Food, Politics and Religion

I've always known Religion and Politics were two taboo subjects, but I never knew how strongly people felt about their food. I have been slowly veering off the "mainstream" way of eating. As I did, it became clear how tightly we cling to our beliefs about food. Most people probably don't even realize it until they are presented with an alternative. Consciously or subconsciously they have a visceral reaction to a certain idea. I'm not just talking about not liking lima beans or being repulsed by the smell of bleu cheese dressing. I'm talking about philosophies behind food.

Here is a 'for instance': Years ago in college I remember going to an extended family BBQ. A member of the family had lost a lot of weight doing the Atkins diet. I remember having a strong reactions like, "I would never do that". "Your body isn't meant to handle that much meat or that much fat". "How can that be healthy?"

Now, years later, I have adopted a way of life where many have the same reaction. My lifestyle is not pure meat, but it involves cutting out a lot of foods I used to consider staples of my diet. It involves turning back and looking for the wisdom of my forbears. It involves a much slower approach to preparing food. I only spend $8-10/week on grains. I literally know where my milk comes from. I soak beans for several days before using them in a chili or soup. I spend more money on coconut in its many forms than I would've ever imagined 10 years ago.

There are other changes I've made over the years, but the point is this: I had no idea what was "healthy" when I had that strong reaction to the Atkins diet all those years ago. Many of the sources where I was getting my information on health (i.e. the food pyramid) were just not correct. I still don't know everything there is to know about being "healthy" (and never will). But I have learned how important it is to do a little bit more digging. I won't do something just because that is "the way it's done" in food, religion, or politics.