What if I told you there really was no such thing as “nutrition science?” I don’t mean that we know absolutely nothing about diet and nutrition – of course we know that eating to excess causes weight gain, that protein is important, that beef is more nutrient-dense than kale, etc. We know these things in the same way we know that tobacco and alcohol are harmful, through observation alone – no research required.
What I mean is that for all the claims that come with almost any type of diet, the actual scientific data is either merely suggestive or non-existent. The reason – as I mentioned before – is that with the exception of the Minnesota Coronary experiment, there simply aren’t (and probably never will be) long-term, tightly controlled dietary studies with large populations of humans.
The bad news is that a perfect, one-size-fits-all menu – developed by very smart people in white lab coats who care only about your long-term health and happiness – doesn’t exist.
The good news is that you can stop listening to gurus, influencers, doctors, and quacks who call themselves doctors (but often aren’t), and start listening to your own human instincts and common sense. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, eat whole natural foods, avoid sugar and junk, and maybe move around some. Not exactly controversial advice, and no lab coat needed.
Unfortunately, we’ve become so beholden to PhD-wielding “authorities” in almost every area of life that we no longer trust our own brains, whose only job is to keep us alive and well and has been doing a pretty good job of it for tens of thousands of years. If you’re unconvinced that your human brain is sufficient to tell you what’s good for you, note your reaction the next time you take that first bite of a ribeye cooked in butter (especially if you’ve been abstaining). Your eyes may roll back, you exhale a short sigh of relief, and you make that Mmmm sound. That’s your brain saying thanks for all the high-quality protein, fat, and nutrients.
But Dan, you might be thinking, I have that same reaction when I have that first Dorito, too.
Well, not really. Sure, the Dorito may taste good, but a) nothing in a Dorito has ever existed naturally for all of human history – not even the corn, and b) it is engineered to bypass your satiety signals. Most people will feel perfectly satisfied before finishing an 8 oz. ribeye (500-600 calories depending on the fat content), but it’s dead easy to eat an entire bag of chips (1400-1600 calories) and not feel the least bit satisfied – don’t confuse instinct with taste. There is a lot of actual science that goes into the creation of processed foods, and all of it works against you.
You will eat the meat because not eating it is a choice, but eating it is an instinct.
–Dennis Leary
Yep, that Dennis Leary, the comedian. I forget the joke he was setting up with that line, but it doesn’t matter – the point he’s making is correct, which is that abstaining from animal protein and fat is not a natural human instinct; it’s an idea. And despite what you may read or see in mainstream outlets or from internet “gurus,” it’s an idea that has no quality science behind it.
I’m not suggesting that you absolutely have to eat a steady diet of ribeye, only that when someone like Bill Gates, who by the way is one of the largest owners of farmland in the U.S. (and it ain’t for cows), brings his man-boobs out to tell everyone to eat more processed fake meat, he’s not selling science, he’s selling an ideology. And the fact it has to be sold to you should be evidence enough that it’s nonsense.
Thanks for reading,
Dan
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