We are indeed surrounded by garbage masquerading as food and drink, but once you recognize it as garbage, it's surprisingly easy to ignore. Alas, there is still the problem of equity: my husband and I can access and afford quality food — that's not the case for way too many Americans.
Jan, I have to say I TOTALLY agree with you on the equity factor. It's downright sad that so many people simply cannot afford healthy foods! Prime example: when you have to resort to the food bank (at least, here in Canada) they deliver Kraft dinner, boxed cereals, processed everything. No fresh foods. Because perishables don't store in warehouses very well.
I know -- how are people supposed to recover their health eating that drek? There are some cool organizations finding better solutions, though -- locally, we have Rolling Tomato, a nonprofit, nearly-all-volunteer enterprise that coordinates with markets, restaurants, farms, and commercial kitchens to take their perfectly good but for one reason or another unused fresh and prepared food to locations where people who need it can access it.
What! You and I are quoting all the same people. Great message, I hope the right people read it.
My parents are both of the "I'm old, I can do whatever I want" variety. If I ate the garbage they do daily, I wouldn't be able to stand the off-gassing from my backside.
I don't understand how the mac n' cheese, hot dogs, onion rings, ice cream, and fried chicken haven't polished them off yet. But I do know that they aren't as healthy as they could be, and diabetes and arthritis are making their lives miserable, so they aren't getting away scot-free.
Tim, parents don't want to hear that their kids are doing better than they are. Not all of them natch, but too many. In this regard, Dad would have nothing of my advice. All we can do is watch and sometimes, we weep.
When I visited Gatlinburg, TN a few summers ago on the way to The Smokey Mountains I couldn’t believe how heavy people were who were visiting there that week - and generationally too, from grandparents to children. It really opened my eyes to the obesity problem here in the US, which is obviously a cultural and societal problem too (not just individuals making bad choices). It also got me thinking about urban design choices - ie non-walkable cities and car dependency leading to a less healthy populace.
Years ago Bill Bryson wrote about Gatlinburg as effectively a pimple on America's backside. There, and kindly Dollywood, and the whole southeast which is known as the stroke belt of America (and where I was born, kindly) speaks to the unspeakable culture of our dietary habits and how our culture pushes bad info, bad food, bad medicine and poor city design on us all. Convenience is king and you see the results.
Thank you for this very important essay. Sugar destroys our mental and physical health. Insulin resistance, fatty liver, type ll diabetes, mitochondria destruction organ failure, microbiome destruction, obesity, depression... The list goes on.
Second up are simple carbs like white flour and rice. The American diet reads like a list of poisons and as we age, our tired organs can't recover.
It takes discipline to change to a healthy, mostly plant and protein based diet but it's easy to stick to because it feels so good.
I want to feel as good as I do today at 65 for the rest of my life. That means almost no sugar and a lot of movement. Bring it on! 🧡
Thank you Diana. I was obese in my twenties and by 31 I had dumped 85 lbs. This year is 36 years I've kept it off but for a few frustrating Covid pounds. That said, this is why I write about it. I've done it. It's hard .I LOVE sugar. but stevia and a much greater commitment to good foods had to take the place of the junk. It really is all about tough choices!
I grew stevia in my garden last summer and will do the same this year. I make a sweet pesto out of it for plain yogurt using lemon juice, cashews and a bit of olive oil!
Oh Diana, I wish had garden space. I live on a mountain slope and my little plot doesn't allow for it. But I sure love the green grocers, which will be opening soon!
Julia, you have brought my article to life with your passion, honesty and desire for people to take control of their health and turn it around. Fabulous.
Well your article was terrific, as always. I still have your book right here in my house but I am in the middle of a remodel and still sleeping on my couch as I reboot my business. A bit busy!!
Sugar is addictive. I stopped eating sugar for over a year. Once I had quit for a while I didn't miss it. But then I started eating it again, and the once in awhile bite of dessert became every night ice cream or a cookie. Time to quit justifying it and get real. Great piece!
What you describe is precisely why "just a little chocolate" doesn't work at my house. There is no such thing. One bite leads to a habit. So...no. Just, no. Of course it's hard. But my life is on the line. Good point. Thank you for the kind words!
Julia, my first instinct when I saw that dessert photo was OMG give it to me. My second thought....I have NEVER seen a nutritional description with 83 grams of fat....ever. I simultaneously laughed and fell off my chair in disbelief. That is NUTS!
You should have see the size of the fucking thing when it came by my table. If ever there was death by chocolate, that's it, KK. 1360 calories and that's on TOP of dinner. And folks wonder why we're sick, right?
Makes me NEVER want another restaurant dessert....ever!! However, even if I do order dessert I always share with the table. I've never had the room to eat a whole dessert on my own.
Years ago on a date with an ex we had dinner in Breckenridge. The place had a dessert just like that. I ate the whole damned thing. Months later we went back and the restaurant had the good grace to go the hell out of business. I won't be back to this one either- the food really is way too greasy; even the salad dressings were...ugh.
Yeah, I quit drinking "healthy" fruit drinks a long time ago, WAY too many carbs. I will occasionally indulge during a race since I know I'll burn the calories over the next 20+ miles. The same is true of soft drinks. :)
We are indeed surrounded by garbage masquerading as food and drink, but once you recognize it as garbage, it's surprisingly easy to ignore. Alas, there is still the problem of equity: my husband and I can access and afford quality food — that's not the case for way too many Americans.
Jan, I have to say I TOTALLY agree with you on the equity factor. It's downright sad that so many people simply cannot afford healthy foods! Prime example: when you have to resort to the food bank (at least, here in Canada) they deliver Kraft dinner, boxed cereals, processed everything. No fresh foods. Because perishables don't store in warehouses very well.
It's so disheartening.
I know -- how are people supposed to recover their health eating that drek? There are some cool organizations finding better solutions, though -- locally, we have Rolling Tomato, a nonprofit, nearly-all-volunteer enterprise that coordinates with markets, restaurants, farms, and commercial kitchens to take their perfectly good but for one reason or another unused fresh and prepared food to locations where people who need it can access it.
Wow, that's pretty awesome. I'm willing to bet we have something like that here as well, although I've never looked into any of that.
What! You and I are quoting all the same people. Great message, I hope the right people read it.
My parents are both of the "I'm old, I can do whatever I want" variety. If I ate the garbage they do daily, I wouldn't be able to stand the off-gassing from my backside.
I don't understand how the mac n' cheese, hot dogs, onion rings, ice cream, and fried chicken haven't polished them off yet. But I do know that they aren't as healthy as they could be, and diabetes and arthritis are making their lives miserable, so they aren't getting away scot-free.
Tim, parents don't want to hear that their kids are doing better than they are. Not all of them natch, but too many. In this regard, Dad would have nothing of my advice. All we can do is watch and sometimes, we weep.
Juice. One of the huge health lies 🙄
As is juicing, which destroys all the natural fiber. And still people are arguing how healthy a juicer is. OY!!!
That’s a big fat no, so to speak. Great eye openers here.
I read Tarot too, Miriam. Astrological spread. And thank you!
Great to connect 😊
Same here!
When I visited Gatlinburg, TN a few summers ago on the way to The Smokey Mountains I couldn’t believe how heavy people were who were visiting there that week - and generationally too, from grandparents to children. It really opened my eyes to the obesity problem here in the US, which is obviously a cultural and societal problem too (not just individuals making bad choices). It also got me thinking about urban design choices - ie non-walkable cities and car dependency leading to a less healthy populace.
Years ago Bill Bryson wrote about Gatlinburg as effectively a pimple on America's backside. There, and kindly Dollywood, and the whole southeast which is known as the stroke belt of America (and where I was born, kindly) speaks to the unspeakable culture of our dietary habits and how our culture pushes bad info, bad food, bad medicine and poor city design on us all. Convenience is king and you see the results.
Thank you for this very important essay. Sugar destroys our mental and physical health. Insulin resistance, fatty liver, type ll diabetes, mitochondria destruction organ failure, microbiome destruction, obesity, depression... The list goes on.
Second up are simple carbs like white flour and rice. The American diet reads like a list of poisons and as we age, our tired organs can't recover.
It takes discipline to change to a healthy, mostly plant and protein based diet but it's easy to stick to because it feels so good.
I want to feel as good as I do today at 65 for the rest of my life. That means almost no sugar and a lot of movement. Bring it on! 🧡
Thank you Diana. I was obese in my twenties and by 31 I had dumped 85 lbs. This year is 36 years I've kept it off but for a few frustrating Covid pounds. That said, this is why I write about it. I've done it. It's hard .I LOVE sugar. but stevia and a much greater commitment to good foods had to take the place of the junk. It really is all about tough choices!
I grew stevia in my garden last summer and will do the same this year. I make a sweet pesto out of it for plain yogurt using lemon juice, cashews and a bit of olive oil!
Oh Diana, I wish had garden space. I live on a mountain slope and my little plot doesn't allow for it. But I sure love the green grocers, which will be opening soon!
Julia, you have brought my article to life with your passion, honesty and desire for people to take control of their health and turn it around. Fabulous.
Well your article was terrific, as always. I still have your book right here in my house but I am in the middle of a remodel and still sleeping on my couch as I reboot my business. A bit busy!!
I'm amazed you find time to write, let alone read!
Sugar is addictive. I stopped eating sugar for over a year. Once I had quit for a while I didn't miss it. But then I started eating it again, and the once in awhile bite of dessert became every night ice cream or a cookie. Time to quit justifying it and get real. Great piece!
What you describe is precisely why "just a little chocolate" doesn't work at my house. There is no such thing. One bite leads to a habit. So...no. Just, no. Of course it's hard. But my life is on the line. Good point. Thank you for the kind words!
Julia, my first instinct when I saw that dessert photo was OMG give it to me. My second thought....I have NEVER seen a nutritional description with 83 grams of fat....ever. I simultaneously laughed and fell off my chair in disbelief. That is NUTS!
You should have see the size of the fucking thing when it came by my table. If ever there was death by chocolate, that's it, KK. 1360 calories and that's on TOP of dinner. And folks wonder why we're sick, right?
Makes me NEVER want another restaurant dessert....ever!! However, even if I do order dessert I always share with the table. I've never had the room to eat a whole dessert on my own.
Years ago on a date with an ex we had dinner in Breckenridge. The place had a dessert just like that. I ate the whole damned thing. Months later we went back and the restaurant had the good grace to go the hell out of business. I won't be back to this one either- the food really is way too greasy; even the salad dressings were...ugh.
Yeah, I quit drinking "healthy" fruit drinks a long time ago, WAY too many carbs. I will occasionally indulge during a race since I know I'll burn the calories over the next 20+ miles. The same is true of soft drinks. :)
Lucky for me, I hate sugar. Savory is where it's at. Great article.
Thanks. I wish I hated sugar, but at least there's stevia!