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Nutrition as Religion
Nutrition | April 30, 2015
Every now and then I’ll post a recipe or a dietary suggestion only to be criticized as ignorant or foolish by someone for promoting a specific type of food or dietary approach. I understand that some of these people may have good intentions, but their criticisms aren’t always very rational.
Diets can really be the equivalent of religious beliefs sometimes. People often advocate and defend their diets with as much screaming and shouting as a religious fanatic. And, of course, everyone thinks they are right. If you happen to dare suggest something that may not be allowed in their current diet or goes against their dietary perspective they sometimes get a bit crazy and break out their pitchforks. Honestly, I’m amazed at how harsh and personal people can get!
There are so many different diets out there, that it can be dizzying. Add to that the various claims and studies that supposedly back up any given diet and it can be enough to literally drive someone crazy. For example, when people argue that such and such diet is ‘most natural’ or what ‘cavemen and women ate’ I have to laugh a little. If we’re really going for genetic ancestry to support our dietary claims why stop at Neanderthal? How about the Chimpanzee Diet or, better yet, The Bigfoot Diet? 🙂
While I think it’s important to always link up studies and research as much as possible, I also try to be cautious about making outrageous claims. I try to share things that have worked for me personally and what I’ve learned through the many years of nutrition education and practice. Ultimately, it comes down to what works for you and what makes you feel the best from the inside out. If a specific diet works for you and you’re seeing results, stick to it! Some people feel better after avoiding gluten, some people avoid coffee because they don’t like the jittery feeling, and of course there are a lot of different food allergies that affect people’s diet too. If you feel like experimenting with your nutrition by trying something different with a recipe or plan then I recommend you go for it and see how it makes you feel. Of course all of your personal nutrition practices should match up with your physical activity level. You can’t just eat like a caveman and expect to get results if you’re not hunting and gathering like the cavemen did.
What just about all of us can agree on is that moderation is essential for any diet to be successful and having a variety of different foods is most beneficial. We can also agree that the less processed the food the better and that refined sugars are usually more harm than good. We may not always agree on the particulars of what exactly to eat, when to eat, or how much calories to eat but we can agree on some basic principles that are applicable whether or not we are following a vegan diet, paleo diet, Atkins diet, raw diet, etc.
What are your thoughts on criticizing other people for their dietary choices? Can’t we all just get along! 🙂
Private Member |
astoria, or, usa
I think diet is a very deep, personal choice and it is incredibly rude to criticise or judge others for their dietary choices.
Private Member |
Becky, When a so called “personal choice” harms another living sentient being against its will, it ceases being a personal choice and becomes simply an imposition of power over a victim that cannot protect itself against your aggression in plain terms you are murdering against the will of the victim. It is interesting how asking questions as to why you insist on killing innocent animals when it is proven medically there is no unique nutrient in animal flesh or secretions that cannot be found in a plant based diet … so why kill? So asking the question is incredibly rude, but actually doing the unnecessary killing, that is cool and compassionate…. Right?
Private Member |
astoria, or, usa
Are you just assuming I eat meat? It is best to not make assumptions about people you do not know. And nothing in the nutrition world is proven. For every study you find saying one thing, you can find 10 more saying the complete opposite. I think Zuzka’s point was let’s focus on what we can all agree on and not judge others in order to keep this a positive place. There’s no room for such negativity and hostility here and if you disagree with the owner of this website and her ‘followers’, then maybe it is best for you to find a new online community, rather than trying to rip this one apart.
Private Member |
Becky, yes obviously you eat meat otherwise you would not have tried to be cute with your response wording. And yes it’s proven when you slit an animals throat it dies! Yes it’s proven there is a direct link of heart disease and cancer to the consumption of meat and dairy. And yes it is proven that none of it is necessary. Even the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, an arm of the federal Department of Health and Human Services is now recommending America shift to a vegan diet for health and environmental reasons. So if Zuzkas objective is health information, she would not be filtering my comments, the only reason some of my comments get posted by mistake is she turns off the moderator review function from time to time. So Zuzkas agenda is to filter what is seen and read here.
Private Member |
astoria, or, usa
Well you really are a know it all aren’t you? I’m sorry but you’re really annoying me and you’re not worth my time or energy so I respectfully disagree but am withdrawing from this conversation. Good luck to you and your passionate mission in life, sir.
Private Member |
When meat eaters can’t handle the truth or getting proven wrong, they leave. Well said, David.
Private Member |
I’m with David and it’s too bad he’s getting so much flack here. The pro-meat eating lobby is starting to sound a little bit like the climate change deniers. (ie. the UN report stating that the planet should adopt a vegan diet to save the environment, but which almost no news facilities picked up. The truth definitely doesn’t sell.)
Private Member |
waipu, northland, new zealand
Sorry, my first post was not finished and posted accidentally, how do I delete?
Private Member |
waipu, northland, new zealand
To be honest, wouldn’t it be great if the only thing we had to worry about was whether or not to eat meat. The world has bigger problems than this. Build a bridge, get over it!!
Private Member |
LOL…. you really are afraid to let an honest debate take place on your blog …. aren’t you zuzka…how embarrassing for you! ….. You are turning out to be a bigger fraud than I thought… I have heard many rumors about you injecting steroids… and with your recent very visible injection points on each side of your navel on your abs…. it is becoming pretty hard to deny you are probably on the juice. To bad you feel you can not be honest with your youtube followers…. the truth will come out…. you can not hide forever 😉
Private Member |
waipu, northland, new zealand
If you can’t say something nice don’t say it at all. This is a fitness site with great recipes thrown in as a bonus, confused as to why you are on it as I am sure there must be lots of great fitness sites with vegan recipes. You are now going off the subject and attacking someone personally, not cool dude!!
Private Member |
MELODY TITO, I was pulled into this post, from another conversation on youtube…. I was informed that Zuzka, and others were trying to distort what I had said on a youtube conversation…. so I followed the link and read MARILYN AUDRY’s post about me on APRIL 30, 2015 @ 4:18 PM…. so I responded to clarify the mis-representation… and from then on I ONLY responded to the negative comments thrown at me… and the ONLY posts you can read are the ones that were accidently posted because, zuzka turns off the moderator review function from time to time, and when she does those are the only posts of mine that make it on this thread, otherwise zuzka deletes them and then makes additional stupid comments, knowing she had just deleted my response…. trying to give the impression she is hosting an honest debate! She is not! So if you want to be consistent Melody, and have any integrity I suggest you go to every comment on this thread that was negative towards me … and tell them “if they have nothing nice to say don’t say anything”…. But I know you will not, because your comment is just typical meat head hypocrisy! It is not surprising it is actually very typical!
Private Member |
waipu, northland, new zealand
Typical of what David? You do not know my race, age, religion OR if I am vegan but yet again you attack me personally. I think you need to learn how to get your point across in a more positive way and let people have their own opinions. Your post was not distored, as you said………’ I said that meat eaters, child molesters, rapist, and serial killer all have similar mentalities!’……. – do you know anyone who has been raped or molested? I do, and telling them they have the same mentality as the person who caused them so much damage because they eat meat is just so ignorant of you. Like I said in my original post there are much more important things to worry about in the world than someones diet.
This is the last time I will comment on this post.
Private Member |
The diet of Mankind as a whole has changed and evolved based on a myriad of factors and claiming one as the only possible option is ridiculous.
It is also good to remember that the Internet is a giant playground and some people are just out looking for a pissing contest.
Now, two things will happen:
1. The people looking for a pissing contest will reply because they cannot help themselves.
2. They will ignore this comment because they don’t want to prove #1.
Private Member |
waipu, northland, new zealand
Haha, like 🙂
Private Member |
Zuzka, a great article and point well made— especially in the irony in the comments! I admire that you approached the subject with respect that everyone is entitled to their own point of view. I love the work you do and that you share your experience with fitness and nutrition with us. I support you in all you do and say!
All I can day is David, take a hike! The ZGym is a positive community and this isn’t the space for you to harass us with your point of view. We are all entitled to our opinions, but just because you have a particular opinion doesn’t mean you have the right to preach it all over the post. Perhaps you could be more productive with your time by doing some ZGym workouts rather than spending hours writing your vitriolic commentary!
Private Member |
JOJO….. LOL typical hypocritical comment! A “positive community”? Really? give me a break! All I am doing is holding a mirror up so you are reminded of what you really are doing and you all go postal! This video is the world I am against and you are financing and gleefully for and perpetuating…. and you think I’m the asshole? Time to take the blinders off and wake up and see the truth! watch the entire video then tell me who really is the asshole! http://earthlings.com/?page_id=32
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
David, I respect everyone’s lifestyle and opinions, but I don’t like your aggressive stance. I have not been posting all of your comments because your comments are rude and offensive. I think your behavior is uncalled for and it’s not something I want on my website. If you keep harassing me and my community then I’m just going to block you. You are on my soil. You can go and hate as much as you want somewhere else.
Private Member |
Amen!
Private Member |
Dear Zuzka,
When you are a good person, honest, and tender like you some people can not stand that. Maybe this person is jealous and wants to be like you but she can not. I have seen that “video”, but instead listened it, I have made a research and I have found all benefits of your diet and also I can notice it because of your beatiful skin, and I want to look healthy too, with a shiny, good looking skin!! I see results! I think that all your followers are here not only because of the exercises, the advices, is also because we feel that you take care of us, always giving your best.
Finally the things somebody say are the things that A person have in its heart.
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka, I don’t want to offend you or argue with you but simply am very intrigued to know what you think if I was to ask you if (hypothetically speaking) the majority of men in the world raped people, it would be considered okay? Or if eating dogs was the norm, do you think that’ll justify your beautiful dogs being tortured, abused, imprisoned, separated from their mothers at birth, just to be eaten?
Of course, compassionate vegans might not sugar coat things and wrap you up in cotton wool telling you your actions cause no harm because it’s your personal choice, but please, really consider how you felt towards the people who abused Smallsy? How else do you expect us to feel towards people who unnecessarily eat meat when we have a world full of options?
Yes, vegans “preach” but that’s because we don’t see it as just a “dietary choice” or a preference. Your lifestyle causes murder, torture, enslavement and any sane and decent person can’t stomach not doing anything about it. Just as you wouldn’t be able to if it were dogs, cats, children, humans.