Are You “Woke” When It Comes To Nutrition?

Are You “Woke” When It Comes To Nutrition?

Most Fridays I spend my time in a small clinic in Winslow, Arizona. It’s an outreach clinic which I find quite rewarding. Winslow, Arizona is a beautiful place, however perhaps even more beautiful than the location are the people I care for when I’m there. During one office visit, I had a long conversation with one of my favorite elderly patients about current happenings in the media. She questioned if I was into Jay Z, particularly given his habit of going after young girls. “Oh you must mean R. Kelly,” I said. “Oh yeah, R. Kelly,” she agreed.

I enjoy the time I spend connecting with patients in the office, but after a full day in the clinic it’s time for me to make my way home to Flagstaff. In doing so, I drive by an ever-busy McDonald’s. The McDonald’s is hard to miss. It’s not just the golden arches that stand out. There always seems to be a long line of cars at the drive-through... people placing their orders and waiting to receive their “happy meals.” The irony is that I travel to this small town with prevention in my heart and leave with the image of McDonald’s on my mind-a steady reminder of the work we have left to do.

I view that popular McDonald’s restaurant as a representation of the standard American diet (SAD diet). Every time I drive by I am reminded how our nutrition continues to fuel the epidemic of heart disease in this country. And even though I have a better understanding of what a healthy diet means now, the truth of the matter is I grew up enjoying enjoying those fries, Big Macs, and milkshakes.

Just a short 12 years ago, I was still enjoying either apple juice or Hawaiian punch with many of my meals. I almost never drank water! I've come along way since then, but still have a way to go. I have to give my wife credit for helping me to improve my diet. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand nutrition... more so that I had not committed to changing for the better. My wife pushed me to adopt a much cleaner diet, and I started by cutting out juice and sugar sweetened beverages. In a few months, I had dropped about 20 pounds just by cutting out the sugary drinks!

There is a lot out there when it comes to nutrition right now. Some nutrition gurus advise a vegan diet and avoiding all animal products. There are proponents of a low carb “carnivore diet” who advise against any plant-based products, and there is also obviously everything in between. To me the idea of being “woke” when it comes to nutrition involves having a clear sense of how devastating the standard American diet is. We may not be able to agree on low-carb/keto versus vegan versus Mediterranean, but the one undeniable thing is that the highly processed foods and refined sugars in the SAD diet are killing us in large numbers. As a society, it’s time for us to wake up ... and step out of the matrix.