Force Feeding

About a 3-minute read

For anyone who doesn’t know me very well, I am basically agnostic when it comes to nutrition. What does that mean? It means that I don't believe there is ONE right way to eat, nor are there dietary practices that work for everyone.

Because I’m a nutritionist, many people assume I’m a vegetarian, which I am not. My personal beliefs and 55+ years of experience with what works best for my own health and my own body indicate that animal protein helps me maintain my strength, energy, and general health. That said, however, I fully respect anyone who chooses to follow a plant-based diet, keto, paleo, IF, pescatarian, or any other dietary approach.

I know there are many reasons why people become vegetarians, one of which is the way animals are treated. I understand this and am completely against the mistreatment of any animal, and especially those raised for food. Healthy animals make healthy meat, which makes the body of the person eating it healthier as a result. Factory-farmed animals that are diseased, abused, fed an unhealthy and/or unnatural diet, and undergo significant stress are not healthy in any way; not as animals, not as food, not as members of this planet.

I’m not writing this to start an argument, but I would encourage anyone with varying nutritional views to remember that it is each person’s right to follow the path they believe is best. That’s true whether it relates to nutrition, medical beliefs, religion, politics, or any other part of life. Communicating with one another in a respectful way will bring about better understanding, and it also carries with it the responsibility of being willing to agree to disagree and get on with your life.

I have friends and family with varying - and even completely opposing - views on a number of subjects. I won’t claim that we’ve never had heated discussions about our own positions on those subjects, but through these discussions, I have learned what I think is the most important thing about beliefs.: NO amount of pushing, lecturing, emotion, rants, shaming, "data" (which can easily be skewed and/or incorrect depending on who does - or pays for - the research), or even name-calling is going to change a person’s mind. As a matter of fact, the more deeply you engage in any of those behaviours, the more likely it is the other person is going to dig in their heels and defend their existing beliefs.

I’m not a vegetarian and it’s pretty unlikely that I ever will be. Yes, I do eat occasional meatless meals, and no, I don’t sit down to massive servings of animal protein on a daily basis. Regardless of your position about nutrition, ultimately it’s all about balance. Each person has different needs based on a large number of different factors. It’s a highly individual and personal decision, and as a coach, I support whatever approach my clients want to take regarding their nutrition. It’s my job to help them find the healthiest way to go about it and ensure that their health is supported in the best way possible.

Have a health of a day,

Juli