Paula Dean saves humanity...

[asta]

I don't think she *should*, but I wish she *would* be honest with her followers about the fact that the very product she has been selling them has likely contributed to her condition.

 

But the thing is, none of us actually know that.

 

PD also chain smokes like a fiend.

 

Every person comes to life with their own set of genes that will determine how they will respond to external factors. My own mother smoked for 40 years, quit, and THEN started having breathing problems. She cruised along for another 20+ years until a doctor made a mistake post-op from a surgery. She ate a "PD" diet - it's what people who were born in the thirties and prior did.

 

We make our judgements based on what we are told at any given point in the medical cycle - and that isn't necessarily a bad thing - but we also have to take individual human beings into account.

 

JMO

 

 

A

[Negin]

Yet one more reason to not follow her recipes any more. Not that I ever really did. I only tried one of her recipes. I have two other reasons that I don't follow her, but do not care to mention them here. Sad that she seems to be in denial. Most people don't seem to like to change.

[Scarlett]

But the thing is, none of us actually know that.

 

PD also chain smokes like a fiend.

 

 

 

A

 

 

:001_huh:

 

I had no idea. That is so gross.

[In the Rain]

I don't quite agree with this. The people I know who love Paula Deen, LOVE Paula Deen. It's about her personality. They buy what she is selling because they adore HER. I think she could absolutely take her 'friends' on the journey of cleaning up their diets together, controlling their health issues and still enjoy their time together in the kitchen.

 

:iagree: There are plenty of women who would go on a healthier eating plan to follow Paula.

 

I didn't know she was a chain smoker. :001_huh:

[Holly IN]

I have an extended family member with type II diabetes. He also refuses to change his eating habits. :glare:

 

Same here. This same relative of mine told my pre-diabetic son (he was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance when he was 6 yrs old) that atkins or the diet that his endo (which is Atkins without the induction period) put him on will kill him. He told him just ask your dr for meds and you can eat whatever you want. We heard him and chewed him out for it. Almost caused a big family fight over it. We had to reassure our son that his grandfather is wrong. He got scared!! This was 3 years ago.

 

Now he is doing so much better and his glucose readings are stabalized. :)

 

My father in law is getting worse every time I see him. So sad!! We can't even talk to him about changing the way he eats to more of an Atkins style. :glare:

 

Holly

[OH_Homeschooler]

It's not the butter, but rather the sugar.

 

Is that true though? Clearly sugar is bad for diabetics, but butter in the amounts she uses contributes to being overweight, which contributes to Type II diabetes.

 

ETA - I hope that Paula cuts the sugar/carbs from her own diet but I don't think she has a social responsibility to change her recipes.

 

I don't think I agree. She's known for years that she's had diabetes and finally comes clean, after acting like everything was all fine and dandy and it was okay to eat her food. She has these followers and she condones these unhealthy foods (claiming she eats them in moderation only), and now after several years of knowing about this health issue is all "oh hey, if you've got diabetes from eating my food for years, I have a cure for y'all!."

 

I saw her on Dr. Oz about a month ago and she acted all sheepish about the one true health issue she had, smoking. She made this major confession about it. That would have been a great time to come clean about the diabetes too, wouldn't it? But she just kept quiet until she cut a deal to promote a diabetes drug?

 

She may not have a social responsibility to change her recipes but she is influential and has a social responsibility.

 

And she may have built her empire on butter but she's not all about cooking like that anymore. She has a line cookware, which could be used to cook healthy food. She even has a furniture line. And have you seen the number of shows focused on weight loss lately? Even the Food Network is starting a new one, Fat Chef. Paula Deen could do just fine if she chose to lighten up her recipes, but she's apparently making the choice not to.

[KungFuPanda]

:iagree:

 

 

ETA - I hope that Paula cuts the sugar/carbs from her own diet but I don't think she has a social responsibility to change her recipes.

 

:iagree: I agree she has no social responsibility to change her style any more than bakeries have a responsibility to fire diabetics 'for their own good.'. I can't think of a single person who makes poor food choices because of Paula Deen. EVERYBODY knows that it's no way to eat every day, but those recipes can have their place for people who are healthy and want an occasional decadent choice.

 

I wouldn't buy a diabetic version of her cookbooks nor would I tune in to watch her make a salad. (if I had cable, that is). I know that salad is healthier than chicken fried steak, but for people who lime to cook, the steak recipe is infinitely more interesting.

[OH_Homeschooler]

:iagree: I agree she has no social responsibility to change her style any more than bakeries have a responsibility to fire diabetics 'for their own good.'. I can't think of a single person who makes poor food choices because of Paula Deen. EVERYBODY knows that it's no way to eat every day, but those recipes can have their place for people who are healthy and want an occasional decadent choice.

 

I wouldn't buy a diabetic version of her cookbooks nor would I tune in to watch her make a salad. (if I had cable, that is). I know that salad is healthier than chicken fried steak, but for people who lime to cook, the steak recipe is infinitely more interesting.

 

Really, everybody? I know it's hard to believe but there really are people who have no clue about nutrition. They might think it's fine to eat that way because at least it isn't fast food. Seriously, there are people who believe such things.

 

I also think making a good, complex, healthy salad can be at least as interesting as chicken fried steak.

 

ETA: I don't mean to pick on anyone here, I've just gotten increasingly annoyed with Paula Deen and it's a hot-button issue for me. My anger is meant for her, not you.

Edited January 18, 2012 by OH_Homeschooler

[Holly IN]

butter has never been proven to cause diabeties. Even my son's endo says butter is ok. Margarine is out due to trans fat.

 

 

Holly

[G5052]

Medication is not the answer for either diabetes or heart disease. Even if your doctor understands how diet is better approach for most people, most prescribe because they figure that people are going to eat what they are going to eat. The long-term results of medication and not changing your diet are only slightly better than not taking medication.

 

Of course she can't turn how she cooks completely around or she would lose her empire. So she takes medication and keeps cooking the way that she's always done. Her choice, I guess. Sad though.

[KungFuPanda]

Really, everybody? I know it's hard to believe but there really are people who have no clue about nutrition. They might think it's fine to eat that way because at least it isn't fast food. Seriously, there are people who believe such things.

 

I also think making a good, complex, healthy salad can be at least as interesting as chicken fried steak.

 

I don't know a single person who would say Paula Deen's food is healthier than a salad. Not one. I'm sure they exist, but if they have access to Paula Deen, they have access to healthy information also and are choosing to avoid it. If that information doesn't interest them, they're not going to to suddenly become interested because Paula said it. Lots of people said it and I find it highly unlikely that Paula Deen is ANYONE'S sole source of information.

 

I agree that a salad can be as interesting to EAT, and it's what I prefer most days, but cooking is it's own activity and there are folks who want to play with technique and gadgets and pots and hot, cooked food. There is a skill level involved in preparing meat really well that just isn't the same for salad prep. (Chicken fried steak was my Paula Deen example. You can change it to beef Wellington if that works better for your taste.) Complicated dishes are generally more interesting in a cooking show than watching someone assemble the world's greatest and healthiest salad.

 

Personally, I prefer to watch that Scottish guy, but he swears so much that I can't tune in until the kids are in bed.

[Trish]

Really, everybody? I know it's hard to believe but there really are people who have no clue about nutrition. They might think it's fine to eat that way because at least it isn't fast food. Seriously, there are people who believe such things.

 

I also think making a good, complex, healthy salad can be at least as interesting as chicken fried steak.

 

ETA: I don't mean to pick on anyone here, I've just gotten increasingly annoyed with Paula Deen and it's a hot-button issue for me. My anger is meant for her, not you.

 

People who have no clue about nutrition aren't going to get one if Paula Deen suddenly "gets religion" and starts preaching low-fat, or less sugar, or eat less. The information about healthy eating is so pervasive that you have to actively avoid it in order to miss the message.

 

I think there's room for foods of all types. Just because Paula Deen has diabetes doesn't mean her recipes are worthless. They can be eaten in moderation by people who don't have specific health issues. Fast food has its place, as do candy bars and junk foods.

 

I don't know what Ray Kroc died of, but if it was obesity-related diabetes from eating McDonald's every day, so what?

 

That Jim Fixx guy dropped dead of a heart attack while running. Does that negate exercise? No. Everyone's situation is different, and people shouldn't expect to get nutrition advice from a southern homestyle chef.

[OH_Homeschooler]

I don't know a single person who would say Paula Deen's food is healthier than a salad. Not one. I'm sure they exist, but if they have access to Paula Deen, they have access to healthy information also and are choosing to avoid it. If that information doesn't interest them, they're not going to to suddenly become interested because Paula said it. Lots of people said it and I find it highly unlikely that Paula Deen is ANYONE'S sole source of information.

 

I agree that a salad can be as interesting to EAT, and it's what I prefer most days, but cooking is it's own activity and there are folks who want to play with technique and gadgets and pots and hot, cooked food. There is a skill level involved in preparing meat really well that just isn't the same for salad prep. (Chicken fried steak was my Paula Deen example. You can change it to beef Wellington if that works better for your taste.) Complicated dishes are generally more interesting in a cooking show than watching someone assemble the world's greatest and healthiest salad.

 

Personally, I prefer to watch that Scottish guy, but he swears so much that I can't tune in until the kids are in bed.

 

Having access to information is not the same as accessing that information.

She even said on Dr. Oz, if I recall, that she had NO HEALTH PROBLEMS. This was a month ago (despite having diabetes for years). Her followers look at her as an example and think if she cooks and eats like that and has no health problems, I guess it's fine. Or at least they can point to her as an example of why it's okay to keep making bad choices.

 

There is also a skill level in preparing healthy foods that taste good. It's not just about salad (which can easily be less healthy than some of Deen's food, by the way). You can even cook chicken fried steak in a more healthy way, and it can taste good. Cooking healthy can be infinitely more complex than unhealthy, because fat tastes good and you have to find a way to replace that, which can involve lots of new techniques and herbs and so on.

 

But again, my issue is with her hypocrisy. She condones eating unhealthy food, acts like things are just fine, then decides to "come clean" when she finally strikes a deal to promote a diabetes drug. That's deplorable.

[justamouse]

I can't judge her. I think Julie in CA is spot on about choosing what gives her the greatest (in her perception) quality of life.

 

I think the quality of life argument is bullsnot.

 

My MIL will probably die in the next 10 years not because she is old, but because she is that unhealthy (obese). She will miss the milestones of her grandchildren's lives, travelling as she wanted to, doing the things she enjoys (quality of life?) because she is now living the consequences of unhealthy living that will culminate in her death.

 

Quality of life argument is denial. You have no quality of life when you're dead.

Edited January 18, 2012 by justamouse

[snickelfritz]

...

Edited January 18, 2012 by snickelfritz

[Stacia]

I agree with Anthony Bourdain on this one.

 

:iagree:

 

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20562258,00.html

[Trish]

I also don't get this "hypocrisy" charge. Seems to me she is sticking to her same old line: great southern cooking with all the fat you'd ever want. Now, on top of that, she's pushing the diabetes drug she is taking herself.

 

Not a great plan. It's sort of like the people who take their advil WHILE they're drinking to cope with the resulting hangover.

 

But how is it hypocritical?

 

Anyway, if I wanted low-fat, I wouldn't be pursuing Paula Deen Version of Low-Fat.

[snickelfritz]

No I don't agree. On a low carb diet with no restriction on fat I lose weight very easily. I also am able to control my blood sugar.

 

My mother was told to eat a low fat, high carb diet (so long as it wasn't sugar, except carbs are converted to sugar so that's not a whole lot different if you are a diabetic). I surely hope the "advice" given to diabetics is better than it was when my mother was alive.

 

Eat lean protein and lots of veggies. Minimize saturated fats. Keep an eye on Glycemic Index, but mix up meals to slow absorption. Eat more fiber to slow absorption. So, whole grains, lean protein, veggies and fruits.

Edited January 18, 2012 by snickelfritz

[fairfarmhand]

It's not the butter, but rather the sugar.

 

But anyway, I think it's hard to change. Food is a huge part of her life.

yup. And white flour/potatoes.

 

Its one of those things where...yeah, you can have a biscuit. But not 2 or 3, and not every day. I equate processed carbs with sweet treats. They are fine for an occasional treat, but not as a way of life.

[KungFuPanda]

Having access to information is not the same as accessing that information.

She even said on Dr. Oz, if I recall, that she had NO HEALTH PROBLEMS. This was a month ago (despite having diabetes for years). Her followers look at her as an example and think if she cooks and eats like that and has no health problems, I guess it's fine. Or at least they can point to her as an example of why it's okay to keep making bad choices.

 

There is also a skill level in preparing healthy foods that taste good. It's not just about salad (which can easily be less healthy than some of Deen's food, by the way). You can even cook chicken fried steak in a more healthy way, and it can taste good. Cooking healthy can be infinitely more complex than unhealthy, because fat tastes good and you have to find a way to replace that, which can involve lots of new techniques and herbs and so on.

 

But again, my issue is with her hypocrisy. She condones eating unhealthy food, acts like things are just fine, then decides to "come clean" when she finally strikes a deal to promote a diabetes drug. That's deplorable.

 

I'm not arguing that healthy cooking can't be rewarding. I am very healthy and fairly skilled home cook. I learned to cook the same way I learn a lot of things, by seeking out information and practicing. I'm arguing that Paula Deen isn't responsible for anyone's health but her own. Clearly, she eats Paula Deen recipes more than anyone should. She absolutely doesn't fall into the category of people who 'do everything right' and remain overweight.

 

My point is that she is not morally responsible for changing her brand, or her shows. She has a niche. It would probably be a bad business decision to change her style. If she has 'followers' then these folks have waded through the available information and made a poor health choice. That's on them. She is not responsible for getting other people's lives in order. She is clearly struggling with her own.

 

Now, if her books were used as textbooks in a nutrition class, that would be different and I would agree that the wrong message was being sent to a captive audience. However, Paula Deen is no more responsible for public health than Stephanie Myers (? Vampire book lady) is for people's reading choices. They HAD a whole library to choose from. Censoring her doesn't create a better society.

[OH_Homeschooler]

I also don't get this "hypocrisy" charge. Seems to me she is sticking to her same old line: great southern cooking with all the fat you'd ever want. Now, on top of that, she's pushing the diabetes drug she is taking herself.

 

Not a great plan. It's sort of like the people who take their advil WHILE they're drinking to cope with the resulting hangover.

 

But how is it hypocritical?

 

Anyway, if I wanted low-fat, I wouldn't be pursuing Paula Deen Version of Low-Fat.

 

Maybe you're right. She's a consistently horrible person. :)

[VeganCupcake]

I think the quality of life argument is bullsnot.

 

My MIL will probably die in the next 10 years not because she is old, but because she is that unhealthy (obese). She will miss the milestones of her grandchildren's lives, travelling as she wanted to, doing the things she enjoys (quality of life?) because she is now living the consequences of unhealthy living that will culminate in her death.

 

Quality of life argument is denial. You have no quality of life when you're dead.

 

:iagree:

I don't really understand why the quality of life argument seems to focus on being able to eat what you want whenever, being able to continue smoking, etc. While I can see that those might be components of what someone considers a "good" life, what about being able to do daily activities without becoming exhausted, or being able to even do daily activities at all?

 

Lifestyle changes, done early enough, generally buy you more than just time; they give you more functional years in your lifespan, too.

[TravelingChris]

While Type 2 diabetes has to do with personal choices, I would like to emphasize that Type 1 doesn't and that many types of heart disease don't either. That is why I had a very thin neighbor who biked 12 miles roundtrip every work day (and that included the big hill from the Potomac River up through the Arlington National Cemetary) and was in his late 30's and had heart disease. Oh, and I should also add that his wife was a crunchy type of person (this was in the early 70's) and they ate lots of fruits and vegetables and much, much less meat and hardly any desserts.

 

That is also why one of the newest ways to test for future heart disease is an inflammation marker which again has nothing to do with diet but does have something to do with whether you have another inflammatory disease like RA or Crohn's disease both of which increase your risk for heart disease.

[Retired]

TYPE 2 diabetes is killing America and more so in the south, its a epidemic

 

sounds like all of the southern folk I deal with, my own dad is diabetic and wouldn't change his southern diet, he had a stroke at age 56, cataracts removed twice since the stroke, Alzheimer's, and now kidney failure.

 

He was diagnosed at age 45 the progression of the disease without diet change is awful. He is only 65 and has no life. The doctors can only keep upping insulin to a point it is damaging to the body.

 

INSULIN OR DIABETIC PILLS ARE NOT CURES. The only real cure is diet/exercise and you can reverse diabetes in a lot of cases if caught Early.

 

Type 1 diabetes is a not life style disease and can't be cured. There is a new Type 3 which was discovered in 2005. It seems to be linked with Alzheimer's. This is still new and my last conference still doesn't know a lot about the disease. They feel it is very dangerous.

 

I get so mad at the folks I deal with that think a insulin shot or pill is just the magic cure. Then they do the same progression my dad did and want a kidney transplant.

 

NONE of it had to happen with a few life style changes.

 

I see this cr*p everyday at work. It just p*ss me off.

 

The lady is in denial. I did see that one of her sons is starting a show where he is making his moms recipe healthy.

 

I cook southern healthy. It can be done but nothing about Paula Dean cooking is good for you unless you want to be obese, diabetic and/or heart disease

[Faith]

butter has never been proven to cause diabeties. Even my son's endo says butter is ok. Margarine is out due to trans fat.

 

 

Holly

 

THIS! :iagree: And, if eaten properly, like on Atkins with very little carbs, you actually lose weight, not gain! I wish more people would check into this, they might know the real reason you gain and get diabetes.

[runmiarun]

That's how I see it. She MAKES money with recipes full of butter & sugar. Even if she personally changed her diet, I can't see her ever changing her shtick. It pays for the bread...and the butter.

 

And the shots.

[OH_Homeschooler]

THIS! :iagree: And, if eaten properly, like on Atkins with very little carbs, you actually lose weight, not gain! I wish more people would check into this, they might know the real reason you gain and get diabetes.

 

That may be true but come on, Paula does not eat butter "properly." Butter CAN cause weight gain, or contribute to it. Weight gain can lead to Type II diabetes.

[Faith]

That may be true but come on, Paula does not eat butter "properly." Butter CAN cause weight gain, or contribute to it. Weight gain can lead to Type II diabetes.

 

This is true. Butter can lead to weight gain if eaten with tons of carbs. What I'm saying is butter did not cause her diabetes alone. I eat a lot of butter and am losing weight doing atkins. It works.

[Holly IN]

This is true. Butter can lead to weight gain if eaten with tons of carbs. What I'm saying is butter did not cause her diabetes alone. I eat a lot of butter and am losing weight doing atkins. It works.

 

Very true!! You can't have a high fat high carb diet. So you can have butter if you do low carb. :iagree: It is either/or....

 

Holly

[Faith]

Very true!! You can't have a high fat high carb diet. So you can have butter if you do low carb. :iagree: It is either/or....

 

Holly

 

Right, this is what I'm trying to say. I don't usually get involved in discussions much because while I KNOW what I want to say, I have a hard time saying it and not getting it all mixed up. lol Thanks Holly IN.

[runmiarun]

I am sorry for her needing to abandon her food culture. I had to do that, when 5/6 of my family was diagnosed with celiac disease.

 

I was a baker! Pies, cakes, breads of all kinds. I'd learned so many family recipes from four generations back, carefully passed on by my mother and grandmother. Love was chicken and noodles from scratch, and I could cook it in my sleep.

 

When we had to go gluten-free, all of that was gone overnight. Whoosh. It was like somebody took my Matriarch Badge off my shoulder and cut it into smithereens. How can you be a Mama if you don't use a rolling pin, or if you don't knead bread by hand? Myself in an apron with flour up to my elbows...that was part of my identity.

 

I had to learn to be a Mama who simmers a stew, or fixes rice and beans. I had to create an entirely new food culture for my family, even though their dozens of cousins and relatives still eat the old way. That's hard. I know we are healthier, and my boys are protected from diseases that would have come from untreated celiac disease. I know they get tons more fruits and vegetables than they would have. It is still hard.

 

To an outsider our new diet looks better. It is lighter, fresher, and has more of an international flair. Still, to me, the loss of connection to my family's food culture has been something to grieve. I still get very upset about it sometimes.

 

 

I was raised this very same way. When my mother was dx with Type II diabetes, she never changed her cooking. She always said it was part of who she was. She was on daily shots until she passed away. I am at a significantly higher risk for Type II. I had to make the choice to change my cooking from generations of heavy cooking. It's still a struggle some days. Especially pound cake :tongue_smilie:. I can see a distinct difference for the better in our lives because of these changes. I feel your pain and struggle right along with you.

[OH_Homeschooler]

This is true. Butter can lead to weight gain if eaten with tons of carbs. What I'm saying is butter did not cause her diabetes alone. I eat a lot of butter and am losing weight doing atkins. It works.

 

I didn't say it caused her diabetes alone. Things like Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburgers with eggs on them contributed. She's overweight, she jokes about her butter consumption, and now she has diabetes. And a deal with a drug company to promote a diabetes drug.

[Jenny in Atl]

 

I didn't know she was a chain smoker. :001_huh:

 

I knew the first time I heard her laugh... the sound stopped me dead in my tracks. My youngest used to love watching her, but she gave me the creeps, as she sounded exactly like my MIL (accent/smokers voice) who passed away from lung cancer at 57.

[Trish]

I am sorry for her needing to abandon her food culture. I had to do that, when 5/6 of my family was diagnosed with celiac disease.

 

I was a baker! Pies, cakes, breads of all kinds. I'd learned so many family recipes from four generations back, carefully passed on by my mother and grandmother. Love was chicken and noodles from scratch, and I could cook it in my sleep.

 

When we had to go gluten-free, all of that was gone overnight. Whoosh. It was like somebody took my Matriarch Badge off my shoulder and cut it into smithereens. How can you be a Mama if you don't use a rolling pin, or if you don't knead bread by hand? Myself in an apron with flour up to my elbows...that was part of my identity.

 

I had to learn to be a Mama who simmers a stew, or fixes rice and beans. I had to create an entirely new food culture for my family, even though their dozens of cousins and relatives still eat the old way. That's hard. I know we are healthier, and my boys are protected from diseases that would have come from untreated celiac disease. I know they get tons more fruits and vegetables than they would have. It is still hard.

 

To an outsider our new diet looks better. It is lighter, fresher, and has more of an international flair. Still, to me, the loss of connection to my family's food culture has been something to grieve. I still get very upset about it sometimes.

 

I'd like to expand our repertoire of healthy food choices. Can you give me an idea of what worked, iin particular, for your kids? They don't do exotic (although my older is starting to get more adventurous). How would you recommend introducing them to some healthier recipes that they will enjoy enough to want to eat on a regular basis? Any particular cookbook, site, or direction that worked for you?

[TranquilMind]

I have an addiction. It can be described as nothing else. It's all I think about. My mouth goes dry. My brain turns off. I just need one more serving. It's ridiculous. It helps to know that it's an addiction. It helps me to know that if I eat just a bite of something I will NEED to eat more of it.

I'm sorry but that's ridiculous. You don't NEED to. You want to.

 

I am similar. So I stopped eating those things altogether, when I got older and the inevitable started occurring from my bad diet.

 

Like any other habit, whatever you "feed" strengthens, whatever you starve does not.

 

I thought I REALLY NEEDED and was "addicted" to coffee too, and I still really like it in the morning. But when my appendix blew around Thanksgiving and I nearly died because I didn't go in for three days after (it didn't hurt that much! Thought it was the flu or something), guess what....no coffee. Actually no coffee for a month.

 

I didn't die or rampage the neighborhood because of it or get the dt's. I did just fine as would anyone who is "addicted" to coffee if they can't have it.

 

When the price is too high to continue something that is hurting you, you will stop. It's that simple. Some are willing to pay a higher price than others are, depending upon what they value most. But there's absolutely no "addiction" involved.

[TranquilMind]

kijipt: Someone saying that food can not be addictive is like me as a non-smoker saying that quitting nicotine is no big deal.

 

Baloney.

 

If someone dropped you somewhere else and you had to survive without your "addictions", you'd do just fine.

 

I realized this when I stopped drinking caffeine. I was a heavy, heavy user of caffeine and my reactions were intense and difficult and physically painful.

 

Yeah, me too, as I just said in another post. But when I had to abruptly stop because of surgery on a ruptured appendix that nearly killed me, hey...all of the sudden that coffee wasn't very important. Didn't have any for a month. Drinking less now, but still like it.

 

It is a HABIT, not an addiction. You won't die without it. You might have a headache.

 

I had scoffed at food and nicotine as "addictions" until I realized that even a fraction of what it took to go cold turkey on caffeine was A LOT.

 

But completely doable. Habits are hard to break, which is why they become habits. They are comfortable. We are creatures of habit. It's hard to stop watching a certain TV show if you have watched it for years, but it isn't an addiction!

[TranquilMind]

Tibbie Dunbar:

I was a baker! Pies, cakes, breads of all kinds. I'd learned so many family recipes from four generations back, carefully passed on by my mother and grandmother. Love was chicken and noodles from scratch, and I could cook it in my sleep.

 

Yeah, my husband too! He is a fantastic baker.

 

He eats mostly veggies now, mostly raw, in order to eliminate some health issues. It worked great. It is a small price to pay for being around to watch your children grow up, he'd tell you, though there are days that temptation arises. But the more you get away from it, the less you want it.

 

When we had to go gluten-free, all of that was gone overnight. Whoosh. It was like somebody took my Matriarch Badge off my shoulder and cut it into smithereens. How can you be a Mama if you don't use a rolling pin, or if you don't knead bread by hand? Myself in an apron with flour up to my elbows...that was part of my identity.

 

I had to learn to be a Mama who simmers a stew, or fixes rice and beans. I had to create an entirely new food culture for my family, even though their dozens of cousins and relatives still eat the old way. That's hard. I know we are healthier, and my boys are protected from diseases that would have come from untreated celiac disease. I know they get tons more fruits and vegetables than they would have. It is still hard.

 

Yeah, it's hard. But good for you. It will be worth it.

 

Still, to me, the loss of connection to my family's food culture has been something to grieve. I still get very upset about it sometimes.

 

I totally get that and grieve with you. But I want to live now, so I keep trying to do the right thing every day and don't even miss all that chocolate I used to stuff my face with and all the baked goods, etc.

[TranquilMind]

Joanne;3517120](this one is hard for me)

 

I have a friend who has a new liver and kidneys. He is a Type II, and had *alcoholic* cirhosis. He was severely overweight. He did stop drinking about 5 years ago (but never sought actual recovery). He never changed his eating habits, remains overweight.

 

And word is that he now drinks a "beer or two."

 

I love this man; but I am furious with him. I'm married to a man with the same medical issues, but an old liver who didn't get there through over consumption of alcohol. I get very angry.

 

 

Oh, Lord. That's just...insulting...to the donor of his liver and kidneys.

 

My sister - a 4 time transplant recipient - would have been furious. She would not believe there are people here talking about how they are "addicted" to food and must eat or drink what they want because of this "addiction". She'd tell them to try having a real disease like kidney failure or cancer or something - except she was dead in her 20's so she won't be telling them anything.

 

When I am with the other guy, I just prayerfully repeat to myself that I need to love and understand him and that my anger does no one in the equation any good.

 

 

You are right, of course, but it is still just so infuriating.

[Denisemomof4]

Paula Dean is an idiot. I've lost ALL respect for her. It's sad because I have memories of watching her show with my dad. He loved her.

 

I can't believe that she tells viewers of a scrumptious treat which consists of a bacon cheeseburger crammed between two Krispy Kreme donuts. Seriously??!!! GROSS!!!

 

then she waits years to reveal her diagnosis, and now she's going to make money because of it?

 

:leaving:

[justamouse]

:iagree:

 

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20562258,00.html

 

You know what strikes me about Bourdain commenting is that it's not like that guy doesn't eat awesome food. And yes, his thinness might be genetic (though his brother is not as thin as he) but if HE says that her food is killing us, ans he eats like a king...

[YLVD]

I hope she changes her eating habits. Death by uncontrolled diabetes can be a very ugly thing. :(

 

I feel like I'm a ticking time bomb in regards to diabetes. I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies and it is rampant on my dad's side of the family. However, that's one of the reasons I've started exercising and losing weight.

 

Yeah, I worry about my (16 yr old) daughter. She has PCOS and insulin resistance and is at a high risk of diabetes. Even with the right diet and lots of working out, it just keeps her from not being obese. Weight loss and lifestyle changes can really keep it from progressing

 

I'm not a fan of Paula Deen or southern style food in general. But, I think that she could do some real good here and be an example for people to follow, change of lifestyle, food, exercise. Sadly, it won't likely happen

[happyhomemaker25]

Baloney.

 

If someone dropped you somewhere else and you had to survive without your "addictions", you'd do just fine.

 

 

 

Yeah, me too, as I just said in another post. But when I had to abruptly stop because of surgery on a ruptured appendix that nearly killed me, hey...all of the sudden that coffee wasn't very important. Didn't have any for a month. Drinking less now, but still like it.

 

It is a HABIT, not an addiction. You won't die without it. You might have a headache.

 

 

 

But completely doable. Habits are hard to break, which is why they become habits. They are comfortable. We are creatures of habit. It's hard to stop watching a certain TV show if you have watched it for years, but it isn't an addiction!

 

So drug addicts aren't addicted either? Most drug addicts I know won't DIE if they don't get the drugs. It does not make the withdrawls any easier.

Don't call my addiction ridiculous just because you don't agree with it!

Even my Dr. says that studies have been done that show some people are addicted to certain types of food. My Type II is a result of PCOS. It makes it harder for me to loose weight and my body does crave carbs in excessive amounts.

Really, you don't have to be so insulting.

[YLVD]

Is that true though? Clearly sugar is bad for diabetics, but butter in the amounts she uses contributes to being overweight, which contributes to Type II diabetes.

 

 

 

I don't think I agree. She's known for years that she's had diabetes and finally comes clean, after acting like everything was all fine and dandy and it was okay to eat her food. She has these followers and she condones these unhealthy foods (claiming she eats them in moderation only), and now after several years of knowing about this health issue is all "oh hey, if you've got diabetes from eating my food for years, I have a cure for y'all!."

 

I saw her on Dr. Oz about a month ago and she acted all sheepish about the one true health issue she had, smoking. She made this major confession about it. That would have been a great time to come clean about the diabetes too, wouldn't it? But she just kept quiet until she cut a deal to promote a diabetes drug?

 

She may not have a social responsibility to change her recipes but she is influential and has a social responsibility.

 

And she may have built her empire on butter but she's not all about cooking like that anymore. She has a line cookware, which could be used to cook healthy food. She even has a furniture line. And have you seen the number of shows focused on weight loss lately? Even the Food Network is starting a new one, Fat Chef. Paula Deen could do just fine if she chose to lighten up her recipes, but she's apparently making the choice not to.

 

I agree, it's both the butter and fat.

[YLVD]

No I don't agree. On a low carb diet with no restriction on fat I lose weight very easily. I also am able to control my blood sugar.

 

My mother was told to eat a low fat, high carb diet (so long as it wasn't sugar, except carbs are converted to sugar so that's not a whole lot different if you are a diabetic). I surely hope the "advice" given to diabetics is better than it was when my mother was alive.

 

That could be but for my daughter, who is insulin resistant and sees and endocrinologist, too much fat will contribute to gain. She is a fan of moderate fat to help with fullness but too much is harmful.

 

As an aside, we all try to lower carbs here and eat healthy, especially since DD has to eat that way. Going low carb and full fat dairy is what is ultimately leading to my having to have my gallbladder taken out, as well as gallstones. Sad because I liked having more fat lol

[YLVD]

butter has never been proven to cause diabeties. Even my son's endo says butter is ok. Margarine is out due to trans fat.

 

 

Holly

 

I'm small doses, sure but not regularly in the amounts that Paula Deen uses, that's per my dd's endo. Well, not the part about Paula Deen but that butter is good but used very moderately. It won't necessarily cause diabetes but enough of it can push people down that path, especially if prone to it

[ereks mom]

She is a Food TV personality, not a dietitian. KWIM? I don't personally look to people in those positions for information on healthy eating.

 

:iagree:

[YLVD]

I don't know a single person who would say Paula Deen's food is healthier than a salad. Not one. I'm sure they exist, but if they have access to Paula Deen, they have access to healthy information also and are choosing to avoid it. If that information doesn't interest them, they're not going to to suddenly become interested because Paula said it. Lots of people said it and I find it highly unlikely that Paula Deen is ANYONE'S sole source of information.

 

I agree that a salad can be as interesting to EAT, and it's what I prefer most days, but cooking is it's own activity and there are folks who want to play with technique and gadgets and pots and hot, cooked food. There is a skill level involved in preparing meat really well that just isn't the same for salad prep. (Chicken fried steak was my Paula Deen example. You can change it to beef Wellington if that works better for your taste.) Complicated dishes are generally more interesting in a cooking show than watching someone assemble the world's greatest and healthiest salad.

 

Personally, I prefer to watch that Scottish guy, but he swears so much that I can't tune in until the kids are in bed.

 

Gordon Ramsay! I adore him!

[ereks mom]

No great loss. Her version of Southern is really not southern at all. Outsiders might consider it such but it is not.

 

Not all food cooked in the South is created equal. If you want REAL Southern food here in Georgia, you don't go to a restaurant or watch a cooking show. You have to go to Homecoming at a church in a rural area. Or go to my MIL's house for Sunday Dinner. ;)

[OH_Homeschooler]

So drug addicts aren't addicted either? Most drug addicts I know won't DIE if they don't get the drugs. It does not make the withdrawls any easier.

Don't call my addiction ridiculous just because you don't agree with it!

Even my Dr. says that studies have been done that show some people are addicted to certain types of food. My Type II is a result of PCOS. It makes it harder for me to loose weight and my body does crave carbs in excessive amounts.

Really, you don't have to be so insulting.

 

I agree with all of this. Saying you don't need something means you are not addicted is just simply wrong. No one NEEDS heroin but there are plenty of heroin addicts out there.

 

A habit is a behavior you perform regularly. Smoking is a bad habit. But a person becomes addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. Drinking coffee every morning is a habit, but people get addicted to caffeine. If they didn't then they wouldn't get migraines when they stop drinking coffee. That is a sign of physical dependence. Just because you can stop drinking coffee and survive the experience doesn't mean it's not an addiction.

 

I'm sorry you have PCOS, I imagine that makes all of this so much harder.

[YLVD]

Yes, but I still maintain that the butter is not the problem in and of itself. I can eat a green salad daily, that doesn't cancel out a daily dozen of donuts. Yet who would say that it was the green salad that was bad? Lots of people say butter is bad (with or without carbs).

 

It can be. As with anything else, people and their bodies differ. I eat butter and would never consider eating margarine. But, eating too much fat can and does make me very ill. Moderation is good but butter can be a problem for many. It just depends.