social commentary

We're at a strange juncture right now. First we were hit by rising food and oil prices -- and then the whole financial system appears to be crumbling before our eyes. No one seems to know what will happen next - with commentators vacillating between fear and hope.

How long will these times of trouble last? How far will our standard of living drop? As I contemplate these things I realize that for a good portion of the world - the standard of living never rose in the first place, and "times of trouble" is a permanent aspect of daily life.

"Is Britney's Diet to Blame for her Behavior" read the newspaper headline a couple of months ago. It seems that doctors were blaming Brit's erratic behavior on her diet of oversized mochas, fast food and "energy drinks".

Research into the food-mood connection is gaining ground and it seems it's not a matter of whether diet does affect behavior so much as how MUCH of an impact it has.

Consider these studies and observations;

Gyms can be great places to go. They can also be extremely artificial. Sometimes I wonder if all the hundreds of different machines are really only useful for a competitive bodybuilder.

I also wonder if a conventional gym workout can wrongly replace other more functional forms of exercise. This picture and quote clearly captures that mentality.

Here are five questions to stimulate conversation, and to motivate you into a cultivating a more nourishing lifestyle. Thanks to Joanne Hay of Nourished for beginning the conversation.

The last decade has seen an enormous proliferation of dietary advice. It must leave the average man in the street cold... and very confused. What is worse is the level of fanatical debate that goes on between the self-appointed nutritional evangelists.

83 per cent of female college students (aged 18-24) diet... no matter how much they weigh. The research appears in the Nutrition Journal (abstract here).

The chief researcher acknowledges that the figure is up from 70% (in previous research) - but that may be due to how they classify dieting.