Mind Control Over Matter

Adding to the increasingly loud discussion about industrialized food is now David Kessler, former chancellor of UCSF, former head of the FDA and former dieter, in his book “The End of Overeating.” While his scientific credentials are excellent, this is not necessarily a scientific book. I look forward to reading but wonder if there is anything in it that I may not know or suspect. It seems from The New York Times review that his primary targets are, like “Food, Inc.” the processed and “fast” food industry.

It’s easy to become smug when you eat minimal processed foods–no frozen dinners, no pre-packaged meals, etc. With the exception of store-bought bread, an occasional Eggo waffle, a guilty-pleasure trip to the cookie aisle…we pretty much stick to the basics and pretty much all homemade. And when you eat no fast-food at all, ever, or chain restaurant food for that matter…it’s tempting to become judgmental.

But the weight struggle is there even for those of us who eat wholesome, organic, natural foods. Even if you exercise four to five times a week. So while the chocolate chip cookie is Dr. Kessler’s arch-nemesis, we all have our own demons even at the farmer’s market.

Mine? Cheese. Nuts. Breads & pasta. Artisan charcuterie. Love the full fat Greek yogurt, too. And while these are all arguably healthy (except the charcuterie) for you, it’s learning to know how much is too much. The biggest shock for me when I was on WW was how LITTLE “too much” is! So it’s back to measuring portions. Counting–points, calories, whatever. Gina Kolata’s book “Rethinking Thin” addressed this very issue of careful tracking as virtually the only path to success.

But there is a high cost to this…the inability to just relax an enjoy your food without silently counting or measuring. The obsessive thinking about the next meal. Being hungry.

Talk about zapping the enjoyment out of life, particularly for one whose HOBBY is food and wine! More on the challenges of making peace with the thing(s) that both gives me the most enjoyment and also the most anxiety.