The latest Willy Street Reader published an article on the pros and cons of applying reductionist science to the foods we eat. The author makes many valid points such as "It's easy to forget that scientists make mistakes, missing factors or attributing an effect to the wrong cause. In itself, that's no problem; critical review and revision are central to the scientific method. When nutritional science makes its way into the food market, though, mistakes can have serious consequences. Remember the opinion-still widespread- that margarine is better than butter?" I can appreciate his point. Most of you know I worked as a research scientist before beginning my education and career in naturopathy fourteen years ago. I still carry the scientific approach with me. It's fascinating to me to try to work out the puzzle of an individual's health issue and find the food-based or nutrition-based solutions to help them be well. However, we can never know everything and it's important to remember it's an on-going process of receiving new information about our bodies and adjusting how we care for ourselves.
The author adds: "Honest reductionist thinking still tends to downplay complexity, assuming that whole systems can be explained by their basic elements, even when the interactions of those elements aren't yet well understood." We often think that a new vitamin or new diet may make all the difference for us, but it's only with experience and continual tweaking that we often gain the best results. It's important not to blindly follow a new fad, while at the same time keeping an open mind to discern what is the next step.
The author discusses our current culture of food and nutrient consumption with a message to, above all, consider how you feel when you eat different foods. Such self-awareness is critical and will aid you in attaining optimal health. Regular meditation helps with cultivating self-awareness. No one but you can control what you eat and best understand how you feel afterward. The Body Tune-up cleansing process we've developed at Human Nature is one valuable way to experience the therapeutic effects of various foods. We can walk you through the process one on one or in group formats. If a gentler dietary upgrade is what you seek, we are here to help with a private phone call or office visit.
The online version of the Reader article is not available yet but I'll send a link soon.