110. The Evil Trifecta

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,480
Music.
2
00:00:06,340 --> 00:00:10,260
The thing about food in this country and body and beauty standards?
3
00:00:10,620 --> 00:00:13,920
I'd like to begin with a fact. We eat like crap.
4
00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,820
And in one and a half generations, we forgot how to cook and what food was.
5
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:28,180
This is the Abbey Normal podcast, here to tell you that you're weird and that's normal.
6
00:00:29,620 --> 00:00:34,300
I'd like to begin with a fact. Whether in a small town like McAllen and the.
7
00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:42,800
Music.
8
00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:37,800
Rio Grande or in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles.
9
00:00:37,980 --> 00:00:40,640
It is business. Big business.
10
00:00:41,660 --> 00:00:46,660
Hello and welcome back. As a reminder, Maureen was on the injectable Monjaro
11
00:00:46,660 --> 00:00:49,280
for a year and a half to address her metabolic disorder.
12
00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:53,800
She put me on an injectable, and I have lost 55 pounds.
13
00:00:54,180 --> 00:00:59,040
Go back to the last episode, Skinny Minnie, to hear more about her health rollercoaster.
14
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,420
Now, we all know that body judgments are inescapable, And that,
15
00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,880
of course, extends to the use of medications and injectables that lead to weight loss.
16
00:01:08,220 --> 00:01:13,460
So, today we're going to discuss those judgments, which lead to fear and secrecy
17
00:01:13,460 --> 00:01:14,440
within our relationships.
18
00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:20,340
And we're also going to explore the evil trifecta that impacts how we all eat
19
00:01:20,340 --> 00:01:23,520
and what we can, maybe, do about it.
20
00:01:24,500 --> 00:01:26,400
That's taken on multiple industries.
21
00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:35,440
Music.
22
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:29,960
Buckle the F up.
23
00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,300
There does seem to be some judgment about using this medicine.
24
00:01:38,660 --> 00:01:41,460
Right. Which I don't actually think should exist.
25
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:47,540
You shouldn't feel bad that somebody has lost weight because they got medical support.
26
00:01:47,900 --> 00:01:51,000
Yeah. And you did it all on your own and were able to work out and stuff.
27
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,580
People are having very strong reactions to this drug being a cheat.
28
00:01:56,020 --> 00:01:59,960
And I think it's really important for people to understand that there are so
29
00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:01,280
many different body types.
30
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:07,060
And the foods and stuffs we're putting into those body types in America and
31
00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:13,020
in the West does nothing but exploit the need for us to eat more and put on
32
00:02:13,020 --> 00:02:15,160
weight. And it's a really unhealthy diet.
33
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:19,840
And if this is part of the solution, then that's great. You shouldn't be judged
34
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,660
for that. It is just dealing with another.
35
00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:27,760
Music.
36
00:02:27,604 --> 00:02:34,424
I mean, I do feel like there's so much of the hurt people, hurt people concept occurring here, right?
37
00:02:34,684 --> 00:02:39,704
So if for our whole lives, we've been told just that willpower,
38
00:02:39,864 --> 00:02:43,384
you need the willpower. Exactly. If you want it, you can do it.
39
00:02:43,444 --> 00:02:47,904
You just have to, you know, put the pedal to the metal. So fucking American, right?
40
00:02:48,404 --> 00:02:51,444
So that is bullshit, but that's ingrained in us, right?
41
00:02:51,604 --> 00:02:55,044
It is. So it's a little bit like, well, this isn't fair that these people now
42
00:02:55,044 --> 00:02:57,244
get to just take a drug and have
43
00:02:57,244 --> 00:03:01,764
what I've been trying and wanting for my entire life. That's not fair.
44
00:03:02,184 --> 00:03:06,504
And then also just the cognitive dissonance of realizing that that message is
45
00:03:06,504 --> 00:03:08,744
bullshit. And like, now what do we do with that?
46
00:03:09,424 --> 00:03:15,604
So, yeah, I do think that folks that have been able to leverage this as a medical
47
00:03:15,604 --> 00:03:20,144
solution, like, are stuck in the crosshairs of kind of this new understanding
48
00:03:20,144 --> 00:03:22,824
that people are having. Yeah. Unfortunately.
49
00:03:23,384 --> 00:03:26,224
Unfortunately. And there's the whole other thing of like,
50
00:03:26,384 --> 00:03:29,324
and I don't know how much this was happening, but for a while there were like
51
00:03:29,324 --> 00:03:32,924
shortages and sometimes I'd have to wait a while to get the drug because everybody
52
00:03:32,924 --> 00:03:37,564
was so desperate to get their hands on it, including celebrities to lose weight,
53
00:03:37,624 --> 00:03:39,364
to get ready for a photo, a movie.
54
00:03:40,504 --> 00:03:42,384
Like that's how great the need is. Like,
55
00:03:43,313 --> 00:03:47,873
Does the person who's the movie star really need to lose the weight? No. Right.
56
00:03:48,493 --> 00:03:53,953
But they think they need to. Absolutely. Because they're just as brainwashed as the rest of us.
57
00:03:54,153 --> 00:03:59,953
And so like this need is real, but for so many different reasons. Right.
58
00:04:00,293 --> 00:04:04,813
The need is real. And yet it feels kind of strange, honestly,
59
00:04:05,013 --> 00:04:09,153
to see so many folks around you shrinking all at the same time.
60
00:04:09,153 --> 00:04:14,473
And as you heard last episode, we don't know what's going on with people on the inside.
61
00:04:15,033 --> 00:04:18,693
But bringing up the celebrity thing led us into talking about the judgments
62
00:04:18,693 --> 00:04:23,713
that they face too, including one of my favorite English actresses and activists.
63
00:04:24,333 --> 00:04:29,013
Do you follow Jamila Jamil from The Good Place?
64
00:04:29,513 --> 00:04:33,833
Anyway, she's great. She's this, you know, beautiful Indian actress.
65
00:04:34,293 --> 00:04:38,433
Oh, I know who she is. Yeah, and the media has just, like, torn her apart.
66
00:04:38,433 --> 00:04:41,473
In so many different ways and she's been
67
00:04:41,473 --> 00:04:44,553
a victim of like you know when she's thin she gets the she's beautiful
68
00:04:44,553 --> 00:04:47,433
even though she's sick and depressed you know in that
69
00:04:47,433 --> 00:04:50,253
photo then she gains weight and she's happy and the media
70
00:04:50,253 --> 00:04:55,733
blows her up on on that i don't think i had really a point aside from the way
71
00:04:55,733 --> 00:05:01,553
that these poor i feel bad even defending them but these poor models and actresses
72
00:05:01,553 --> 00:05:05,733
that have to be a size two and are made to feel fat when they can't fit into
73
00:05:05,733 --> 00:05:08,253
the two when The mirror size four. Or the zero. Yeah.
74
00:05:08,513 --> 00:05:13,613
Yeah. So like. It's insidious. There are reasons for potentially using a drug
75
00:05:13,613 --> 00:05:17,453
like this are the same ones that we would have. Exactly. So anyway.
76
00:05:17,733 --> 00:05:22,173
I'm going to find a way for us to travel into the past because I just read a story. Uh-huh.
77
00:05:22,693 --> 00:05:26,853
Mama Cass's daughter is publishing a biography. I don't know if you saw that ever.
78
00:05:27,233 --> 00:05:31,713
And one of the things she's tackling is this notion that Mama Cass died from
79
00:05:31,713 --> 00:05:33,273
choking on a hand sandwich. Yeah.
80
00:05:33,762 --> 00:05:37,142
Which is total bullshit, but it's something we were all told,
81
00:05:37,242 --> 00:05:39,662
right? This is Mama Cass from the Mamas and the Pampas. Yep,
82
00:05:39,702 --> 00:05:41,042
yep. She had a heart attack.
83
00:05:41,422 --> 00:05:46,822
But all of these years, this really unkind, cruel story is that she died choking
84
00:05:46,822 --> 00:05:48,962
eating because she was heavy. Right.
85
00:05:50,522 --> 00:05:55,702
And why is that the thing that we remember and not the beautiful singing?
86
00:05:55,962 --> 00:05:58,002
Yeah. And the beautiful songs? Yeah.
87
00:05:58,662 --> 00:06:01,782
And that really tells us a lot about where we are in
88
00:06:01,782 --> 00:06:05,022
the West especially in this country and i really think america
89
00:06:05,022 --> 00:06:07,882
has a special way of dealing with it because we were founded by
90
00:06:07,882 --> 00:06:13,362
puritans so you have you have to do it yourself if you don't do it right you're
91
00:06:13,362 --> 00:06:19,502
wrong at some level it's because god is displeased and like like you know like
92
00:06:19,502 --> 00:06:26,262
that is what this country was founded on right and immense controlling of the body for everybody
93
00:06:26,522 --> 00:06:31,462
especially women yeah it was founded by men and puritans and puritanical men,
94
00:06:32,522 --> 00:06:38,002
and slavery and all of that shit and just informs all the things we're talking
95
00:06:38,002 --> 00:06:43,902
about every day all the time yeah and so this is a very american way of i think
96
00:06:43,902 --> 00:06:48,642
the west has this in spades but america in particular has its own flavor of
97
00:06:48,642 --> 00:06:51,022
dysfunction when it comes to all of these things.
98
00:06:53,642 --> 00:06:57,462
Her point is that American history informs what we're dealing with today.
99
00:06:57,962 --> 00:07:02,122
Puritanical attitudes about hard work and self-control, the roots of slavery
100
00:07:02,122 --> 00:07:07,102
and racism that value a thin and white body over others, and toxic patriarchy
101
00:07:07,102 --> 00:07:11,062
that paints one picture of the value of women and is constantly inclined toward
102
00:07:11,062 --> 00:07:12,342
controlling those bodies.
103
00:07:12,922 --> 00:07:18,082
These seem like big, old concepts, yet they show up in all facets of life.
104
00:07:18,202 --> 00:07:19,762
For example, simple healthcare.
105
00:07:22,542 --> 00:07:26,862
I didn't go to the doctor for a long time because the doctor that I had had
106
00:07:26,862 --> 00:07:31,802
between college and getting my adrenal gland diagnosis was mean.
107
00:07:33,082 --> 00:07:38,582
And I finally had to go to the doctor. Of course, I had moved up here by then.
108
00:07:39,082 --> 00:07:41,242
And so I was like, well, I need to find somebody up here.
109
00:07:41,842 --> 00:07:46,362
So I had found a GP that I loved. I followed her to every practice.
110
00:07:46,862 --> 00:07:48,522
Amazing. Dr. Logan, she's wonderful.
111
00:07:49,302 --> 00:07:51,882
Avis Logan, if you're listening to this, I love you.
112
00:07:53,642 --> 00:07:58,122
So supportive, so kind, opposite of what I experienced in Southern California. Yeah.
113
00:07:58,887 --> 00:08:03,847
But I ran into an endocrinologist up here before I found Dr.
114
00:08:03,867 --> 00:08:08,927
Bohannon, who told me that, well, you know, my wife and I both lost 10 pounds
115
00:08:08,927 --> 00:08:13,287
by just switching to salads at lunch and had me in tears in the parking lot
116
00:08:13,287 --> 00:08:16,647
because I was like, why am I even talking to this guy? I actually just walked out.
117
00:08:16,787 --> 00:08:20,327
Yeah. He wasn't listening to the struggle I'd been through. I don't want to
118
00:08:20,327 --> 00:08:23,647
hear one word, honestly, from a man, doctor. No.
119
00:08:24,727 --> 00:08:31,107
When I finally found my current endocrinologist, she's just like, look, there's science.
120
00:08:32,247 --> 00:08:37,687
There's figuring out what's going on with you. And then we'll come up with a plan. Don't worry.
121
00:08:38,247 --> 00:08:43,807
Like, we'll figure this out. And she's told me stories about other people she's worked with.
122
00:08:44,527 --> 00:08:47,867
And she's like, look, I just want you to be healthy. You know,
123
00:08:47,887 --> 00:08:52,667
in your case, I felt strongly you needed to lose some weight because your numbers were changing.
124
00:08:53,287 --> 00:08:57,687
But if you're technically 50 pounds overweight and your numbers are fine and
125
00:08:57,687 --> 00:09:01,127
you're taking care of yourself, I'm not worried about it. Yeah.
126
00:09:01,267 --> 00:09:02,767
Do you know how it's so refreshing?
127
00:09:02,967 --> 00:09:06,147
So refreshing and should not be controversial.
128
00:09:06,587 --> 00:09:10,247
No, it should not be controversial. No. Treatment should be based on your health.
129
00:09:13,167 --> 00:09:16,907
The things that are used by health insurance, of course, right?
130
00:09:16,987 --> 00:09:20,007
That's the fourth thing. They make money off of us too. We can add that to your list.
131
00:09:20,147 --> 00:09:23,167
Yeah, There's no holistic approach to health in this country. Right.
132
00:09:23,667 --> 00:09:27,547
There's just money making. Yeah. And so, of course, people are having trouble.
133
00:09:28,427 --> 00:09:31,907
And most doctors are just trained in the basics.
134
00:09:32,847 --> 00:09:35,927
The doctors have to please, you know, have to bill the health insurance.
135
00:09:35,947 --> 00:09:40,567
So they have to like make up. Okay, they've got these things for you to even get covered.
136
00:09:41,647 --> 00:09:44,767
The doctors then use the tools that are provided for them out there.
137
00:09:44,787 --> 00:09:47,887
And like one of them is BMI, which is your body mass index. Okay.
138
00:09:48,490 --> 00:09:52,990
You know, it turns out that's just one indicator of health. Doesn't necessarily mean a thing.
139
00:09:53,150 --> 00:09:57,650
And it's like just invented based on like some European man.
140
00:09:57,850 --> 00:10:01,050
Yeah, I was going to say it's based on a dude. It's not based on age.
141
00:10:01,430 --> 00:10:04,930
It's not based on gender. They've changed it so that there's minimum.
142
00:10:05,030 --> 00:10:08,590
But it's like they don't take any of your other stuff into account.
143
00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:12,650
And, you know, an insurance company might not approve something because of that.
144
00:10:13,610 --> 00:10:17,270
There's nothing holistic about it, which is enraging.
145
00:10:20,390 --> 00:10:23,270
Also just societally we're going
146
00:10:23,270 --> 00:10:26,050
to our doctors who are doing the best they can in this
147
00:10:26,050 --> 00:10:30,930
impossible situation where they have to like bill the health insurance that
148
00:10:30,930 --> 00:10:35,470
may not cover it but trying really hard to give you care yeah and not having
149
00:10:35,470 --> 00:10:41,590
enough resources right so i know how lucky i am to have dr bohannon she spends
150
00:10:41,590 --> 00:10:45,310
an hour with me she doesn't take health insurance for that reason. Oh, wow. Oh, my gosh.
151
00:10:45,590 --> 00:10:48,710
But I don't really pay her any more than I would for a good massage of the same
152
00:10:48,710 --> 00:10:51,350
time period. That's awesome. But it goes straight to her.
153
00:10:51,850 --> 00:10:59,250
And I want to go back to that. Yeah. But she's also mostly retired from seeing patients at this point.
154
00:10:59,310 --> 00:11:02,750
There's only about 20 of us. But even when she wasn't, she would spend an hour with us.
155
00:11:03,310 --> 00:11:08,310
She was always running late. And while I would curse her waiting in the waiting
156
00:11:08,310 --> 00:11:12,310
room, I'd be like, oh no, but this is why. Who else is gonna do this? Yeah.
157
00:11:17,130 --> 00:11:20,710
Maureen was able to find good care, basically outside of the health insurance
158
00:11:20,710 --> 00:11:25,930
system, from a doctor who listens first and doesn't make assumptions based on body size alone.
159
00:11:27,632 --> 00:11:32,412
Doctors are humans. Weight bias affects them too. So let's go back to that.
160
00:11:32,872 --> 00:11:35,252
For many of us, it originates from our mothers.
161
00:11:36,012 --> 00:11:40,172
My mom has her own food stuff, and we've never really talked about it,
162
00:11:40,212 --> 00:11:41,812
but you see it in how she eats.
163
00:11:41,852 --> 00:11:45,612
She doesn't eat much during the day, and then she'll eat desserts.
164
00:11:45,852 --> 00:11:48,252
But I know in her head, she's counting all the calories. That's right.
165
00:11:48,412 --> 00:11:53,792
That's right. 100%. She also has a really negative attitude towards people who are fat.
166
00:11:54,152 --> 00:11:58,472
Really? And that I haven't actually told her that I've taken the Manjaro because
167
00:11:58,472 --> 00:12:02,672
I am not comfortable with the way she sees fat people.
168
00:12:02,772 --> 00:12:05,772
And I know so much of that is internalized, but she'll make fun of people on
169
00:12:05,772 --> 00:12:07,832
television when we're sitting there watching. Oh, wow.
170
00:12:08,072 --> 00:12:12,772
Things like that. And that is coming from her. That is coming from her own attitude
171
00:12:12,772 --> 00:12:15,592
towards people being heavy.
172
00:12:15,672 --> 00:12:19,332
So I've not been real keen to share a lot of this stuff over the years because
173
00:12:19,332 --> 00:12:21,652
I don't know how she's is going to react.
174
00:12:21,832 --> 00:12:25,012
And if I play her this podcast, this is probably going to be news to her.
175
00:12:25,532 --> 00:12:28,932
Bad on me for not saying it, but it's just been easier not to deal with it.
176
00:12:31,972 --> 00:12:36,752
Wow. So it's hard. Yeah. There was actually a woman on the Oprah thing today
177
00:12:36,752 --> 00:12:41,892
who's a doctor and was sharing the same thing as you, that she hadn't told her
178
00:12:41,892 --> 00:12:44,272
mom yet because she didn't want her mom's judgment.
179
00:12:44,752 --> 00:12:47,212
And she went on the Oprah thing and talked about it. So she had to tell her
180
00:12:47,212 --> 00:12:50,512
mom. But yeah, I think there's... There's real judgment. Yeah,
181
00:12:50,632 --> 00:12:56,932
there's no judgment, but I know I know Logically that's coming from her and it's her shit.
182
00:12:57,032 --> 00:13:00,612
Yeah, but it certainly doesn't feel good coming from your mom. I,
183
00:13:01,381 --> 00:13:05,221
And your mom, who's a dietician and has made that her life's work.
184
00:13:09,461 --> 00:13:15,041
Yeah. So this, you can understand why this is something I didn't necessarily
185
00:13:15,041 --> 00:13:20,441
want to talk about. Yeah, a little more loaded than maybe for someone else. Yeah. Yeah.
186
00:13:20,941 --> 00:13:24,921
And maybe you don't need to tell her. I might not. I mean, do you feel like,
187
00:13:24,941 --> 00:13:28,461
is there a tug where you're like, I really want to tell her or? No.
188
00:13:28,821 --> 00:13:32,261
Yeah, maybe you don't need to. you no it's my shit i've actually gotten to the
189
00:13:32,261 --> 00:13:33,881
point where it's like you know what i don't want.
190
00:13:34,641 --> 00:13:37,341
The only thing sometimes i think i should
191
00:13:37,341 --> 00:13:41,241
do is tell her that her attitude towards
192
00:13:41,241 --> 00:13:51,401
weight is messed up yeah yeah i mean i don't know how much self-inspection your
193
00:13:51,401 --> 00:13:56,721
mother is willing or able to do she's gonna be 79 at this point i don't it's
194
00:13:56,721 --> 00:13:59,801
possible though it's possible and so that To me,
195
00:13:59,821 --> 00:14:02,861
that is the benefit of calling someone on that.
196
00:14:03,001 --> 00:14:06,281
Yes, she may respond angrily initially.
197
00:14:06,621 --> 00:14:11,561
Yeah. But maybe it's a thing that she can reflect on that's actually going to
198
00:14:11,561 --> 00:14:12,981
help her feel better about herself.
199
00:14:13,641 --> 00:14:18,101
That's the hope more than anything. I don't think I need it anymore because
200
00:14:18,101 --> 00:14:24,241
this is something that I've been struggling with for so long that I'm at a pretty
201
00:14:24,241 --> 00:14:25,421
good place with it right now.
202
00:14:25,421 --> 00:14:29,581
You know, with all the things we talked about, I don't need my mom to approve
203
00:14:29,581 --> 00:14:35,721
or disapprove that I took a drug to help me stave off type two diabetes because
204
00:14:35,721 --> 00:14:36,761
I have a metabolic disorder.
205
00:14:37,001 --> 00:14:39,221
I don't need that. I'm fine with that 100%.
206
00:14:39,661 --> 00:14:44,101
Do I wish I didn't need it? Sure, but that is not what my body does.
207
00:14:45,281 --> 00:14:50,441
Yeah, but if we can get through some of this negativity that I have been living
208
00:14:50,441 --> 00:14:53,041
with my whole life, that would help both of us.
209
00:14:55,944 --> 00:15:00,244
The negativity, meaning the little thoughts in our heads about others,
210
00:15:00,424 --> 00:15:04,104
and how we talk to ourselves, and what we say to our children.
211
00:15:04,604 --> 00:15:08,584
And it shows up in all the little pieces of media we consume throughout the day.
212
00:15:09,304 --> 00:15:15,324
And all of this is passed on generation to generation, often from mother to daughter.
213
00:15:19,984 --> 00:15:23,964
Don't you think we get a lot of our own stuff from our moms specifically?
214
00:15:23,964 --> 00:15:27,984
Specifically, I don't really feel like I inherited any of this stuff from my dad.
215
00:15:28,544 --> 00:15:32,944
I was always just his daughter and he loved me. And yeah, we played.
216
00:15:32,944 --> 00:15:34,544
He was my soccer coach and it was great.
217
00:15:35,084 --> 00:15:39,324
And yeah, Oprah shared data around that, too, that so much of this is shaped
218
00:15:39,324 --> 00:15:40,924
by our relationship with our mothers.
219
00:15:41,324 --> 00:15:44,884
And they got it from somewhere, too. Right. Of course, they didn't make this up.
220
00:15:45,004 --> 00:15:49,804
Oh, this is back to point A, internalized patriarchy fueled by capitalism.
221
00:15:49,804 --> 00:15:53,444
Right. And their mothers were wearing the corsets and the pointy bras to fit
222
00:15:53,444 --> 00:15:57,924
into their tiny dresses while they were frantically making dinner for their husbands.
223
00:15:58,644 --> 00:16:04,584
I mean, it hasn't been that long in our society that we've gotten to say no.
224
00:16:05,124 --> 00:16:12,124
It has not been that long. And as we know by what's happening in Washington, D.C.
225
00:16:12,184 --> 00:16:16,184
And other states, there's a number of people aren't happy that we say no.
226
00:16:16,184 --> 00:16:22,704
That we're our own women we don't have to subscribe to this shit but it hasn't
227
00:16:22,704 --> 00:16:25,824
been very long and working through this stuff is generational,
228
00:16:26,304 --> 00:16:30,664
because we do pass it down we live a long time and we generally have one or
229
00:16:30,664 --> 00:16:32,664
two kids some of us have none.
230
00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:45,840
Music.
231
00:16:34,204 --> 00:16:37,144
It hasn't been that long that we've been able to say no,
232
00:16:46,184 --> 00:16:50,044
In the introduction to Sonia Renee Taylor's book, The Body is Not an Apology,
233
00:16:51,124 --> 00:16:56,124
Ijeoma Oluo paraphrased says, The concern that my mother had for the size and
234
00:16:56,124 --> 00:17:00,444
shape of my body was the same concern that her mother had for her when she was a girl.
235
00:17:00,644 --> 00:17:03,764
It was born from the fear that the world would be cruel to me.
236
00:17:04,084 --> 00:17:07,724
She could not imagine a world that would love any woman in a larger body,
237
00:17:07,864 --> 00:17:09,564
and she wanted me to be loved.
238
00:17:10,084 --> 00:17:14,804
Her concern came from love, and that love felt like a knife to the heart.
239
00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:27,280
Music.
240
00:17:27,084 --> 00:17:30,504
Now, the way we learn to eat also comes from our families, originally.
241
00:17:31,144 --> 00:17:33,724
Maureen shared that her parents did cook when she was young.
242
00:17:33,804 --> 00:17:38,424
Yet, back in the 1980s, there were a lot of weird thoughts on what healthy food is.
243
00:17:39,551 --> 00:17:43,291
My mom and dad, they cooked all the time, but it was that, you know,
244
00:17:43,291 --> 00:17:47,471
busy, both working parents, simple foods, that kind of thing.
245
00:17:47,531 --> 00:17:50,671
But there's still plenty and they still are because like they go to Costco and
246
00:17:50,671 --> 00:17:54,551
they buy all the canned everything, plenty of cans that you just put together to cook, right?
247
00:17:54,631 --> 00:17:58,311
And that might be better than like buying the frozen stuff at the grocery store,
248
00:17:58,431 --> 00:18:00,051
but it's still processed food.
249
00:18:00,851 --> 00:18:04,151
Do you think that canned is better than frozen? Like the frozen meal.
250
00:18:04,391 --> 00:18:08,251
Oh, okay. Okay. Yes. No, like frozen peas. Fine. Yeah. Great.
251
00:18:09,071 --> 00:18:14,271
She taught me the basics about good eating, even if some of that stuff has changed.
252
00:18:14,431 --> 00:18:18,391
Like we always had margarine and nonfat milk, but because that was at the time,
253
00:18:18,391 --> 00:18:21,471
the thing that they thought was healthy, turns out that, you know,
254
00:18:21,471 --> 00:18:26,031
fat is actually good fats are actually good for you for a reason.
255
00:18:26,251 --> 00:18:31,391
That was a big learning for me. My kid was like kind of underweight their first year or so.
256
00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:35,371
So we went and saw a nutritionist, pretty straightforward.
257
00:18:35,611 --> 00:18:37,991
Nothing was wrong. The the doctor was like, full fat yogurt,
258
00:18:38,231 --> 00:18:44,031
full fat milk, all the avocados, full fat cheese, all these things that would help.
259
00:18:44,191 --> 00:18:47,451
And to me, it was like, oh, yeah, those things are good for us.
260
00:18:47,671 --> 00:18:52,351
I was just raised that they are bad for us and I would not feed them to a baby.
261
00:18:52,511 --> 00:18:58,051
We were raised during the low fat craze, which, I mean, it was like from a few
262
00:18:58,051 --> 00:18:59,251
studies about heart disease.
263
00:18:59,331 --> 00:19:03,291
But then again, like the corporate food chain latched on that.
264
00:19:03,311 --> 00:19:05,491
It's like, oh, Oh, this is the way to make money. That's right.
265
00:19:06,231 --> 00:19:08,671
Sorry, margarine's so bad for you. Really, go back to butter now.
266
00:19:08,811 --> 00:19:11,031
I mean. It's like, what even was margarine?
267
00:19:13,271 --> 00:19:15,151
Poly, mono. Just oil, some kind of oil.
268
00:19:18,791 --> 00:19:22,871
And what I think we talked about at your house when we were talking about the
269
00:19:22,871 --> 00:19:28,411
pandemic lockdowns, just this idea that we're so far away from our food source.
270
00:19:28,711 --> 00:19:34,631
So far. Like, we have no idea how food grows, what food we should grow,
271
00:19:34,831 --> 00:19:38,091
how to harvest said food and turn it into food that we want to eat.
272
00:19:38,732 --> 00:19:43,632
Nobody knows how to do that. No, it's really hard. That is something that we
273
00:19:43,632 --> 00:19:45,292
all grew up eating fast food.
274
00:19:45,412 --> 00:19:49,232
We grew up eating very mechanized and increasingly more mechanized food.
275
00:19:49,292 --> 00:19:50,692
And nobody cooks anymore.
276
00:19:51,052 --> 00:19:55,632
What does mechanized food mean? Food that is basically like the 50s,
277
00:19:55,632 --> 00:19:57,072
right? This was the future. It's the power.
278
00:19:57,272 --> 00:20:00,792
Women will no longer have to cook all of these meals. They can take these and
279
00:20:00,792 --> 00:20:03,032
put them in the oven and then you'll have food, right?
280
00:20:03,332 --> 00:20:08,072
We love that as people because it saves time. That's right. And in one and a
281
00:20:08,072 --> 00:20:10,932
half generations, we forgot how to cook and what food was.
282
00:20:11,772 --> 00:20:15,212
That's how fast that happened. That's how fast that happened. Right.
283
00:20:15,492 --> 00:20:18,212
And so having to relearn has definitely been part of my journey.
284
00:20:18,392 --> 00:20:23,112
It's one of the reasons I do not miss the farmer's market every Saturday coming out of high water.
285
00:20:23,112 --> 00:20:27,112
That I have known these farmers for over 20 years that I have learned how to,
286
00:20:27,192 --> 00:20:30,812
and I'm lucky enough to have space to do it, that I have learned and have to
287
00:20:30,812 --> 00:20:35,452
grow my own tomatoes and have my lovely backyard hens.
288
00:20:35,492 --> 00:20:40,872
And it comes from being horrified at the foods I was putting in my body when
289
00:20:40,872 --> 00:20:45,432
I realized what they were and not understanding how bad they were before that.
290
00:20:45,992 --> 00:20:49,692
Like actually how much damage they can do to you as a person.
291
00:20:53,352 --> 00:20:57,272
I have been on a journey of trying to make sure I eat good foods.
292
00:20:57,652 --> 00:21:01,092
Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma was a huge book for me.
293
00:21:01,332 --> 00:21:06,032
I'd already sort of started down this path of understanding how bad the American
294
00:21:06,032 --> 00:21:08,752
diet was when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me.
295
00:21:09,132 --> 00:21:13,872
But reading that book made me realize how important it was to actually buy whole
296
00:21:13,872 --> 00:21:15,552
foods from farmers, grow your
297
00:21:15,552 --> 00:21:19,652
own stuff, avoid processed food and ultra-processed food and all of that.
298
00:21:20,472 --> 00:21:25,792
Maureen has been on a journey of learning how to eat. And the system does not make this easy.
299
00:21:25,972 --> 00:21:31,072
There are powerful players working against us, feeling good emotionally and physically.
300
00:21:31,612 --> 00:21:33,452
We eat like crap.
301
00:21:34,484 --> 00:21:39,924
We have an industrialized food complex that is getting more creative and insidious
302
00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:44,304
every year in what they put in the food and label it as food.
303
00:21:45,024 --> 00:21:49,824
Humans are lazy. They're going to get the easy thing, but they're also going
304
00:21:49,824 --> 00:21:53,484
to get the thing that tastes amazing because as they've gotten more insidious
305
00:21:53,484 --> 00:21:58,384
and very good at making these highly processed foods delicious,
306
00:21:58,684 --> 00:22:01,824
they see their profits go up, right? It's all about profits.
307
00:22:02,004 --> 00:22:06,564
Even the same with our whole foods, right? Like so much is run by agribusiness.
308
00:22:07,064 --> 00:22:09,964
Agribusiness is going to use chemicals to treat the food.
309
00:22:10,244 --> 00:22:13,584
It's going to use chemicals to grow the food, whether it's an animal or a plant,
310
00:22:13,724 --> 00:22:16,924
right? So all of these things go into our foodways.
311
00:22:17,584 --> 00:22:20,224
And so all of this stuff is going into us.
312
00:22:21,184 --> 00:22:25,464
It's the stuff we see at the store. Most people don't even think about it.
313
00:22:25,484 --> 00:22:27,364
They just pick it up. It's the food at the grocery store.
314
00:22:27,464 --> 00:22:30,364
You actually have to really educate yourself about what you're looking at when
315
00:22:30,364 --> 00:22:34,864
you read the back of a box right so in
316
00:22:34,864 --> 00:22:37,684
that sense it's nobody's fault this is like this is
317
00:22:37,684 --> 00:22:40,564
capitalism causing obesity yes yes
318
00:22:40,564 --> 00:22:45,224
and i that's why like i think it's important to say like yes there's some laziness
319
00:22:45,224 --> 00:22:50,864
but also the laziness is not causing everything the system the systemic issues
320
00:22:50,864 --> 00:22:54,244
that you're describing right now right now i'm saying that i should i should
321
00:22:54,244 --> 00:22:58,304
rephrase that human beings will take the easy way yes so if there's like an
322
00:22:58,304 --> 00:23:00,244
easy thing at the store that's That's what they're going to buy.
323
00:23:00,344 --> 00:23:03,764
Not lazy in the sense of not exercising, not eating well.
324
00:23:03,944 --> 00:23:07,084
Right, right. It's just that that's the way we're programmed to do less work
325
00:23:07,084 --> 00:23:08,184
if we can do something else.
326
00:23:08,304 --> 00:23:12,964
Right. And industrialized food knows this about human nature. Yes.
327
00:23:13,404 --> 00:23:19,224
So that is its own moneymaker. Los Angeles. It is business. Big business.
328
00:23:21,204 --> 00:23:25,104
Yes, of course we're going to do less work. We're going to go to the freaking
329
00:23:25,104 --> 00:23:28,144
grocery store and assume that we're buying actual food there.
330
00:23:28,144 --> 00:23:33,944
So I need Maureen to educate me a little bit more about mechanized and industrialized food.
331
00:23:34,704 --> 00:23:41,184
Most of America's food is mechanized in that it is produced by agribusinesses
332
00:23:41,184 --> 00:23:48,804
using fossil fuels as fertilizer and also producing monoculture.
333
00:23:48,884 --> 00:23:53,744
That is the same crop over large swaths. This is really bad for the environment
334
00:23:53,744 --> 00:23:59,844
because it doesn't support pollinators and it's putting poison in the ground and on our food.
335
00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:05,500
Okay, point one, bad for our environment. Then we have the processing.
336
00:24:06,100 --> 00:24:08,800
That's where the cheap food comes from, which goes to factories,
337
00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:15,320
which break down those foodstuffs into component parts that are remixed together
338
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:21,560
to create highly processed foods that also include things like flavors.
339
00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:25,800
You know, natural flavors are some, if you read that New York Times article,
340
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:28,760
like natural flavors can are sort of ultra
341
00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,680
processed and mechanized but then there's
342
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,400
also these fake flavors that go into things and all of
343
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,740
these things that are broken down i mean the impossible burger is a perfect
344
00:24:37,740 --> 00:24:44,380
example of highly processed mechanized food that is delicious and we love these
345
00:24:44,380 --> 00:24:49,000
things because they taste delicious because they are so good at putting all
346
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,800
the flavor back in. So we eat a lot of it.
347
00:24:53,820 --> 00:24:57,780
But there are more and more studies. And if you look at the New York Times and
348
00:24:57,780 --> 00:25:01,940
the BBC and a bunch of other places, there is increasing studies that it's terrible
349
00:25:01,940 --> 00:25:04,680
for us. So no doubt it is part of the problem.
350
00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:12,560
I think one of the more recent case studies about how badly this affects us
351
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,060
is maybe something like high fructose corn syrup.
352
00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:19,520
Not corn Corn syrup like you use for baking, but high fructose corn syrup came
353
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:26,680
out of the need to sell and grow more corn because of the way American farming subsidies are set up.
354
00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:33,400
And a lot of obesity can be tracked to farmers, basically these giant farms
355
00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:39,720
selling high fructose corn syrup, which is broken down and put into tons of food.
356
00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:46,620
And that definitely coincides with the increase in obesity and diabetes,
357
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,240
for example, that is one way that it is very bad for us.
358
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,620
So it is...
359
00:25:53,956 --> 00:26:00,876
Just this whole notion that we grow stuff using pesticides and fossil fuels
360
00:26:00,876 --> 00:26:08,116
and then turn that stuff into delicious but terrible foods for us because we're
361
00:26:08,116 --> 00:26:09,416
not actually eating whole foods.
362
00:26:09,516 --> 00:26:13,756
We're eating all these things that basically have been broken down into inedible
363
00:26:13,756 --> 00:26:21,556
chemicals or parts of the plant or meat or whatever that is not actually whole
364
00:26:21,556 --> 00:26:24,736
enough to be nutritious anymore more and is also not satisfying.
365
00:26:25,996 --> 00:26:30,916
Okay, so basically the majority of our food is processed, and the ultra-processed
366
00:26:30,916 --> 00:26:33,256
category is the one with the biggest red flag.
367
00:26:33,756 --> 00:26:37,936
Essentially, it's not whole enough to be nutritious, and it's not satisfying,
368
00:26:38,216 --> 00:26:40,116
so we're inclined to eat more of it.
369
00:26:40,576 --> 00:26:46,096
This is just the attempt to master nature and feed us a bunch of crap and make
370
00:26:46,096 --> 00:26:47,136
a lot of money doing that.
371
00:26:50,136 --> 00:26:54,536
And research is showing a link between these foods and a higher risk of illness
372
00:26:54,536 --> 00:26:56,036
cancer and heart disease,
373
00:26:59,656 --> 00:27:05,076
there's a simple solution to how we should eat going back to michael pollan
374
00:27:05,076 --> 00:27:11,376
who wrote the dilemma his follow-up little tome very succinctly described what
375
00:27:11,376 --> 00:27:13,756
i think we should try and do with with food,
376
00:27:13,916 --> 00:27:18,676
eat food, mostly plants, not too much. Right.
377
00:27:19,476 --> 00:27:22,996
Right. It's pretty simple. Yes. But very hard for us to do.
378
00:27:23,120 --> 00:27:29,040
Music.
379
00:27:28,885 --> 00:27:33,505
Okay, I lied. It's not simple. Because as you now know, two parts of the evil
380
00:27:33,505 --> 00:27:37,125
trifecta, agribusiness and capitalism, make it hard.
381
00:27:38,265 --> 00:27:41,245
And, you know, the agribusinesses know this.
382
00:27:41,405 --> 00:27:46,505
Like, as people have become more aware and are doing things like buying food
383
00:27:46,505 --> 00:27:49,345
from markets, making sure they get fresh things, growing their own foods,
384
00:27:49,485 --> 00:27:54,625
companies like Monsanto are buying seeds so that you can't save seeds and grow
385
00:27:54,625 --> 00:27:56,045
food yourself the next year.
386
00:27:56,045 --> 00:28:00,205
They will control that part of the chain too. They know all of this.
387
00:28:00,945 --> 00:28:04,585
It's hard to fight. It's horrible. It's horrible. It's really horrible.
388
00:28:04,705 --> 00:28:07,065
And it makes me afraid for the future. Yeah.
389
00:28:07,665 --> 00:28:12,425
I mean, you know, when the climate is so bad that it's going to be hard to grow
390
00:28:12,425 --> 00:28:16,725
food, they'll probably save us by being able to grow the mechanized food, but it won't be great.
391
00:28:17,025 --> 00:28:21,945
Well, that's a positive spin on it. Yeah, well, they'll have the technology and the money. Mm-hmm.
392
00:28:23,685 --> 00:28:28,465
But in the meantime, it's better to like save the seeds that actually do well
393
00:28:28,465 --> 00:28:32,625
in the climate that is changing or buy from the farmer that's doing the same thing.
394
00:28:33,165 --> 00:28:36,425
And don't forget that government subsidies are also at play.
395
00:28:36,905 --> 00:28:40,465
The government subsidizes the agribusiness.
396
00:28:40,665 --> 00:28:45,705
They do not subsidize the small family farm or the medium family farm or the organic producers.
397
00:28:46,105 --> 00:28:51,305
So like, why is it that when you go to the store, organic food is twice as much as regular food?
398
00:28:51,305 --> 00:28:55,465
It's crazy especially the produce and the
399
00:28:55,465 --> 00:28:59,025
government should be subsidizing them not the agribusinesses right
400
00:28:59,025 --> 00:29:01,845
and they do not so it is from
401
00:29:01,845 --> 00:29:06,665
the top down who gets the money who gets the tax breaks who don't so that's
402
00:29:06,665 --> 00:29:11,545
angering too and I don't know what there is to do about it yeah I don't see
403
00:29:11,545 --> 00:29:17,005
like a clear path either yeah none of the companies that give all all the money
404
00:29:17,005 --> 00:29:21,025
to the folks that are in the farm belt are gonna take away their subsidies.
405
00:29:21,465 --> 00:29:24,625
They're not going to. No, that's not because they're getting them elected.
406
00:29:24,925 --> 00:29:29,685
Desirable, yeah. Exactly, there's no political will to support the small organic farm.
407
00:29:31,820 --> 00:29:37,240
And it's like to make any impact via individual action, like that also feels
408
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,080
not like a thing we could do.
409
00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,520
Like there's not enough people that would care.
410
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:47,980
And if they care, have time and have energy and have resources to like shift.
411
00:29:48,260 --> 00:29:53,700
I think the one place it works is here. It works here at least until recently
412
00:29:53,700 --> 00:29:57,260
because there were enough of a critical amount.
413
00:29:57,260 --> 00:30:01,820
I mean, we live in a ridiculous place in terms of abundant organic fresh food
414
00:30:01,820 --> 00:30:04,900
sources, different than everywhere else in the world. Really?
415
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:06,360
And I've been all over the world. Yeah.
416
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,200
We have it so good here.
417
00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:13,120
California. California. The bread basket. What is it? The fruit basket?
418
00:30:13,260 --> 00:30:18,020
I don't know. Yeah. But Northern California in particular is ridiculous.
419
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,980
There are so many small organic farms and small meat producers.
420
00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:25,680
And you can actually go out and you can buy the good foods.
421
00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,400
The foods that have been raised well if it's an
422
00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,100
animal or the tomato that has
423
00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:34,280
been raised without pesticides and is an open pollinated
424
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,340
seed that no agribusiness owns
425
00:30:37,340 --> 00:30:43,480
you pay a lot more for it and until recently it wasn't that much more i think
426
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:47,400
it's actually still not that much more if you go to the grocery store these
427
00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,860
days especially if you do know your farmer and you go and your support that's
428
00:30:50,860 --> 00:30:54,520
one direct action that makes a difference you giving a farmer 20 bucks is going
429
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:55,320
to keep them in business.
430
00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:01,260
So it may not change it on a policy level, but that is one of the ways of acting
431
00:31:01,260 --> 00:31:04,940
local where you actually keep the money with the farmer and get the food directly.
432
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:08,280
With little interference and can feed yourself in a healthy way.
433
00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:16,560
Music.
434
00:31:16,408 --> 00:31:22,148
Learn how to cook and eat. She eats from an informed place, one that is aligned with her values.
435
00:31:22,588 --> 00:31:28,688
She recommends acting local if you can. And the good news is that it still tastes great.
436
00:31:29,448 --> 00:31:33,488
Thank you. You're welcome. And we always eat so good at your house. Well, you know.
437
00:31:33,708 --> 00:31:37,828
So good. That's been a journey though. That like what you're eating has been
438
00:31:37,828 --> 00:31:41,128
a 25 year journey to get to that point. Right. Like, yeah.
439
00:31:41,288 --> 00:31:45,548
I mean, I think that's part of the the point is like it does take time
440
00:31:45,548 --> 00:31:48,268
and effort and education and all of it
441
00:31:48,268 --> 00:31:51,228
right but it's to me it's one of the most important
442
00:31:51,228 --> 00:31:54,368
things i mean that's what's kind of so nuts
443
00:31:54,368 --> 00:31:58,008
about it is that our life used
444
00:31:58,008 --> 00:32:03,308
to be feeding ourselves yeah that was like your entire life yeah for you know
445
00:32:03,308 --> 00:32:07,828
50 years or whatever was like shelter and feeding yourself warmth yeah right
446
00:32:07,828 --> 00:32:14,628
warmth you know and And now we can't even dedicate the time it would take to
447
00:32:14,628 --> 00:32:16,688
figure out how to feed ourselves well.
448
00:32:16,908 --> 00:32:20,008
Like we just don't, we don't even have that time. We spend no time.
449
00:32:20,268 --> 00:32:25,468
But we do, but we don't know it. We've been tricked into believing we don't. I feel like we don't.
450
00:32:27,568 --> 00:32:32,308
All right, tune in for some actionable tips. Maureen is going to explain how
451
00:32:32,308 --> 00:32:36,688
we have the time and share what she picks up at the farmer's market and how
452
00:32:36,688 --> 00:32:38,448
it transforms into a meal.
453
00:32:39,028 --> 00:32:43,368
We do. How do we find the time? I have my meals that I make Monday through Thursday.
454
00:32:43,928 --> 00:32:48,208
And then I have my meals that I will do on the weekend that require more time. Okay.
455
00:32:48,328 --> 00:32:53,728
And so I feel like everybody can find five to eight things that they can make
456
00:32:53,728 --> 00:32:56,608
during the week that are very healthy for you that don't take time.
457
00:32:57,459 --> 00:33:00,559
You plan them or do you do the same thing every single week?
458
00:33:00,599 --> 00:33:03,759
No. So Saturday when I'm at the farmer's market, I see what's in season.
459
00:33:05,099 --> 00:33:08,079
And there's usually two things that happen. One, if I know that I'm going to
460
00:33:08,079 --> 00:33:10,559
be cooking for friends, I will buy for that.
461
00:33:10,699 --> 00:33:15,299
But then if it's just us, I almost always on the weekend, Cody and I will cook
462
00:33:15,299 --> 00:33:19,839
a bigger, more complicated meal because we like it. We've gotten to that point. Yeah.
463
00:33:20,099 --> 00:33:24,319
And we'll usually make enough as if we were having people over and then we can
464
00:33:24,319 --> 00:33:26,539
eat a little bit of that in the coming days.
465
00:33:26,539 --> 00:33:29,479
Together we do cook together but then at the
466
00:33:29,479 --> 00:33:32,939
same farmer's market i'm like okay here's what's
467
00:33:32,939 --> 00:33:36,319
in season this is what i know i'm going to eat because we're trying we've been
468
00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:40,519
trying really hard not to go out except basically once a week right i mean it's
469
00:33:40,519 --> 00:33:44,519
gotten expensive out there but also there's no reason we shouldn't be cooking
470
00:33:44,519 --> 00:33:49,419
it's important and so that's part of the equation and then what i don't get
471
00:33:49,419 --> 00:33:52,499
at the farmer's market and because we don't eat meat that's a little bit bit easier.
472
00:33:52,799 --> 00:33:55,359
We have occasional fish, but mostly vegetarian.
473
00:33:56,199 --> 00:34:00,679
I'll get the rest at Berkeley Bowl or Whole Foods though.
474
00:34:00,859 --> 00:34:04,399
That's Amazon these days and it's getting a little more complicated to shop there.
475
00:34:04,999 --> 00:34:10,599
Or run down to Farmer Joe's, which is the local excellent little grocery store to fill it out.
476
00:34:10,899 --> 00:34:13,399
And so I do think about it every week. I think about what I want.
477
00:34:13,539 --> 00:34:15,099
Right. And you go to two locations.
478
00:34:15,299 --> 00:34:20,339
Yeah. And I get it. And then I plan on cooking it. And I used to be not as good
479
00:34:20,339 --> 00:34:22,979
at this and and I wasted a lot of food, I've gotten a lot better at actually
480
00:34:22,979 --> 00:34:23,919
buying what we're gonna eat.
481
00:34:24,599 --> 00:34:29,439
So I'll think, oh, wow, look, there's those mushrooms. I'm going to make us
482
00:34:29,439 --> 00:34:32,239
a pasta and a salad with fresh mushrooms and fresh herbs.
483
00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:36,979
And you have that much, for those of you who can't see me out there in audio
484
00:34:36,979 --> 00:34:41,299
land, I'm making a small amount of pasta and a giant salad on the plate, right?
485
00:34:41,339 --> 00:34:43,939
Rather than the other way around, because it's a lot easier to eat a ton of
486
00:34:43,939 --> 00:34:44,979
pasta and a little bit of salad.
487
00:34:47,097 --> 00:34:50,697
Or, you know, like it's asparagus season right now and we've got hens.
488
00:34:50,957 --> 00:34:57,277
So I always have eggs. So a wonderful meal is grilled asparagus with a couple
489
00:34:57,277 --> 00:35:01,957
of eggs over the top, whether poached or medium or over easy over the top.
490
00:35:02,377 --> 00:35:06,837
And one other vegetable or one, you know, like that is super easy.
491
00:35:07,217 --> 00:35:10,417
A lot of times this is where the canned stuff comes in, right?
492
00:35:10,537 --> 00:35:14,857
You can always make yourself a fresh sandwich with good bread.
493
00:35:15,017 --> 00:35:17,717
You don't have to buy the processed bread. we've got a ridiculous number of
494
00:35:17,717 --> 00:35:21,777
bakers, including Firebrand, who's making sandwich bread now that is delicious.
495
00:35:22,077 --> 00:35:26,557
If you're out of time, you can make yourself a tuna salad sandwich without tons
496
00:35:26,557 --> 00:35:29,117
of mayonnaise, but you can do that within all the vegetables.
497
00:35:29,577 --> 00:35:33,097
And you get that all in one, right? Or sometimes when I make a pasta,
498
00:35:33,197 --> 00:35:35,617
I'll make sure that it's just chock full of vegetables, right?
499
00:35:35,737 --> 00:35:38,837
So it's not just the processed pasta, or you do a whole wheat pasta and you
500
00:35:38,837 --> 00:35:41,877
put tons of vegetables in it. Like what vegetables would you put?
501
00:35:41,917 --> 00:35:44,997
So I just made one last week, I put a ton of mint, a ton
502
00:35:44,997 --> 00:35:48,917
of asparagus a ton of fresh shelling peas lemon
503
00:35:48,917 --> 00:35:54,997
zest lemon juice and then olive oil salt and pepper and just a tiny bit of parmesan
504
00:35:54,997 --> 00:35:59,077
over the top that sounds really good but there was as many vegetables if not
505
00:35:59,077 --> 00:36:03,957
more than the pasta in that pot cooked it all together wow you just have to
506
00:36:03,957 --> 00:36:05,577
teach yourself how to do it.
507
00:36:06,578 --> 00:36:10,798
There's other things that we make all the time that I'm not thinking about. Oh, like rice bowls.
508
00:36:10,938 --> 00:36:14,998
That's another really. I freaking love a rice bowl. But you get the whole grain
509
00:36:14,998 --> 00:36:18,538
rice. You don't get the white rice. I want the white rice, though. But you know what?
510
00:36:18,778 --> 00:36:21,118
Brown, nutty California rice is delicious.
511
00:36:21,478 --> 00:36:25,238
Is it? It really is. Okay. And that one, this is another trick, right?
512
00:36:25,318 --> 00:36:30,018
You stick it in your rice cooker or your Instant Pot, and then it's ready when
513
00:36:30,018 --> 00:36:31,318
you're ready to make the other things.
514
00:36:31,338 --> 00:36:34,298
And then you can put anything on it that you have that's in season.
515
00:36:34,558 --> 00:36:40,138
Oh, yeah. Yeah, grain bowls. Can I do like the mayo red, the yum yum sauce?
516
00:36:40,418 --> 00:36:42,458
Do you know what the yum yum sauce is? You can put some yum yum sauce.
517
00:36:42,498 --> 00:36:45,918
Okay, thank you. Just not too much. Not too much. Just a little.
518
00:36:45,978 --> 00:36:47,918
Just like a tablespoon. Yeah, yeah.
519
00:36:48,698 --> 00:36:53,398
So it's like, again, it's not being puritanical. It's finding the thing that
520
00:36:53,398 --> 00:36:55,558
is healthy and good for you.
521
00:36:55,638 --> 00:36:59,738
You can still use like your condiments and stuff and make it taste good.
522
00:36:59,858 --> 00:37:02,438
You want it to be easy in that sense.
523
00:37:03,078 --> 00:37:07,678
All right, here's the numbers. Maureen's Saturday food shopping trip takes an
524
00:37:07,678 --> 00:37:12,058
hour and a half, and her Monday through Thursday cooking takes about 30 minutes of prep.
525
00:37:12,278 --> 00:37:15,458
So it seems pretty manageable, right?
526
00:37:16,298 --> 00:37:19,238
You just, you have to find the time, and you do have the time.
527
00:37:19,318 --> 00:37:24,478
I mean, there is infinite television, or there's taking some of that infinite
528
00:37:24,478 --> 00:37:27,078
television time and going to the farmer's market once a week,
529
00:37:27,118 --> 00:37:29,758
and then bringing everybody with you, right?
530
00:37:29,838 --> 00:37:34,158
Because then that's how you actually start teaching the next generation where
531
00:37:34,158 --> 00:37:37,018
their food actually comes from and what to do with it. Yeah.
532
00:37:37,138 --> 00:37:42,438
And I think making it a family partnership like you and Kogi have done is also critical.
533
00:37:42,638 --> 00:37:46,418
It really is. It makes it fun. You're both, everybody's bought into it.
534
00:37:46,458 --> 00:37:49,498
Yeah. And it's delicious. And it's freaking delicious.
535
00:37:50,375 --> 00:37:53,355
As I said, eating at Maureen and Cody's is a real treat.
536
00:37:53,815 --> 00:37:58,215
But when I was cooking more thoughtfully on the reg, nothing tasted that great.
537
00:37:58,515 --> 00:38:01,895
My partner, Erin, will still make cracks about those Weight Watchers recipes
538
00:38:01,895 --> 00:38:03,615
that contained zero spices.
539
00:38:04,355 --> 00:38:08,715
So on this journey, you do have to be open to failure and eating some things
540
00:38:08,715 --> 00:38:10,815
that do not tickle your taste buds.
541
00:38:11,215 --> 00:38:15,335
I bet when you started on this, not everything tasted good. No, I fucked up last night.
542
00:38:15,955 --> 00:38:19,755
So I'm like, oh, I have those potatoes that I didn't end up using.
543
00:38:19,755 --> 00:38:21,395
Thing. So I'm really on not wasting.
544
00:38:21,475 --> 00:38:24,555
And I have half of the peas that I shucked for that pasta I described.
545
00:38:25,155 --> 00:38:29,515
I'm like, I'm going to make some aloo matar, which is peas and potatoes, Indian style.
546
00:38:29,895 --> 00:38:33,455
And I had saved this recipe that I was going to try because I don't necessarily
547
00:38:33,455 --> 00:38:36,495
know the basis for that by heart.
548
00:38:36,795 --> 00:38:40,655
But I'm never afraid to try it. And we've got all those great spices from Oaktown
549
00:38:40,655 --> 00:38:42,835
Spice. And I'm like, I've got everything I need here.
550
00:38:44,215 --> 00:38:46,915
It just tasted wrong. and I put it I
551
00:38:46,915 --> 00:38:50,115
was so excited I put it I cooked my rice I made it looked
552
00:38:50,115 --> 00:38:52,895
so good so disappointing and something about the
553
00:38:52,895 --> 00:38:56,235
spice I think it was a bad yeah I think it was a bad recipe I think
554
00:38:56,235 --> 00:39:02,015
the spice mix was off yeah and I followed it exactly and Cody was like and Cody
555
00:39:02,015 --> 00:39:05,275
was he came home because he was at band practice last night and he's like oh
556
00:39:05,275 --> 00:39:10,015
good you cooked I'm like yeah but that took me about a half an hour it didn't
557
00:39:10,015 --> 00:39:13,415
take very long but it did not come out and that's okay I'm like I'm I'm not
558
00:39:13,415 --> 00:39:15,875
deterred. I'm just like, okay, I have to find a better recipe.
559
00:39:19,915 --> 00:39:24,055
So that's Maureen's vision for direct action. Buy from your local farmer and
560
00:39:24,055 --> 00:39:26,255
eat non-mechanized food as much as you can.
561
00:39:26,615 --> 00:39:30,135
There's often pre-made food at the farmer's market, and that counts too.
562
00:39:30,535 --> 00:39:32,995
Also, if you need help, phone a friend.
563
00:39:34,155 --> 00:39:37,415
And then ask a lot of questions. You know, it's funny. Jeremy calls me all the
564
00:39:37,415 --> 00:39:39,395
time because he's the one who cooks.
565
00:39:39,515 --> 00:39:43,635
Yeah. And he's like, hey, Mo, if I do this, how long should I put it on?
566
00:39:43,775 --> 00:39:47,915
And so I'll tell him. And so like, call me. I love helping people cook.
567
00:39:48,075 --> 00:39:50,515
My neighbor, Punkage, is like, I really want to learn bread.
568
00:39:50,595 --> 00:39:54,075
I'm like, OK, it's really hard to learn bread together because most of bread
569
00:39:54,075 --> 00:39:56,555
is just waiting for things to rise.
570
00:39:57,195 --> 00:40:01,595
I said, but let's start. Do a focaccia. Nobody can fail at a focaccia.
571
00:40:01,735 --> 00:40:04,395
And he didn't. And now he's so confident. So like, you know,
572
00:40:04,415 --> 00:40:07,715
you start with the stuff that you're comfortable with or you know, or you ask questions.
573
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:13,840
Music.
574
00:40:13,935 --> 00:40:17,775
Even though we're fighting against two parts of the evil trifecta,
575
00:40:17,775 --> 00:40:21,795
it seems doable, right? Even kind of enticing.
576
00:40:22,729 --> 00:40:27,809
But I'm going to add the final component of that trifecta. And this one you've heard about already.
577
00:40:28,249 --> 00:40:32,549
The diet industry is its own moneymaker, including, you know,
578
00:40:32,549 --> 00:40:35,049
and the thing is, like, I don't know if you just saw this article.
579
00:40:35,149 --> 00:40:39,469
There was an article about the ADA, which is the American Diabetes Association,
580
00:40:39,749 --> 00:40:42,089
about who they're actually working for.
581
00:40:42,549 --> 00:40:47,009
And it's interesting because my mom stayed with us before she retired to attend
582
00:40:47,009 --> 00:40:49,729
ADA conference, and they were having it at the Marriott in Oakland.
583
00:40:49,729 --> 00:40:52,409
And she came back with all of
584
00:40:52,409 --> 00:40:57,549
her swag as you get at conferences you know your swag bag and it was like McDonald's
585
00:40:57,549 --> 00:41:02,269
I was like McDonald's is sponsoring the American Dietetic Association she's
586
00:41:02,269 --> 00:41:05,209
like yeah I'm like don't you think that's weird she's like oh I didn't really
587
00:41:05,209 --> 00:41:09,649
think about it and it was I don't remember I don't remember every single other
588
00:41:09,649 --> 00:41:11,529
but the McDonald's really stuck in my.
589
00:41:11,929 --> 00:41:14,669
Craw but the there everything that was
590
00:41:14,669 --> 00:41:17,989
there was basically some form of processed or
591
00:41:17,989 --> 00:41:20,969
industrialized product weird it wasn't like
592
00:41:20,969 --> 00:41:24,209
there was you know fresh fresh fruits and vegetables from california
593
00:41:24,209 --> 00:41:27,849
sponsoring right right ada conference somebody actually
594
00:41:27,849 --> 00:41:32,969
sued them for actually siding with the industrialized food over people and they
595
00:41:32,969 --> 00:41:35,589
ended up settling out of court but there was just an article in the new york
596
00:41:35,589 --> 00:41:40,769
times about this they sued the ada sued the ada because they were like who are
597
00:41:40,769 --> 00:41:46,989
you working for it turns out it might be for the agribusinesses right so the folks that should
598
00:41:47,029 --> 00:41:49,949
be like setting what we're eating are in cahoots with
599
00:41:49,949 --> 00:41:53,429
the ag business yep quote nutrition
600
00:41:53,429 --> 00:41:56,389
professional organizations like the american diabetes
601
00:41:56,389 --> 00:41:59,729
association or american dietetic association or
602
00:41:59,729 --> 00:42:02,969
american society for nutrition often partner with
603
00:42:02,969 --> 00:42:07,869
or advocate for the mechanized food industry i mean this is just a continuation
604
00:42:07,869 --> 00:42:12,309
of the margarine nonsense the suit maureen mentioned was related to splenda
605
00:42:12,309 --> 00:42:17,109
being an elite sponsor of the ada their ex-director claimed she was was pressured
606
00:42:17,109 --> 00:42:20,529
to endorse Splenda recipes with no nutrition-based reasons.
607
00:42:21,189 --> 00:42:23,229
Hint, it's about the money.
608
00:42:24,189 --> 00:42:25,589
Back to diet culture.
609
00:42:26,582 --> 00:42:30,682
And then, of course, people aren't happy when they don't feel good. Right.
610
00:42:30,802 --> 00:42:35,522
Because when it comes down to it, like, nobody feels good when they're too heavy.
611
00:42:35,662 --> 00:42:39,482
Right. Everybody knows that, like, oh, I'm not moving. I'm not exercising.
612
00:42:39,622 --> 00:42:41,242
I'm feeling weighed down.
613
00:42:41,842 --> 00:42:45,822
When they're too heavy for themselves. For themselves. Correct. Right.
614
00:42:46,582 --> 00:42:53,302
But then what do you do? Well, look, there's this whole other series of things you can buy into.
615
00:42:53,522 --> 00:42:57,922
Your Jenny Craig's. Yes. Your Weight Watchers, all of these things,
616
00:42:58,062 --> 00:43:03,222
SlimFast, that whole industry has actually been turned on its head because of these injectables.
617
00:43:03,582 --> 00:43:08,882
They're suddenly not going to be making a lot of money because this shot can solve the problem.
618
00:43:09,222 --> 00:43:13,702
Right. Or we just have like two tiers now, right? Because people that can afford
619
00:43:13,702 --> 00:43:16,602
$1,200 a month are going to get it.
620
00:43:16,722 --> 00:43:19,562
People that can't are still going to be doing Jenny Craig. Exactly.
621
00:43:19,862 --> 00:43:22,702
And losing and gaining and losing and gaining. and
622
00:43:22,702 --> 00:43:25,942
where really I feel like the education is
623
00:43:25,942 --> 00:43:29,362
about what kinds of things to put into your body and how
624
00:43:29,362 --> 00:43:34,142
much is right for you but I don't feel like that is actually going to be something
625
00:43:34,142 --> 00:43:39,502
that's easily accessed or supported by the government and in your real way plus
626
00:43:39,502 --> 00:43:44,742
the people making these injectables are making a gazillion dollars Eli Lilly's
627
00:43:44,742 --> 00:43:48,762
sock is through the roof so you also Also have shareholders, please. Right.
628
00:43:49,442 --> 00:43:54,542
So it's an insidious trifecta. Both of those, all of those solutions,
629
00:43:54,702 --> 00:43:59,582
except maybe even the eating well, but to a lesser degree,
630
00:43:59,822 --> 00:44:05,882
feed off of us all just feeling shitty both emotionally and physically.
631
00:44:06,262 --> 00:44:09,602
Absolutely. They want us to feel shitty regardless of our size.
632
00:44:09,722 --> 00:44:11,782
Yeah. Regardless even of our health.
633
00:44:11,962 --> 00:44:15,962
Exactly. They want us to feel like crap and think that we look like crap and
634
00:44:15,962 --> 00:44:17,702
want to pay money to feel better. Exactly.
635
00:44:22,562 --> 00:44:26,742
Ultimately, here's what Maureen hopes in relation to medical weight loss and food.
636
00:44:28,202 --> 00:44:34,582
I hope that they find a way to make this affordable for people because it is a real game changer.
637
00:44:34,762 --> 00:44:38,722
I do think the education, this is the part that's not going to happen,
638
00:44:38,822 --> 00:44:42,682
right? Right. For all the reasons we talked to, like education for people about
639
00:44:42,682 --> 00:44:46,022
actually how to eat healthy foods needs to happen. Yeah.
640
00:44:47,262 --> 00:44:49,062
It's taken on multiple industries.
641
00:44:50,422 --> 00:44:57,782
But I will say that this is something that will help people not be sick. Yeah.
642
00:44:58,567 --> 00:45:02,267
I told Maureen that Weight Watchers is now offering Weight Watchers Clinic.
643
00:45:02,407 --> 00:45:05,487
That seems to be a combination of the things that we discussed.
644
00:45:05,687 --> 00:45:10,067
They're going to be like, they are going to have like doctors on staff and be.
645
00:45:10,227 --> 00:45:12,727
Oh, so they're okay. So this is a thing that's been happening.
646
00:45:12,787 --> 00:45:14,247
Like people are trying to capitalize.
647
00:45:14,367 --> 00:45:18,407
I've noticed this. Even health insurance have these things now where it's basically
648
00:45:18,407 --> 00:45:19,647
like these weight loss centers.
649
00:45:19,887 --> 00:45:23,367
And they have the doctors on site and they're making it easy for people.
650
00:45:23,367 --> 00:45:26,547
And I feel like it is more cost effective that
651
00:45:26,547 --> 00:45:29,467
way at least for the short term I'll be
652
00:45:29,467 --> 00:45:32,587
interested to see because all this stuff is new be interested
653
00:45:32,587 --> 00:45:36,167
to see long term if they keep the prices down because I remember when
654
00:45:36,167 --> 00:45:39,247
we first started this process and that
655
00:45:39,247 --> 00:45:42,007
first the coupon through Eli Lily worked where it was only
656
00:45:42,007 --> 00:45:44,747
25 a month which is a much more reasonable price I'd be
657
00:45:44,747 --> 00:45:47,847
happy to pay that you know I was prescribed it
658
00:45:47,847 --> 00:45:50,607
off label and they weren't checking for that
659
00:45:50,607 --> 00:45:53,747
in the beginning okay so i was prescribed it
660
00:45:53,747 --> 00:45:57,067
because i'm on the spectrum of diabetes
661
00:45:57,067 --> 00:46:01,007
with the metabolic disorder okay uh-huh sure but after
662
00:46:01,007 --> 00:46:06,167
so many people are like oh my god get me the shot the drug companies are like
663
00:46:06,167 --> 00:46:09,867
whoa we can't keep doing all these coupons and so then they started checking
664
00:46:09,867 --> 00:46:14,567
and so then they you had to answer if you had a prescription because you had
665
00:46:14,567 --> 00:46:18,407
type 2 diabetes and you had to show the prescription got it got it okay and
666
00:46:18,407 --> 00:46:19,987
at that point they stopped covering it.
667
00:46:20,487 --> 00:46:22,827
Also, we don't know what the long-term side effects are.
668
00:46:23,147 --> 00:46:28,087
There is some evidence that there might be a potential to have thyroid cancer,
669
00:46:28,227 --> 00:46:29,747
like they showed that in lab rats.
670
00:46:30,487 --> 00:46:33,307
So it's not something I'm real keen to stay on if I don't have to.
671
00:46:33,527 --> 00:46:37,967
Sure, you don't wanna be one of those lab rats. No, and it didn't seem like,
672
00:46:38,127 --> 00:46:39,307
I mean, they've done some trials,
673
00:46:39,387 --> 00:46:42,667
it didn't seem like it was gonna be that way in humans, but it's new.
674
00:46:42,787 --> 00:46:45,347
We don't know. All these old drugs she had me on had been in,
675
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:50,060
in like 50-year-old drugs. Like they already know what's going to happen. Nothing.
676
00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:58,360
I filled out the online questionnaire and Weight Watchers told me,
677
00:46:58,420 --> 00:47:02,480
congratulations, I'm qualified for their prescription weight loss program.
678
00:47:02,740 --> 00:47:06,060
And I can expect to lose 26 pounds with my membership.
679
00:47:06,340 --> 00:47:12,180
It would be 800 to $1,200 a month for the medication and another $85 for the benefits.
680
00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:17,320
But this is about my health. I mean, nothing is currently wrong with me health-wise,
681
00:47:17,420 --> 00:47:22,520
but I will reduce my risk of possibly getting diabetes by 5-10%.
682
00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:29,960
Back to these type of centers and the combination of injectables and education.
683
00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:35,880
I read an article about this concept of feeling sated.
684
00:47:37,020 --> 00:47:42,800
Satiety? It's a hard word to say. Do you say it like satiety or satiety?
685
00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:43,980
Right? There's like an I in there.
686
00:47:44,100 --> 00:47:49,360
So I don't know. But so feeling sated is that one of the things about these
687
00:47:49,360 --> 00:47:52,280
industrialized foods I'm talking about, these highly processed foods,
688
00:47:52,500 --> 00:47:59,520
you have to eat a lot more to actually feel full and not just feel full, but feel satisfied.
689
00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:03,300
And so these drugs help you feel satisfied.
690
00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:08,400
And that they think is actually, in addition to making you feel full,
691
00:48:08,460 --> 00:48:13,700
the fact that you feel satisfied is changing behavior for folks who are not
692
00:48:13,700 --> 00:48:15,400
eating the things they should be eating.
693
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:19,680
And maybe have gained weight because they're eating all these highly processed
694
00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:23,240
foods and haven't learned how to actually cook for themselves in a healthy way.
695
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:28,000
And so that's a game changer because basically it's like, okay,
696
00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:31,660
you're throwing all this industrialized food at us, but now you're going to feel full.
697
00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:34,520
So even if you're still eating that crappy food, you're not going to eat enough
698
00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:35,900
of it to gain weight. You're going to lose weight.
699
00:48:36,773 --> 00:48:39,593
And feel satisfied while you're on it go off it
700
00:48:39,593 --> 00:48:42,373
you're back to not feeling right and not knowing how to
701
00:48:42,373 --> 00:48:45,393
eat still right and so that's the component that i hope
702
00:48:45,393 --> 00:48:48,313
these centers will be addressing is teaching people actually
703
00:48:48,313 --> 00:48:52,913
how to cook and eat and recognize foods that are good for them i mean i think
704
00:48:52,913 --> 00:48:57,953
that that would be the power of an entity such as weight watchers if they're
705
00:48:57,953 --> 00:49:03,913
offering all that together right like a shot plus a community plus education
706
00:49:03,913 --> 00:49:05,913
yeah properly right Right.
707
00:49:06,333 --> 00:49:10,833
So we'll see. We'll see. Or they'll just continue to be the devil.
708
00:49:15,253 --> 00:49:19,713
Maureen went off Monjaro a few months ago, and she's feeling good and hoping
709
00:49:19,713 --> 00:49:21,673
that her numbers stay where they're supposed to be.
710
00:49:22,013 --> 00:49:26,313
She has no regrets about her decision. And if she has to, she'll do it again.
711
00:49:27,153 --> 00:49:30,873
I think I can do this. I hope I can. I really hope I don't have to go back on
712
00:49:30,873 --> 00:49:31,913
it, but I will if I have to.
713
00:49:32,333 --> 00:49:37,233
Because if my body rebels, my body rebels. Right. Exactly. And you have very
714
00:49:37,233 --> 00:49:38,353
little control over that.
715
00:49:39,473 --> 00:49:44,053
I'd like to begin with a fact. I have none. You have no control over that.
716
00:49:44,053 --> 00:49:45,693
Other than exercising and eating well.
717
00:49:46,333 --> 00:49:50,233
But that's not going to cause weight loss for me. Or it might cause weight gain.
718
00:49:50,160 --> 00:50:06,960
Music.
719
00:50:02,493 --> 00:50:06,913
I did a lot of easy cheats without going fully processed or just giving into
720
00:50:06,913 --> 00:50:13,353
the burrito as much as I love a burrito oh that just made me want a burrito why did you say that?
721
00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:24,989
Music.