In the North American culture, people grow up with low fat, no fat, low calorie and no taste food. It seems the quicker and less substance, the better. Carbs and fat are shunned like a disease.
When individuals begin their dangerous behavior on the way to an eating disorder, it often starts with cutting out all fat. This fear of fat only increases as the disorder takes its hold. Foods such as butter, oil, bread, meat and dairy are seen as they enemy and are avoided like the plague.
It’s interesting, then, when a health book comes out with the exact opposite philosophy. Real Food: What to Eat and Why, by Nina Planck, looks almost like just another diet manual. On closer examination, though, it couldn’t be more different.
Nina grew up on a vegetable farm in Virginia and sold the family produce at farmers markets. Her adult life has seen her as the Director of Greenmarket in New York and as starting the now successful London Farmers’ Market.
She was taught to eat what she calls “real food”: real fat, real oil, homemade treats and fresh produce. Basically, anything that has not been industrialized. She renounces ready-made, high sugar and low fat items mostly found at supermarkets. These, she states, are what make people gain unwanted weight.
Most interestingly, she effectively proves her theory that fat is not bad and should certainly not be cut out. In fact, she goes to great lengths to prove that fat from natural sources is not only healthy, but essential for maintaining wellness. Citing scientific studies on both sides of the fence, her concept is convincing.
Would a generation brought up on this type of “diet” be less prone to eating disorders? Would the focus shift from weight loss at every age to building strong bones and a healthy heart?
Surely things aren’t that simple, but it would be a good start. Young girls would be less likely to spend their precious growing years consuming low fat muffin after no calorie drink.
Of course, society itself would also have to change, showing a more diverse population in ads and on the big screen. For attitudes to change, though, books like these are a good launch.
Learning to live and eat more naturally and finding food that is sustainable will not only teach people how to eat better, but will educate them in how to appreciate everything they put into their bodies.
Real Food: What to Eat and Why, by Nina Planck can be purchased from AMAZON.
