Breathe Summer, breathe…..OK, I had to cool off a bit before I wrote this post on Oprah’s latest craze of encouraging people to go Vegan or Vegan-ish (that word is going to be so trendy now!!). First, I have NOTHING against vegetarians or vegans. In fact, a couple of my best friends are pro-veg and I can totally respect that. Second, I don’t think it is a productive use of my time to rip apart other diet philosophies – quite frankly I could spend my entire life doing that with all the garbage that gets promoted and printed these days. And I have to admit my initial thoughts after watching the episode were, “that vegan chick’s hair looked so dry and damaged….and she looked so frail she probably couldn’t lift 30 pounds over her head let alone use a shake weight for 30 seconds” and “i would like to slap her with my copy of the Vegetarian Myth wrapped in 2 pieces of naturally raised pork bacon from my farmer’s market.” Alas, I need to take a more mature approach to this and share my thoughts in a way that will hopefully be enlightening to my readers. I think it’s important to write about this because Oprah is God is many people’s worlds and I know all of her metabolically deranged servants are going to obey whatever she says….especially when it comes to nutrition…this is very scary.
If you didn’t watch the episode, here is a run-down. I was actually quite impressed with the first part of the episode and thought it was FANTASTIC that they showed the inside of a conventional slaughterhouse. I truly believe that if you eat food, you better be able to stomach where it comes from. The “know where your food comes from” message was loud and clear in the first part of the episode and I applaud that. I was also happy to see Michael Pollan on the panel talking about traditional farms that promote more humane animal conditions, feeding animals what they are supposed to eat (grass-fed beef!) and buying locally. If they had only spent more time on this critical aspect (and maybe shown Polyface farms), I think it could’ve been a decent episode. Unfortunately things went pear-shaped (just like Oprah…booyah!!) when they brought in Kathy Freston (Veganist chick):
1. Saturate fats are what make us sick – People continue to spew this statement as if it is the gospel saying, “studies continue to show….” REALLY? First off, every study I have seen on this lately is an epidemological study (thank you Matt Lalonde for teaching me the difference). Epidemological means there was NO cause and effect shown, rather a simple correlation…..similar to saying, incidences of ice cream consumption go up in the summertime and people who eat ice cream are obese…. therefore the summer season is linked to obesity. It’s very narrowly focused and does not prove any cause and effect. Saturated fat is a much more complicated matter and is not the demon that people make it out to be. We need saturated fats to thrive and this has been proven TIME and TIME and TIME (for visual people) again. And one more TIME (in case you want data!). Again, they missed the boat on talking about the fat profiles in naturally raised meats vs conventional.
2. Where is the REAL food?? In the words of my friend Amanda who also saw the episode, “Tofurkey, faux chik’n cutlets sauteed in some margarine with a side of tater tots, maybe dipped in vegenaise.” Yup, that’s what Kathy put into a woman’s cart to show her that you could still eat meat-ish foods that are made from faux ingredients. IF YOU THINK THAT FOOD WHICH COMES IN A PACKAGE IS BETTER THAN A WHOLE NATURAL FOOD, you are smoking something funny….or you’ve had too much Tofurkey and that Soy has seriously messed up your brain or you are too distracted by your man boobs (I realize this is not a proven fact, but funny none the less) from that Soy milk to even notice. I have no idea why Michael Pollan did not go mental on her when he saw this. Just for fun, let’s look at the ingredients in Tofurkey: Water, vital wheat gluten (????), organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), expeller pressed non-hexane extracted isolated soy protein, expeller pressed canola oil, spices, sea salt, ontion powder, evaporated cane juice, pepper, natural vegetarian flavours, natural smoke flavour, granulated garlic, xanthum gum, konjac flour, carrageenan. Tell me how an egg from a happy chicken is not a better choice?
3. Simple economics: supply and demand – Rather than completely boycott the meat industry, why don’t we start demanding traditionally raised meats and boycott the conventional stuff?? During the show Kathy said that not everyone has access to these kinds of meat, hence it is best to blacklist them. While I agree that people who are just scraping by on minimum wage will likely have trouble affording quality meats (they will also likely have trouble affording TOFURKEY!), I think there are a vast majority of people who can afford it and can gain access to it. With resources like eatwild.com and farmer’s markets popping up everywhere, there is no reason why people cannot seek out grass-fed beef and naturally raised animal products. If we demand it, more farms will start producing it. This would have been a great opportunity to promote and educate people on this stuff and encourage them to ban factory farmed meat….but instead we just made the masses afraid of meat.
4. Let’s all hold hands and cheer, “Everyone can do this!!!” NOT TRUE! I have read countless stories about very sick vegans and vegetarians who are forced to re-evaluate their choices and go back to omnivorism (where they end up thriving). Sure people might feel better and lose weight in the initial stage because they are likely cutting out McDonalds and other processed crap. But over time, I have seen people come to the realization that they feel sick. I imagine it would be a difficult thing to grasp that your ethical choices might be making you sick. Sure, MANY people DO thrive on Vegan and Vegetarian diets and I think that’s good for them. But to say that it is for everyone is a blatant lie. Read some of these stories here and here and of course Robb Wolf’s story in his book.
There are 2 sides to every story and the point here is that YOU need to think for yourself and do your own research. Just because Oprah said it, does not make it a good idea. Remember Oprah’s book club fiasco when that dude who wrote the book about his meth addiction turned out to be a fake?!?! Maybe in a few months we’ll see Kathy taking the brunt of Oprah’s rage when she starts to actually check her facts.
February 2, 2011 at 5:24 pm
I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian and I also taken aback when Kathy promoted all of the “faux meat” frankenfood. Does anyone actually take dietary advise from Oprah anymore? Not to kick a dead horse (or should it be a dead tofurky) but I feel like she is in no position to promote health and wellness when she is not an example of it herself.
February 2, 2011 at 5:26 pm
I cringed when I heard about the Oprah vegan episode! I was one of those people who’s body slowly fell apart during 16 years of vegetarianism (and occasional veganism). Being gluten intolerant and soy intolerant certainly didn’t help!!
I’ve made tremendous healing strides since cutting the grains and adding meat. I wish I would have never become a vegetarian, honestly. It does work for some but when it doesn’t work, it really doesn’t work!
I wish Oprah would have someone like Robb Wolf or Mark Sisson on for balance:)
February 2, 2011 at 5:35 pm
[…] Cosmopolitan Primal Girl – Breathe Summer, breathe…..OK, I had to cool off a bit before I wrote this post on Oprah’s latest craze of encouraging people to go Vegan or Vegan-ish (that word is going to be so trendy now!!). First, I have NOTHING against vegetarians or vegans. In fact, a couple of my best friends are pro-veg and… […]
February 2, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Right on Summer. I love it. Tell it like it is. Faux meat is awful.
February 2, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Great post. I missed the show. What a shame it will lead people down the vegan path. Shame on M. Pollan.
I linked this post with my blog. Maybe it will help some folks. Thanks
February 2, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Hey Summer,
Great post! Where did you pull that pic from? I’d love to pass the word on!
Thanks!
Art
February 2, 2011 at 7:11 pm
I pulled it from Nourishing Our Children’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/nourishingourchildren
February 2, 2011 at 7:36 pm
actually, i thought michael pollan did a great job of expressing his fears that if people embrace veganism it will lead them to eat more processed foods. at the time, kathy freston shrugged it off and said “oh no, no chips” or something to that effect….then of course when she went shopping with the producer, all she showed her was PROCESSED FOOD. michael pollan was the voice of reason on the episode, imho.
February 3, 2011 at 9:00 am
@Tamizami – I think Michael Pollan did OK…I felt he could’ve been more vocal about certain things, but I’m sure it was a function of the environment. He was probably only allowed to speak up during certain points and also had limited time to communicate his views. The best part was when he piped in at the end and told people not to demonize meat entirely and to support local farmers. If he had not been a part of the show, I imagine it would’ve been a worse train wreck!
February 2, 2011 at 8:18 pm
extremely great post summer! thank you!
February 2, 2011 at 8:25 pm
[…] A word from our Fearless Leader O Coconut! Yes Pasta (sorta) […]
February 2, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Thanks for this post, Summer. As meat-eaters go, you’re pretty rad.
As a lacto/ovo/pesca-tarian (I eat eggs, dairy and occasionally, fish). The main reason for my selective diet is that, like Summer, I also need to be able to be comfortable with where my food comes from. I realize that I cannot always know exactly the source of my food (particularly when eating out), but I do try to make informed choices. Balance is key and the sooner we recognize this the closer we will be to sustainability within our supply and demand economy – which, as some seem to forget – is so directly linked to our environment.
Having said all of that, I have never, in my almost 18 years of not eating meat, eaten tofurky. That stuff is just weird. I’ve been a ‘veggie’ since I was 13 and only began eating fish when I was 23. I have to say my life – and my health – became a whole lot easier to manage. I do rely on some help from the experts, though, to curb my nagging guilt…
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/eat-for-a-healthy-planet/suzukis-top-10-sustainable-seafood-picks/
February 3, 2011 at 8:57 am
Well said from my BEST Veggie Friend:) I was hoping you would chime in! xoxox
February 3, 2011 at 5:18 am
LOVE this post!!
I don’t watch Oprah, but my MIL watched this episode and it just suppported her recent (summertime) decision to buy GRASS FED beef and get off the feedlot corn fed beef they had been eating for years. 🙂
February 3, 2011 at 11:34 am
Agree completely, and I just wrote about the same topic on my blog. I hate that Oprah took what could’ve been a very powerful topic and made it into a trite, trendy, short lived experiment.
http://crossfitmommeghanphilpot.blogspot.com/2011/02/throwing-out-baby-with-bath-water.html
February 3, 2011 at 12:51 pm
LOVE this post and will be passing it along! Thanks!
February 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm
Great post. re: saturated fats – I guess we better tell our bodies to stop producing/storing all that palmitic and stearic acid (sat. fats), that is if saturated fats are so bad for us.
February 7, 2011 at 10:36 am
Well Said!! In my opinion there is no question that some, if not all, bodies need the animal proteins. And the source and treatment of those animals totally affects the quality of the nutrition. Great photos. Thanks for your post.
February 10, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Fabulous post!! I was veggie/vegan for a while during a lengthy elimination diet to figure out my food allergies. Well, I had NO energy, my hair was coming out in handfuls, my skin was dry, I was falling asleep mid afternoon and at 8pm at night! It was horrible… I found Primal and havent’ looked back!! Every single one of my food issues are gone! My skin glows, my hair is long, shiny, and healthy, people think i’m at least 10 yrs. younger than I am! I think there’s a lot of “sheep” who will do anything Oprah tells them to… those veggie/vegan “foods” are nasty. And I use that term loosely. 😉
February 11, 2011 at 12:34 pm
I thought this was really interesting. I think my main issue is when someone focuses on the fact that it is cruelty free. Raising my own personal-use meat I can assure that mine is cruelty-free since I am involved in EVERY aspect of it’s rearing, slaughter and butchering.The real problem is of course the industrial farm/feedlots (including fish feedlots) and the government systems that support them. We would like to slaughter all of our animals ourselves but legally if we would like to sell chicken and have it appear on our books (which we need to keep our farm status) we have to bring them to a comercial slaughter house. In order to insure that it is cruelty-free I actually stay at the slaughter house until all of mine have been killed. I am one of the only small farmers who stays.
I saw Joe Saltin from Polyface Farm speak this fall. He says that we have enough space in our cities to grow all of what we need. Because the mechanical processes needed to make organic farming possible have finally caught up, we truly can move away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides… Exiciting…
February 13, 2011 at 1:42 pm
This post tackled so many AWEsome points. Although this is a huge stretch, I have to say that the events in Egypt have made me realize that the only way to change something is to actively DEMAND change, and participate in that change even if it makes us uncomfortable. I love the Paleo/Primal way of life, and I really think it’s inseparable from responsible eating. Some folks can’t afford it, and at the end of the day that’s the US government’s fault – but if we don’t rally to support the “good” farmers, nothing will ever change. Even if it means just buying one pound of grass-fed beef for every 10 pounds of conventional meat. An Italian friend just informed me that his government basically throws money at him to be “Organic” and to use naturally sustainable farming practices; yet in the US it’s prohibitively expensive for even profitable organic/pasture-based farmers to obtain Organic certification. I think the Paleo movement is going to be HUGE in turning this around. I’ve rambled…thanks for your post!
February 13, 2011 at 4:44 pm
@CaveGirl – thanks for checking out my site….I’m a fan of yours too:) I totally agree with you. Part of my mission this year is to start getting involved in various organizations/committee’s and writing the government to start demanding change. Our food system is so messed up and corrupted. The more I learn about it, the more disturbed and angry I get. Canadians are generally overly polite and shy when it comes to making our voice heard….But I want to start stirring sh*t up and making noise outside of my blog.
February 18, 2011 at 11:29 pm
At my job, I do scans of peoples hearts all day. We are looking for Coronary Artery Disease and I would say that we have equal amounts of vegetarians and vegans as we do meat eaters. A large population of them are vegan from birth. If vegetarianism and veganism was going to save us from heart disease….they should never be in my scanner!! It’s not a scientific study but it’s certainly more conclusive than the epidemiological studies they keep referring to!!
February 19, 2011 at 9:56 am
@Sarah – thanks for sharing!
February 24, 2011 at 6:34 pm
in my opinion vegetarianism shouldn’t be used as a life-long diet as people who generally follow this diet end up very malnourished.
I lived with vegetarians for 2 years and I adhered to the diet for a year, in that year my BMI dropped to a 19 and I developed anemia and would sleep for 12+ hours a day, and would sometimes sleep for days on end!!! I still feel the back lash from being vegetarian. and though even now i don’t eat a whole lot of meat, i eat a proper amount of it. I usually try to substitute a steak or chicken breast for a few eggs, but that’s just because my taste buds aren’t always in the mood for actual meat, and egg is a main craving of mine.
Paleo I can honestly say saved my life. when i found this lifestyle I was in and out of the hospital for nutrient deficient health problems, I was so miserable. but now 2 years later I am feeling wonderful, energetic and alive! and before where the doctors said I couldn’t have kids, well I proved them wrong and am now on my way to becoming a first time mommy!
March 29, 2011 at 9:02 am
Has anyone noticed that Oprah’s shows seem to take their cue from what’s going on in Oprah’s life? She’d been on a mac-and-cheese binge-fest, and gained all her post-gastric-bypass weight back, so she swerved into a vegan kick to try to get rid of it.
She needs to just admit she’s gay, come out of the closet, and start living her own life (with Gail) minus the stress and food that makes it all go away…temporarily.
March 31, 2011 at 7:19 pm
In my twenties, I followed a vegetarian and then vegan diet. I was following the McDougall Plan and Eat For Life. I started getting fatter, my hair was falling out and extreme fatigue. I had no idea why as I was eating healthy and mindfully. (or so I thought)
I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the primal lifestyle works for me. My skin has cleared up and my other issues are getting back on track.
I know some people are different. I have a friend who has been vegan for years and swears that she’s never felt better. But for me, I need meat and protein and no soy/sugars/grains.
June 8, 2011 at 6:47 pm
[…] you have read this blog before, then you know I love a reason to write Oprah into a blog post (see here and here and here). I had really hoped for 1 last Oprah post before her farewell season ended a […]
September 6, 2011 at 7:12 am
[…] Also, I’m super sad that we won’t see any more shows on short-term calorie restriction leading to weight loss on a morally misguided intervention diet of rabbit food and tofurkey Veganism. (What have you done, Oprah?) […]