Just say NO to the Snake-oil Seller...
I would LOVE to see Dr. Atkins try to market his diet in Korea. I think it would be absolutely hilarious to watch him try to tell the people of this rice-dependent country that rice is BAD!
What brings this rather strange musing about, you ask? Well, I was teaching last night, and as she will often do, the mother of the family asked me if I would like something to eat? And as I was a wee bit peckish, I said "yes, please!".
Ten minutes later, I was served a white cube in a plastic bag. The cube measured approximately 4"x3"x2"... and it was composed entirely of... you guessed it: RICE! Compressed rice. It was really really good too... sort of sweet with a texture somewhere between a dumpling and marshmallows. As the girls dug into their own cubes-o-rice, I was instructed to just dig with my hands. Most satisfying.
So, as I'm sitting there, munching on this gooey-white-mass-o-goodness, I am also pondering the cultural differences in diet and the perception of what is good for you and what's not. It really is ridiculously subjective.
Most of the people I know here in North America would be astounded (not to mention a bit repulsed) at the idea of eating that much rice (read: CARBS!!!!!) in one go... it's tantamount to what offering a person a cube of pure fat would have been fifteen years ago.
And that, I suppose, brings me to my point... Fifteen years ago (really the whole time I was growing up...) fat was purported to be the arch enemy of the much-sought-after trim-magazine-cover figure. Now, suddenly, fat is ok again and the REAL enemy (so we're told ad-nauseum) is the dastardly carbohydrate.
So which is it?? I'm confused! And perhaps that is the point...
I would like to take a moment here to point out that it is not, in fact, any one element in our diets that is causing people to steadily increase in size and decrease in health, our bodies actually NEED fat, protein, carbohydrates, and simple sugars to function properly. What actually causes us to be so unhealthy is the sheer quantity in which we consume some of this stuff.
I would argue that the solution is NOT cutting one of the four out completely, but rather eating in MODERATION.
There is sooooo much more to be said on this topic... perhaps some discussion on the topic is in order! What do y'all think?
posted by jenn @ 5:49 AM
6 witty words of wisdom
6 Comments:
I have nothing to add, really. I agree. Moderation is key. Moderation is everything. I miss Cheeseburgers.
Soon Therese! Soon you will be able to eat cheeseburgers in moderation again!!!
Moderation, of course. I actually asked my doctor about this and she thought I was nuts. I was like, "High fat or high sugar or high calories?" After being like, "None of the above," she explained that you need a balance of fat and sugar/carbs. Like, duh. Should have known that, right?
Anyway, I've been most successful when I don't limit the kinds of food I can eat and when I balance my sugars throughout the day, eating a little along the way. Also, you can counteract the negative impact of sugar by eating fruit that's fiber-rich, like bananas.
Or, at least I think you can. ;P
Rubbish! Eat as much of the most shitty food that you want! The key, of course, is to make sure you exercise enough to counter the effects. I don't count calories, I just kinda watch my weight. If it gets above an acceptable limit, I increase my amount of exercise; eg. 2 hrs of hardcore biking 3-4 times a week instead of 1-2. So far, however, it's been ok. Possibly because I'm a lazy devil and I don't cook big meals very often. My consumption of toast has increased by about 600% since I got here; because it's dead easy, requires little dishwashing, and I can make it right next to my desk.
I suppose there's also the fact that I love biking for the awesome endorphin high. It's the best cure-all ever. Physical, mental, emotional anguish... banished by endorphins. And I don't have to curb my pop/chips intake. Score one for the bad guy!
PS you can't just potter along being careful in the snow. You have to bike like you're a demon driving a rally car for this to work. It's nicely exhilarating/terrifying to slide around on the roads too.
CBS- sounds like a plan to me... it helps that bananas are among my favorite foods... Oh! and this might be off topic... the best way to counteract too much caffeine is to eat an orange...
Grum- ok... so no Atkins for you! Haha- as if I was worried. I do love the plan for health by near-death experience... Doesn't that seem ever-so-slightly contradictory to you??
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