The Food Police

[laundrycrisis]

ITA with not over-obsessing about food, and not over-restricting our diets to the point that it interfereres with relaxing and living our lives.   I had to completely avoid all dairy and eggs for our son, even trace amounts, for four years.  It wasn't my idea of fun or convenient.  I'm thankful every day that he grew out of those allergies, and I enjoy it every single time I get him a cheeseburger and a shake, or we eat pizza.  I know that's not a healthy diet - it's an occasional convenience or treat, and one that I enjoy having the freedom to choose now.  I would not embrace a restrictive diet all the time as just a lifestyle choice, because I think it gets in the way of just living.  If we make the healthier choices most of the time, or at least when we easily can, I think that's pretty good.

 

All that said, I think aspartame is bad news, since I personally react to it, and we and avoid it completely.  It's not hard to do, at all.  It's no inconvenience.  But I would not lecture someone else about it. 

[Murphy101]

I think of "Foodie" and "Food Police" as two different things. I think of myself as a foodie because I enjoy a wide range of foods, will try and enjoy almost anything, and I love to cook all sorts of things. Food Policing, on the other hand, seems more about food evangelism and limiting what others eat. "Wheat is bad for ALL!" Forget that . . . I have a sourdough starter living in my fridge like a pet.

Admittedly, I AM concerned about the food supply and get annoyed that THINGS THAT AREN'T FOOD are legally added to it. I shouldn't HAVE to opt out of eating bug spray and fake fillers. I believe that should really be a opt IN situation. I know diet isn't the be all and end all of health, I have a child with muscular dystrophy and diet won't 'fix' him, but I do appreciate being able to control the things I CAN.

You can roll your eyes in annoyance, but the fact remains that there are places where the avocado is treated like the fruit it is and is a common smoothie choice alongside bananas and strawberries. I tried the avocado smoothie at the Pho place and I really liked it. My brain gave me pause for a minute and went "It's an avocado, but it's sweet. I am confused" but I got past it after a few sips. You must admit that the average American kid at the public pool might not have a very well-developed palate. In fact, they should have eliminated the vote of any kid who didn't like avocados . . . because that's just sad and wrong. That avocado ice cream might have been a favorite at another pool in another place.

My favorite whole30 treat is avocado and unsweetened cocoa and either pureed dates or coconut cream all puréed together until it's the consistency of a really thick buttercream chocolate frosting. I plop it on fresh fruit and it is AWESOME.

 

But we love avocados.

And trying new foods.

[jhschool]

I don't like the article at all.

 

The tone is really obnoxious.

 

I have been drinking about 2 diet cokes a week--no big deal, right?

I never used to drink diet coke.

Now I have a crazy infection.  Maybe related, maybe not related.

 

I think what the Food Police say is true.  It is better for our bodies, for the

farm workers, and for everyone if sustainable healthy organic food is voted

on with our wallets.

 

And I respect people who respect their bodies and only put good healthy

food in them.

 

I wish I had the willpower to be like them.

[I.Dup.]

And, actually, I had guests this weekend and though they have irritable bowl, chronic migraines and are all overweight, they wanted Diet Coke and I bought it for them. Their life.

 

Do you think the Diet Coke caused them to have irritable bowel, migraines, and to be overweight?

 

My Dad has SPD and needs a drink all the time. It's an oral obsession/fixation. I have never, in my 31 years, ever seen him drink a glass of water. Ever. He drinks "Caffeine free diet coke" by the case, he goes through about 20 a day, has for 20+ years. He drinks it caffeine free because of his previous addiction to caffeine (he also has an addictive personality).

 

He is a perfectly healthy 68-year-old (apart from the mental issues, that he's always had, lol) who has already outlived his own father and brother. His mom smoked for 50+ years and lived to be past 90, she was kicking and screaming on her way out.

 

So much of this is genetics. Food will help certain issues, esp. if we are talking about allergies. Believe me, I'm a big believer in getting rid of allergens. I'm just sick and tired of the food obsession and paranoia everywhere.

[I.Dup.]

So much of this is genetics. Food will help certain issues, esp. if we are talking about allergies. Believe me, I'm a big believer in getting rid of allergens. I'm just sick and tired of the food obsession and paranoia everywhere.

 

and I do get that we have so much unhealthy food, and people are concerned about that and freaked out about Monsanto and all of that. I get it. I know people have to preach against it. I just hate that we spend so much mental energy (and energy all around) on obsessing about food.

[Murphy101]

Why is it do surprising that the more things change the more they stay the same?

 

We're all still hunters and gatherers. It's the main reason we work, developed currency, farming, domesticated animals...

 

Food is life. Of course we're a bit (or a lot) preoccupied with it.

 

:)

[Audrey]

I admit that I'm a foodie -- in the sense that I'm really passionate about growing and raising good food for my family and other people.  I'm also really passionate about getting food to people who need it and can't afford it.  I choose to believe that most people will do the best with what they have -- money, time, knowledge, etc.  Belittling others' food choices is borderline immoral, IMO, because 99.999% you don't even know the whole picture.  I think it's borderline immoral to use food to make yourself feel superior to other people. 

[KathyBC]

Honestly I didn't think he was any more respectful or spiritual in his response than those who questioned his coke, tho I completely admit they were wrong to do so.

 

 

I'm pretty sure Julie is a 'she'. Her picture sure looks like a 'she'.

[Heather in Neverland]

I admit that I'm a foodie -- in the sense that I'm really passionate about growing and raising good food for my family and other people. I'm also really passionate about getting food to people who need it and can't afford it. I choose to believe that most people will do the best with what they have -- money, time, knowledge, etc. Belittling others' food choices is borderline immoral, IMO, because 99.999% you don't even know the whole picture. I think it's borderline immoral to use food to make yourself feel superior to other people.

I agree.

 

I am a foodie-wannabe. I am making lots of changes in my family's diet... Leaning toward a Paleo-type diet. No one in our family is overweight or has a chronic illness or allergies (except my son's peanut allergy) so we are not being forced to do this. I just want us all to eat better.

 

However, according to the uber-foodies I know, I am not doing enough or doing it fast enough or pure enough or whatever. So it makes you want to give up and eat a Twinkie.

 

I think that was my big takeaway from the article. Do what you can, what feels right for you, and leave other people to do the same. The last thing we need is yet one more way to judge another person. Sheesh.

[LucyStoner]

"Do I think I’m better than those people in poverty, so I deserve optimal “natural†food? Or, do I think that everyone deserves it, but because not everyone is in a place to access it, rice and corn mash are good enough for their kids but definitely not mine? When you donate food to the food pantry, do you donate the expensive organic carefully-sourced food that you insist is the only acceptable thing to put in your body and that you feed yourself and your family, or do you get the cheapest canned and boxed food at the store?"

 

This quote really struck me. I am surrounded by uber-foodies. How I wish I had the guts to ask them this. Maybe the next time one of these people hassle me over what I am eating, I will toss this little gem out.

I usually give money rather than food because I know they can make their dollars stretch in ways I can't but when we donate food to the food bank I only donate things we eat- not the cheapest crap I can grab. We are active at our local food bank and there are quite a lot of whole and natural food donations, including tons of organic soups and canned tomatoes. I live in foodie land. So yes, some of us are certainly giving what we eat ourselves.

[Pawz4me]

I think being overly obsessed with food is a way people try to feel immortal, or as close to it as they can. None of us wants to get sick or die. I had an eating disorder for 2 years, I've already wasted 2 years of my life being obsessed about food, no thanks. Life is short enough as it is. That doesn't mean I subsist on Cheetos and Mountain Dew, not at all. :) I just don't want to waste any more of my life obsessing about food.

 

I agree.

 

Anorexia is ultimately a control issue.  IMO "food policing" is, too.  On some level we all know we're going to die, and that the process of getting there may be quite horrible.  I suspect many of the "food police" subconsciously firmly believe that by keeping such strict control over their food they will avoid that.

 

When I was diagnosed as borderline anorexic it took me a very long time to accept that it really was a control issue.  I suspect that most of those with "food poilce disorder" would also have a very hard time accepting that it's a control issue.

[WishboneDawn]

I don't like the article at all.

 

The tone is really obnoxious.

 

I have been drinking about 2 diet cokes a week--no big deal, right?

I never used to drink diet coke.

Now I have a crazy infection. Maybe related, maybe not related.

 

I think what the Food Police say is true. It is better for our bodies, for the

farm workers, and for everyone if sustainable healthy organic food is voted

on with our wallets.

 

And I respect people who respect their bodies and only put good healthy

food in them.

 

I wish I had the willpower to be like them.

See, that's the issue for me. It's one more thing in my life that creates that vacuum of want. A lot of the food police stuff is akin to the skinny models in bikinis or magazine spreads of expensively decorated houses. It's fluff meant to dig a hole in you that you'll spend money to fill.

 

And you can never fill it because the moment you've got the organic thing down the goal post shifts to local and if you accomplish that then the new thing is eating clean. And you will never meet the standard and will always lack in some way whether it's time or money or will power.

 

Food is often marketed as if it's magic. If you never drink diet soda, always buy organic and shun bread you'll live to a healthy old age. It's our modern replacement for avoiding black cats and not walking under ladders.

 

Good food is very important but to elevate it so far above every other variable that affects our health is to engage in a superstitious attempt to pretend you can wring order from chaos.

 

No, the diet pop did not cause your infection. A bacteria or fungus or virus did and they cause infections in even the healthiest people because that's what they do and it's a triumph of evolution and perfectly natural that they can do that. Disease is, in fact, a natural process. It won't go away no matter how much quinoa and ginseng we ingest and how much aspartame we avoid.

 

We raise our own poultry and eggs and cook and bake from scratch. I have a pantry full of grains, including the trendy quinoa and flax. But downstairs there are a dozen bottles of pop in the cold room and my husband takes processed pudding cups to work (when the rest of us, baby included, haven't raided the stash). I enjoy chocolate bars on a regular basis.

 

Balance. Moderation. Accepting that our lifespans are generally not in our control and what matters isn't so much how long we live but the character we display and how we treat those around us. Reserve your guilt and shame for those occasions when you treat someone badly or unfairly, not for when you sit down to enjoy a Big Mac or Diet Coke.

 

Now I have to go. I'm hiding in my bedroom with my smartphone when I should be making breakfast for the kids and baking bread.:)

 

 

ETA: Wow. My phone isn't smart at all. I must remember that I need to proofread. I think I've fixed all the ridiculous errors.

[creekland]

It seems like "middle ground" is something totally lost on this board sometimes.  There are a lot of extremists on here.  I personally prefer the middle ground.

 

This is us too.  We have our own garden every year.  This year we've been eating lettuce (leaf), spinach, kale, broccoli, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, beets, and radishes on a regular basis (with plenty of freezable veggies frozen for later consumption).  We have more to come (beans, tomatoes, peppers, etc).  It's all organic.  Even the fertilizer comes solely from our ponies and chickens, which brings to mind, we also have our own chickens for eggs.  I don't make my own bread, but we only buy whole wheat (rare exceptions for potato rolls occasionally and Italian when I'm stuffing poultry).

 

Yet... in the past week we've been to McDonald's (taking middle son to the airport) and Chick Fil A (celebrating that youngest got a job there).  We've also ordered out a pizza and eaten cheese steaks out (middle son's culinary request before returning to college).

 

We also drink some full sugar (well, HFCS) sodas - no diet.

 

I have no regrets about any of it.  We're middle grounders.

 

Fortunately, we live in an area where there are few food police.  I see far more on this board than IRL.

 

To each our own.

[KungFuPanda]

I don't think the friend should have said anything at lunch, but the author did say she drinks diet coke and 'plenty of water mostly in the form of tea.' I'm not sure drinking a lot of tea really counts as drinking plenty of water. I HAVE known people who sabotage their health with diet colas and an aversion to plain water. They can also be irrationally defensive of this practice (to the point of writing articles about it?) and do behave a little addict-like when someone suggests they drop the diet soda and drink plain water.

 

I'm thinking mainly of my MIL who developed diabetes, is careful about her food, but can't/won't give up Pepsi One. I'm certainly not tough enough to pry it from her hands, or even have a conversation about it, but I imagine giving it up could be beneficial in a real way.

[jhschool]

There is something else with that article.

 

The author implies that the Food Police think they are better

than the poor people.

 

I don't think people who are trying to eat good healthy food and

trying to have more organic food available do it in any way because

they are better than the poor people.

 

The author keeps talking about:  Am I so much better than the poor

people that I need to put better food inside myself?  As if that is somehow

related.

 

But foodies don't eat better food to be better, or because they are better,

or think they are better, than the poor.

 

I am not very good at logic but there is a fallacy somewhere--or maybe it's

called a false assumption?  I seriously don't know the proper names for

arguments and things.  My only point is the author is equating wanting to eat better

with being better (than poor people).

[Heather in Neverland]

It doesn't matter. The person's lack of life experience and lack of valuation of human life is shining thru. Treating Nicaragua as a zoo with humans on display, even if just in writing, is appalling.

Then you are choosing to completely miss the point. That's your choice of course. But your side of the argument now lacks any credibility.

[Word Nerd]

Treating Nicaragua as a zoo with humans on display, even if just in writing,  is appalling.

 

Huh? What are you talking about?

[QueenCat]

Honestly, people can be 'right' about all kinds of things, and it is still obnoxious to brow beat others about it in what should be pleasant social circumstances. The author should be able to order a diet coke without having to deal with comment and criticism.

 

Being right about diet coke's faults doesn't make it okay to berate a friend about it at lunch. It sounds to me like the author has a reasonably good diet and is healthy. Her friends might be 'right' about the soda. But that doesn't change the fact that they have bad manners. I think we can all concede that diet coke isn't a healthy choice. It's still a valid, legal choice, and most of us don't need help as adults ordering off a menu.

 

Well said!

[QueenCat]

 I HAVE known people who sabotage their health with diet colas and an aversion to plain water. They can also be irrationally defensive of this practice (to the point of writing articles about it?) and do behave a little addict-like when someone suggests they drop the diet soda and drink plain water.

 

 

This used to be me....... Diet soda is a hard habit to break. I used to drink a 2 liter bottle a day, sometimes more, starting with breakfast. Now, I drink juice for breakfast, and water most of the day. I allow myself "2" cans of soda per day. I rarely order it when we go out, unless the water just tastes awful somewhere, and it's too early for a glass of wine. It's more than I should have but it's far better than what I used to drink. One step at a time and I don't feel deprived. Goal for September is to reduce to "1" can per day.

[Cinder]

Have you ever had avocado ice cream?  With chocolate sauce?  It is awesome.  I had a friend from Brazil who made us a desert with pureed avocados and a scoop of ice cream topped with chocolate liquor and it was delish.  They were surprised that avocados are used in savory dishes here because they had only experienced them in sweet things back home.   

 

But, kids will be kids.  For the average American kid, if it is green (and not neon lime green) it can't be good!

 

This ice cream wasn't sweet, it was savory--with bacon. It even earned a spot as one of Top Chef's worst dishes. :laugh:

 

My first intro to avocado was as a sweet . . . sort of. My mom would mash the avocado, mix in sugar, and spread it on toast. I didn't care for it.

 

 

You can roll your eyes in annoyance, but the fact remains that there are places where the avocado is treated like the fruit it is and is a common smoothie choice alongside bananas and strawberries. I tried the avocado smoothie at the Pho place and I really liked it. My brain gave me pause for a minute and went "It's an avocado, but it's sweet. I am confused" but I got past it after a few sips. You must admit that the average American kid at the public pool might not have a very well-developed palate. In fact, they should have eliminated the vote of any kid who didn't like avocados . . . because that's just sad and wrong. That avocado ice cream might have been a favorite at another pool in another place.

 

I'm not sure you saw this show? If you had you'd be rolling your eyes too--at Marcel's elevation of himself above regular folks.

 

Anyway, as I mentioned above, the ice cream was savory not sweet. The people were told they were getting ice cream. I'm sure most, if not all, were expecting a sweet treat. This wasn't and it didn't go over well.

[Danestress]

This ice cream wasn't sweet, it was savory--with bacon.

If I were on a desert island and could only choose one food for a week, I would probably choose avocado. I adore them and eat it straight from the skin as a quick breakfast all the time. That ice cream looked disgusting, even to me.

 

Some of the other 'worst' selections also looked dreadful, but what was the deal with the roasted brocollini? I couldn't get the recipe to come up, but I roast brocolli a lot. Anyone know what made that entry so awful?

[brehon]

See, that's the issue for me. It's one more thing in my life that creates that vacuum of want. A lot of the food police stuff is akin to the skinny models in bikinis or magazines spread of expensively decorated houses. It's fluff meant to dig a whole in you that you'll spend money to fill.

 

And you can never fill out because the moment you've got the organic thing shown the goal post shifts too local and off you accomplish that then the new thing is eating clean. And you will never need the standard and will always lack in some way whether it's time our money or will power.

 

Food is often marketed as if it's magic. If you never drink diet soda, always buy organic and shun bread you'll live to a healthy old age. It's our modern replacement for avoiding black cats and not walking under ladders.

 

Good Ford is very important but to elevate it so far above every other variable that affects our health is to engage in a superstitious attempt to powered you can wing order from chaos.

 

No, the diet pop did not cause your infection. A bacteria or fungus our virus did and they cause infections in even the healthiest people because that's what they do and it's a triumph of evolution and perfectly natural that they can do that. Disease is in fact, a natural process. It won't go away no matter how much quinoa and ginseng we ingest and how much aspartame we avoid.

 

We raise our own poultry and eggs and cook and bake from scratch. I have a pantry full of grains, including the trendy quinoa and flax. But downstairs there are a dozen bottles of pop in the cold room and my husband takes processed pudding cups to work (when the rest of us, baby included, haven't raided the stash). I enjoy chocolate bars on a regular basis.

 

Balance. Moderation. Accepting that our lifespans or generally not in our control and what matters isn't so much how long we live but the character we display and how we treat those around us. Reserve your guilt and shame for those occasions when you treat someone badly or unfairly, not free when you sit down to enjoy a Big Mac or Diet Coke.

 

Now I have to go. I'm hiding in my bedroom with my smartphone when I should be making breakfast for the kids and baking bread.:)

It didn't seem like enough to just "like" this post. So, let me say:

 

Thank. You.

 

 

Genetics and epigenetics, as well as other factors, play into health. It is a complex interaction of events, choices, and factors that simply can't be reduced to just one thing.

[dirty ethel rackham]

This ice cream wasn't sweet, it was savory--with bacon. It even earned a spot as one of Top Chef's worst dishes. :laugh:

 

<snip>

 

 

 

I'm not sure you saw this show? If you had you'd be rolling your eyes too--at Marcel's elevation of himself above regular folks.

 

Anyway, as I mentioned above, the ice cream was savory not sweet. The people were told they were getting ice cream. I'm sure most, if not all, were expecting a sweet treat. This wasn't and it didn't go over well.

 

Now that is just wrong.  I am sorry, but It is not ice cream if it is not sweet.  You mention ice cream and you expect something.  Just like, in our house, we can't mention the word "pizza" in conjunction with "shat do you want for dinner?" and then not have said pizza.  Once the p-word is mentioned, we just can't not have it.  Anything else is just not pizza. 

 

[Dandelion]

I think of "Foodie" and "Food Police" as two different things. I think of myself as a foodie because I enjoy a wide range of foods, will try and enjoy almost anything, and I love to cook all sorts of things. Food Policing, on the other hand, seems more about food evangelism and limiting what others eat. "Wheat is bad for ALL!" Forget that . . . I have a sourdough starter living in my fridge like a pet.

 

I agree.  I think they're two completely different things.  IMO the article is addressing food policing, not foodies.

 

To me, this is the main point of the article:

"If your diet requires it, great. If you prefer it, fine. If you think it’s the only way to go, have at it. But don’t lecture me especially while we’re in the process of eating. I shouldn’t have to defend my digestive history."

 

I agree with the author on that point, but there isn't much else about the article that I agree with.  Over the past several years, I've made a lot of changes to my family's diet. The changes were driven by DS's food sensitivities (which required us to eliminate several foods from his diet), but we've since cleaned up the way our entire family eats.  We now eat very few processed foods and avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, HFCS, and MSG.  We eat a whole foods diet and more (but not exclusively) organic foods.  We don't drink soda, except when we're eating out.

 

But we're not militant about it.  I'll talk about our family's diet when asked (I love talking about food and nutrition), but I would never dream of calling someone out on their food choices.  When we're visiting friends or family, we eat what's offered (with the exception of DS - and we usually bring his food along).

 

Food policing is presumptuous at best, and generally downright rude.  But mocking people who are trying to make healthy food choices based upon what they deem best for themselves and their families isn't any better IMO. 

[JuanitaL]

I thought some of that was fine.  I'm not a purist, and I am going to die.

 

One the reasons I try to buy organic as much as possible is my concern over the poorest people working in those fields sprayed with pesticides. I don't look at the piles of conventional food and think I am too good for it, I look at those piles and worry about the exploited people who pick and pack it, and then can't afford to buy it.

This is why I'm willing to spend extra $ on Fair Trade coffee (and I'm a penny-pincher, so I would happily buy the least expensive palatable coffee at Kroger).  I don't have sophisticated tastes, I do hope the little things I do combined with little things other people do makes even a small amount of difference for somebody.

[Cinder]

Some of the other 'worst' selections also looked dreadful, but what was the deal with the roasted brocollini? I couldn't get the recipe to come up, but I roast brocolli a lot. Anyone know what made that entry so awful?

 

I don't remember what the deal was with the broccollini that would earn it a "worst" rating. I saw that episode and recall that it was overcooked and they berated the chef soundly for it but that's all I remember. Oh, they had to make food to serve on an airplane, so that was a twist that threw off some of the chef's dishes.

 

Ok, I just googled and got this blog which quotes:

 

Postscript, from Colicchio’s blog

 

I’m actually baffled as to how CJ achieved this with such innocuous ingredients. My wife was mystified at my reaction: ‘So he overcooked it,’ she kept saying, ‘Big deal.’ My only answer is that it had to be experienced to be understood; The oven’s dry heat somehow turned the blanched broccolini into musty, desiccated swamp vegetables punctuated by a bracing, medicinal slap of warm mint.

 

 

[Laura Corin]

 

No, the diet pop did not cause your infection. A bacteria or fungus our virus did and they cause infections in even the healthiest people because that's what they do and it's a triumph of evolution and perfectly natural that they can do that. Disease is in fact, a natural process. It won't go away no matter how much quinoa and ginseng we ingest and how much aspartame we avoid.

 

Just as a point of information: whilst Aspartame does not cause infections, in some people it causes irritation which mimics the symptoms of urinary infections.  I am one of those people.

 

Laura

[Luanne]

Do you think the Diet Coke caused them to have irritable bowel, migraines, and to be overweight?

 

My Dad has SPD and needs a drink all the time. It's an oral obsession/fixation. I have never, in my 31 years, ever seen him drink a glass of water. Ever. He drinks "Caffeine free diet coke" by the case, he goes through about 20 a day, has for 20+ years. He drinks it caffeine free because of his previous addiction to caffeine (he also has an addictive personality).

 

He is a perfectly healthy 68-year-old (apart from the mental issues, that he's always had, lol) who has already outlived his own father and brother. His mom smoked for 50+ years and lived to be past 90, she was kicking and screaming on her way out.

 

So much of this is genetics. Food will help certain issues, esp. if we are talking about allergies. Believe me, I'm a big believer in getting rid of allergens. I'm just sick and tired of the food obsession and paranoia everywhere.

 

I totally agree!

[KathyBC]

The article highlights the problem with strident evangelism of any sort: you can end up driving people - people who actually share the majority of your beliefs - away from the very cause you're promoting.

[justamouse]

Do you think the Diet Coke caused them to have irritable bowel, migraines, and to be overweight?

 

My Dad has SPD and needs a drink all the time. It's an oral obsession/fixation. I have never, in my 31 years, ever seen him drink a glass of water. Ever. He drinks "Caffeine free diet coke" by the case, he goes through about 20 a day, has for 20+ years. He drinks it caffeine free because of his previous addiction to caffeine (he also has an addictive personality).

 

He is a perfectly healthy 68-year-old (apart from the mental issues, that he's always had, lol) who has already outlived his own father and brother. His mom smoked for 50+ years and lived to be past 90, she was kicking and screaming on her way out.

 

So much of this is genetics. Food will help certain issues, esp. if we are talking about allergies. Believe me, I'm a big believer in getting rid of allergens. I'm just sick and tired of the food obsession and paranoia everywhere.

 

Do you know that it's not? Their Dr thinks that's the problem. They don't care.

 

Your dad may be fine with it, more power to him. 

 

There is no food obsession and paranoia 'everywhere'. You are focused on it because it's your battle. If no one ever talked about food again, you probably would be very happy. 

 

I want the food system in this country to change. It's killing poor people the way it is now, like some huge governmental sociological experiment. I will keep talking about it. You don't have to listen, yanno? 

[LucyStoner]

There is something else with that article.

 

The author implies that the Food Police think they are better

than the poor people.

 

I don't think people who are trying to eat good healthy food and

trying to have more organic food available do it in any way because

they are better than the poor people.

 

 

 

Great point.  

 

I am what people might call a "foodie".  While no longer living in poverty, I am poor people.  Generational poverty is as much a part of me as my organs or blood.  Ironically, while accusing foodies of looking down on or not caring about poor people, the author looks down on poor people like they have no choices or all make the same choices about food.  

 

My high school had an illegal lunch program.  We made whole food from scratch (before it was trendy to eat like this or a Whole Foods was even open in my city)  and everyone who could pay $1 or so did. There was enough food for anyone to eat if they needed/wanted.  School lunches do not need to be crappy to be cheap.  The program also exposed me to things food wise that my mother didn't even know what they were, much less how to cook them.  My dad taught me to cook at home.  We didn't eat perfect food but it was tasty and prepared from home.  Garlic and seasonings are not expensive, but you need to know how to use them.  Those skills are had and lacked by people at all class levels.  

 

I do agree with some of the points the author is trying to make but that doesn't mean that food and food quality ceases to matter.  It is possible to point out the class and other issues inherent in the slow and whole food movement without becoming a harpy for the standard American diet and pretending there is no problem. On this board I have seen everything from greens to water bottles to black bean burgers to healthier school meals sneered at by apologists for the SAD.  I think that is silly and harmful at the same time.  Everyone makes their own choices but it is just as snobby to deride people for making healthy choices as it is for the food police to get their panties in a twist about other people using white flour.  

[EthiopianFood]

Do you think the Diet Coke caused them to have irritable bowel, migraines, and to be overweight?

 

My Dad has SPD and needs a drink all the time. It's an oral obsession/fixation. I have never, in my 31 years, ever seen him drink a glass of water. Ever. He drinks "Caffeine free diet coke" by the case, he goes through about 20 a day, has for 20+ years. He drinks it caffeine free because of his previous addiction to caffeine (he also has an addictive personality).

 

He is a perfectly healthy 68-year-old (apart from the mental issues, that he's always had, lol) who has already outlived his own father and brother. His mom smoked for 50+ years and lived to be past 90, she was kicking and screaming on her way out.

 

So much of this is genetics. Food will help certain issues, esp. if we are talking about allergies. Believe me, I'm a big believer in getting rid of allergens. I'm just sick and tired of the food obsession and paranoia everywhere.

Artificial sweetners have been linked in mainsteam studies to both migraines and weight gain. Shoot, I was going to put the slinking away smilie, but my tablet updated or something, and now smilies aren't there. Pretend it's here, okay? LOL

[creekland]

Some people smoke and die from a younger age of lung cancer.  Some people smoke and never get it.  We don't know why there's a discrepancy.

 

I suspect the same is true with many food issues.

 

We all get to make our own choices and for some the choice may matter more than for others.

 

I remain middle of the road with both our personal eating and with wanting info put out there/letting people make their own choices.

[Lisbeth]

See I guess I don't agree. When I think of the starving people in other countries, all it does is strengthen my beliefs that we need to be on a whole food, organic and unprocessed diet. If The western world would eat local, or at the very least, natural american made foods (those in america at least), then we would stop putting such a strain on the rest of the world.

 

Also, I truly believe that diet is a public health concern. If everyone ate a healthy diet (approved by me, lol), the health care costs would go down, healthy foods would be more readily available, and the environment would improve.

 

I agree.  I think that article was full of twisted logic.  I do believe we can indulge once in a while if we want, but I also think the more you go to what your body was meant to consume, the less you crave the chemical-laden things we have been conditioned to like. 

 

I think we need MORE health food and concern over eating, not less.  Americans have a ridiculous obesity problem and all of the health problems associated with it.  Our processed food habit is a real problem.

[Luanne]

Convince the stores to sell healthy foods at a reasonable price and I would be very willing to eat healthier.  I have a very limited food budget and have to eat what I can afford ... taking into account my gluten and dairy intolerance as well.