![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
On Nutrition
Oct. 24th, 2017 08:26 pmSo, these kinds of conversations have been happening in my head.
World: Sugar is bad for you, not just for your teeth; it's pretty much the worst way to get your calories.
Mouth: Mmmm, sugar.
World: And white flour is just as bad as sugar. Your white bread may as well be cake.
Mouth: Bring on the cake, then!
Brain: Yeah, okay, but we need complex carbs.
World: It's a lot healthier if no more than 1/3 of your calories come from carbs.
Brain: But that means all the rest has to come from protein and fat.
World: That's okay; the idea that fat is bad was basically made up by evil supporters of the sugar industry.
Brain: But fat, but, um, my brain hurts.
Mouth: Mmm, time to start eating more fried things.
World: Wrong! Frying is carcinogenic.
Mouth: I have to start putting more butter on everything?
World: No, not butter.
Brain: I didn't think so. But, we're not supposed to have margarine and other hydrogenated fats.
World: No, that's much worse than butter. Some people think butter is good.
Mouth: Fat plus protein = bacon!
World: Nitrates and nitrites kill!
Mouth: What do I get to have?
World: Olive oil.
Brain: One-third of my calories are supposed to come from olive oil?
World: Which cannot be heated because it loses all its good properties.
Brain: Um.
World: I guess you can have walnut oil. Oh, and coconut oil! Oh, and avocado oil!
Store: I have corn oil. And vegetable oil. And canola oil (previously known as rapeseed oil). And my olive oil is probably mostly fake.
World: No, those are all bad. Also, a bunch of the profits from those go to GMO companies, which are known for doing anything, no matter how unethical, to make a profit.
Mouth: Protein plus fat = cheese!
World: No. Cheese bad. Milk is for babies, not you.
Brain: No, I need calcium! I have all of the risk factors for osteoporosis except old age, and I'm planning to acquire that too.
World: You can get calcium from plants.
Brain: I think I need fifty-pound bags of spinach to get enough calcium. My house isn't big enough, let alone my stomach. Screw you world; I'm having dairy.
Mouth: It is mean of you to tell me that both of my favorite food groups from my youth (grains and dairy) are bad and so I can only eat from my least favorite (protein and produce).
World: It's even meaner to just let you get sick out of ignorance. You need stuff from plants.
Mouth: Nuts!
World: Yes, nuts are good. Three Brazil nuts per day is the right amount. And other nuts are good, too.
Mouth: I am a genius! I could totally eat nuts!
Brain: But nuts are highly caloric, yet not very filling.
Mouth: Whatever. Peanuts are my favorite!
Brain: And so affordable.
World: Peanuts are not nuts. They are called "ground nuts" in England. Real nuts come from trees. And before you get too excited, cashews are not nuts either.
Brain: Yeah, but peanuts and cashews are very similar to tree nuts nutritionally.
World: Maybe. Walnuts are better. And almonds.
Mouth: Mmm, chocolate-covered.
World: Wrong.
Brain: Research shows chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate anyway.
World: In tiny doses. Milk cancels out all its goodness, too, so no milk with your chocolate chip cookies, which have too many carbs anyway.
Brain: Tired now.
World: Sugar is bad for you, not just for your teeth; it's pretty much the worst way to get your calories.
Mouth: Mmmm, sugar.
World: And white flour is just as bad as sugar. Your white bread may as well be cake.
Mouth: Bring on the cake, then!
Brain: Yeah, okay, but we need complex carbs.
World: It's a lot healthier if no more than 1/3 of your calories come from carbs.
Brain: But that means all the rest has to come from protein and fat.
World: That's okay; the idea that fat is bad was basically made up by evil supporters of the sugar industry.
Brain: But fat, but, um, my brain hurts.
Mouth: Mmm, time to start eating more fried things.
World: Wrong! Frying is carcinogenic.
Mouth: I have to start putting more butter on everything?
World: No, not butter.
Brain: I didn't think so. But, we're not supposed to have margarine and other hydrogenated fats.
World: No, that's much worse than butter. Some people think butter is good.
Mouth: Fat plus protein = bacon!
World: Nitrates and nitrites kill!
Mouth: What do I get to have?
World: Olive oil.
Brain: One-third of my calories are supposed to come from olive oil?
World: Which cannot be heated because it loses all its good properties.
Brain: Um.
World: I guess you can have walnut oil. Oh, and coconut oil! Oh, and avocado oil!
Store: I have corn oil. And vegetable oil. And canola oil (previously known as rapeseed oil). And my olive oil is probably mostly fake.
World: No, those are all bad. Also, a bunch of the profits from those go to GMO companies, which are known for doing anything, no matter how unethical, to make a profit.
Mouth: Protein plus fat = cheese!
World: No. Cheese bad. Milk is for babies, not you.
Brain: No, I need calcium! I have all of the risk factors for osteoporosis except old age, and I'm planning to acquire that too.
World: You can get calcium from plants.
Brain: I think I need fifty-pound bags of spinach to get enough calcium. My house isn't big enough, let alone my stomach. Screw you world; I'm having dairy.
Mouth: It is mean of you to tell me that both of my favorite food groups from my youth (grains and dairy) are bad and so I can only eat from my least favorite (protein and produce).
World: It's even meaner to just let you get sick out of ignorance. You need stuff from plants.
Mouth: Nuts!
World: Yes, nuts are good. Three Brazil nuts per day is the right amount. And other nuts are good, too.
Mouth: I am a genius! I could totally eat nuts!
Brain: But nuts are highly caloric, yet not very filling.
Mouth: Whatever. Peanuts are my favorite!
Brain: And so affordable.
World: Peanuts are not nuts. They are called "ground nuts" in England. Real nuts come from trees. And before you get too excited, cashews are not nuts either.
Brain: Yeah, but peanuts and cashews are very similar to tree nuts nutritionally.
World: Maybe. Walnuts are better. And almonds.
Mouth: Mmm, chocolate-covered.
World: Wrong.
Brain: Research shows chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate anyway.
World: In tiny doses. Milk cancels out all its goodness, too, so no milk with your chocolate chip cookies, which have too many carbs anyway.
Brain: Tired now.