I finally found a moment to sit and catch up on my reading and had to laugh at an article in Time magazine’s January 11th edition – Brief History, Fad Diets. The picture with the article caught my eye because all the food looked good and there wasn’t a bit of bread or a grain in sight. Awesome! The picture’s caption, though…”All this, and skinny too The popular Atkins plan allows dieters their fill of meat, dairy and vegetables–just no carbs“…was odd. The article goes on to encapsulate the efforts of folks trying to control their girth and the popularity of being either skinny or plump (all this in a quarter of a page is pretty impressive. You’ll hear this stuff quoted on the radio in the coming weeks, I’m sure.). My laugh out loud moment came from what should be pretty darn obvious…what are vegetables if not carbs? They don’t fall into the protein category and they sure aren’t in the fat category. Maybe the article’s author doesn’t know a grain from a carb? Maybe he, like lots of folks, assumes that all carbs are from the grain family. That still doesn’t put vegetables into a category. Do they get their own category? Is that confusion caused by the food guide pyramid/trapezoid/octagon or whatever shape they’re using this week? Despite popular belief, grains are NOT a necessary part of your diet. Never have been, never will be. Every possible benefit that one could get from grains can and should be had from vegetables. Atkins’ diet is healthy. I, personally, have to avoid the dairy aspect of it mainly because the source of the dairy out there is getting fed grains instead of, or in addition to, grass and that passes through to the milk and cheeses.
Most interesting about the page that the fad diet article is on, in my opinion, is the short book review and recommendation that shares the page which talks about a book called Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the Amerrican Psyche by Ethan Watters. The book looks at how America’s illnesses (as well as the Golden Arches) are being sent around the world and that it’s not a good thing. Prior to GlaxoSmithKline heading to Japan, for example, to let the folks there know that they are depressed and in need of Paxil, the Japanese weren’t aware they had a problem. Ultimately, I won’t be picking up a copy of the book as it sounds like another “America is the root of all evil” book and even the reviewer comments that the author’s indignation can get weary at times. I’m not into America-bashing, so this little article is all I’ll read of the book, but the review’s placement next to the fad diet article struck me as interesting. It might just be me that sees twisted humor in it.
Funny enough, the same can be said of food and grains. It is documented repeatedly (and I’ll post an article or two in the coming weeks that covers and re-enforces this) that once Americans come and “help” people in other, less fortunate countries with flour and rice and beans their health begins to mimic the health, or lack there of, of Americans. Talk about your Trojan horses.