Moooo-urns.

For anyone else planning/hoping/praying/wishing for an MSc in Nutrition, I'd like to make to advise that you advertise with caution. Although I'm fresh out of logic (being that it's Friday) let's see if I can't develop the integrity of this suggestion...

Being a social scientist with a particular interest in the science and psychology of nutrition, I find myself often on the receiving end of questions about everything from "what's the difference between a carbohydrate and a carburetor" to "what should I eat if I want to look good?" I should also mention that everything from people watching on the bus to observing parent-child dynamics at the grocery store make me understand human cooperation (or lack thereof) in a way that is so much accessible than 97% of the meta theory and political philosophy I have studied in the past 4 years at school.

And yes, there is a reason why Dd (my oldest sister) praises my ability to express multiple ideas without so much as a punctuation markk.

I'm no RD, nor do I possess any certifiable expertise regarding food, but I can tell you that I've reached a point where I can comfortably generate a sense of someone's general bevahiours by looking at their lunch, or within the first 3 minutes of chatty cathying about food. The workplace is a social science goldmine for food and mood voyeurs (like me). My interest stems largely from having overcome some bad food habits of my own which were largely manifestations of my perfectionism and (restrospectively) unrealistic need to maintain some optimal state of leanness year-round. Being much more perfomance and uhm, 'ow you say, life-oriented, I'm now feeling much better, thanks for asking. Oh yeah, that small mortgage worth of counselling didn't hurt either.

In particular, I find that women often seem to develop these "moral codes" built entirely within a food-framework. I often find women almost defending their food choices around me. A lot of my beliefs around the morality thing come from repeatedly hearing phrases like:
"Oh, just so you know, I never normally eat X.."
"I just didn't have time to put together a lunch so I grabbed Y.."
"I probably won't eat the whole thing but.."
"I really watch my kcals.."
"I just needed something to Z..."
"I was bad today, I ate X.., I was good this weekend, I didn't eat much Y.."
(or worse) "Since I ate X this weekend, I starved on Sunday and did a 10 mile run with Rover, who mistakenly attacked my growling stomach, and then I did a detox and put imported Belgian cucumbers over my pressure points to channel the calories away from my thighs."
Hrmmm...

My knee-jerk reaction is always to wonder why people feel a need to justify their food choices to me (or others!). I would never judge someone based on their lunch, and in no way would I ever want people to feel as though my appreciation and modest knowledge of nutrition makes me the food police! The sighting of a police vehicle seems to elicit an involuntary spasm into model-citizen mode and sometimes my conversations with people about food are no different. I guess this ties a bit in to my wish to be seen as a balanced person, too. The same way I feel about not wanting people to feel self-conscious about eating a chocolate bar in front of me, I'd like people to know that despite not being witness to it, I do eat ice cream (and how!) and love to enjoy rich and sexy foods every now and then. I take pretty darn good care of my body in exchange for the volume of output I demand from it, so when I do enjoy a treat (and now that I am forever snobbified by having a pastry chef for a sister) I'm reaching for something boldly created with real and decadent ingredients. This is also how I rationalize a relentless appreciation for opulent goodies alongside my regular of making healthy food taste great. This is also why it's not a big deal to pass up store-bought cake with gritty buttercream frosting, or just save a piece to use as an adhesive for wallpapering.

Flourless chocolate hazlenut torte from Stubbe wilfully (and gleefully) enjoyed at Dd and Simon's anniversary last weekend

All this to say that I think we should all be at peace with our choices in life and know that judgment occurs in a vacuum. I really love eating fresh and healthfully because it makes me feel great and allows me to truly and guiltlessly enjoy celebrations and special meals without worring about how I'm going to keep Rover from growling back at my stomach...

(Oh! By the way, mainstream nutrition is FINALLY opening its eyes to that often ignored body of literature that favours a protein/carb mix over just fast carbs for endurance and recovery. Although plain milk was used in this study, you get the point. Please note that despite debunking myths built so dogmatically by the Gatorade Institute, this study was sponsored largely by the US National Dairy Council who probably tossed a pretty hefty chunk of change out for this research.)