and real food that now we depend on man-made "food" to feed ourselves and we're all sick and overweight!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!
Ok, I didn't actually scream but I was screaming inside for sure! I'm sickened by this. Pissed off and disgusted. People fight 'til they're blue in the face for things like education, equal rights, health care, etc but not many people give a damn to fight about how we're being fed. How in the HELL did Proposition 37 NOT pass in CA, you're shitting me right? You want to continue eating GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS?!?! How does that even sound right to you?
***woo sah***
Alright, this is how the government says we should be eating:
So nicely presented. I remember this from grade school, you do too right? Look at all those healthy grains that are supposed to take up 50-60% of your diet. Yes, because grains are so amazing and give us endless nutrients that can be found no where else on Earth! They are vital, so load up. (NOT!) Hmmmm...did you know the government has subsidies in corn (side note, they put corn in the vegetable section and it's definitely a grain), potatoes, cotton, rice, dairy and wheat? They control that shit and make money off of those farms so OF COURSE they tell you to drink your milk for calcium and eat your grains for heart health.
Fast forward to the present day and they've "refined" the food pyramid to look like this:
Kudos for including the part about being active. But, the FDA and USDA are still on my shit list. Grains are still in the lead (BOO!!!). And now the dairy section is just as big as the vegetables section. Get out of town! Are you serious??? And Lord, Jesus, please tell me they did not put CANNED fruit and vegetable oil on that list...please! I don't see anything about healthy fats on here. Nothing. No avocados, no seeds, no olives, no fish (canned tuna...really?!), no coconuts or any tree nuts at all. Ok, I gotta stop looking at this, it's making me upset.
Nothing in our lives was ever supposed to be so complicated. In nearly every aspect of thriving we know that simple is better. In business, in design, in communication, in relationships, etc. Why would it be any different for food? When you go to the grocery store, do you take the time to read the ingredients of the products you are buying? Why are you putting something in your mouth that you can' t even pronounce or identify?
According to the government, this is a well-balanced breakfast (and look it's "healthy" because it's lower in calories and fat!):
INGREDIENTS: MUFFIN MADE WITH HONEY AND WHEAT: ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, YEAST, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEAT GLUTEN, HONEY, CONTAINS 2% OF LESS OF: YELLOW CORN MEAL, RICE FLOUR, DISTILLED VINEGAR, CALCIUM PROPIONATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE), FUMARIC ACID, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS), YEAST NUTRIENTS (MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE), CORN STARCH, SOY FLOUR. FRIED EGG WHITE PATTY: EGG WHITES, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN GUM, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS.CANADIAN BACON WATER ADDED, SMOKE FLAVORING ADDED: CURED WITH WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM LACTATE, DEXTROSE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, SMOKE FLAVORING, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, FLAVORINGS. PASTEURIZED PROCESS AMERICAN CHEESE: AMERICAN CHEESE(CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR), WATER, CREAM, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM
^^excuse me...what the hell is all of that shit????? By the way, that is not even the complete list of ingredients.
According to the government, the way I eat is unbalanced, bad for my heart, lacking in whole grains, and unhealthy. This was my breakfast this morning:
Ingredients: lettuce, tomato, egg whites, avocado, mushroom, red bell peppers, carrots, red onions, ham (nitrate and preservative free, minimally processed), and a sprinkle of goat cheese.
Now you tell me which is the healthier choice:
- 60+ ingredients vs. 10 ingredients?
- Unidentifiable, questionable, and artificial vs. whole, clean, and natural?
- Processed grains and dairy vs. fresh vegetables?
- Factory made vs. organically grown?
You go, gurl! Did you know they've revised the food "pyramid" yet again to a food "plate"? They thought it would be easier to picture if that were the case. In theory, nice... But you have an excellent point about grains, esp. gluten, and dairy. I'm hooked on quinoa and rice as my alternatives, and love almond milk in my coffee. And your point about real food is well taken. So many people are plugged into the marketing of foods. Like the State Farm french model commercial, "It's on the internet, it must be true."
ReplyDeleteYes! I have seen this MyPlate things. Great concept as it's a lot easier to identify with a table setting than a triangle. Haha! Your grain and dairy alternatives are top notch choices, so good for you for going "against the grain" :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the wealth of information. I grew up feeling sick because I was fed milk and cereal. Yuck. I have been gf for 5 years and I am dairy free :) now because of your education I am also mostly soy and corn free :)
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