Gluttony and the religion of diet

My newest book, Sugar and Vice, focuses on murder and gluttony. So of course, food was on my mind. Diet #1: Protein “More protein,” said everyone in my workout group. Basil seeds! Protein powder! Single-serving salmon! Black bean muffins! Everyone had a different recommendation. I was like, 'what the F is protein powder?' I looked it up. Usually it’s whey protein, as in from dairy products. So why not eat the dairy product? Read: Smell-E* Because you count calories on a diet is the short answer. If you want high protein but low calories, you end up eating supplements. One friends with cancer ate a high-protein diet. This made sense to me. If you’re in an anabolic state, eat protein to build and maintain muscles. Pro: I am now swole, but I also work out six days a week. Con: I couldn’t find any solid evidence that a high-protein diet helped health overall. Obviously you don’t want to overload your kidneys or take a toxic supplement that will hurt your liver. Read: The power of 'Eh' One study mentioned that best muscle growth comes from eating protein right after a workout. Otherwise, it just becomes extra calories. I do think people take protein too far. Not only are we deforesting land for meat and taking all the fish, but we sweep krill from the ocean for protein. Leave the krill for the whales! Diet #2: Fasting Another friend with cancer credited not eating with his recovery. Starve the cells, including the cancer cells, during chemotherapy. “My oncologist said, ‘There aren’t any studies proving this, but I would try it.’” This also seems plausible, if difficult. Definitely at odds with eating more protein during cancer treatment. I tried the easiest kind of intermittent fasting, 14/10, where you eat between a 10-hour window. Pro: somewhat simple. It definitely made it easier to restrict calories on an app, if you’re into that. Con: I forgot to take my vitamins because I wasn’t eating cereal in the mornings anymore. Diet #3: Plants I picked up Gigi Pandian’s The Accident Alchemist mostly for the gargoyle, but the protagonist spent a lot of time cooking a vegan diet and equating that with health and taking care of oneself. Although I found that theme repetitive, everyone knows you should eat whole fruits, vegetables, beans, etc. I also added more tofu to my diet for more protein. Pro: best sources of vitamins, fibre, etc. Con: Hard to get fresh fruit and veg in the winter without killing our budget, and I mourn the carbon footprint of shipping pears from South Africa. My conclusions: 1. Diets are hard to study in humans because there are no randomized control studies, yet everyone believes in one true path. 2. Probably your healthy body will do fine with any reasonable diet. We definitely know that severe restriction and yo-yo dieting cause more physical and mental health problems. Commit to the one you want, and enjoy it. 3. Good luck to everyone fighting cancer. It is a long and difficult journey, but I hope you come out smiling at the end. With food! Melissa Yuan-Innes is an emergency physician in Alexandria, Ontario and the author of Sugar and Vice.

Gluttony and the religion of diet

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