Part 2 of my podcast conversation with special guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss nutrition in America. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").
The show notes...
Topics:
- Check out Brian's podcast The Enthusiasts' Radio Hour
- Is banning fast food joints the answer?
- You can't force kids to eat vegetables
- Leading by example
- People should have options
- New restaurant idea: The Fat Place
- Brian: Government shouldn't fund gastric bypass, liposuction
- Jay: Tax breaks for restaurants that serve healthy food
- Easier to be a vegetarian now
- Genetically modified food isn't a good idea
- Brian wants synthetic meat
- Jay's ultimate meal: Either Brazilian BBQ or Southern BBQ ribs
- Brian's ultimate meal: Bacon cheeseburger
- Brian recommends White Manna burgers in NJ
- Jay: Love Indian food, but it gives me heartburn
- Jay: Never had any poutine when I lived in Canada
- Brian: Parents like to cook, but not adventurous eaters
- Bonehead of the Week
Music:
Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell
R.E.M. - Oh My Heart
Deerhoof - Super Duper Rescue Heads!
Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!
The show is sponsored by Budget, the country's premier car rental service with 900 locations. Go to Budget.com/CompCon and save 10% off any reservation or $30 off a weekly rental.
The Das Racist song is on the mixtape Shut Up, Dude. Download the song for free at Pitchfork.
The R.E.M. song is on the forthcoming album Collapse Into Now on Warner Bros. Records. Download the song for free at Amazon.
The Deerhoof song is on the album Deerhoof vs. Evil on Polyvinyl Records. Download the song for free at Amazon.
The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Additional music used in the show is by Me and Boris the Bull, which is the brainchild of the mighty Mark Campbell. Thanks to Bob Durling for the album art; find out more about his photography at his blog. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.
Completely Conspicuous is a Tan God Production. Word.
Hi Jay and Brian - Was really glad to finally have some time to sit and listen to your recent podcasts about nutrition. It's a topic I'm very interested in, so I'm always eager to hear what others, especially people I know (Jay!) have to say. It's not really a topic that comes up when you're waiting between bands at the Middle East or the Paradise.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I kept going back to was how one of you read Fast Food Nation and still, albeit occasionally, eat at fast food restaurants!
I would recommend viewing Food, Inc. And also Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman.
What I noticed lacking from the conversation is the awareness that not all people eat fast food just because they want to. For some people, it's all they can afford. It would have been good to hear some thoughts about why this food is so cheap (think: farm subsidies and lobbyists). And perhaps some talk about food desserts, the places in our country, some in urban settings even, where fresh, wholesome food is actually hard to find.
Regarding the opinions about the health insurance companies not covering gastric bypass, would you say the same thing about procedures to unclog arteries?
Also, not all people who are fat are fat because they overindulge. Or eat only junk food. Some people are hardwired to hold onto weight, and it can be extra difficult for these people to fit into the categories assigned to them by the government and the AMA.
Regarding the government and how they handle/don't handle regulating companies, schools, and nutrition issues at large: it has historically done an awful job at all of these things. Just think about what the school lunch program was when we were kids and how little it's changed 40 years later. Food pyramids, BMI charts...it's all pretty awful. And subjective.
Overall - the more we rely on the government, doctors and companies to tell us how much to weight, how much to eat, and what to eat...the more we are less able to think/do for ourselves, to have a more mindful, intuitive approach.
In the interest of full disclosure: I lost 130 pounds pretty much on my own (meaning no gastric bypass, no weight watchers, no low-fat/no-fat/processed junk, and discovered a love of exercise in the process. So this is all stuff that's dear to my heart.
You brought up many good examples of what can work: cooking for yourself, eating more meals at home, making a point to eat more wholesome foods, recognizing that sugars and fats in moderation are a completely fine thing to enjoy, parents setting good examples for their kids, etc.
Thanks again for taking the time to talk about all of it!
-Cathy
Oh, and that was food DESERTS. That might count as a Freudian Slip. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for listening and for the thoughtful comments, Cathy. Believe me, my fast food visits are few and far between these days.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point about fast food being affordable for folks. Maybe it didn't come across clearly, but I definitely believe the nutrition assistance programs like SNAP (aka food stamps) and the School Lunch Program need to be maintained and enhanced. For many, such programs are the only way they get any nutrition.
Definitely agree about weight loss and exercise. I had my own conversion to healthy eating and exercise after college, although my weight loss story is not as impressive as yours.
See you at a rock show soon!
Jay