THE REAL SKINNY... ON HEALTH & NUTRITION IN AMERICA

Welcome to The Real Skinny... where I will dissect some of the myths surrounding the health, nutrition, food & fitness industries in the United States. I started this blog because I am exasperated by all of the misinformation and propaganda we are fed (pun intended) by the government and the mainstream media about our food supply and the fitness industry here in the U.S.

Like many of you, I have long considered myself to be a healthy person. I regularly followed the advice of so-called experts in the nutrition fitness industries about the latest diets and exercise regimens. I exercised almost every day - sometimes for several hours at a time – and I ate what most people consider to be a very healthy diet. I always ate whole grains, low fat dairy, veggies, fruit and lean meats. I counted “calories in” vs. “calories out” religiously. Despite all of my efforts, I was still plagued with a host of issues including excess body fat. My frustration with this predicament – some might call it my obsession – led me to dig a little deeper into the nutrition/health advice I was getting.

My research began with a few magazine articles and websites. Gradually, as I did more independent research, I started to believe strongly that much of what passes for mainstream thinking on nutrition and fitness is complete nonsense. I now spend a big chunk of my free time reading everything I can on this topic – and the more research I do, the more convinced I am.

I am not big on conspiracy theories. I don’t think the CIA introduced crack cocaine into the inner city, and I don’t think George Bush had a heads-up about 9-11. But I have come to believe that the federal government and the agribusiness community have so dominated the debate on this issue that the American people are not exposed to any other line of thinking. And where has this gotten us? Americans are unhealthier and more overweight than ever.

I would like to share some of these concerns with a wider audience outside of family and friends - the poor souls who have already been subjected to my rants these past few years. For their sake and yours, I decided to take my rants to the masses. I look forward to sharing some of what I learn along the way as I attempt to educate myself and anyone who will listen about what it truly means to be healthy in America.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

We Are Hungry

All of this thinking and writing about calories is making me HUNGRY… and apparently, I am not the only one!

Now that kids are back in school, there is a calorie controversy brewing in cafeterias across the U.S. The issue of the day is new school lunch guidelines.  Students are hungrier than ever because schools are now serving up significantly smaller portions of “healthier” food. Kids at Wallace County High School in Kansas are fighting back with a boycott and this music video parody called “We Are Hungry.”

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Calorie Counting Conundrum

As many of you might have heard, McDonald’s started posting calorie counts on their menus across America this week. This move is garnering some praise for the fast food giant. Before we jump on the “McDonald’s is doing their part to combat diabetes and obesity” bandwagon, everyone should understand that this move simply preempts federal regulations that will require all restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to post calorie counts in their stores.  In essence, McDonald's proactively did something that will soon be required of them to do any way.  Marginally helpful, yes.  A selfless act of good corporate citizenship? Probably not.
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Thursday, September 13, 2012

I'm Back!

Perhaps you noticed… perhaps you didn’t… I haven’t written a blog post in quite a while. I admit it’s been a LONG summer hiatus. I’d like to tell you the reason you haven’t heard from me is because I took a nice long sabbatical – you know - travelled to exotic places to renew my spirit and of course, to study the health and eating habits of some of the few indigenous populations left in the world… Unfortunately, that is just not the case.
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