When it comes to food, maybe Ignorance is bliss?

I am a Registered Dietitian wanna-be in that I'm one exam away from being an RD. I spend my days counting carbohydrates, grams of fat or sugar, and calories. I know that sweet potatoes average about 60 grams of carbohydrates, while one 12 ounce glass of sweet tea averages about 45 grams of carbohydrates, which is the equivalent of three pieces of bread. Most soft drinks average between 30-45 grams of carbohydrates. I know that the body is most insulin sensitive in the mornings, after a fast, and during and after a work-out. I know about carb loading and carb counting. I know what hormones will make the body synthesize fat and which hormones with make the body bread down fat. I know the average person cannot meet their nutritional requirements on a diet less than 1600 calories. I know how to induce ketosis so the body will burn only fat for energy, and I also know potential health consequences of such a diet.

Here's what else I know:

I know that we "know" more about diet than we ever have. We know how to carb count, restrict sweets, eat organic, and go paleo. We know how to work our bodies until our bodies give out. We know how to make pinterest boards that worship thin bodies and healthy diets. Nutritional Biochemistry knows all there is to know about how the nutrients in your food are broken down, converted to new products, or stored for later.

We "know" more about diet than we ever have, but we're in the middle of an obesity epidemic, as well as an eating disorder epidemic, and no one remembers what it was like to not obsess over "muffin tops", "thigh gaps," or the reduced (carbohydrate, fat, sugar) diet.

Why? Shouldn't knowing more be better? As a future Registered Dietitian, I'm probably supposed to say yes, but I'm going to go against the grain here and say,

not necessarily.

You see, the problem that I'm seeing more and more, is that food has become the post-breakup rebound, the therapist, the drug, the tool to create the "perfect body," the friend, and sometimes, the enemy. Why?

Because we have forgotten how to listen to our bodies, and instead, we listen to "what we know."
We don't let ourselves eat a banana because we know it has a lot of sugar. We overeat several nights a week, because we've forgotten to listen to the pressure in our tummy telling us hey, you're full," and instead focus on how many bites it takes before we might start putting on pounds because we aren't sure the next time we'll get to "cheat" on our diets.

 I just returned from Italy, where I enjoyed chicken in butter sauce, pasta in butter sage sauce, olive oil, and homemade lasagna, and of course, the nightly glass of merlot or pinot noire and the occasional afternoon gelato. Did I gain weight? I have no idea, because I don't weight myself...but I wasn't worried about it. Why? Because when it Rome, do as the Romans do, right? And what do Italians know that our diets, science, and rules don't:

How to sit at a table with companions and loved ones without distraction, tv, or smart phones for 2 or 3 hours. How to enjoy real food, with real sauce, real butter, a glass of red wine, and a small bite of dessert afterwards. Meat, fish, vegetables, grains, pasta...it doesn't matter, whatever is on the menu, they enjoy it- guilt free. They know how to eat until satisfied but not sick with fullness. How to eat what is grown near them, in season. The only thing they don't know that we do is what the heck a Dietitian is.

In knowing what we know about nutrition, we have forgotten that food is not a ball and chain, a set of rules, an enemy, or a burden...instead, it is nourishment, warmth, and yes, even joy.

My challenge to you this week? Listen to your body, forget what you "know" about food, and try to enjoy a meal that consists of real, wholesome foods. And don't forget that some good old fashioned butter, yes the real thing, is okay. Sit back, relax, and when you're full, remember, you can enjoy a  meal like this tomorrow. Yeah, you can "cheat" all the time. Because eating real food isn't cheating, it's living.

So as the Italians say with such joy,

Buon Appetito!

The History of the Shrinking Woman

 

When I was 12 years old, I found a pair of my mom's jeans from when she was a teenager in the laundry room.

 

"What are these?" I asked my mom, laughing at the leg bottoms expanding at least 8 inches.

"Elephant bell bottoms....They were in style back then!!" She said defensively in response to my raised eyebrow and crinkled nose at the hideous things.

 

* see elephant bell bottoms, here)

 

This is a normal scenario: Daughters dig around in their mothers' old drawers and trunks and pull out "hideous" clothing, like elephant bell bottoms. We laugh in their faces, and they impress upon us that "back then, they were in style," and then we thank the heavens that we never wore such tacky things, as we do all sorts of jumps and leaps to get our skin-tight skinnies on.

 

We laugh under our breaths and roll our eyes at the hairstyles of the 1980's and remind ourselves that we "would never wear our hair like that!" Because we know that those hairstyles were incredibly unattractive. I mean, hello, we have TV shows and memes that make fun of them! So we put on our face primer, wrinkle-reducing moisturizer, pull our knee-high boots on, and eat, well nothing, as we make sure to get the skinny latte instead of the regular one- you know, the "fat" one. We dismiss our mom's bell bottoms and 80's hair as stupid and ridiculous, and applaud  ourselves for overcoming decades of hideousness as we strive to look like:

This   
 Instead of this:

 

 

 We "know" what real beauty is, and we "know" better than the women before us on how to attain it.

 

However, whether you are aware of it or not, you are in the middle of a story that began as early as, and even before, 20.000 BCE. For while you exempt yourself from the "ugly" fashions that came before you, you are currently within a trend that will one day become outdated, and your daughter will laugh at your trendy skinnies, furry boots, and plaid shirts.

 

As attractive, desirable,  modern, and "normal" as you find  the "thigh gap," plastic surgery, body wraps, size two's or zeros, multivitamin/mineral supplements that promote increased metabolism, side-swept bangs, tanned skin, BB cream primers, and yes, your jeans and hairstyle, you are not omitted from history, you are smack dab in the middle of it.

 

And while I haven't always been the fondest of history, this is one history lesson that, similar to Lily Myers, I have become increasingly aware of.

 

 

And it is this: A woman's body and beauty- like jeans, purses, and shoes- has been evolving over the centuries, and has been directly tied to the "media" of that day. For hundreds of years, the female body most desired by men AND WOMEN had curves, rolls, and yes, cellulite. Don't believe me? Take a look at the media throughout history.

The Venus of Willendorf from 22.000-24.000 BCE



Aphrodite of Cnidus of 4th century BC Greece


Birth of Venus in 1486


Ruben's The three graces in 1639


Lillian Russell, the epitome of Angelina Jolie in the late 1800s (she was 200 lbs at the peak of her career)


Swimmers in the 1930's


The three graces in 1635


Marilyn Monroe in 1955

Despite the hiccup of the Victorian age and that evil contraption called the corset, and then the birth of the flapper girl in the 1920's (you know, that rebellious woman who had no interest in the ideals of her time), the general ideal was that women should, well, look like women: curves, rolls, and all.

However, according to Sarah Lohman, a historic gastronomist, the invention of the standardized dress size  during the industrial revolution, advancement in food science like the discovery of the calorie, and the personal scale, alongside increased sedentary behavior and weight gain in America gave birth to increased awareness, speculation, and self-monitoring of the body and diet: AKA, the birth of today's thin-craved society. 

People wanted to lose weight and to get in shape. But losing weight went from correcting weight related problems like obesity and heart trouble to obtaining the ideal body.

For instance,  the sexual revolution of the 1960's and 1970's leant itself to women like Twiggy and Farrah Fawcett. With all eyes on them, every day women became increasingly aware of their "fat," "large" hips and waist, and two of their greatest enemies, stretch marks and cellulite. Sex appeal was related to showing more skin, having a smaller waist, and appearing thin....and as they say, "the rest is history."

      

 

Farrah Fawcett (top) & Twiggy (bottom)

So, what does History teach us? It teaches us that media (art, television, commercials, ads, models, etc) create the trend: They set the standard or ideal for what the rest of us should strive to look like. They remind us of what the norm is. Take a look for yourself.




Then

Now:

What do our commercials advertise? What do magazine covers promote? In what ways do popular actresses and singers and other influential people affect our concept of normal, beauty, and a woman's body. According to history, and the above ads, a whole lot!

What is the conclusion I hope you'll take away with you? The images and ideals on magazines, ads, and television are not necessarily healthy or normal, especially in today's society. We live in the day of virtual video games, digital editing, and Photoshop. We live in a technologically advanced society,  that can edit a model to have an unnaturally elongated neck, waste, and legs or larger breast with the click of a mouse. Unfortunately, magazine photos don't come with the reminder of "these are unnatural and fake" on them. We also live in a highly interactive society where social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Google + all create room for us to compare our lives, bodies, and normalcy to one another.

So how do we change history??  How do we go back to when being  curvy, having stretch marks, and eating snacks is acceptable? When we realize that  the art, commercials, models, and ads do not reflect what "really is" but instead the idealized ,"what could be." When we realize that- just as 80's hair was a fickle trend- so too is being unnaturally skinny.  We change the way we talk to or compare ourselves to those around us. We change the way we talk about our bodies and food in front of our daughters (that's another can of worms).

We change history when we realize that we're the one's writing it. What we choose to read, buy, and talk about will continue to lead how much we hope to weigh, what we hope our bodies will look like, and what we consider beautiful.

If we can learn to love and accept our bodies. So will history.

An Apolgy Letter to Weight Loss Patients

I thought this was a beautifully written letter by a woman who worked for a weight loss company for three years (I didn't write anything below the asterisks). As a dietetic intern, I've spent some time in weight loss clinics. Fortunately, working with the Registered Dietitian at the Auburn University Medical Clinic  taught me what being healthy and being beautiful really looks like, and boy is there freedom when you know what those really are. Thank you Jessica-Lauren, and thank you to the woman who wrote this piece. It makes me sad to see educated people in the nutrition field reinforcing unhealthy eating habits, thoughts, and behaviors in clients because "they work."

****

I worked at a popular weight loss company for 3 years. I loved my job there. I LOVED my clients. I loved making a connection and sharing my knowledge. And I learned a lot about nutrition, about dieting and weight loss and what works and what doesn't. My job was to be a weight loss consultant, and I learned that job very well. I can design a 1200 calorie meal plan, tell you which activities are most likely to make the number on the scale go down, and how many carbs are in a cup of rice. I can talk the diet game like it's my business...because it was. Volumize with vegetables. Don't go too long in between meals. Start with a bowl of broth-based soup. Are you drinking enough water? Did you exercise enough? Did you exercise too much? Let's look at your food journal...

This is not an anti-weight loss company post (although I could write that too). It's a letter to each and every woman that I unknowingly wronged. My heart is beating a little bit faster as I write this, and so I know this needs to be said. The words have been playing in my head for months. Sometimes it just takes time for me to get up the courage to say the right thing.

So here goes:

Dear Former Weight Loss Clients (you know who you are):

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry because I put you on a 1200 calorie diet and told you that was healthy. I'm sorry because when you were running 5x a week, I encouraged you to switch from a 1200 calorie diet to a 1500 calorie diet, instead of telling you that you should be eating a hell of a lot more than that. I'm sorry because you were breastfeeding and there's no way eating those 1700 calories a day could have been enough for both you and your baby. I'm sorry because you were gluten intolerant and so desperate to lose weight that you didn't put that on your intake form. But you mentioned it to me later, and I had no idea the damage you were doing to your body. I'm sorry because I think I should have known. I think I should have been educated better before I began to tell all of you what was right or wrong for your body.
I'm sorry because I made you feel like a failure and so you deliberately left a message after the center had closed, telling me you were quitting. I thought you were awesome and gorgeous, and I'm sorry because I never told you that. I'm sorry because you came in telling me you liked to eat organic and weren't sure about all the chemicals in the food, and I made up some [justification] about how it was a "stepping stone." I'm sorry because many of you had thyroid issues and the LAST thing you should have been doing was eating a gluten-filled, chemically-laden starvation diet. I'm sorry because by the time I stopped working there, I wouldn't touch that food, yet I still sold it to you.

I'm sorry because it's only years later that I realize just how unhealthy a 1200 calorie diet was. I stayed on a 1200-1500 calorie diet for years, so I have the proof in myself. Thyroid issues, mood swings, depression, headaches...oh and gluten intolerance that seemed to "kick in" after about a month of eating the pre-packaged food. Was it a coincidence? Maybe.

I'm sorry because you had body dysmorphic disorder, and it was so painful to hear the things you said about yourself. You looked like a model, and all of my other clients were intimidated by you, asked me why you were there because clearly you didn't need to lose weight. And yet you would sit in my office and cry, appalled that a man might see you naked and be disturbed by the fat that didn't actually exist. I'm sorry because you should have been seeing a therapist, not a weight loss consultant.

I'm sorry because you were young and so beautiful and only there because your mother thought you needed to lose weight. And because there were too many of you like that. Girls who knew you were fine, but whose mothers pushed that belief out of you until you thought like she did. Until you thought there was something wrong with you. And the one time I confronted your mother, you simply got switched to a different consultant. I think I should have made more of a stink, but I didn't. I'm sorry because you were in high school and an athlete, and I pray that you weren't screwed up by that 1500 calorie diet. Seriously, world? Seriously? A teenage girl walks in with no visible body fat and lots of muscle tone, tells you she's a runner and is happy with her weight...but her mother says she's fat and has to lose weight and so we help her do just that. As an individual, as women, as a company... as a nation, we don't stand up for that girl? What is wrong with us? There ain't nothing right about that. Nothing.

I'm sorry because every time you ate something you "shouldn't" or ate more than you "should," I talked about "getting back on the bandwagon." I cringe now every time someone uses that phrase. When did the way we eat become a bandwagon? When did everyone stop eating and become professional dieters? I'm sorry because I get it now. If you're trying to starve your body by eating fewer calories than it needs, of course it's going to fight back. I used to tell you that then, when you wanted to eat less than 1200 calories a day. The problem was, I thought 1200 was enough. I thought that was plenty to support a healthy body. Why did I believe that for so long? I'm sorry because I wasn't trying to trick you or play games to get your money. I believed the lies we were fed as much as you did.

And it wasn't just the company feeding them to me. It was the doctors and registered dietitians on the medical advisory board. It was the media and magazines confirming what I was telling my clients. A palm-sized portion of lean chicken with half a sweet potato and a salad was PLENTY. No matter that you had "cravings" afterward. Cravings are a sign of underlying emotional issues. Yeah, sure they are. I'm a hypnotherapist with a past history of binge eating disorder. I KNOW cravings are a sign of underlying emotional issues. Except when they're not. Except when they're a sign that your body needs more food and you're ignoring it. Then they're a sign that your 1200 calorie diet is [insufficient]. Then they're a sign that you've been played.

And that's mostly why I'm sorry. Because I've been played for years, and so have you, and inadvertently, I fed into the lies you've been told your whole life. The lies that say that being healthy means nothing unless you are also thin. The lies that say that you are never enough, that your body is not a beautiful work of art, but rather a piece of clay to be molded by society's norms until it becomes a certain type of sculpture. And even then, it is still a work in progress.

I owe you an apology, my former client and now friend, who I helped to lose too much weight. Who I watched gain the weight back, plus some. Because that's what happens when you put someone on a 1200 calorie diet. But I didn't know. If you're reading this, then I want you to know that you have always been beautiful. And that all these fad diets are crap meant to screw with your metabolism so that you have to keep buying into them. I think now that I was a really good weight loss consultant. Because I did exactly what the company wanted (but would never dare say). I helped you lose weight and then gain it back, so that you thought we were the solution and you were the failure. You became a repeat client and we kept you in the game. I guess I did my job really well.

And now I wonder, did I do more harm than good? When I left, you all wrote me cards and sent me flowers. I still have those cards, the ones that tell me how much I helped you, how much I cared. But I'm friends with some of you on Facebook now, and I look at your photos and you look happy. And beautiful. And not because you lost weight since I saw you last. But because I see YOU now. You. Not a client sitting in my chair, asking for my assistance in becoming what society wants. But you, a smart and lovely woman, who really doesn't need some random company telling her there's something wrong with her.
 
So I'm sorry because when you walked in to get your meal plan, I should have told you that you were beautiful. I should have asked you how you FELT. Were you happy? Did you feel physically fit? Were you able to play with your kids? There were so many of you who never needed to lose a pound, and some of you who could have gained some. And maybe sometimes I told you that. But not enough. Not emphatically. Because it was my job to let you believe that making the scale go down was your top priority. And I did my job well.

I am sorry because many of you walked in healthy and walked out with disordered eating, disordered body image, and the feeling that you were a "failure." None of you ever failed. Ever. I failed you. The weight loss company failed you. Our society is failing you.

Just eat food. Eat real food, be active, and live your life. Forget all the diet and weight loss nonsense. It's really just that. Nonsense.

And I can't stop it. But I can stop my part in it. I won't play the weight loss game anymore. I won't do it to my body, and I won't help you do it to yours. That's it. End game.

Your Fairy Angel

For the original piece, visit: http://www.yourfairyangel.com/1/post/2013/07/an-open-apology-to-all-of-my-weight-loss-clients.html

Freshfully, Yours

On the corner of 41st Street S. and 2nd Avenue S., just across from the rustic brick building of Avondale Brewing Co., sits the oh so quaint and charming grocery, Freshfully. Don't let "grocery" fool you, Freshfully rightfully sits in its own class.

The smoothness of the trumpet and high top in songs playing overhead like  "I'm beginning to see the light," by Danny Williams  is compatible with the creaminess of the locally made Bell Chevre goat cheese, High Road ice-cream, and Cantata's iced coffee. Other classic songs like "That's all" by Genesis is light and upbeat like the sound of the blender making pear, peach, and Greek yogurt smoothies in the back, the sliding of crates as fresh tomatoes, apples, and pears are restocked and sorted throughout the morning and afternoon, or the "tap, tap, ding" of the cash register.

Upon first entering the store, the sweet and tart smell of gala, red and golden delicious apples and orient pears in wooden boxes is complimented by the smokey and savory smell of Conecuh  and Benton's bacon. Every morning, sitting by the large front windows, I watch customers stroll in, several proclaiming, "it smells so good!" or "it smells like bacon!"

Hazel Rig orchard, Owl's Hollow, Stone Oak, Sanctuary, Manna Market, Luddite, Heron Hollow are some of the local farmers. Red and yellow heirloom tomatoes the size of soft balls, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, purple and vidalia onions, peaches, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, red bell peppers, okra, peas, watermelon, herbs, and so on and so forth. The bright reds and oranges and greens are enough to tickle the senses, but tasting the fresh produce and locally baked bread or ice cream you are shopping for is a cinch at the small cafe in the back.

A BLT using local red Heirloom tomatoes, Conecuh or Benton's bacon, mixed greens, and Zak's Green Zest- all on Crestline honey baked white bread- is a classic, and Freshfully does it well.  Growing up in Monroeville, Al- neighbor and good friend to Conecuh county- Conecuh sausage or "Conecuh made sausage" as me and my mother have always said, is a breakfast staple, as well as the only way to cook peas and other vegetables, or to make sunny side up eggs. However- and I apologize for my short treason- I had the BLT with Benton's bacon and the juiciness of that tomato with the smokiness of that bacon was to die for. Gladly, I'd do it again. Another classic is the Tomato Sandwich, and what better way to eat a tomato sandwich than with fresh, local tomatoes? That question was ridiculous because there is no better way to eat a tomato sandwich than one made with "real" tomatoes as my mother calls them: A tomato one wipe and swipe away from the dirt. The Vegetable sandwich- though it could be assumed to be missing  something with the absence of bacon- is tasty in its own right. Nothing beats fresh vegetables and Honey Bell Chevre goat cheese on toasted bread. Another favorite is the Peach and Chevre sandwich: a sweet and salty sandwich of peaches, Bell Chevre, and basil on toasted Crestline baked seeded bread.

Other items that can be found at Freshfully are grass fed beef, lamb, free range chicken, shrimp, yogurt, milk, and pantry items like yellow or white grits, corn meal, vinaigrettes,  relishes, pickles, raw honey, coffee, and locally baked bread, bagel chips, granola, and cookies. The Crestline chocolate chip cookie made with whole grain flour is the most regular purchase: It's typical for just about every customer to walk out of the door, chocolate chip cookie in hand.

The customers and staff are as gracious and quaint as the store itself. I enjoy tapping my foot to classic 50's rock'n roll music like  "Boogie Shoes" or familiar songs by Journey while chatting with customers on their purchases, where they come from, or where they're going, and sometimes, what they are cooking for dinner with their fresh foods.Then again, I also enjoy the view and my coffee  while listening to more lazy tunes, and as many customers sit at the cafe style tables with their meals, coffee, or just a lap top, I assume they enjoy the music and smells as much as I do.

It's an easy going place. There's just something about Freshfully's mood and simplicity that appeals to me. As a Dietetic Intern at UAB, I appreciate the freshness, rawness, and health benefits of the foods sold here. As a student, I find it an easy place for writing or for eating a light lunch. However, as a Southern Monroeville girl, I love most that it takes me back to my Bigdaddy's garden: the sun, the dirt, and the way things "used to be."

Well Freshfully, you brought the old days and old ways back, and I love it.

Freshfully, yours

The Diet Formula

       If you were to write down all of the dietary recommendations published in peer reviewed journals (based on clinical studies), and then combine those findings with the dietary recommendations of MyPlate, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Registered Dietitians across the nation, and then combine those findings with the ones in published books on diet and nutrition (the advice from nutrition gurus and any other expert in the field) your list would look something like this:

1.   Eat 6 smalls meals a day

2.   Eat 3 bigger meals a day

3.   Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a princess

4.   Eat only when you’re hungry so as not to unbalance your metabolism

5.   Eat even when you’re not hungry so as not to unbalance your metabolism

6.   Never skip meals!

7.   It’s okay to skip meals when you aren’t hungry

8.   Eat two snacks a day

9.   Eat three snacks a day
10. Never eat in-between meals

11.  Drink lots and lots of water

12.  Only drink when you’re thirsty

13.  Never eat carbohydrates

14.  Eat lots of carbohydrates

15.  Don’t eat only meat or you’ll die

16.  Eat only meat and you’ll burn fat, have lots of energy, and be a machine

17.  Never eat cookies

18.  It’s fine to eat cookies

19.  What are cookies?

20.  Bananas are awesome

21.  Bananas are evil

22.  Coffee is amazing!

23.  Coffee is evil!

24.  Vegetarians will die from not eating meat or some kind of deficiency

25.  Vegetarians will live forever because they aren’t eating meat and they are consuming so many amazing nutrients

26.  Being a vegan is a death warrant

27.  Being a vegan will prevent chronic disease and related death as well as osteoporosis

      Academic Conclusion? The dietary recommendations for drink and food consumption remains inconclusive as findings are contradictory. More research must be done. 

Do you see where this is going? There are so many findings, so many recommendations, and so much dietary and nutrition information out there, that it is overwhelming. More so, it’s frustrating, contradictory, and confusing. If you were to combine all of the dietary recommendations and findings out there, the only conclusion a sane person could come to is that they might need to drink water, but everything else would be pretty iffy.  

In America, we have formulas for almost everything. The paint on your walls got that perfect tint of yellow or green or blue because it was based on a formula. The medication in your drawers and cabinets that ease a headache, a sinus infection, or allergies, those were based on very specific formulas. Most everything we are exposed to cranks, or ticks, or prints, or stands, or works because there was a formula that put it into motion, or construction, or yes, made it fizzle over the top of your glass and onto the kitchen table or to rise in that perfect tint of golden brown.

Similarly, we depend on a formula when it comes to our diets. What ratio of carbohydrates to protein? How many grams of this? How many servings of that? How much sugar? How much fat? And we search the sources, the databases, the articles that will tell us the perfect formula to make our bodies work most efficiently.

Here’s what we forgot. Our bodies are intelligent, capable, and efficient machines, all on their own. If there was a “perfect” diet, I honestly believe that as creators of Apollo 13, a synthetic leaf that can use photosynthesis to generate energy, and the apple computer, we would have figured it out by now, but we haven’t. We haven’t because there is no one way to eat, and despite our desire to attach a formula to diet, there just isn’t one.

In parts of Alaska, people consume high quantities of animal fat, organ meat, and protein. Are they obese? No. Are they dying left and right? No. Similarly, in parts of Africa, people consume larger quantities of meat than carbohydrates, and just like those in Alaska, they are not dying, and they are not killing over. In other parts of the world, people practice vegetarianism and veganism, and they are not dying either, and despite popular belief, they are not frail, fragile, or weak. But why should they be? Look at the animal species around the world that are herbivores and not carnivores. They are strong, they are fast, and they are efficient, despite eating only plants! Say what?! I know, I know.

For hundreds of years, people consumed what they could get their hands on. Those foods, whether plant or animal, were determined by the regions’ geometry, climate, soil content, etc. Some people would have been consuming mostly fat, some mostly protein, and some mostly carbohydrates in the form of grains, fruit, and vegetables. And then, for those who lived in regions that allowed them, they could have consumed a mixture of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. If there was really a correct formula for diet, there are a lot of regions in the world where people would not have survived, simply because they did not have access to large quantities of some kinds of foods (animal meat, fruits, nuts, vegetables, dairy, etc.).

People survived off of a variety of diets because the body can adapt to those diets. Did you know that the body can use a byproduct from fat breakdown called glycerol, amino acids from muscle stores, and a product of anaerobic metabolism called lactate to make glucose (sugar) which is used to make energy in the body? That’s three different ways the body can produce energy without using carbohydrates. Basically, even if you were only consuming meat or only consuming fat, the body could produce its own glucose (you may recognize this as blood sugar.)

Did you know that the body stores 300-400 grams of glycogen (stored sugar) in the muscle and 60-120 grams of glycogen in the liver? Did you know that adipose (stored fat) is distributed throughout the body? Did you know that 40-50% of your body mass is muscle (stored protein) and you can have up to 120 grams of amino acids in a free pool to be used for energy? Did you know that when you skip a meal or fast or your body needs more energy, it can access all of these fat and sugar and protein stores to fill those needs?

In the past, people did not consume three regular meals throughout the day, and they certainly did not have a snack cabinet; however, because of the body’s ability to store energy and to slow down or speed up metabolism, skipping meals was not a major problem. People could go days without eating, and the body could adapt. And you know what? It still can.

People have consumed a variety of diets for decades and they were not obese or dying from diabetes or cardiovascular disease or from fatty liver. Why not? Because they were consuming the foods in their environment when they were hungry, and they were performing hard labor, hunting, gathering, etc. They were consuming AND using the energy found in their foods. We have a bad habit of consuming food, but not utilizing it…

Obesity is caused from all sorts of factors, and yes, genes play a role, but as a study published in Obesity Research suggested, “it is very unlikely that changing gene pools can explain the doubling or even tripling of obesity prevalence rates in certain groups over 20 years.” So why are we obese in the United States? As a very educational and informational documentary- Hungry for Change- shared, we are not consuming foods in our natural environment (there's a link to the very dramatic  documentary trailer below). Instead, we are consuming “man-made” foods. Boxed hamburger helper, and frozen dinners, and soft drinks cannot be found in nature, unless there is, of course, a grocery store nearby.

We are not eating primarily “real” food anymore. Our diets aren’t made up of only whole animal meat, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, grains in their whole form, and water. We have access to unlimited possibilities at the grocery store, but the majority of it isn’t even real food; its synthetic, filled with chemicals and sugar and artificial sweeteners and fat replacers. Really, the tem to be used to describe the majority of items at the grocery store is “food product.”

Our bodies were made to process the foods that we find in nature, not the foods that were built in a factory, packaged in a box, and placed on a shelf for us to put in a cart. I think people across the world have avoided obesity, not because of a diet type, but because they are consuming real, whole foods, and in the process of being highly physically active, they are using and not storing the majority of energy from those foods.

There is no one diet that is perfect, our bodies are miracles and can adapt to famine, to eating only protein or carbohydrates or fat, or a combination of all three. It can store energy for later, it can slow down metabolism to spare energy if it needs to or it can speed up metabolism to meet increased energy needs. The body can be strong with a high protein diet or a predominately plant based diet. The body can be lean despite eating mostly fat. Miraculous, I know.

So, what “formula” can I give you when it comes to the items on your plate?

1. Consume predominately natural foods (foods you’d find in nature) instead of food products that can ONLY be found in a plastic wrap, a package, a can, and in a factory. When grocery shopping, try to stay as close to the natural thing and as far away from the processed version as possible. I say “predominately” and not “only” because I am a believer of moderation, and I think food should be enjoyed. I’m a fan of Oreos, jelly beans, and Sweet Chili Doritos. At the clinic, we call this the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, try consuming nutrient dense foods that will fuel and build the body, and the other 20% enjoy a cupcake or a coke.

2. Take advantage of the unlimited access we have to such a variety of foods. Yes, people in other parts of the world have survived eating diets of all shapes, but variety increases the consumption of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and those nutrients that help to keep the body clean, aging gracefully, and in tip top shape.

3. Pick up the fork when you’re hungry and put it down when you’re full. Learn to recognize real hunger verses appetite and you’ll better recognize fullness (I’ll cover this is the future).

4. Be active! The body was created to use stored energy, not to just keep adding to the stores. Use the energy that  that delicious food of yours is providing!

5. Here's a documentary trailer on food in the United States (it's on Netflix, and it's pretty fantastic) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvAM97VDE8

 

Setting the Table

I initially started this blog while I was still an undergraduate in Nutrition. I started it as an undergraduate, and I'm only just now  thinking about paying attention to it as an almost graduating Graduate. However, I'm incredibly thankful for this. Everything has it's season, and I think it's "at the table's" time. So let's set the table, shall we?

Here's what you need to be caught up on. Since last September, I have been working as a nutrition assistant, so to speak, for the RD (Registered Dietitian) who works with Auburn University students- as well as adults from on campus and the community- at the Auburn University Medical Clinic. What do I do there? I call  patients recommended by their physician and set up appointments, I answer patent's questions about their dietary recalls, research topics of interest for the RD, shadow appointments with patients, and in her absence, I meet with  patients in follow-up appointments where I go through a list of their goals and see how they are progressing.

I'm at the clinic once a week, and it is always the very best part of my day, and the very best part of my week, and over all, it's been the calming, reassuring, and saving remedy of my tough academic year in Graduate school, and in my personal life.

I love seeing the patients. I love hearing the RD talk, not from dry biochemistry notes, but from real, heartfelt experience. I love coming at nutrition like it's in food sitting on a  person's plate and not in the glycolytic pathway on it's way to the energy highway that is the electron transport chain, or ECT.

Don't get me wrong, I love glycogenolysis, lipolysis, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle, and that's why I'm in graduate school in the first place, but I love people more.

 I go to the grocery store and read magazine titles like, "Get High School Skinny" just like the rest of you. I see food advertisements, "low fat" on everything at the grocery store, diet pills, diet books, ads on Facebook about the evil fruit that is the banana,and everything else under the sun that revolves around food, diet, and having the "perfect" body. I've seen it just like you, only I'd like to tell you that they have it all wrong.

Working primarily with college aged girls who struggle with eating disorders will open your eyes -not just to the world of an eating disorder or  living with ED, as some people call it ( you know, that abusive, snotty, guy who keeps haggering you about your body and the food on your plate)- but it will open your eyes to the bubble that we're all living in. We say the girls and boys with eating disorders are in their own bubble, the "eating disorder bubble," while the rest of us are in the real world in the "normal eating bubble."

Unfortunately, that's not true.

Take away the terms "Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa,  Binge Eating Disorder, and Body Dismorphic Disorder," and you get things like: people restrict what they eat because they're scared of being/getting fat, people who go all day without eating because they want to be skinny but then they get really hungry and overeat to the point of feeling sick, People who count calories to the decimal point, People who feel guilty for overeating and make themselves vomit or exercise for a long time to get rid of the food they ate and guilt, people who think they are fat because of a number on a scale, people who weigh themselves every day to see how much their weight has changed, people who have a list of "good" foods and "bad" foods, people who are embarrassed to eat seconds even when they are still hungry because of what the others will say, people who eat second when they aren't hungry because it will make them feel better, people who live on diets, people who look in a mirror and think their body is less than sufficient, people who look in the mirror and see someone who is "fat" or "unattractive" or "worthless" instead of someone who is beautiful....

We may not all be walking around with a diagnosis, but most of us are walking around with disordered thoughts and/or behaviors when it comes to food. We call that, disordered eating, and it's typical.

How do I know this?

There was a magazine at Kroger that said, "Get High School Skinny" which was advertised to grown, women, and the stack was getting thin because of all the grown and college aged women who were buying them. There are "likes" constantly on Facebook where the ad says something about having a "1 inch" waste, or dropping 30 pounds in a month. Women are embarrassed to walk around in their bikinis, or to write down their weight, or to tell a friend they had a cupcake after dinner last night. Everything in the grocery store is "fat free."

Research studies are saying that 80% of all 10 year old girls have dieted at least once, 53% of 13 year old girls don't like the way their bodies look, and 78% of 17 year old girls don't like the way their bodies look. More recently, more and more research is being done on eating disorders in older women because it is becoming apparent that they are just as affected as young girls. In all, about 20 million women and10 million men were reported to have an eating disorder in 2011. Realistically, the numbers are much higher as of now. None of this information may be terrifying or strange to you, because it's disturbingly "normal."

We all live in the same bubble of ads, and commercials, and diets, and ideas of what our bodies "should" look like. Day in and day out, we're exposed to that artificial bubble, and it looks so pretty, and healthy, and fun, but in reality, it's superficial, detrimental to your health, and your body image.

This isn't going to be a blog about dieting or a blog that is going to tell you how to be "skinny." This is going to be a blog about living with delicious, wonderful food (all food) and with that beautiful body God blessed you with, whatever it's shape or size. Healthy is beautiful, and I'll do my best to help get you there.

So let's set the table. Get out your plates, and forks, and knives, and spoons. Grab the wine, and pasta, and spinach, and cake. Grab your friends, and conversations, and turn up the music. Let's sit at the table and eat!