Actually, I was jut reading Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" last night. He goes into very exquisite detail about why all creatures prefer high protein over low protein, high fat and sugar over low (all mammals have a sweet tooth, relatively speaking), and so forth. It's pretty obvious: high caloric value, which does not equal high nutritional value, is what most creatures will go for, because of millions of years of experience of storing up calories against famine. Pollan's chapter on how high fructose corn syrup has basically replaced sugar, and appears in all foods now, and is a major contributing factor obesity, is illuminating.
Of course birds would go for higher-fat, higher-sugar content. So do we. It's feasting against famine.
It doesn't seem to me that this addresses nutrition at all. It's pretty obvious that it's about feast and famine, summer and winter. Instinct and preference.
I gave up worrying about nutrition years ago. I eat what I ate growing up. The difference now is that I eat more game meat, because my butcher sells it. I grew up on soups and stews, which I think are better for you than just about anything. I eat a lot of fruit, walk a lot, do tai chi. As it is, I'm still pretty trim, haven't been to the doctor in a couple of years - screw check-ups - and one of these days, like everyone else, I'm going to die.
Actually, I was jut reading Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" last night. He goes into very exquisite detail about why all creatures prefer high protein over low protein, high fat and sugar over low (all mammals have a sweet tooth, relatively speaking), and so forth. It's pretty obvious: high caloric value, which does not equal high nutritional value, is what most creatures will go for, because of millions of years of experience of storing up calories against famine. Pollan's chapter on how high fructose corn syrup has basically replaced sugar, and appears in all foods now, and is a major contributing factor obesity, is illuminating.
ReplyDeleteOf course birds would go for higher-fat, higher-sugar content. So do we. It's feasting against famine.
It doesn't seem to me that this addresses nutrition at all. It's pretty obvious that it's about feast and famine, summer and winter. Instinct and preference.
I gave up worrying about nutrition years ago. I eat what I ate growing up. The difference now is that I eat more game meat, because my butcher sells it. I grew up on soups and stews, which I think are better for you than just about anything. I eat a lot of fruit, walk a lot, do tai chi. As it is, I'm still pretty trim, haven't been to the doctor in a couple of years - screw check-ups - and one of these days, like everyone else, I'm going to die.
ReplyDelete