When Nutrition Is No Better Than Politics

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I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief” – Gerry Spence

Discussions on nutrition can often be like discussions of politics.

And that sucks, because there is little that I dislike more than politics. (Other than the obvious things like pedophiles, rapists, murderers, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Kate Gosselin, and The Lifetime Channel.)

You see, politics is not the same as legislating or governing. That’s a very important distinction. Politics is all of the horseshit that goes on around and gets in the way of legislating and governing. Politics in this country is dirty, divisive, mean-spirited, based on fear-mongering, and non-productive.

Too many people take stands on things based on their party line rhetoric without understanding most of the issues and will unthinkingly allow themselves to be defined by their party affiliation. They close their mind to different perspectives if the perspective comes from someone on the ‘wrong side’, without ever actually thinking about the issue for themselves.

Label yourself a democrat, you vote for the democrat.  Label yourself a republican, you vote for the republican. Doesn’t matter if the person you’re voting for happens to be a total fucking idiot.

Too many people believe whatever the blowhard talking head representing their side of the aisle spouts off about, without ever checking facts for themselves. Limbaugh, Olberman, O’Reilly, Begala, Beck, red state, blue state, tea bagger, or ‘rogue’. Whatever. Civil discourse and debate has disappeared into special interest spin, and mean-spirited, negative rhetoric aimed at the opposing side. We’re in a culture where the people we elect are more interested in beating the other side on an issue than they are in creating real solutions that better the lives of the people who put them in office.

So screw that. I f’g hate politics and refuse to engage there. I want to live in a Purple state.

And unfortunately, the area of nutrition is sometimes no better than politics.

Vegans, primal eaters, vegetarians, paleo enthusiasts, raw foodists, whatever. There are plenty of happy, rational people who follow each of these lifestyles. Most of them, in fact.

And then there are the loudmouth idiots.

You’ve got people who become dogmatic about their particular nutritional strategy, and never consider that there can be other strategies that are just as valid. They take on a holier-than-thou attitude because they believe that their nutritional choice is superior to all others.

These are the ones who can’t open their minds to the possibility that there are other equally as healthy, tasty, sustainable, earth-friendly ways to eat. In their minds, they have the moral high ground and there is no disputing it. They believe they are right and that they are smarter than you, and must, at every opportunity, remind you of that.

These people are as annoying as fingernails scratching across a chalkboard and a Bachelor bimbo speaking at the same time. Just shut up. You’re the nutrition version of a political ad.

Fine. You’ve chosen a lifestyle to follow as far as eating goes. That’s great. If it’s right for you and contributes to your health and well-being, awesome. Keep doing what you do.

That doesn’t mean everyone who chooses a different lifestyle is doing something wrong though. Beware extremists who say otherwise.

These are the people who make blanket statements like “there is no way vegans can get all the nutrients they need”, or “eating meat will clog your arteries”, or that “a vegetarian lifestyle is always healthier than that of an omnivore.”

The truth is that vegans, primals, vegetarians, paleos, raw foodies, omnivores, etc. can all eat well and get proper nutrition if they learn to eat right.

Obviously, they may accomplish that in different ways, but the fact is that the principles of eating right can be applied to any of those lifestyles.

Of course, any of them can also eat like shit as well. Just because a person moves under the halo of their chosen food tribe, that doesn’t automatically make them someone who eats well. I know plenty of vegetarians, for instance, who eat like crap, get shitty nutrition, and are overweight.

Just because they don’t eat meat doesn’t mean they’re healthy.

A bag of chips and a pepsi can be a vegetarian lunch. Lots of processed crap is vegetarian. And there are primal/paleos out there who are stocking up on steak and chicken from the meat counter of their local grocery store. That factory-farmed, CAFO- grown, hormone-injected, antibiotic-filled frankenmeat is the protein version of Cheez-Its, i.e. processed crap.

Any of these lifestyles can be just as bad as the Standard American Diet (SAD) if the individual doesn’t learn how to make good food choices.

And that’s what it comes down to: Learning to make good food choices. Don’t eat processed crap. Buy whole foods that are ingredients instead of foods that contain dozens of ingredients. Buy local, seasonal produce whenever possible. If you eat meat, try to buy meat from local, free-range, grass-fed, pastured, Prius-driving animals if you can. Eat more fruits and veggies. Stop drinking mindless calories.  Join a CSA if you can.

I believe you should listen to your body and choose a lifestyle that makes you feel good and fits your life.

If it’s vegan, great.

Vegetarian, rock on.

Primal, super.

Paleo, awesome.

Clean-eating omnivore, have at it.

I say it’s okay to embrace your healthy lifestyle, and to feel free to tell the world about it. I just think you should do it in a positive manner and not sink into the belief that you need to denigrate other lifestyles in order to make your point.  That makes you sound like a politician.

And, if you’re curious, I’d fall under the ‘clean-eating omnivore’. What about you?  Where do you fall as far as an eating lifestyle is concerned?  Tell us below.

~Dave

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