Week Eleven: Forward

Global Crisis in Diet

I think my top priority would be for everyone to adopt Michael Pollan's idea: eat food, mostly plants, not too much. When I read that, my whole body smiled. I am beyond frustrated with misinformation on nutrition that is fed to the public as fact. It isn't just the food Kellogg's and Kraft Foods of this world that are to blame, though they do a lot to create false comfort to people that they are eating well. It comes from everywhere: sports enthusiasts, alternative health aficionados (for lack of a better word because they are in most cases self-appointed). I'm talking about extremism in any form: Atkins eaters, raw foodists, calorie restricters, etc. Everyone has a story to tell as to why their conception of the optimal human diets is correct. But, it just doesn't pass the common sense test. I can just see a grandma type hearing some of these ideas and scratching their heads. You eat what honey???

The only advice that makes sense to eat a moderate amount of unprocessed foods, as natural as you can afford. I suppose this is where you need resources, to make more of such food available in more remote areas, and to create systems for doing this that are environmentally sound.

Carbon Offsets:
I am in favor of carbon offsets because they draw people's attention to the issue of global warming and their direct relationship with it. There's a good article in the NY Times today about carbon offsets. Basically, it says that when people know the effect of their energy consumption, they use less. People are looking into how to best communicate enregy consumption and its effect to consumers in real time. I think carbon offsets aren't a panacea, but their a positive development.

Laughter as the Best Medicine:
I think laughter is right up there. Deeply fabulous food and sex are right there too. But all of these things are definitely good for our health, and probably much more beneficial than anything they sell in a drug store. Strongly Agree.