When the cult of “wellness” becomes unhealthy

[HuckleB]

Instagrams of green juices aren’t just annoying, says Sali Hughes, they can also help to promote misinformation that leads to eating disorders and garbled “medical” advice
https://www.the-pool.com/health/health/2015/37/sali-hughes-when-the-cult-of-wellness-becomes-unhealthy

"Unless your internet router died circa September 2014, you will no doubt be aware of the “wellness gurus” tearing up the book charts and all social-media platforms, particularly Instagram. These gurus are, by and large, posh white girls from Fulham and its surrounding areas, who advocate “clean eating”, with a view to living a happier, longer and healthier life.

They post an endless stream of selfies to their millions of young followers, in which they model the latest workout wear, while holding a bottle of green juice (click for brands, guys!). There are pictures of yoga poses overlooking the ocean, of superfood salads sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. And of avocado. So, so, so much avocado. Sometimes on spelt toast, sometimes on a bed of quinoa, juiced in a NutriBullet with a little organic parsley, even whipped and frozen for an “indulgent treat” reminiscent of no ice cream in the world, ever.

...

Nothing wrong with eating healthily though, right? The trend may be annoying, but we’ll eat more greens in the process, which is never a bad thing. I myself like the occasional juice day, and it’s absolutely true that we are too fat as a nation, and routinely exceed what is a healthy intake of sugar, salt and fat. Why not turn better eating into a business? The problem is that those evangelically showing us the other way are barely ever qualified to do so, and there are more holes in their teachings than in lactose-substitute Swiss cheese.

...


It’s certainly not only the girls. Only last week, a male wellness guru told me and 20 other journalists that an increase in chronic illness proved our modern diets needed taking back to neolithic times. When I pointed out that neolithic man also carked it when his testicles had barely descended, he seemed quite taken aback, as though this was some controversial theory he'd never considered. I’ve lost count of the number of people in my social circle swearing by the celebrity and guru-backed Paleo diet. One, an otherwise intelligent man, meets me for a drink then, every couple of hours, interrupts conversation to withdraw a pack of disgusting Mattessons ham slices from his breastpocket. If this is healthy living, then you’re more than welcome to it.


..."


More of a starter piece for discussion than anything, but this trend is definitely bizarre.

[PasadenaTrudy]

1. If there's money to be made....

and we live in a vanity culture.

[HuckleB]

2. And, man, is the Internet good for selling vanity BS!

[PasadenaTrudy]

3. Yep!

Gives me so much to laugh and roll my eyes about.

[snooper2]

14. Yep, just take this and multiple it times 10K, Yo 20 something

Oh how cute your name starts with K so every word that has a c you change to K!



Get a real JOB LOL

[MineralMan]

4. Anyone can write anything. If people buy what you're selling,

you get rich. The people who buy it? They get fooled. P. T. Barnum was right.

Superfoods are fine, if eaten in moderation and as part of a well-balanced diet. They won't hurt you. If you eat them instead of that well-balanced diet, though, you'll die, since they only have "micro-nutrients" and nothing much that gives you what you actually eat food for.

So, drink that kale juice with acai berries in it, but use it to wash down some real food that contains the basic proteins, fats and carbs your body actually needs. The juice won't hurt you, even if it tastes like crap.

BTW, here's the very best kale recipe, ever:

Trim heavy stems out of the kale. Steam the leaves until just tender. Sprinkle lightly with good wine vinegar and a little salt. Enjoy as a side dish with your favorite entree.

[randome]

5. Stick to the basics. Eat little. Brush your teeth. No charge.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[Runningdawg]

6. We follow the "grandma" diet

If you wouldn't have found it in grandmas kitchen (great grandma for some) then it shouldn't be in your kitchen either.

[Orrex]

8. In many families, that would get you a lard sandwich on white bread

[HuckleB]

10. That would be extremely limiting for almost everyone.

Most families had very limited diets back then.

Yikes.

[Runningdawg]

16. Not limited, but time consuming

We hunt and have a large garden. Meats and veggies are cooked in the pressure cooker. Without the lard. That's not to say it doesn't have its uses, just like bacon grease, but we know to limit those now. We also can many of our own foods. No added preservative, sugar or salt. Chips are homemade, so are condiments. Ditto ice cream and soda. When you make those from scratch you tend to eat them less. We both just had our yearly wellness checkups and the Dr said "I wish my numbers (blood work) were this good!"

[LeftyMom]

11. Grandma lived on vodka and cigarretes and died at 58.

But even if she'd been a health nut we know a lot more about nutrition and have access to ingredients and techniques from a lot of cultures she was barely aware of. Your grandma would have turned up her nose at a curry, was suspicious of garlic, and thought canned everything was the best thing that ever happened to the modern housewife. You can do a lot better than she could.

[KentuckyWoman]

15. Fried pork chops on Wonder bread/ donuts / coffee / cigarettes

Eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet with a good half inch of pork fat or lard. Veggies cooked practically to mush and usually full of pork fat and salt. She died on her 56th birthday.

[KamaAina]

7. "And of avocado. So, so, so much avocado."

Where does avocado sold in the UK come from? (Fulham is a London suburb.) I'd hate to think that California's scarce water is being used to grow them for export!

[HuckleB]

12. Probably mostly Mexico, which is where much of our supply derives, as well.

http://www.novagrim.com/Pages/2000_2011_avocado_statistics_EN.aspx

[GoCubsGo]

13. They probably came from Mexico.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Posh Girls From Fulham- didn't they headline at Glastonbury year before last?

What is with all the people who are so deeply bothered by what other people eat or don't eat? I don't get it. I really don't care what anyone eats other than myself. What's with the crusaders on DU who seem freaked out that someone might buy an heirloom apple for an extra twenty cents?

[Warpy]

17. People who are young and haven't developed chronic diseases yet

are looking for any sort of magic that promises them they'll stay that way, young and fit and healthy. So they keep falling for these hucksters.

It's no use pointing out to them that our paleolithic ancestors were dead at 40, most of them think 40 is old and over the hill and who'd want to live past 40? I do take great glee in telling them our ancestors ate anything that wouldn't poison them outright (and some that did) and that grubs, ants and termites probably provided a lot of the protein in their diets, not steaks from large mammals that were dangerous to hunt.

I suppose I'll have to content myself with giggling at them. They too will turn 40, need bifocals, have their bodies turn on them in various ways, and discover food won't make them immortal and anyway, they've missed bread too much to continue with the nonsense--if they haven't cracked already, binned the books, and started eating sensibly.