WHY THE NOURISHING PLATE IS A PRIVILEGE- KNOWLEDGE AND SIGNALS

This is the second part of discussing why the Nourishing plate is a privilege - and it is important we recognise it as such. In the previous article we discussed privilege in terms of affordability and accessibility of fresh food (ideally organic, local, seasonal, ethical). In this article, we are talking about privilege in terms of knowledge or education, and the ability to receive and understand your normal body signals around food.

the knowledge of what food is most nourishing for you

This is a big topic. It might seem obvious to readers what a “healthy diet” looks like -  or it may not. For most people, eating mostly a plant-based diet will be most nourishing. Multiple ‘most’s because there’s always exceptions, ok!

How do you know what’s “healthy”? Where did you learn that? This may not be either inherent knowledge taught in families, communities, schools, or may not be considered something important to teach and reinforce- for a variety of reasons including the struggle to just survive the day. Let alone thrive. We people of privilege need to remember that.

I grew up with the “food pyramid” which recommended that grains actually be the largest part of the diet. Then fruits and vegetables. Then dairy, eggs, meats and other proteins like legumes. Then fats and table sugar in only small amounts. See below for an example of this out-dated and incorrect model. This was in the 80s and 90s where low-fat diets were touted as the solution to obesity and heart problems, which is now debunked.  Through my own research, and trial and error, I know what the Nourishing plate looks like for me – and for me, it has hardly any grains on it, hardly any dairy, and I feel nourished. That’s me. Yours is probably a bit different.

I am a fan of retro - but not when it comes to food advice like this

The solution to produce an informed and empowered society who knows what nourishes them? Education. Education with scientifically correct, culturally-sensitive and appropriate information. Teaching folks how to choose and prepare nourishing foods so they taste good. And ideally how to grow them. Education coming from schools, the media, government, doctors and other healthcare providers. That sounds easy, maybe common sense, or maybe you think it already is. But wait a minute. This education costs money. Where does the funding come from? Tax dollars? Some. But much of it comes from huge corporations like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, from corporate associations like the National Confectioner’s Association. It comes from pharmaceutical companies who sell drugs for treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus. It comes from big ag like Monsanto. And all these companies have powerful lobbying groups who influence the government decisions about where your tax dollars go. Read more here. What do you think is in the best interest of these corporations? Your nourishment?…

The USDA now uses a plate, not a pyramid, to recommend what to eat in the United States.

Your Nourishing plate may or may not look like this - it must be catered to YOU. If my plate looked like this, I would feel very sick.

What about “education” through advertisements? The bulk of food advertising is for fatty, salty, sugary foods with superbly crafted imagery and clever marketing with billions of dollars of research behind it, all getting you to crave that food. Product placements, celebrity endorsements. And then there’s weight loss diets- another lever for marketing.

I could go on.

We need to be talking about this more. We need to be highlighting the silencing of rigorously-performed studies counteracting the propaganda. It happens. The great funding cycle of research. Shout out to the post-docs battling it out.

Talk about the Nourishing plate with your family, co-workers, friends – but from a place of your journey and curiosity, not dogma. Nothing is worse that being “preached” at. Think of all the jokes about vegans and paleos. For example: How do you know if someone is a vegan? Because THEY TELL YOU.

the proper signals of when and what to eat

Ok, I think we are building a pretty good argument that says that eating in a way that nourishes you is actually a radical act! It goes against marketing, sometimes healthcare advice (“eat less and exercise more” is bullshit), maybe your own education. Pilar Gerasimo calls it Healthy Deviance.

Many of us have been eating in non-nourishing ways for a long time. Out of convenience, stress, coping strategies, disordered eating, lack of education. And our bodies have “adapted” to this. Our bodies really are remarkable. This adaption is honestly fine for short periods of time – “everything in moderation including moderation in moderation”. But long term high sugar, trans-fat, low nutrient, stressed eating will cause chronic inflammation which is the main predisposing cause of heart attack, stroke, diabetes mellitus, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and most chronic health conditions. This is indisputable science. You can look it up in Pubmed, one of the most reputable databases of scientific studies. Here’s one article to get you started.

All the traditional, indigenous ways of eating are anti-inflammatory. The blue zones, the areas of the world with the most long-lived and nourished people, such as Okinawa and Sardinia, eat in an anti-inflammatory way. Many other aspects of their lives are also anti-inflammatory (no, it’s not just food).

So, eating non-nourishing foods, long term, changes our physiology- all our hormone signals of what and when to eat, and how much. Then what to do with the energy that food produces. More here. It also changes our taste buds. And the way we feel. And if we are shown pictures of bowls of cheesy alfredo on the TV, on our social media feed, on the Youtube ads etc, it all combines to influence us to keep choosing the non-nourishing options. 

The solution? Ahhhh… This is the unsexy bit which no one wants to hear. There ain’t no quick fixes, folks. The solution is: gradual, sustained dedication to choosing your Nourishing plate (most of the time!) over the inflammatory foods. Important note: especially for people with disordered eating patterns, folks for whom food is a coping mechanism or emotional aid, this is HARD. And it takes months to years to change, and likely needs some support or help to do so. Why does it take so long to change? Well there’s the basic physiological part- the hormones need to adapt, the inflammation needs to decrease, the tastebuds need to turnover and become new (tastebud turnover takes a couple of weeks). More here. Sure, any kind of cleanse or diet could help kickstart that, like the Whole 30 which is how I started.

But the tricky part is the longer-term hormonal recalibration, and most importantly, the psychological part. Why am I choosing these non-nourishing foods? What was my relationship to food like as a child? What are the agreements I have made about how deserving I am of nourishment? This is work best supported by a therapist or coach trained in this area. For some people, Intuitive Eating coaching can be helpful. For folks who cannot afford a coach or registered dietician, a plethora of self-help books and information is available. Remember, the library lends books for free (and e-books)! Pilar Gerasimo is someone talking about healthy living whom I respect. You can see if her book, The Healthy Deviant, is available at your library. If not, you could request it (yes you can do that!).

summary

That was a lot. The topic of food as nourishment is a lot more complex than just putting broccoli on your plate (but that’s good too!). The ability to eat from the Nourishing plate is a privilege, and yet, a human right. The discrepancy here is something we all need to be working to address. Vote, vote, vote- even in your local government, on your school boards. Support small farmers if you can. If you can afford it, buy a CSA community box for someone who can’t afford it. Share seeds and gardening tips. Make sure your kids or younger folks you care about are learning about nourishing food from an empowering and non-judgmental way. Share the work of folks like Ron Finley and The Oglalal Lakota Cultural and Economic Revitalization Initiative, or BIPOC folks in your own local community. Petition for allotments, urban gardening. And keep your eyes on your own plate: don’t get preachy. Everyone approaches nourishment a different way. What we need is accessibility, affordability, and community-based education, not soapbox shouting.