Tidbit -- Frustration
I wrote this the other day as a response for my nutrition class re: labels and food tracking. A lot of my classmates thought it was pretty damn funny, so I thought I’d throw it out there. I’m stuck in editing/finishing hell with two other actual “content” posts that I’d like to get out of soon and get posted. I need to get over myself and just call them “finished.”
*****
Reading this chapter reminded why I quit tracking my food and reading labels (8 or 10 times over). It’s too depressing and confusing!
First you start reading the labels to get a sense of what you’re ACTUALLY eating. If you survive the shock of realising what a serving size IS, and how many calories are in it, you might make it to the next step of portion control, where you measure out ever morsel you even THINK of putting in your mouth, in the process dirtying every measuring cup and spoon in the house. Yes, even the 2/3rds of a cup one that’s slid all the way to the back of the drawer because who uses 2/3 of a cup of ANYTHING, honestly? And then you realise the horrible choice:
Do you eat a few mouthfuls of your favorite foods, stopping WAY before you are full in order to not exceed your calorie intake, or do you eat enough nutrient-dense foods to make you feel full but as though you’ve eaten a cardboard sandwich with a side of sawdust and a grass garnish? Meanwhile your roommate is across the table having a grilled ham and cheese and you wonder what the calorie count would be if you were to just lick the crumbs and grease off her plate when she finished.
Another... complaint? Gripe? I have is the way the USDA keeps changing the rules. I can’t be the only one here that remembers, nay, was DRILLED on the four food groups as a child. How on earth am I supposed to practice a lifetime of healthy eating when the rules keep changing?
“Butter will make your heart explode! Use margarine!”
“Oh, about that margarine thing... Yeah it turns out it causes cancer, use butter!”
“Butter will clog every artery in your body, causing you to swell up like that girl in Willy Wonka (also, don’t eat chocolate!). Don’t use any butter product, ever, if you want to live past the age of 50!”
Yes, I exaggerate for comedic effect but the heart (ha, ha) of my argument remains the same. How can we develop and instill lifelong healthy eating patterns when the rules of “healthy” continue to change?
And if, somehow, you manage to navigate all these pitfalls, then what? If you’re particularly motivated you could, maybe, move the fabric and the Rock Band equipment and two cats and a stack of papers missing since January and give the treadmill a try, ambling for a mile or two. But if you’re like me, the preparation of one serving size of skinless grilled chicken breast and a small green salad with fat-free dressing is enough to exhaust you and raise your blood pressure 30 or so points. It’s practically a moral imperative at that point to sit on the couch and watch outrageous cooking shows on the Food Network until you begin to hallucinate that your chicken in fact tastes like Alton Brown’s homemade fried chicken or, more likely, you simply pass out from unbridled desire... and hunger.
Point being, while it is ultimately an individual responsibility to choose and monitor healthy food intake, NO ONE, from the government to manufacturers to grocery stores or even the media has made this process understandable, let alone easy, accessible or fulfilling. The fact that our textbooks needs 39 pages to explain the process, replete with several (very nice and helpful) full color, full page pictures and diagrams illustrates that even the fundamental task of feeding our bodies is an uphill battle.
*****
Reading this chapter reminded why I quit tracking my food and reading labels (8 or 10 times over). It’s too depressing and confusing!
First you start reading the labels to get a sense of what you’re ACTUALLY eating. If you survive the shock of realising what a serving size IS, and how many calories are in it, you might make it to the next step of portion control, where you measure out ever morsel you even THINK of putting in your mouth, in the process dirtying every measuring cup and spoon in the house. Yes, even the 2/3rds of a cup one that’s slid all the way to the back of the drawer because who uses 2/3 of a cup of ANYTHING, honestly? And then you realise the horrible choice:
Do you eat a few mouthfuls of your favorite foods, stopping WAY before you are full in order to not exceed your calorie intake, or do you eat enough nutrient-dense foods to make you feel full but as though you’ve eaten a cardboard sandwich with a side of sawdust and a grass garnish? Meanwhile your roommate is across the table having a grilled ham and cheese and you wonder what the calorie count would be if you were to just lick the crumbs and grease off her plate when she finished.
Another... complaint? Gripe? I have is the way the USDA keeps changing the rules. I can’t be the only one here that remembers, nay, was DRILLED on the four food groups as a child. How on earth am I supposed to practice a lifetime of healthy eating when the rules keep changing?
“Butter will make your heart explode! Use margarine!”
“Oh, about that margarine thing... Yeah it turns out it causes cancer, use butter!”
“Butter will clog every artery in your body, causing you to swell up like that girl in Willy Wonka (also, don’t eat chocolate!). Don’t use any butter product, ever, if you want to live past the age of 50!”
Yes, I exaggerate for comedic effect but the heart (ha, ha) of my argument remains the same. How can we develop and instill lifelong healthy eating patterns when the rules of “healthy” continue to change?
And if, somehow, you manage to navigate all these pitfalls, then what? If you’re particularly motivated you could, maybe, move the fabric and the Rock Band equipment and two cats and a stack of papers missing since January and give the treadmill a try, ambling for a mile or two. But if you’re like me, the preparation of one serving size of skinless grilled chicken breast and a small green salad with fat-free dressing is enough to exhaust you and raise your blood pressure 30 or so points. It’s practically a moral imperative at that point to sit on the couch and watch outrageous cooking shows on the Food Network until you begin to hallucinate that your chicken in fact tastes like Alton Brown’s homemade fried chicken or, more likely, you simply pass out from unbridled desire... and hunger.
Point being, while it is ultimately an individual responsibility to choose and monitor healthy food intake, NO ONE, from the government to manufacturers to grocery stores or even the media has made this process understandable, let alone easy, accessible or fulfilling. The fact that our textbooks needs 39 pages to explain the process, replete with several (very nice and helpful) full color, full page pictures and diagrams illustrates that even the fundamental task of feeding our bodies is an uphill battle.