You Are What You Eat- Part 1

It's been pointed out repeatedly that we live in a culture where we are always trying to get the biggest and the best, and do things in the shortest amount of time. To acquire that new I Pod, cell phone or car we are constantly trying to cheapen the things we spend money on to survive and live; and do things faster so we can work more hours. And in this uniquely American way of life, we have developed a uniquely American diet to facilitate our mission for acquiring more shit.

I have, for several years now, been trying to eat more healthy. In my various health care related classes I have learned about the evils of saturated fat and LDL cholesterol, and the wonders of fiber and omega 3 polyunsaturated fats. I haven't always done the most stellar job, but I've tried my best. I've done this not because of my weight, but because I care about things like dying of cancer, heart disease or a MI. But these efforts have unfortunately been misguided. While I tried to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in nutritionism, I, like most Americans, have completely missed the point of why many of us are so unhealthy despite the fact that Americans are more health conscious than ever before.

What we're missing is something much bigger than just eating things that have more of this nutrient or less of that, for food is more than the sum of it's parts, and eating is an intricate, relational exercise. A book I read recently explores this idea and it has changed the way I think about food and how Anne and I eat. While I won't go into great detail I do want to share some interesting things I learned, and why this book is so important.