"Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."
In this first post in a series on Systematic Living, I’m going to, more than once, tackle the issue of the stuff we put in our mouths (for most of us, that’s food). What we eat in America (and much of the Westernized world) is one of the most systematic things I can think of, and it seems that no one (including myself until a couple months ago) noticed. We thought we were in control of our own choices. We thought Americans had the most varied diet of anyone in the world, afterall, we have 45,000 product in our grocery stores, who else has that?
If you recognize where the previous line of argument is going, you’ll see that this new popular thinking stems much from the writings of Michael Pollan, which is so cliché I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve read everything he’s written (almost…). Pollan is the gold standard in the analysis of this current systematic food system we’re a part of, pointing out that most of that vast variety of 45,000 products in our stores are actual reconstructions of a single ingredient (which will go unmentioned here to avoid some clichés). The bottom line is, we eat like crap in this country and one of the main reasons is because we don’t look at human history or culture for clues on what we should be eating. Instead, we consciously (or unconsciously) listen to food companies, trends and fads, and most of all….Diets.
In the past, when I’ve talked with people about my “diet”, they immediately (in their minds) use the modern definition when I mean it in the most traditional way. The modern definition of diet is commonly thought of as:
Of or relating to a food regimen designed to promote weight loss in a person or an animal
The problem is, this definition of ‘diet’ didn’t exist until fairly recently. The traditional meaning of diet is simply “what I eat on a regular basis”. As in “I tend to eat a healthy diet”. So, how does all of this fit into systematic living?
I think one of the reasons we eat such a horrible diet in this country is because we systematize what we eat. None of us feel qualified to actually make decisions about what is healthy for us and what is not. We feel like there’s SO much variety out there that we need to be a food scientist to determine what we should be stuffing down our gullet. So, because of this, we prescribe ourselves to the modern definition of “diets”. We listen to what Dr. Atkins has to say or we read the latest Low Fat publication in order to find out what’s good for us to be eating. The stupid part is, we KNOW what’s good for us to be eating…it’s so obvious that we miss it. Let’s do a little test:
If I want to eat something that’s good for me, that keeps my weight down, that gives me energy and that generally keeps me healthy, which should I grab?
A) A piece of fruit or
B) absolutely anything out of a prepackaged box (seriously, pick anything).
If I want to feel good, stay slim and fit should I eat pounds upon pounds of meat avoiding any vegetable that’s an ‘evil carb’? Or, should I eat a balance of meat, fresh veggies, a little grain, and a small amount of fruits?
My point is, it’s not that hard. Modern diets (and almost all popular health fads) are attempting to do one thing: Give us a way not to eat vegetables (while putting money in their pockets). Think about it…eating plants is one of the most healthy things we can do, yet it’s the one thing we try and avoid at all costs. The Food Industry knows this, so they try and come up with every way possible for you to be ‘healthy’ eating their boxed products (don’t get me started on the stupid health claims on processed foods) when what you should be doing is grabbing a carrot.
In the end, “diets” are a symptom of a culture that
1) doesn’t want to eat vegetables
2) has been made insecure, thinking they don’t know what’s healthy, and
3) is too lazy to go to a farmer’s market on Saturdays or too cheap to buy fresh fruit instead of fruit-bars.
It’s a system that’s been imposed on us and most people accept it as fact…something they have to live within. And that’s crazy.
So, to live outside the system means to stop eating what diet books and Food Inc. tells you to. Instead, ask yourself “would my great-great grandmother recognize this as food?”. If it’s in a box or tube, she wouldn’t. If you know it’s healthy, eat it. If the box tells you it’s healthy…grab something that doesn’t come in a box.
The best source I’ve found for people that understand this are not nutritionists, not diet gurus…but chefs. The really good chefs will never tell you to use anything out of a box or can or bag. They’ll demand only fresh ingredients from the garden, local farmer, or produce section, which is what you should be eating anyway. Pick up a cookbook, plant a garden, and get yourself out of this dumbed down, systematic way of eating. Forget “diets” and develop a “diet” that our ancestors would recognize.
#1 by Joe Burnham on June 23rd, 2009
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For the most part, I agree with you, however, I’d suggest that our ancestors literal diet isn’t necessarily one we should follow. For example, I’m 1/4 German, a country known for bread and beer diets, but one where the population tends to have an exceptionally high intolerance for gluten.
So, why, if their bodies don’t like gluten, do they consume so much of it? They’re addicted. One of the responses the body has to food it doesn’t process well (typically due to an absence of the bacteria necessary to initiate digestion) is to release opiates. The result is people end up getting addicted to foods that can do things like stress the body out or prompt weight gain.
I think, in addition to eating stuff that’s fresh, do what you do with a baby when it’s young and test out how your body responds to different foods.
Thoughts?
#2 by Bob on June 23rd, 2009
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Joe, I think what you’re talking about here is another word for “sugar”. Anything that has gluten also has sugar (which is why when people switch to gluten-free diets they lose weight, cutting out a ton of the sugar they normally eat or drink). And, you’re right, sugar is addictive.
When I talk about processed foods, these are basically different forms of sugars. Our ancestors didn’t survive solely on sugars, they ate mostly meats and plants (eating WHOLE plants such as wheat and rice, not refined versions like our society does).
Overall, I think anytime we focus on one element of a diet too heavily (”never eat this, always eat this…”) I think we’ve gone wrong (I know you disagree, so let’s leave it at at that :) ). We can eat anything as long as we don’t eat too much and it’s actually food (ie. not processed crap). So, I think sugars are fine as long as they’re eaten in their natural forms (as part of a whole food) and in moderation. Meats and vegetables are the same…eat meat, but not too much…eat fruit, but not too much…eat veggies but…well…wait. You can’t eat too many of those.
In the end, I’d argue that it’s safe to assume most of us can eat all whole foods: vegetables, fruits, high quality meats, unrefined grains. There’s some exceptions, but I’d say you start with the assumption you can eat anything ‘real’, then if you (or your child) has problems then investigate.
#3 by John Wilkerson on June 23rd, 2009
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I’ll be the first to say it: vegetables suck, especially the green ones! I hate vegetables. I’ve tried them steamed, boiled, fresh, covered in cheese or chocolate sauce and I still can’t stomach them. Many of them taste horrible to me. My parents tried for years to get me to eat them. My wife has been trying for 11 years to get me to eat them. I know I need to eat more but it’s tough for me.
Being 1/2 German, I made enemies really quickly because I didn’t eat sauerkraut. Yeah, I was the black sheep. Hand me a broetchen and some bratwurst and I’m there all day, just hold the kraut.