'Dieting' and digestion in modern times; Blog42/100(-40)

 

One of the things I've been thinking about lately is how basic what we eat is to our short-term, daily health. I often have these thoughts in the bathroom. It's difficult to not be indelicate on this subject, but our diets influence our digestion (we are what we eat). In most other matters, don't most people simply do what's best for their own health...yet eating (& hydrating) is so fraught with personal choice and preference in our society today, and so influenced by industry and what it produces (the food industrial complex) that we now have to use a website to discuss it. In comparing current foods to life a century ago or pretty much any other time in the past vs.modern time we had less choice, but overall less problems. Most people stayed lean and ate whole foods; though both my grandfathers, who were both 'from the old country', died relatively young of heart failure (about 65) and that was probably due to the emphasis on meat in their diets. The digestive systems of people in the past were probably less problematic generally compared to modern industrial or contemporary people. It's such a basic thing, to eat healthfully, (other species, and us in the past, just do it naturally) yet pervades our modern consciousness as such a dilemma. Recently, someone had a blog about why junk tastes so 'good' vs. healthier foods like broccoli.
I by-passed the humor and wrote 'serious' answers:
1) Because the food industrial complex has taken apart what peoples' paleo brains like (because they were hard to get in paleo times...i.e. SALT & SUGAR) & add them back in MASS QUANTITIES, and we then also consume them in MASS QUANTITIES/BINGES, because they've taken out the fiber that would signal the brain that we are full when we consume them.
2) Some people are genetically pre-disposed not to enjoy broccoli because of the sulfur* in it (*sulfurophanes I've learned is the compound, I've learned in last few days)
3) Taste buds/palate are those of paleo/kid, not adult that's been trained to enjoy lovely fresh fruits and vegs
Anyone else have weird thoughts daily in the bathroom?

Member Comments About This Blog Post

• vMERMAIDLIFE
  I'm going to disagree with you on a few points, but I think you'll find it interesting... First, I would argue that digestive issues of the past were probably much worse than they are now, mostly because of our modern understanding of germ theory, modern refrigeration, and relative lack of scarcity. (Meaning, that things like produce are available year-round nowadays.) I've read a couple interesting articles about gluten intolerance, and how it's not necessarily "new." (An excellent topic to Google if you just like to research stuff for awhile!)
  
  Second, I would argue that it's not adults who are trained to like fruits/vegetables, but rather, it's children who are trained to crave sugar. Consider that the first ingredient in some infant formulas is corn syrup! Kids in France and Japan grow up eating the same meals as their parents. When you look at what kids eat in other cultures, it's very clear that they learn food preferences from what they observe. We are really doing our youth a disservice in this area. It seems like American kids are immediately given "kids food" and also, never allowed to experience the discomfort of hunger. Long gone are the days of, "you'll spoil your dinner!" Every trip, every outing, has to include a snack time.
  
  Have you read anything from Dr Jason Fung? In his book, The Obesity Code, he says something about how nature always wraps the poison (sugar) in the cure (fiber). He's an interesting guy (Canadian nephrologist); you might really like his style.
  
  Thanks for writing such an interesting blog! Hope my thoughts/comments gave you more "food for thought."
  371 days ago
• vKPHEALTHY4LIFE
  The kitties are usually in there rubbing my legs, so no time.
  371 days ago
• v1CRAZYDOG
  Nope, can safely say I haven't had those bathroom thoughts, but . . . you're right!!! Foods are made to be so hyperpalatable with LOTS of salt/sugar/fat. That's what is advertised. That's what kids decide they want. That's what beaucoup bucks go for -- supporting the food industry -- and big Pharma to correct the ills wrought by the less-than-stellar foods!
  
  Back to basics, plenty of fiber and water and the system functions as it was designed!
  372 days ago
• vNANCYPAT1
  Interesting but true!
  372 days ago