Recently, I was invited to join a company seminar on "Reinvigorating the Workday." You spend a few hours at a desk, and reinvigorating yourself seems like a great idea. The seminar was very helpful, providing good information, some stretching exercises and mental games to 'loosen up' a bit when things start to get repetitive.
Toward the end, the instructor decided to discuss healthy foods. She correctly pointed out what you eat can impact how you feel throughout the day. While I believe this, what I got was a lecture on food 'toxins'. The minute I hear someone talking about toxins in food, my eyes glaze over. Another nut talking about their perfect diet. Which is exactly what we got. I decided to play along, because being snarky can be fun.
The instructor admitted alcohol is a toxin, but we all need to unwind, so you should be careful about what kinds of wine or beer you choose. Obviously, fewer preservatives is 'better'. I told her I brew my own beer, and I prefer craft brews to standard national brands. I was lauded for being so careful about my food choices.
However, when she moved into chocolate, caffeine, and other standard fare, the word 'toxins' became more common. I asked her if she ate almonds. She replied almonds are very good for you, very natural. I then pointed out wild almonds (and to a significantly lower degree domesticated almonds) contain cyanic acid which can be toxic, since it is the basis of cyanide. So my question was, how much of my natural diet could be too much? Unaware of this fact, she stumbled a bit, and mentioned moderation.
I'm an extremist when it comes to supporting moderation. It's what I used to lose 30 pounds over the course of the year. Moderate amounts of the same food I always eat. I didn't change my diet at all. Since the instructor had met me before, she asked about my weight loss and what foods I was eating. I proudly told her I have no problem with genetically modified foods, diet sodas, and a host of other items. She looked at me in horror. I told her, as she pointed out, moderation is important. I'm not opposed to healthy eating and if all-natural is your bag, go for it. But please don't treat me as if I'm a simpleton because I enjoy what I enjoy. I'm not killing myself every time I have a Diet Coke or a Big Mac, though to hear her speak I am making a conscious choice to poison myself.
So I did a bit of research, and sent her a list of natural foods which contain toxins (I particularly like this link - the politics of healthy eating - as if politicizing food choices can save us all from ourselves!). Some I was aware of, others not so much. I pointed out what she considers 'toxins' (usually preservatives) enable a much larger percentage of the world to eat. In fact, it allows them to eat good foods and healthy foods, and is part of the reason why the world is a better, healthier place in general. If we were to move to an all-natural farming structure, eating only natural foods, not only would we likely starve half the world, but we'd be spending far too much time farming.
Toxins are everywhere. Even water is toxic, in sufficient quantities. So enjoy the toxins in your foods, whether they are natural or processed.
