In my quest to find The Truth About Food, I have gone a little insane. Most of my exploration can be divided into three categories:
1) Mainstream diet resources
2) Science-focused resources
3) Documentaries on Netflix
I should be a good little academic and declare my biases right from the start. I have always favored hard scientific data. In general, I think that diet books are a crock of horse crap. Documentaries fall somewhere in the middle - some are essentially hard science being presented in a visual way that is easy to understand, while others are practically fiction.
That said, if my research has taught me anything, it’s that science can be just as full of crap as fad diet books.
My idealist brain desperately wanted to believe that if it was real research conducted by real scientists, the results would be reliable almost-facts. What I naievely didn’t count on was the political influence of large food corporations and organizations like the National Dairy Council.
To give an example of this influence, let’s take a look at milk, something I have dearly loved my whole life. Milk has always brought to mind images of happy cows being hand-milked on small farms in the country. I think this is mostly because of some second grade field trip that I hardly remember, but the image has stuck with me and it makes it hard for me to see milk for what it is: a product that has been aggressively marketed, lobbied for, and politically endorsed despite its questionable suitability for human consumption. This doesn’t mean that I’ve decided to cut milk products from my diet entirely (cheese! and CHEESECAKE!), but I am reconsidering it in a new light now that I know about the schemings of the National Dairy Council.
How can I possibly trust research about milk that has been funded by the National Dairy Council, who has a significant monetary stake in the results? Especially when they turn around and use the results of that research to pressure the FDA to increase the recommended daily intake of dairy products, thus increasing the profit of NDC members everywhere? Call me stupid, but my faith in the scientific process blinded me to the ways in which politics and profit affect what we
eat. Knowing that the government and these big businesses are playing with our health makes me want to boycott these products out of protest and only buy from local farmers.
Of course, the one thing I did know about scientific research is that two people can look at the same results and come to completely different conclusions. Any book about food is going to take the same body of research and pitch their own version of events. However, I have come across several newer books that seem to be soundly based in unbiased science and, better yet, all corroborate each others’ stories. Those books will be the topic of my next post. Stay tuned.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Food & Exercise, Librarian Style
I'm a librarian, and I've loved learning and books my whole life. Whenever I'm having a problem or trying to make a big decision, my first step is always to do research. I check out a bunch of books from the library, look up personal accounts and tips online, and talk to friends and family to pick their brains about the topic. Since my weight wake-up call back in April, much of my research has been focused on the food/dieting/exercise conundrum.
What should I eat?
How much?
How often?
Is 'X' food really bad for me?
Are any of these diets feasible in the long term?
How much exercise should I do?
How often?
What kind?
Everyone who has struggled with trying to gain or lose weight is familiar with these questions. What's the magic formula? I eagerly dove head-first into my research, hopeful that if I could just read enough books and talk to enough people, I would find that there is in fact a clear line between the truth and the trash, between bonafide science and marketing manipulation. That line, I discovered, is somewhat fuzzy - but it DOES seem to exist! I can't tell you how surprised I was, but when I took publication dates into account I could see a definite awakening in the realms of food and exercise research, with more and more people coming around to similar points of view. Now, I would never say that there is total consensus - food is far too contentious an issue, and there is far too much money rolled up in exercise and food as industries. However, when you remove studies funded by groups trying to sell you food and look at the real information, it's interesting how clear it all becomes. Exercise is a little fuzzier, but I've come to some conclusions there as well. Over the next several posts I'll be covering some of the diets I've tried, the food books I've read, and the exercise research I've done. I won't say that the conclusions I've drawn will definitely provide better health and controlled weight for absolutely everyone, but they're working for me and they make logical, scientific sense, so I think they're worth sharing. All these entries will be collected under the tag "Librarian style". I hope someone finds this information helpful!
What should I eat?
How much?
How often?
Is 'X' food really bad for me?
Are any of these diets feasible in the long term?
How much exercise should I do?
How often?
What kind?
Everyone who has struggled with trying to gain or lose weight is familiar with these questions. What's the magic formula? I eagerly dove head-first into my research, hopeful that if I could just read enough books and talk to enough people, I would find that there is in fact a clear line between the truth and the trash, between bonafide science and marketing manipulation. That line, I discovered, is somewhat fuzzy - but it DOES seem to exist! I can't tell you how surprised I was, but when I took publication dates into account I could see a definite awakening in the realms of food and exercise research, with more and more people coming around to similar points of view. Now, I would never say that there is total consensus - food is far too contentious an issue, and there is far too much money rolled up in exercise and food as industries. However, when you remove studies funded by groups trying to sell you food and look at the real information, it's interesting how clear it all becomes. Exercise is a little fuzzier, but I've come to some conclusions there as well. Over the next several posts I'll be covering some of the diets I've tried, the food books I've read, and the exercise research I've done. I won't say that the conclusions I've drawn will definitely provide better health and controlled weight for absolutely everyone, but they're working for me and they make logical, scientific sense, so I think they're worth sharing. All these entries will be collected under the tag "Librarian style". I hope someone finds this information helpful!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Why Vegetarian?
There are a lot of reasons to become vegetarian, some more controversial than others, but my reasons are pretty tame. I was raised eating meat, but I never really cared for it much. I was one of those kids that would stuff the pieces of pork chop in my mouth, then go spit them out in the restroom. Meat just wasn't my thing, except for a few specific dishes. I considered going vegetarian on and off for years, but never did because I didn't know what I would eat... and the thought of giving up chili dogs was unthinkable.
Back in 2009, I suddenly started getting nauseous all the time. My doctor ruled out every possible medical cause; I even got ultrasounds on my gall bladder, which turned up nothing. I finally made a connection that it was happening every time I ate meat. A nutritionist finally suggested that perhaps I had GERD, which is essentially bad acid reflux. That doesn't explain why even lean meats made me sick, but at that point I no longer cared. I had dropped meat from my diet, I felt better, I didn't miss the meat, and I sure as hell didn't want to add more prescription medicine on top of all my allergy control stuff. Thus, I became vegetarian!
The switch was a lot easier than I expected, and I soon became an enthusiastic vegetarian cook. Since becoming vegetarian I've also learned a lot about the environmental costs of large-scale livestock farming, so on a socially-conscious level I'm happy to be doing the whole plant-based diet thing, too. Obviously I don't judge people who choose to include meat in their diet, though, otherwise I would never be with Nathan! I do advocate eating organic, grass-fed meat, though, and supporting local farmers whenever possible - but the reasons for that are for another post.
Ultimately, becoming vegetarian was an easy change for me, and I'm so glad I did it. It's been three years since I quit meat and I don't miss it at all!
(Okay, I DO still miss chili cheese dogs with onions, but that's it, really!)
Back in 2009, I suddenly started getting nauseous all the time. My doctor ruled out every possible medical cause; I even got ultrasounds on my gall bladder, which turned up nothing. I finally made a connection that it was happening every time I ate meat. A nutritionist finally suggested that perhaps I had GERD, which is essentially bad acid reflux. That doesn't explain why even lean meats made me sick, but at that point I no longer cared. I had dropped meat from my diet, I felt better, I didn't miss the meat, and I sure as hell didn't want to add more prescription medicine on top of all my allergy control stuff. Thus, I became vegetarian!
The switch was a lot easier than I expected, and I soon became an enthusiastic vegetarian cook. Since becoming vegetarian I've also learned a lot about the environmental costs of large-scale livestock farming, so on a socially-conscious level I'm happy to be doing the whole plant-based diet thing, too. Obviously I don't judge people who choose to include meat in their diet, though, otherwise I would never be with Nathan! I do advocate eating organic, grass-fed meat, though, and supporting local farmers whenever possible - but the reasons for that are for another post.
Ultimately, becoming vegetarian was an easy change for me, and I'm so glad I did it. It's been three years since I quit meat and I don't miss it at all!
(Okay, I DO still miss chili cheese dogs with onions, but that's it, really!)
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Meet the Combatants
Why exactly do Nathan and I clash so badly over food? To understand that, you have to know a bit about our personal food habits, our family histories, and how our bodies differ in dealing with food.
Meet Nathan
All the men in Nathan family have ridiculous metabolisms and are skinny as can be. He has to work hard to keep from losing too much weight, eating as many calories as he can possibly stand. The problem is, he doesn't like food much. Eating does not excite him, and food in general brings him little pleasure. He also has a genetic disorder in his family that gives him brittle teeth, so he doesn't like eating anything too crunchy or difficult to chew. If he could live by taking a food pill, he would. Eating is a chore for him, a utilitarian thing. He feels like it's a waste of time unless it's steak or lasagna. He is an omnivore and not a very adventurous eater. As soon as he's handed something new, his first question is, "What's in it?". 9 times out of 10, he'll dislike it or be overwhelmingly apathetic. He's a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, no fancy spices or bells and whistles please.
All this taken together makes it very hard for him to keep weight on, especially now that he's in a more physical job. He is six feet tall and 125 pounds, and is looking to gain as much weight as possible so his body can better deal with the energy requirements of his new job.
Meet Megan
I love food. In fact, that's not saying enough; I want to shout from the rooftops and proclaim my undying love for food! Eating is one of the great pleasures in life, and I used to indulge at every opportunity. I would overeat at mealtimes until I was stuffed sick and still go back for dessert. I would eat between meals, the mere thought of food enticing me to rummage through the cabinets for something to satisfy my craving. I'm an adventurous eater; the bolder the spices, the better. International cuisine is my preference, especially Thai and Japanese. I'm also vegetarian, though I eat the occasional fish or shrimp.
I got a wake up call when I went to the doctor at the end of April. I was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 167 pounds. I knew I had gained some weight, but that was the heaviest I had ever been. I took a hard look at my eating habits and attitudes toward food and decided that if I wanted to preserve my health and be as healthy as possible to have children in a few years, I needed to make changes. After much research and experimenting, I managed to lose 16 pounds from making a few basic alterations, bringing me down to 151. I know the recommended healthy weight for someone of my height, 130 pounds, is probably unrealistic for me given my curvy proportions, but I think 140 is completely reasonable and I hope to be there by the end of August. Ultimately, though, this is less about weight and body image and more about health and energy. My job as a librarian (and as a full time graduate student getting a Master's in Library Science) may not be very physically demanding, but it is very mentally challenging and I can't be sluggish and confused because I haven't eaten well. I want to feel great.
To Summarize:
He hates food. I love food. He eats meat. I don't. He like plain food. I like adventurous food. He needs to gain as much weight as possible. I need to lose weight and change my relationship with food.
Are we doomed to fight over food for the rest of our lives?
I don't think so. We're making it work. Through this blog, I hope to share our strategies, recipes, conflicts, and solutions. It will be great for us, but I also hope it will be useful to others who find themselves in similar situations or who hope to gain or lose weight for better health. Best of luck to you all.
Meet Nathan
All the men in Nathan family have ridiculous metabolisms and are skinny as can be. He has to work hard to keep from losing too much weight, eating as many calories as he can possibly stand. The problem is, he doesn't like food much. Eating does not excite him, and food in general brings him little pleasure. He also has a genetic disorder in his family that gives him brittle teeth, so he doesn't like eating anything too crunchy or difficult to chew. If he could live by taking a food pill, he would. Eating is a chore for him, a utilitarian thing. He feels like it's a waste of time unless it's steak or lasagna. He is an omnivore and not a very adventurous eater. As soon as he's handed something new, his first question is, "What's in it?". 9 times out of 10, he'll dislike it or be overwhelmingly apathetic. He's a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, no fancy spices or bells and whistles please.
All this taken together makes it very hard for him to keep weight on, especially now that he's in a more physical job. He is six feet tall and 125 pounds, and is looking to gain as much weight as possible so his body can better deal with the energy requirements of his new job.
Meet Megan
I love food. In fact, that's not saying enough; I want to shout from the rooftops and proclaim my undying love for food! Eating is one of the great pleasures in life, and I used to indulge at every opportunity. I would overeat at mealtimes until I was stuffed sick and still go back for dessert. I would eat between meals, the mere thought of food enticing me to rummage through the cabinets for something to satisfy my craving. I'm an adventurous eater; the bolder the spices, the better. International cuisine is my preference, especially Thai and Japanese. I'm also vegetarian, though I eat the occasional fish or shrimp.
I got a wake up call when I went to the doctor at the end of April. I was 5 feet 4 inches tall and 167 pounds. I knew I had gained some weight, but that was the heaviest I had ever been. I took a hard look at my eating habits and attitudes toward food and decided that if I wanted to preserve my health and be as healthy as possible to have children in a few years, I needed to make changes. After much research and experimenting, I managed to lose 16 pounds from making a few basic alterations, bringing me down to 151. I know the recommended healthy weight for someone of my height, 130 pounds, is probably unrealistic for me given my curvy proportions, but I think 140 is completely reasonable and I hope to be there by the end of August. Ultimately, though, this is less about weight and body image and more about health and energy. My job as a librarian (and as a full time graduate student getting a Master's in Library Science) may not be very physically demanding, but it is very mentally challenging and I can't be sluggish and confused because I haven't eaten well. I want to feel great.
To Summarize:
He hates food. I love food. He eats meat. I don't. He like plain food. I like adventurous food. He needs to gain as much weight as possible. I need to lose weight and change my relationship with food.
Are we doomed to fight over food for the rest of our lives?
I don't think so. We're making it work. Through this blog, I hope to share our strategies, recipes, conflicts, and solutions. It will be great for us, but I also hope it will be useful to others who find themselves in similar situations or who hope to gain or lose weight for better health. Best of luck to you all.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Love & Food - The Introduction
Food is a central part of most cultures. We stuff ourselves silly on holidays, emphasize the benefits of family meal time, spend an incredible percentage of our paychecks at the grocery store, and give food as gifts and tokens of welcome. In America especially, food has emotional ties as well. When something great happens to us, we call up our friends for drinks and dinner. When we want to do something nice for a loved one, we cook for them or take them out to a restaurant. Some of us turn to food when we're sad, depressed, or bored. It's nearly impossible to get away from food issues in daily life.
Knowing all this, what do you do when you fall in love with someone whose views on food are completely different from your own? How do you make holidays work? How do you pick a restaurant? What do you feed your children? How do you grocery shop? Who sacrifices what? Who makes dinner? Food choices impact so many areas of our lives, and most of us would never know it unless it suddenly became an issue.
Food became an issue for me when I met Nathan in 2010 and fell stupidly in love with him. In the beginning, he grinned painfully as I trotted him through Thai restaurants and sushi bars, and I embraced my inner junk food addict when he shared his pringles and mountain dew. It was okay when we weren't living together, though neither of us was all that thrilled with the other's eating habits. Now that we've been living together for a year, though, the kid gloves have come off. All couples have that one thing they fight about all the time, and for us, it's FOOD.
Honey, I love you, but your food SUCKS.
We are opposite in every possible way when it comes to food. What issues come up, and what are the solutions? How do we make it work? Are we seriously getting married despite all this?
This blog will contain all these answers and more. Welcome, enjoy the ride, and try not to starve your loved ones.
Knowing all this, what do you do when you fall in love with someone whose views on food are completely different from your own? How do you make holidays work? How do you pick a restaurant? What do you feed your children? How do you grocery shop? Who sacrifices what? Who makes dinner? Food choices impact so many areas of our lives, and most of us would never know it unless it suddenly became an issue.
Food became an issue for me when I met Nathan in 2010 and fell stupidly in love with him. In the beginning, he grinned painfully as I trotted him through Thai restaurants and sushi bars, and I embraced my inner junk food addict when he shared his pringles and mountain dew. It was okay when we weren't living together, though neither of us was all that thrilled with the other's eating habits. Now that we've been living together for a year, though, the kid gloves have come off. All couples have that one thing they fight about all the time, and for us, it's FOOD.
Honey, I love you, but your food SUCKS.
We are opposite in every possible way when it comes to food. What issues come up, and what are the solutions? How do we make it work? Are we seriously getting married despite all this?
This blog will contain all these answers and more. Welcome, enjoy the ride, and try not to starve your loved ones.
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