Nutrition Is Not About Calories {food for thought}

These past few days I have come across a few different stories that have touched me in some way or another and I would like to share them. Each totally unrelated yet also very related. They are about nutrition/food, of course but ALSO about finding our 'purpose' in this life!  

• The first is an article from the Washington Post: The new front in the culture wars: food
• The next was the Rush Limbaugh show: See, I told you so: twinkie diet
• And then, a David Wolfe vblog: Mission and Values {see below}
• And finally, this wonderful indie film: The Human Experience {brililant}

All I mainly want to say about Rush's Show is that I didn't enjoy even one aspect of it. It gave me that icky feeling I talked about before - sort of a cynical, depressed mood about where we're at on the food front in our society. Just an overall bad energy and vibe. But, on the other hand, Rush is correct when he conveys that calories in minus calories out is the equation for weight loss. Eating TONS of "health food" won't necessarily result in weight loss. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. I went from a diet of basically smoothies and salads to no sugar/fruit diet and gained 5 lbs.

SO MANY people associate weight loss with HEALTH. It's crucial to remember that optimal HEALTH is more than just weight. This is the COMMON simple-minded way of looking at health. The twinkie diet? I mean come on. But, unfortunately, this mentality is not all that out of the ordinary when it comes to most of America. { oh and cholesterol is one of my FAVORITE topics that I will tackle later on.}

This leads me to the Washington Post article and it's discussion about culture. I often talk about this idea: for our society to REALLY change its diet we would have to completely restructure the foundation of the culture and its value system. The article references the 'elitist' connotation that goes along with the idea of ORGANIC food and health food in general. We've already debunked this idea awhile ago - the truth is that eating organic healthy food can be affordable and is available to all classes.  The reality is, you'd find WAY more people out on Black Friday spending their wads on flat screen TVs than you would on let's call it Green Monday - a day when Farmer's Markets were on every corner selling veggies at a discount.

Get my drift? It's NOT important to our society the way 'conspicuous consumption' is. 

I always use this example as well: me talking to people who are in line with the science side of growing crops {those that support GMOs} about organic food and raw food nutrition is almost a WASTE of my time. This is because their entire viewpoint on WHERE food is going and the history behind it, is SO different. It's not even worth the debate because in the end THEY ARE RIGHT and I AM RIGHT! I totally see why the average American likes the idea of hybrid fruits and veggies. I GET IT. But it's totally NOT in line with my back-to-nature way of looking at life, the environment, immune system, nutrition, optimal health, etc. It's like a gay man trying to discuss abortion rights with a priest {not being offensive, just pointing out two people whose lives and beliefs about the world are SO different}. Not worth the discussion, really.

So, unless you change the entire CULTURE behind the society/people, you most likely won't change the person's budget or desire for organic fresh food despite studies showing that eating raw foods isn't an "elitist" diet at all. 

And that's a COLOSSAL task. 

This leads me to my next story: David Wolfe's great talk about missions/values and well, nutrition. I love how he ties nutrition into life's 'passions and missions.' He's a brilliant inspirational speaker. I wish I could keep him in my pocket everyday to keep me inspired and full of food/energy wisdom. {wink} Please watch the video if you have a moment right now. It's not as much about food as it is about LIFE and VALUES!

I also found this small blurb from a David Wolfe interview. I found it much more profound than Rush's Twinkie theory {which is basically a starvation diet}. But then again, I'm pretty out there myself. So maybe, Rush is brilliant and I just don't know it yet? What do you think? 

"...Another part of overeating is mineral deficiencies and the body¹s attempt to draw minerals from food. If there are no minerals in the food then the body keeps eating until it finds those minerals. The appetite never shuts off. This is one of the reasons why I believe that wild foods, superfoods, and supplements are valuable. They can be so mineral-rich and nutrient-dense (well beyond what we would find in average organic food) that they shut down the appetite and give us what our body is really looking for."

Lastly, I want to leave you with a movie suggestion for tonight - The Human Experience. I keep forgetting how this relates to my above article, but it DOES, trust me. The movie's main theme that runs throughout is 'purpose'! Like David Wolfe's lecture above, the movie emphasizes PURPOSE in life and how that is ALL anybody wants in this life. We are always looking for reasons as to why we are here. What is the point of us being here on this Earth? It is a constant quest. Something we ALL as humans have in common.

What is a 'mission' or a 'purpose'?

David Wolfe explains it as being something you get excited about doing everyday. Something you would do even if you didn't get paid for it! {ha, guess I found mine! you're reading it}

And if we are doing our purpose then we usually stay healthy. Health is a state of mind as much as it is a food choice that goes into the mouth.

Also, after watching the movie I see that just helping others can be a 'purpose'. I have decided that this, next to unconditional love, is a great lesson to give our children every day. PURPOSE gives us meaning to our lives. Keeps us fulfilled and ALIVE. And...just by helping others it can make us eternally happy and healthy. 

Phew!!!!!!!! That was a lot...hope you aren't feeling too overwhelmed or confused by this mind twister. 

Have a great Monday!

image adapted via 800cutgreens