Everything You Are Eating is Wrong

[Mlle. Zabzie]

I think food is also a huge cultural marker and signifier. What you eat, how you eat it, and when you eat it are signifiers of culture and community. It can become a sign of belonging and tangled up in identity,

[Inigima]

People who advocate particular diets are often annoying, judgmental evangelists for them, which creates a backlash. Sometimes this backlash is strong enough to become preemptive.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

A lot of people seem to want defend their diet, and get offended when someone disputes, argues, try to prove that something is better, and many multitudes of ways of bringing forth information regarding food. Something that I might find interesting and share with the wrong person, will be perceived in the wrong way, as an attack almost. I guess because ultimately, eating = nutrition = health = mortality, and everyone is hoping that underneath all of the "facts"/science/optimization, the undisputable evidence will show that they're doing things the right way.

People defending their diets don't bother me at all, but when others come in and "that is a bad diet" with nothing but their own feelings on it is definitely different. (and what I thought ES was saying)

Unless you are saying that attacking other people's diet = defending your own?

People who advocate particular diets are often annoying, judgmental evangelists for them, which creates a backlash. Sometimes this backlash is strong enough to become preemptive.

I can see that.

[peterbound]

A lot of people seem to want defend their diet, and get offended when someone disputes, argues, try to prove that something is better, and many multitudes of ways of bringing forth information regarding food. Something that I might find interesting and share with the wrong person, will be perceived in the wrong way, as an attack almost. I guess because ultimately, eating = nutrition = health = mortality, and everyone is hoping that underneath all of the "facts"/science/optimization, the undisputable evidence will show that they're doing things the right way.

I'm not defending or otherwise. I'm just putting it out there. I think it's a pretty neat way to eat, and I try to stick to about 80/20 when i'm doing it (love me some ice cream and popcorn). My main goal with the challenge (and has been for the past 3-4 years) is to get people to think about the way they eat.

Also, to get people to eat more meat, because I hate vegetarians.

[Elder Sister]

Yes, Lany, that's what I was saying. peterbound starts a thread about the paleo challenge and people lose they minds. Why? I don't get it. He didn't throw down the gondola (heh heh) by stating that it's the only way to eat, or that he's the nutrition emperor. I'm not going to go paleo, but if you want to do that, and it works for you, awesome.

I noticed after I did vegan for a year (way too hard for me, personally - but again, if you want to do that, great.) that people would get very defensive about me not eating animal products. And I wasn't announcing anything, or stating any feelings about it. My opting out on meat at a buffet would really aggravate some people. It was strange.

[Galactus]

A lot of people seem to want defend their diet, and get offended when someone disputes, argues, try to prove that something is better, and many multitudes of ways of bringing forth information regarding food. Something that I might find interesting and share with the wrong person, will be perceived in the wrong way, as an attack almost. I guess because ultimately, eating = nutrition = health = mortality, and everyone is hoping that underneath all of the "facts"/science/optimization, the undisputable evidence will show that they're doing things the right way.

It would probably help if a lot of people didn't pontificate as if they were telling us about our Lord ANd Saviour Jesus Christ. (complete with stories of how great an impact accepting Paleo-Jesus into his heart has mde for him and his friends, etc. etc.)

It triggers essentially the same basic response :p

[Galactus]

Yes, Lany, that's what I was saying. peterbound starts a thread about the paleo challenge and people lose they minds. Why? I don't get it. He didn't throw down the gondola (heh heh) by stating that it's the only way to eat, or that he's the nutrition emperor. I'm not going to go paleo, but if you want to do that, and it works for you, awesome.

I noticed after I did vegan for a year (way too hard for me, personally - but again, if you want to do that, great.) that people would get very defensive about me not eating animal products. And I wasn't announcing anything, or stating any feelings about it. My opting out on meat at a buffet would really aggravate some people. It was strange.

Eating doesen't just have nutritional impact, it has cultural, social, and even reliigous connotations (It's pretty significant that the most central christian ritual is a symbolic meal, and it's not unique to christianiy)

Not eating what others eat, or even eating differently, is a pretty complex social cue. It's a setting apart (and arguably a sign of mistrust "What you are eating is not good enough for me, I do not trust you to provide me with food."

[Lummel]

I think food is also a huge cultural marker and signifier. What you eat, how you eat it, and when you eat it are signifiers of culture and community. It can become a sign of belonging and tangled up in identity,

Yes, I can see that, and that's why people go Paleo-Jesus over it (to steal Galactus' phrase) I suppose. By eating differently you are showing everybody that you belong to a different community, you don't break bread, you're not in communion and literally aren't a companion.

On which note you're all heading for perdition unless you follow my new diet (name and precise content to be decided) which is affordably and conveniently available on the instalment plan - why spend less on your snake oil?

[Insomnium]

People defending their diets don't bother me at all, but when others come in and "that is a bad diet" with nothing but their own feelings on it is definitely different. (and what I thought ES was saying)

Unless you are saying that attacking other people's diet = defending your own?

I can see that.

It's that nothing seemingly should triggered that defensive response.

From a personal story. I was visiting my relatives a few months back, and I mentioned some nutritional information that I had read about. I don't recall the specifics, and it doesn't frankly matter. It was not a view I was trying to push, or something I was zealously supporting. For whatever reason, it appealed to my mind, and I thought to mention it - in a non aggressive, conversational environment. It erupted into some huge backlash, that went being my comment. I pretty sure an hour into it, people were discussing whether I was getting enough Vitamin D, or some unrelated bullshit.

Instead of examining my comment, and considering it, leaving it as a fun fact, a dumb theory, they thought it was somehow an attack, because it was not their diet. Did it make them feel guilty? Who knows? But it certainly created enough of a stir for these people to have to validate what they're eating, at the expense of some one else's choices.

[Shryke]

I make my own bread as well (can't always manage it, but I try). We don't have a bread machine. It's ludicrously easy. I set it on top of the stove at the back and cover it with a towel while it rises. I've never had a problem. Of course, my mother's theory is that just like some people are natural gardeners, some people are just naturally better than others with yeast. It seems to be true. My father is a yeast genius. My mother can't get bread to rise to save her life. So perhaps I shouldn't say it's ludicrously easy in general, but instead very easy for me (and I like kneading bread).

I find shaping the loaves is the toughest part by miles. The rest is dead easy, if a bit messy.

[Insomnium]

And so is it a similar situation with that "Doctor" that popped into Peter's Paleo Challenge thread. He was offended enough, to pop his head into a support thread, and start arguing. Perhaps he's offended because his education is being called into question indirectly. Is it a similar response? "Hey, I went to school and learned this. The bad people on the Internet are negating everything! If I don't say something, I'll feel like this is invalidating myself"

[Arkhangel]

Do you make it, Arkhangel?

I wish I could, but my itty bitty studio doesn't have an oven! There's a gluten free bakery at home that makes it - there's an ingrediens list on their website but no recipe unfortunately. I used to buy it all the time, and I have no problems with normal bread.

[Shryke]

Thanks to the lovely kairparavel, I got on a bread making kick that lasted about a year. I began making a delicious sourdough as well. The Elder Sister household was always redolent with the aroma of baking bread. Around this time, I began having major digestive issues. MAJOR. Apparently, I am gluten intolerant, along with the rest of the hipsters, and have to forego bread because of stupid ulcerative colitis and a stomach ulcer. I cannot tell you how bad this sucks. Gluten free bread is better than a piece of cardboard. And that's about all I can say. Most times, I just forego the bread entirely, but occasionally I have to have a piece of toast, and the gluten free options are pretty good as toast.

On a more serious note, I am confounded by the vitriol people display when someone mentions paleo or anything else. I love how MC started this thread with how he eats, and not how the whole world should eat. If I want to eat radishes, root beer, and blue m&m's only, guess what? That's my prerogative. I'm a grown ass adult. Why does someone care if I'm doing paleo, or whatever? I don't get it. Why are people so emotionally invested in what other people eat? I am honestly puzzled by this. Would someone please explain this to me?

Am suspicious that I am kind of dumb with regards to this. :dunno:

You should read the old 2011 Paleo Challenge thread. That's basically a good example of how and why the threads go down the way they do.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/49943-paleo-challenge/

It's also the reason the mods glare at people trying to start up arguments in the new Paleo-Challenge threads instead of starting a new one, like this, for the discussion.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

I find shaping the loaves is the toughest part by miles. The rest is dead easy, if a bit messy.

I don't mind if my bread isn't beautiful, as long as it is tasty :)

Back more to subject, it's not just food that does it. Take alcohol. Even when not pregnant, I can go through long stretches where I just have no interest in a drink. I'd rather have a lemonade or whatever. I work and live in a fairly alcohol-fueled culture. Not drinking at a social event can lead to all kinds of discussion, comment and behind the scenes speculation.

[Shryke]

I don't mind if my bread isn't beautiful, as long as it is tasty :)

It's not just about looks though. Without good bread shaping, your loaf won't necessarily rise properly or achieve the right texture. (although mistakes can still be tasty)

In my experience, bread is easy to make but the shaping and baking portion can be very finicky.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

It's not just about looks though. Without good bread shaping, your loaf won't necessarily rise properly or achieve the right texture. (although mistakes can still be tasty)

In my experience, bread is easy to make but the shaping and baking portion can be very finicky.

I guess I've just been lucky. The only times I have had those problems are when I try a more "free form" loaf (artisinal style). I've solved it by putting that sort of loaf inside the ring of a springform pan coated with olive oil post-shaping. It works really well for me though of course isn't classically correct

[aceluby]

2 oz "serving" of a Snickers bar - 26.2 grams of sugar

2 slices Trader Joe's flourless Wheat Berry bread - 2 grams of sugar

There's 15g of carbs in that, all carbs turn into sugar in the body. Regular wheat bread has between 24 and 30g.

[Elder Sister]

And we're off!

[Arbor Gold]

I like Michael Pollan's advice. It's pithy, but reasonably accurate as far as I can tell: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants".

This coincides with the advice I've been hearing since at least the early 90's, which is "Buy your groceries from the perimeter of the store, don't buy the stuff that's down the middle." Which also happens to jive well with "Cook your own food". All of these make sense to me and it feels like any other fad diet is just some over-complicated version of these basic tenets.

[Tears of Lys]

I make my own bread as well (can't always manage it, but I try). We don't have a bread machine. It's ludicrously easy. I set it on top of the stove at the back and cover it with a towel while it rises. I've never had a problem. Of course, my mother's theory is that just like some people are natural gardeners, some people are just naturally better than others with yeast. It seems to be true. My father is a yeast genius. My mother can't get bread to rise to save her life. So perhaps I shouldn't say it's ludicrously easy in general, but instead very easy for me (and I like kneading bread).

What type of surface do you knead your bread on? I used to have a large butcher block standalone in the center of my kitchen, which I foolishly left behind when we sold the house, that I used to love to knead bread on. My new kitchen has Corian countertops, which are awful to turn out any kind of dough on. I've got a pastry cloth, but the damn thing isn't big enough. I may have to buy a couple more and stitch them together.

On a more serious note, I am confounded by the vitriol people display when someone mentions paleo or anything else. I love how MC started this thread with how he eats, and not how the whole world should eat. If I want to eat radishes, root beer, and blue m&m's only, guess what? That's my prerogative. I'm a grown ass adult. Why does someone care if I'm doing paleo, or whatever? I don't get it. Why are people so emotionally invested in what other people eat? I am honestly puzzled by this. Would someone please explain this to me?

Am suspicious that I am kind of dumb with regards to this. :dunno:

Well, I'll explain the problem to you, ES. EVERYONE knows that RED M&M's are the only M&M's. :box:

:P