This spring, I have been walking for about an hour first
thing in the morning and listening to a podcast while I walk. I am new to
podcasts, but I have enjoyed listening to the Ultimate Health Podcast by Dr.
Jesse Chappus and Marni Wasserman. The two hosts invite guest speakers every
week to talk about an area of health and wellness. Often, the speakers have
written a book in the subject area of their podcast or are generally passionate
about the subject.
I listened to a recent episode featuring Dr. Sara Gottfried who has written books called The Hormone
Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet.
In the podcast episode, Dr. Gottfried shared her findings about genes,
hormones, and what makes us gain weight and feel sluggish as we age. I found
her discussion on epigenetics and gene expression fascinating. She explains
that while we may have certain genes that may dispose us to be pre-diabetic,
for example, our genes are not the final determinant of our health. Instead,
our genetic expression can be changed or driven by other factors, including
diet, exercise, sleep, and the chemicals we encounter. All of these inputs, she explains, are
information for our bodies.
The idea that food is information makes a lot of sense. As
we have discussed in class, when we eat foods closer to their whole, natural
state, we input vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients and look and feel
healthier. When we eat processed foods that are engineered to contain high
amounts of salt, sugar, and fat and contain all sorts of preservatives,
colorings, and stabilizers, the body ignores normal feelings of satiety and can
desire more food, despite consuming a similar volume or even macronutrient
composition in a meal.
At times when listening to the podcast, I have disagreed
with speakers and doubted the speakers’ credentials and authority to speak on
subject. Many of the featured speakers share their ideas
from a “dietics” perspective. As we have discussed in class, each
of us individually should be the ultimate deciders of what and how much to eat, not some
self-titled “expert.” So, if you listen to the podcast, enjoy the food for
thought, but take the speakers’ ideas with a grain of salt.
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