The noise about food on the interwebs can get so loud sometimes. Eat this, don’t eat that, do this don’t do that… But today, when I read that the British Dietician’s Association rated Paleo and quitting sugar among the worst extreme diets, well, I just had to laugh.
The fact that these ways of eating are on a list that included the ‘drink your own urine’ diet is craziness. Why are all the packets of weirdness on the shelves not targeted as ‘extreme’ and ‘crazy’ things to eat. They’re the real villains.
Have these health professionals ever actually flicked through the pages of one of Sarah Wilson‘s books or a recent Pete Evans cook book? They’re chock full of delicious, real food recipes with an emphasis on seasonal eating, cooking from scratch and focusing on the good stuff from nature. And the problem is where exactly?
Oh no Sarah… Be careful what you’re suggesting people eat!
(image courtesy of IQS)
You too Pete! This stuff is dangerous…
(Image courtesy of goodfood.com.au)
As educators in the real food space, where there’s a certain ‘take’ within the real food spectrum, we need to be sure that there isn’t guilt, shame or shunning if someone wants a slice of pavlova at Christmas or nice piece of cheese every now and then. It is unhealthy if people who explore these ways of eating, then feel shame or guilt if perfection isn’t upheld every minute of every day. If they do feel shame, then I consider that we’ve failed them.
What people are quick to call ‘fails’ and ‘falling off the wagon’ are simply occasions where they chose differently in that moment for whatever reason – nothing more. It’s almost like tantrum patterns in toddlers – Fuel the fire by pandering to the tantrum and tantrums become worse. If we make a massive song and dance about a piece of chocolate cake at a birthday, then we drive that dial up on guilt and shame thinking. Brené Brown says no.
If one generally feels better eating paleo or sugar free, then one will probably realise that after having eaten something different, and just resume as normal shortly thereafter. There’s no need for self hatred or shame and it doesn’t mean you ‘no longer belong’. Never have I ever heard people in either camp threaten perfectionism or else.
I like seeing the good in stuff, personally. I’m grateful it’s the way I’ve been wired. My favourite thing about the paleo and sugar quitting movements, is that they bring a huge amount of awareness to the wider public, about the real enemies in the face of today’s health crisis:
- WEIRDO PACKETS OF FAKENESS
- PROCESSED VEGETABLE OILS,
- REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
- REFINED SUGAR, NAMELY EXCESS FRUCTOSE
- INTENSIVE / FACTORY ANIMAL FARMING AND GMO FEEDING
The more people that do this work to raise awareness on the real bad guys causing the health problems, the better if you ask me. None of these foods should be in our every day and at the moment for the average western world human, we’re talking several times a day.
Anything that works against nature, rather than with it,
is illogical in terms of what we put on or in us.
If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ll know I’m not in any ‘one’ camp 100% and that my work focuses on eliminating those above nasties by crowding them out with seriously good, delicious real food. I do however support the work of everyone raising awareness on the true, big nasties and that means I support people like Sarah and Pete. I might not agree with absolutely every single little thing, but that’s irrelevant to me and that’s also simply my feeling and opinion. We’re all fighting the same fight and when there’s a crystal clear vision for better health for humans, then let’s just get on with it and make it happen.
I truly believe that once the above nasties are removed from your life, the mix you then create for yourself that makes you feel awesome, is your own special cocktail of goodness. As Sarah Wilson says, we are all an ‘experiment of one’. I believe the same.
What works for me – Note the word ME… Not necessarily YOU
- Abundant assorted veggies cooked and raw
- A bit of ethical, pasture raised meat and sustainable fish, cooked, cured or raw
- Herbs, spices in abundance
- Healthy fats from ethical, natural sources (coconut, macadamia, olive oil, butter, ghee, grass fed / finished tallow, organic duck fat)
- Nuts and seeds that have been properly prepared with soaking
- Moderate eggs ( I feel heavy if I eat them every day so I don’t. Simple as that.)
- A little fruit
- A little high quality dairy from time to time, mostly being raw milk cheeses.
- A little dark chocolate every day, sometimes bought, sometimes home made
- A couple of times weekly baked / raw wholefood treat of some kind
- A rare yet delicious hook into rice, gluten free pasta or corn tostadas / chips (they really don’t suit me with my PCOS. Again, discovered through personal experimentation and research)
- The odd ‘go with the flow’ food and drink that I relish and enjoy as I shared HERE last month.
And that’s me. I have done my experimenting. This works for me wonderfully. I do not feel an inch of deprivation or stress around food after decades of having done so, and it feels awesome. Real food all the way because it makes sense for you, for me, and for our beautiful planet.
Food isn’t where the ‘feeling awesome’ recipe ends
Enjoying various forms of activity, keeping a low tox mind, nurturing family and friendships and using natural products in the home, are all a part of the mix. If we make food too much the focus, then we can risk losing the balance between all the other thigs that make us feel truly vital and ‘feed’ us.
So, what I’m curious to know is: What works for you and helps you feel awesome?
Comments 7
Hear, hear, Alexx. In regards to the dietitians freaking out, I’d love to know why they are so keen to protect the food pyramid, which, it seems, suits few and confuses most. Thanks for keeping it real x
Author
Thanks Jo. I honestly think we go after the wrong people when it comes to the over arching goal of what makes people free from disease. Exhausting! x
Especially seeing as the “food pyramid” is based on flawed and corrupted evidence. Let’s see the Health department try to justify it on new Research!
I feel so more at peace with food now that I have stopped counting calories, eating low fat and obsessing when I ‘fell off the wagon’. I’m still learning what works for me but I don’t feel guilty anymore if I make cake and eat it or have a beer or wine.
Some of the food ( and I use that term loosely) on the supermarket shelves scare me. The health authorities seem to be clinging to the everything in moderation mantra with a great deal of processed fake food.
Your work scares and inspires me at the same time Alexx!
Author
Absolutely re ‘counting and monitoring’ … and thank you. I think?! 😉
I’m really not likely to ever listen to the DAA or the BDA, the people who told me I didn’t need to do anything specific with my diet in regards to my lack of thyroid and replacement medication. They failed to tell me about not taking it near black tea because the tannins disrupt absorption, they failed to tell me not to take it near calcium or caffeine and to avoid all kinds of soy entirely, instead I was told to eat more fibre including bread because I never really ate bread before, but guess what it’s full of soy flour and they don’t even know. They had absolutely zero knowledge about dietary after care. And unrelated to my thyroid treatment but they told me to stop eating butter and to use margarine, vegetable oil and drink skim milk. These are BDA qualified staff working in the top cancer hospital in London, expecting me to blindly follow their mis-educated and misinformed so called advice. The ones I was sent to here as hospital follow ups actively backed up that poor excuse for advice. I’ll never put any stock in anything those people have to say.
Author
Elke that sounds like a terrible experience. Sorry you had to go through that. x