As simple as possible
Albert Einstein, apart from his work in defining the theory of relativity, is also a source of some wonderful quotations. The title of this post is one of them:
And the topic of this post may be summed up as:
I've written before about our needlessly complicated relationship with food, and the barrage of advertisements that assault us daily. I've tried to ignore both and focus on other issues, but I can't do it much longer.
Everyone has seen the articles about "healthy eating" and been inundated with recipes that promise to give us "guilt-free" indulgences and which tout the magical properties of "superfoods." So here's the short, super simple guide to food:
There is really no need for us to be burdening ourselves with guilt for enjoying food. The old Sunday dinner, with its time-consuming preparation and heavy dishes is absolutely fine if you want to do that. It's also fine to graze on salads or nibble on nuts, but in either case, there is no justification for telling other people that their diets are wrong. (I won't get started on the "you've been cooking / eating / serving wrong all your life" headlines!)
Oh, and the "if you can't pronounce it, it shouldn't be in your food" myth: I can't pronounce "avoine" but it's definitely a food. And the argument that "it's a chemical" likewise -- everything in your experience is chemical. Add to that the "it's used in, do you really want to be eating that?" On that argument, lemon juice shouldn't be consumed as it's incorporated into furniture polish.
I do get that we're all trying to live healthy lives, and we don't want to be consuming poisons. I also understand that there have been enough industrial accidents (and deliberate activity) that cause mistrust of organizations. But neither of these is a reason for forgetting to think logically or for tossing aside basic science. We can all agree that in a perfect world we'd each have lots of time for growing, harvesting and raising our own food. We'd all be at home, cooking 3 - 5 meals daily for every member of our family, and we'd spend all our days in the search for and preparation of food.
Let's be sensible, shall we? If we want to eat something, then do it. There is no real reason to fear food, and no reason to judge other people's choices of what they eat. If someone wants to eat corned beef for dinner once a year, go for it. If you want to graze on celery stalks and ice cubes, have at it (and leave me out of it!)
I will continue to eat the things that I enjoy, supplemented by the odd treat. But I will be eating actual butter, consuming ice cream made with whole milk and cream, having meat and sometimes having fried stuff. And you're welcome to join me.
Everything must be made as simple as possible. But not simpler.
And the topic of this post may be summed up as:
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe.
I've written before about our needlessly complicated relationship with food, and the barrage of advertisements that assault us daily. I've tried to ignore both and focus on other issues, but I can't do it much longer.
Everyone has seen the articles about "healthy eating" and been inundated with recipes that promise to give us "guilt-free" indulgences and which tout the magical properties of "superfoods." So here's the short, super simple guide to food:
If you enjoy it, eat it.None of us are getting out alive, so to pretend that eating certain things will ward off death is delusional. Yes, some foods are better nutritional value than others. Some foods are intended as an occasional treat, not a daily meal. But there is no food anywhere on the planet that will deliver the results that are claimed by the shysters in ads.
There is really no need for us to be burdening ourselves with guilt for enjoying food. The old Sunday dinner, with its time-consuming preparation and heavy dishes is absolutely fine if you want to do that. It's also fine to graze on salads or nibble on nuts, but in either case, there is no justification for telling other people that their diets are wrong. (I won't get started on the "you've been cooking / eating / serving
Oh, and the "if you can't pronounce it, it shouldn't be in your food" myth: I can't pronounce "avoine" but it's definitely a food. And the argument that "it's a chemical" likewise -- everything in your experience is chemical. Add to that the "it's used in
I do get that we're all trying to live healthy lives, and we don't want to be consuming poisons. I also understand that there have been enough industrial accidents (and deliberate activity) that cause mistrust of organizations. But neither of these is a reason for forgetting to think logically or for tossing aside basic science. We can all agree that in a perfect world we'd each have lots of time for growing, harvesting and raising our own food. We'd all be at home, cooking 3 - 5 meals daily for every member of our family, and we'd spend all our days in the search for and preparation of food.
Let's be sensible, shall we? If we want to eat something, then do it. There is no real reason to fear food, and no reason to judge other people's choices of what they eat. If someone wants to eat corned beef for dinner once a year, go for it. If you want to graze on celery stalks and ice cubes, have at it (and leave me out of it!)
I will continue to eat the things that I enjoy, supplemented by the odd treat. But I will be eating actual butter, consuming ice cream made with whole milk and cream, having meat and sometimes having fried stuff. And you're welcome to join me.
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