for people who pick fights about my diet

Many moons ago, when I was transitioning to a plant-based diet, sometimes I would write about what I ate. I thought it would be fun to start doing that again. But first, I have some things to get off my chest.  This isn't directed at blog readers. If you've ever picked a fight about diet with me, or said outrageously untrue things about diet to me, then maybe it's for you... For the rest of you, enjoy the wrath.

Many people are curious about our diet, but we hear a lot of excuses about why they could never do it. Here's a bit of truth. You don't need to use lame excuses to justify why you don't eat like we do. We don't care how you eat. We care about how we eat. If people spend a lot of time trying to justify why they don't eat a healthy diet proven by science and thousands of years worth of human civilization, they're doing it because they feel uncomfortable and maybe a little guilty about not doing better for themselves. It comes out as an attack on my family's way of eating. So, here are some little tidbits of information for you, if you are one of those people who could "never" eat like us and want to make a really big deal out of it.  

First, have some self awareness. Notice that we are not attacking you or judging what you eat. We're too busy enjoying what we eat! Why would you want to pick a fight and argue with us, if you weren't feeling insecure about your own habits? We're perfectly happy to coexist with you, different diets and all. If you're genuinely curious or want some tips, we're happy to oblige. But there's no need to pick on us. 

You could never do it, you say? It's too hard? It's too restrictive? And you want to talk to me about that, and insult my way of living, in an extended conversation? 

- Wow. You seem really down on yourself. Tell me what else you can't do! 

- Yes, it can be hard to drastically change your diet. But once you've gotten through the first few weeks, it will be much easier. Before you know it, you'll feel better, your body will be healthier, and you will have new eating habits. It will seem natural, as if you've always eaten this way.

- If you see us at a restaurant or an event, and it looks like we can't eat much, it doesn't mean we're always so limited. Most people don't eat a low fat, no oil plant-based diet. Most people are also overweight and will have high cholesterol and blood pressure, and a host of other health problems as they age. This is our choice. If we're limited once in a while, it's because we don't want to eat the junk. I am perfectly happy to eat just a salad when we're out to eat. I can always have a snack later. 

- No, a plant-based diet is not restrictive. We eat a wide variety of foods. Just think about how many fruits and vegetables there are! And all kinds of beans, grains, nuts, seeds, tempeh, and tofu. I make some delicious cheeses that we use for grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza. We have delicious sausage made from grains and seasonings. I make omelets and scrambles with tofu, vegetables and seasonings. We have more variety in our diet than most people do. We love food, and our food tastes good! 

Thin people are just genetically lucky. 

- Yes, I am thin. I am thin because of my lifestyle, not because I'm lucky. I am very active, always doing things around the house and moving around. Even when I don't exercise, I'm still active. And I eat a low fat diet full of healthy plant foods. I actually eat a lot of food, but most of them are high nutrient, low density (low calorie). If I deviate from this and eat too many nuts or more processed/fatty foods for a period of time, I gain weight. After I had Henry, I had to really watch my diet and be strict about not eating anything processed (no flours, etc) and focusing on vegetables and starches. That's how I lost the baby weight. I had to watch my diet, and then I did lose the weight easily. It's lifestyle and being very conscious about it, that keeps me thin. Not genetics. Genetics plays a very small role in weight and health, and a very large role in excuse making and justification of poor lifestyle choices. It's mostly about what you eat. Don't use genetics as an excuse for your bad habits, and don't discount my efforts by claiming I'm just lucky. 

Vegans are weak and sickly. You can't be an athlete if you're vegan, because you can't develop enough muscle.

- Try telling that to all the vegan bodybuilders, ultrarunners, football players, and other professional athletes out there. Also, last time I checked, you are not an athlete or in any danger of becoming one, so you're good. Oh, and there was that time I ran a marathon, fueled by my plant-based diet. So there's that... 

I read about a study that said bacon lowers cholesterol, and I read a book that said potatoes make you fat. 

- There is a ridiculous amount of conflicting information about what's healthy. There's also a ridiculous amount of ridiculous information. There are always new books coming out, and new diet fads. Most of these are not based on fact. They are not based on sound research and science. A lot of things seem logical, and can seem to be true if you don't have a good knowledge of how the body works. And of course, the authors of these books are very persuasive. It's easy to start believing pretty much anything, if someone is persuasive enough and if you want to believe it. When you're evaluating a diet or health claim, you need to have some understanding of how the body works and also of research design. Educate yourself. You should not believe everything you hear or read. The best thing American schools could do is provide education on research design and analysis, to teach people how to be intelligent consumers of information. 

If you don't have the ability to access and understand research literature, there are still things you can do to figure out if information is trustworthy. First of all, understand that when a research study finds a "statistically significant" difference between the results of two groups, that does not necessarily mean (and actually rarely means) that there was a large difference. Statistics are very important for research, but don't always translate well into real life. So, a study might find that a certain group lost the most weight in a month of comparing certain diets. But what the article you read didn't tell you, is that the difference was actually a very small one. It was just enough to be statistically significant, and then the group with more weight loss gained it all back again afterward. There are also many factors, especially looking at long term health, that are not addressed by that study. Research studies have extremely narrow foci. In order to extract real and useful meaning from research, you need to look at the big picture. So yes, there was once a peer-reviewed article published in JAMA about a study comparing fad diets. The Atkins group, with a high fat diet, ended up with lowered cholesterol compared to the other groups. However, if you look at the large body of research that has been done on diet and health, analyze the trends and the big picture, and look at the recommendations of the world's medical and health organizations, you will find no support for high fat, high animal protein diets. In fact, it's just the opposite. We know that a diet high in fat and animal protein leads to a host of health problems, including high cholesterol. You can't make decisions or base arguments on one research study that you read about back in the 90s. The vast majority of studies, on their own, mean absolutely nothing! Look at the big picture. Look at large studies, especially longitudinal ones. Figure out what information is important, and what's just white noise. 

Some other tips:

When you read an article, or a book, about diet: Do you see a lot of references to peer reviewed medical journal articles? Do you see references to reputable organizations? If you read a book or an article that tells you how to eat and claims to be scientific, but includes no references or relies on a very narrow range of resources, something might not be right. If you read a fact sheet online that makes strong claims about diet, but doesn't give any indication of who wrote it or where the information came from: Be wary. Be aware of who has funded the publication or the "research" you're reading. Was it peer reviewed? What other professionals can you find who are in support of the author? Who are they? Can you get the information about that new diet claim for free? Or do you have to pay for a book or special website access, or order expensive supplements? If it's the latter, be wary.  

I can assure you that my decision to eat a plant-based diet is fully backed by actual fact and science. If you try to persuade me that I'm wrong, you will not win. Plant-based eaters tend to be highly educated and knowledgeable about health and diet. I am no exception, especially since I have some background in research design and a Master of Science degree. Most of the time, I will back down before you do if you try to argue with me about diet. It isn't that you're right. It's that I've realized it isn't worth my time to argue with someone who's ignorant and unable to reason properly. 

Here's the deal. 

I don't care what you eat. In fact, you may notice that I rarely bring up the subject of my diet. Of course, I wish everyone would eat a healthy diet and often encourage those who are interested. If you want information or have genuine questions, I welcome that. If you're just curious about what we eat, no problem. But there is no need to pick a fight. I don't need to hear your excuses about why you think your bacon is healthy for you. Just eat the damn bacon. Each of us makes our own bed, and then we have to lie in whatever we've made.