DELICIOUS BLASPHEMY

DELICIOUS BLASPHEMY
By Shane Robert

I’m not a religious person. I never really have been, even as a kid going to church on Sunday. I went because I had to, not because it was something that spoke to me. When I was young, I think what didn’t appeal to me was all of the authority that seemed to be involved. I got enough authority at school and home (and didn’t care for it). Why would I seek out more? As I got older, however, it became less about authority (though I still don’t care for that) and more about the dogma that comes with nearly all religions. It turns out that I really hate dogmatic thinking. 

Humans, as a species, tend to love dogma. Even in the modern world, where fewer people are religious than at any other time in history, without realizing it, we create dogma and build religion out of everyday activities. I don’t doubt that it stems from a desire to catalog the world into binaries, black/white, good/bad, to lessen the burden of decision-making. From my highly insular perspective, few areas of life engender dogmatic thinking more than diet and exercise. Just like with religion, I shun these rules and embrace my heretic nature.  

There are 5 topics in nutrition that get a lot of attention and restriction from various food cults:

• Diet Soda
• Protein Bars & Drinks
• Frozen Vegetables
• Gluten
• Fruit

DIET SODA

If there is one thing that takes the top spot on the verboten list, it is diet soda (and artificial sweeteners in general). Few things are as divisive as diet soda and you will see comment sections blow up with arguments about why they are so bad for you. Frankly, I don’t care. I like drinking something that tastes good every so often, and I like that I can do it without having to eat less food.

If we take someone who is a daily drinker of regular sugar soda and have them switch to diet while controlling the rest of their food intake,  they lose weight. Bodybuilders in contest prep live on the stuff and it doesn’t seem to limit their fat-loss efforts. I’m not arguing that it is “healthy” or  advocating drinking it every day, necessarily, but I also don’t think it will affect your physique if you do. 

Before you say La Croix or similar bubbly drinks — stop. They suck. They’re like the homeopathy of drinks. Just the echo of flavor that leaves everyone I talk to feeling weirdly bloated.

PROTEIN BARS & DRINKS 

Read anything that I have written on nutrition and you will see that I am big on whole foods. This is how we should eat most of the time. For some people, and in some situations, that isn’t always an option. In those instances, I have no problem with protein bars and drinks. Anyone who has been on long road trips or unexpectedly stuck at the airport knows the terrible choices they face for meals. When the choice is fast food, nothing, or protein bars/shakes, they [protein bars/shakes] are the best option. Certainly better than eating nothing or falling short of your daily protein needs. 

Personally, I enjoy a Quest Bar, or the Costco knockoff, and a Fairlife Nutrition Plan or Core Power every so often. My daughter drinks the chocolate Nutrition Plan shakes almost every day and I’m glad that she can get 30 grams of quality protein in a way that tastes really, really, good. 

FROZEN VEGETABLES

This is so simple for me. Frozen vegetables don’t go bad. They make it simple to add veggies to your food (which I think is important, sorry carnivore acolytes). Modern freezing methods have advanced so that there is no nutrient loss compared to standard vegetables, at least that’s what the research has repeatedly confirmed. 

GLUTEN

There are people who have genuine celiac disease. The most recent research indicates 1.6-2% of people. An unknown number have non-celiac gluten sensitivity whose symptoms are somewhat nebulous. If that’s you, perhaps gluten isn’t for you. If that isn’t you, then I see no problem with a wholesale vilification of wheat products and gluten specifically. 

A lot of people cut out gluten and say they feel better. Is this the gluten or the fact that cutting it out also cuts out a lot of terrible food like sugary cereal, donuts, cakes, pastries, highly processed breads, etc.? Cutting out these “foods” will make you feel better whether they have gluten or not.

I eat Ezekiel bread every day, 2-6 slices, which is made with sprouted wheat for easier digestibility. I make pizza every week from white bread flour with 12.6% gluten content, which is higher than most wheat flours. It is cold fermented with a starter added, which can help with digestibility. Even people I know with non-celiac gluten sensitivities seem to be able to handle these foods. Take note of that. Maybe the wheat isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s how it’s prepared.

FRUIT

I don’t know who to blame for vilifying fruit. I’ve seen it in many communities from bodybuilders to paleo to carnivore. They all have different reasons and none of them hold water to me. Often, they center around the idea that “fruit has sugar.” Great. And? 

We have gone too far in our anti-sugar crusade if fruit is a problem. It tastes incredible, has lots of vitamins and minerals, can be high in fiber, is hydrating, and filling. To reiterate an oft-said phrase, show me the person who got fat eating fruit.