Eating "Right"

Home with nothing to read except my orgo book, I went to Shopper's and I picked up a copy of a Yoga Journal special. It's got some really good sequences in it if you're the zen type. It's also got a really good article about what 'eating right' means: http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/2020 .

The article basically summed up what I'm trying to practice and linked a yoga practice to being more mindful and less scientific about what we eat. I really like the quotes that they pull out: "People have a guilt complex if they eat anything that tastes good....We've become so engrossed...that we've forgotten that the point of living is to enjoy."

Not just did it speak directly to me, it also cited several other books/movements that I've connected with in the past:

• "The Omivore's Dilemma" -- Michael Pollan ("In Defense of Food" is also good) -- Pollan recognizes that taking a purely scientific view of food is partly the problem in America. He wrote "Food Rules" recently. His basic idea is to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He's one of those writers that can make anything interesting (read his book, then call me and we'll talk mushrooms...seriously). http://michaelpollan.com/books/the-omnivores-dilemma/
• "Food Politics" -- Marion Nestle (also "What to Eat") -- She points out that food companies are businesses. They need to sell things! We learned about this in one of my Brescia classes (omg, school actually applying to something I care about?) about Nutrition and Agriculture: In the past, food production has been driven by profits and not by health. Consumers who want healthier food need to demand that it be produced. http://www.foodpolitics.com/
• "Overcoming Overeating" -- Jane Hirschmann (co author) -- Written mostly about disordered eating, she notes that the government can't really tell us to eat less while also promoting agriculture. Think about it -- If people stopped overeating, what would happen to all the food? Insightful. Maybe we could start to feed the people who need it? http://www.overcomingovereating.com/index.html

Those are just the writers that I've read before or been interested in before! The article also features others that are probably insightful (Christmas reading list, anyone?).

I hope you guys read this and can relate to it. I hope the article stirs something in you too!

Other things that go along with this blog:

• "Pay the grocer instead of the doctor." I am always amazed at people (especially students) who cite lack of funds as a reason for eating processed foods. Not only can you eat whole foods on a budget (it might require some planning, eating what's in season, and comparison shopping or going to the market), convenience foods cost more than real food! Remember that you're paying for processing, packaging, shipping, marketing, etc. (also note that sometimes, there could be more going on if your convenient food is cheaper -- think government subsidies, exploitation of farmers, blah blah blah I won't bore you but think about it, read about it, and decide who you want to support for yourself). Spend money on good food.
• "Only eat it if it came from the ground or had a mother." Jillian Michaels -- There's a love-hate relationship here. I used to love. Then I saw her fat burners and thermogenics. Then I checked back and made sure I had in fact read that she said she'd never sell out and make these products. Then it became a love-hate thing. She still kicks butt and her get in your face / deal with your emotions approach rocks BUT sometimes I question her agenda (never when she's doing a product placement ad--did anyone watch Biggets Loser last night? How about them Brita filters -- the only way you'll stay hydrated!). Anyways, this is a smart way to think about most of your food choices.
• If your grandmother would've eaten it, go for it. My grandma likes TastyCakes (they're akin to Twinkies), but she also knows that butter, milk, bread, and eggs are not going to kill you -- in fact, they're staples. Regular butter, not margarine. 2% milk, not soy milk. Whatever bread's the freshest, not necessarily the 'whole grain' one in the freezer. Regular eggs, not egg white substitutes or omega 3 enriched eggs.
• "Food Inc." -- watch it. Or check out the website and read about some of the issues to do with food that have little to do with you thighs. http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php

All this being said, I eat pudding. I eat organic berries. I eat frozen pizza. I'm learning to listen to my body. Eating 'right' is an individual thing. (See the Caveman diet post, earlier). How do you define it?

...one more thought: Are you creating too many or overly rigid food rules for yourself so that you can feel in control of something? And don't you think there are better things you could do with your energy?

(For me, thinking of all the time I've WASTED worrying about this whole topic makes me realize that life is too short. Eat what you want, when your body wants it, and move on. Don't give food more power than it deserves. Don't underestimate the importance of nourishing yourself, body and soul, with food and with all the other good things in life.)