If you’re looking for an intelligent read about the failures of the Western diet, pick up a copy of Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food.”
I’ve read half the book (it’s a quick, yet informative read) and have underlined some theories that I always believed to be true but didn’t have scientific data to back up. Here is one such theory:
Biochemist Bruce Ames believes that a person will continually feel hungry if his nutritional needs are not met. Thus, nutrient deficiencies may contribute to obesity. (p.123)
Although Ames is referring to hunger in people who eat too many processed (empty calorie) foods, I tend to believe that this theory can also be applied to eating too much of any one food, nutritious or not. I find that, when I eat a well-balanced meal with a variety of nutritious foods, I can eat less and feel full. Conversely, if I eat one kind of food too often (even if it’s something healthy, like lentils), I find that I constantly feel hungry.
Half of me thought this was my imagination, while the other half thought this was very real. For example, my ultimate energy-boosting breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal. It’s got lots of fiber, iron and protein. Oatmeal gives me pep and keeps me full for several hours. Since this grain makes me feel so good, I sometimes eat it for days on end. However, after a few days of eating oatmeal, I no longer get as much energy as I did on day one, and I feel hungry again after a shorter period of time. Why? Probably because I’m missing out on other nutrients provided by different foods.
Here’s another example: Back when I was creating recipes for a Thanksgiving feature, I made a vegetable-based soup that was loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C and other good stuff. I had so much of the soup (I was testing a recipe that served 8), that I ate it for four days straight. The first day I ate the soup, I only needed a small bowl of rice and a salad to make it a satisfying meal. By day four, I was hungry one hour after eating the soup. I used this soup as my only source of vegetables when, in fact, I should have eaten a wider variety of vegetables.
Although Ames’s theory hasn’t been scientifically proven, I really feel that he’s on to something. No single food will give a person all the nutrients she needs; eating a varied diet is absolutely necessary for good health. And your body will tell you what it needs by feeling hungry when it’s nutritional needs are not met.
What about you? Do you also find that your favorite healthy foods don’t have as much “oomph” if you eat them too frequently?
