Mainlining Glucose or “I’m Not an Addict!” – In Defense of Food #7
Shameful public admission of the day: I’m a “new product” enthusiast. Hubby tries to fast forward through commercials or else I am almost guaranteed to say “Let’s try that!” or “Wow, they have a new flavor – we have to get it!” Legend has it that when I was a small child, I would talk and play through the entire television program, but heaven help you if you interrupted my TV commercials. Yes, I am an advertiser’s dream come true.
The last chapter of section 2 is the one you should probably read in the bookstore if you aren’t going to borrow or buy this book. It’s about the “industrialization” of food, and how, in just a few generations, we have processed out most of the nutrients in food in order to make them more profitable. We prefer cheaper food with a longer shelf life, so even our fruits and vegetables (and the animals who eat them and then end up on our tables) are no longer as nutrient-rich as they used to be because we breed for quantity instead of quality. In fact, it is now possible to have a nutrition deficiency and be obese at the same time!
If you are like me, after you read this section you will a little bit sad about all of those processed foods still in the cupboard, and even sadder that your kid(s) like(s) processed foods better than the “real” stuff.
There is some science in this chapter, but he simplifies it for us. Basically, we get too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 (which is actually from plants, but plants contain less today than in previous generations). This could be the reason for so many Western diseases, but taking a supplement might not have as much benefit as consuming the plant that makes the stuff, so it seems that whole foods are really the only way to protect ourselves. Seaweed and algae are great sources of omega-3, which is why some fish have so much of is (but this is shifting as we farm fish as well). I seem to remember Alicia Silverstone peddling seaweed on a talk show and thinking that I can’t stand the way that stuff tastes, I don’t care how good it is for me. Yes, I looked it up for you – she wrote a book: The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
For most of us, our food contains a lot of energy but not enough nutrition. We get way too much sugar, and a lot of what we eat (refined carbohydrates) converts directly to glucose because there is no real fiber in it (and adding it in as a supplement is not as beneficial). Pollan quotes an expert: “We’re in the middle of a national experiment in the mainlining of glucose.” Oh, dear.
Now I have a lot of questions:
- If we grow our own vegetables, will we get 1940s nutrition, or are the seeds messed up too?
- Should I take my daughter out of nursery school and learn about homeschooling for when she gets older, to help keep her from “mainlining glucose” too?
- Should I finally throw out my two year supply of sugar free drink mix, or should I keep using it because at least it’s encouraging me to drink water?
- Do I have to throw out my chocolate stash? (Please no)
- Should I go cold turkey on television commercials? (I love the ads in the magazines too – I won’t give those up)
- How on earth am I going to convince my family that we should eat mainly whole foods?
- Will I breastfeed the next baby too because of all I am learning, or will I still think formula is just as good? (No – I’m not pregnant)
(singing: “they tried to make me go to rehab, I said no no no…”)
Scroll down for other posts about In Defense of Food:
Other posts about In Defense of Food:
Review
Post 1: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
Post 2: Breakfast Cereal is not a Food?
Post 3: Chocolate Science
Post 4: “Hourly Yogurt Enemas?!”
Post 5: Hunting and Gathering
Post 6: Look Mom – No Cavities!
Post 7: Mainlining Glucose or “I’m Not an Addict!”
Post 8: Food is Religious and Political
Post 9: Whole Milk Sounds Almost Sinful
Post 10: I Don’t Like the Salad, Mommy
Post 11: Let’s Plant a Garden
Culture Studies, Health, Nutrition
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commercials, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan, omega-3, processed food
[...] “Hourly Yogurt Enemas?!” Post 5: Hunting and Gathering Post 6: Look Mom – No Cavities! Post 7: Mainlining Glucose or “I’m Not an Addict!” Post 8: Food is Religious and Political Post 9: Whole Milk Sounds Almost Sinful Post 10: I [...]
[...] Other posts about In Defense of Food: Post 1: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan Post 2: Breakfast Cereal is not a Food? Post 3: Chocolate Science Post 4: “Hourly Yogurt Enemas?!” Post 5: Hunting and Gathering Post 6: Look Mom – No Cavities! Post 7: Mainlining Glucose or “I’m Not an Addict!” [...]
[...] Other posts about In Defense of Food: Post 1: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan Post 2: Breakfast Cereal is not a Food? Post 3: Chocolate Science Post 4: “Hourly Yogurt Enemas?!” Post 5: Hunting and Gathering Post 6: Look Mom – No Cavities! Post 7: Mainlining Glucose or “I’m Not an Addict!” [...]
I don’t think it’s necessary to homeschool, so long as you are a bit restrictive about the foods she eats. My mom never gave us soda or candy on a regular basis, and to this day I still don’t like soda and most candies. People tend to like whatever they were raised on, so if you raise her on whole foods, she will grow to like them. You have direct influence on her eating habits, so YOU decide what she eats, not her.
As for the commercials, I think it’s fine to watch them so long as you maintain a sense of skepticism. “Fewer calories? Only $9.99? Easy to use? Yeah right, let me see the fine print!” If it’s from any of the big corporations, distrust them immediately. They are out to make money off you. The only commercials I like to watch are for movies and local events. Oh, and the funny ones are great too.