Diet and Dogma Don't Mix

dog·ma (dôgm, dg-)

n. pl. dog·mas or dog·ma·ta (-m-t)

An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true.

We're constantly surrounded by diet dogma. There are many things I used to think were dietary "fact" that I now question. For instance, did you know that cholesterol actually has a positive function in your body? Or that it might not cause heart attacks? Interesting stuff! But most people, if you tell them this, won't take a moment to fathom it. 

Diet dogma can be closed-minded, misleading, silly, cliquish, resistant to contrasting opinion, and in the end, if they're being dogmatic about a diet that is unhealthy for some, or all people, it can be dangerous. I know from personal experience!
I don't think for a minute that any of it is malicious... just sometimes a bit misguided. 

Also, I can't say that I've never been an offender of diet dogma. I used to be primarily an ethical eater, and I was passionate about it! Nothing wrong with passion, but I think I did have blinders on. 

When I was really sick, and figured out that it had something to do with my diet, it really pained me to stray from my vegan ways. It's so odd to me that for most people veganism isn't just what food you eat, it's a part of your identity. Two years ago when I ate that first bit of chicken I felt like the vegan police were gonna bust down my door.

This is what I found when I Googled "Vegan Police." :)

I also felt a bit like a hypocrite because I'd touted the diet to everyone I knew since I started it. I was out to save the animals and save the planet, and I felt a bit like I'd abandoned part of my mission. A year and a half later, I'm really, really glad I did stray, it's saved my life. But I wonder if there are other people like me, in the same pickle, who can't let go of their dogma in order to save themselves. I know it's all in the name of compassion and caring for animals and the earth... but you can't really have compassion for other beings if you don't have it for yourself.

I'm not trying to poop all over veganism, it just happened to not be the right diet for my body. If you thrive on it, more power to you! The Standard American diet doesn't work for me either. I'm a delicate flower, what can I say.... 

I also haven't abandoned my ethics with my new diet either. I still care, I still do what I can, and I'm a lot better of an advocate for a brighter future since I have my health and mobility back again. 

Another pitfall of the diet dogma-er is the notion that if anyone didn't do well on their diet that they MUST have done it wrong. This drives me up the wall. We're all different! It follows that our bodies will not all thrive on exactly the same things. Your diet can still be awesome even if it didn't work for someone else. Lets not throw chili pies at one another now.


Since going on a paleo-ish diet, I've noticed some dogma in that world as well. I mostly see it from paleo dieters, not so much from auto-immune paleo eaters like myself. Arguments about what is more or less caveperson-like is just total silliness in my mind. Everyone should just listen to their own bodies, check out scientific research on nutrition, see a holistic nutritionist if you can, and figure out what works for you!

I focus a lot on diet, and I feel like I am kind of on a crusade to get information out there about my condition, but, I don't think everyone should eat *exactly* like I do. If you can eat rice and nightshade plants, please do, they're delicious! (and I'm a tad jealous!) 


Now, Go Forth and Nosh!