The truth about eating healthy is relative
DEAR DR. BLONZ: In light of the constantly changing information coming from the U.S. medical establishment, do you believe that we can ever know the truth regarding nutrition — especially if you reflect globally and on ever-shifting U.S. dietary standards? Also, what do you see in the future for human health and nutrition given that our country is not even among the top 30 nations in terms of overall health system performance (according to a recent World Health Report)? Finally, and I have always wanted to ask you this, what did you eat today for your health? — C.A., San Diego, Calif.
DEAR C.A.: You would think that truth would be an absolute concept, but there needs to be a significant element of flexibility — and even an acknowledgment of personal bias — when the concept is based on scientific research.
The reason is the continued growth of scientific knowledge. With each new finding, the “truth” might require updating or outright change. Bias comes from one’s view of the world: What might be thought of as nutritional truth for a vegan will not jibe with what a meat eater believes. Likewise, the concept of nutritional truth can vary from country to country.
In the field of nutrition, however, there does seem to be a solid basis upon which to claim an underlying truth. That basis is experience in multiple cultures gathered over thousands of years, and its essential theme is providing a broad spectrum of nutrients and other whole-food constituents to give the body what it needs to survive and help protect it from damage. Add physical activity and an adherence to basic food-safety practices and you have the foundation of good health.
Science continues to tweak this recipe, however, and much depends on who is supplying the research money. Dietary standards and recommended intakes like the ones endorsed by the U.S. government are a mix of science, politics and market forces.
There is some value to such guidelines, as they can serve as useful teaching tools, but they tend to represent lagging indicators rather than bold steps forward.
As to your second question, the United States will continue to have a disappointing ranking among the world’s healthiest nations as long as we, as a culture, give in to instant gratification fostered by a profit-driven marketplace. Such temptations have a proven ability to entice Americans away from the basic themes of healthful eating and direct us instead to value-added food components rather than the whole foods themselves.
Finally, I am often asked what precisely I eat, but I usually refrain from reporting on my own habits. But I’ll open the door this one time for a peek. I started the day as I usually do, with a high-fiber cereal and some dried fruit (blueberries this time) on top. For lunch I had a burrito (chicken, black beans, rice, sauteed vegetables, salsa) that I enjoyed after my every-other-day workout at our local YMCA. I bought it at a local restaurant where I know they use fresh ingredients and have wonderful flavors. For dinner I had a meal made fresh at home: Indian saag paneer (spinach with cheese) and Goa fish curry made with halibut.
We usually have wine with dinner, and for this meal we had a Gewurztraminer, a slightly off-dry white wine with a bit of spice to compliment the flavorful Indian cuisine. This meal was a bit more involved than most. Some nights we roast chicken, grill salmon, make a pasta or risotto, put a pizza in the oven or have take-out. Just about every meal is accompanied by a large salad made with fresh greens grown around our home, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and a homemade dressing. For dessert I had some dark chocolate — my favorite. Eating is so much more than refueling, and at our house it remains one of life’s great pleasures.
Send questions to: “On Nutrition,” Ed Blonz, c/o Newspaper Enterprise Association, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. For e-mail, address inquiries to: ed@blonz.com. Due to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.
Ed Blonz, Ph.D., is a nutrition scientist and the author of “Power Nutrition” (Signet, 1998) and the “Your Personal Nutritionist” book series (Signet, 1996).