Is this a new diet strategy or just a bit of common sense?

Sep 19, 2019 | 10 comments

By Mike Weber

We live in a world of immediate gratification. So, this short article seeks to give some quick perspective on eating. We will explore some ideas about how to enjoy eating without any real punishment – almost none!

I’m not an “expert dietitian”… not me. I look to my friend and colleague registered dietitian

Susan Burke March for scientific advice and information. My late-in-life gift seems to be the ability to recognize synergies and form strategies. I have been working at a non-profit foundation in efforts to implement nutrition education in local schools. This quest has caused me to come across some provocative works by others.

First, have you read Tim Ferriss Wall Street Journal bestseller. “The 4-Hour Workweek”? This is a really fun book that I wish I had read earlier in my career! Please don´t tell my boss that I read it recently! 

Mike Weber, director of special projects at the CEDEI International School

Ferriss’ book relates to diet in a rather distant manner in that Tim gives a good explanation of  Pareto´s Law. Tim´s explanation is as follows: “Pareto’s Law can be summarized as follows: 80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs. Alternative ways to phrase this, depending on the context, include: 80% of the consequences flow from 20% of the causes …”.

How does this relate to eating? My hypothesis is that certain, high-frequency-in-diet foods and drinks generate the majority of good nutrition effects and vice versa. This not-so-genius hypothesis is supported by Bob Greene´s New York Times Bestseller “The Best Life Diet”. (For the purposes of this article and guidance in general, it would have been better if the book had been called: “Eating Strategy for Your Best Life”. As Susan points out, the word diet implies an intervention rather than general operating conditions.)

Bob supports my hypothesis, or better said Pareto´s Law, by giving the following guidance in the first phase of his best life diet: “Eliminate six problem foods (or drinks) from your diet”. You probably know what these foods are! Bob suggests: “alcohol, soda, foods with trans fats (french fries), fried foods, white bread, high-fat milk, and yogurt”. He gives excellent alternative foods and drinks in his book … except for alcohol! (My go-to drink during the week is water with a bit of fresh lime – wow, those abundantly-juicy, little limes always seem to be available here!) 

So, what does all this really mean? Perhaps it means that the high-frequency foods are the ones to identify and really control. And, the rare decadent indulgence should not cause us “eater´s remorse”. 

P.S. If you are knowledgeable about children´s education or mental health education and would like to donate a little time, please look me up at CEDEI at Grand Columbia and General Torres.
_________________________
Mike Weber is the Director of Special Projects at the CEDEI International School in Cuenca. Email him at mweber@cedei.org 

Susan Burke March

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