They say, “don’t cry over spilled milk” but I’ve never been
told not to stand up in defense of it. Do I believe it’s possible to have a
healthy diet that does not include
milk – yes. Do I believe it’s possible
to have a healthy diet that does
include milk – YES!
This morning as I was leaving the gym I overheard an
exercise instructor telling her clients that they should cut out milk entirely
because “it’s just so bad for you” and “we’re the only species that drinks milk
from another animal”. To be fair, she prefaced her advice with “I know
nutritionists would disagree with me but…”. Isn’t that like prefacing an insult
with “No offense but…”?
Overhearing her spew this information she got from
who-knows-where, I could hardly contain my desire to speak up. I had to grit my
teeth and clench my fists before walking away, not out of anger but out of a
desire to contribute to the conversation, to offer my insight. It was not my
place to jump into the conversation occurring right beside my locker, but at
what point to we ignore conversational etiquette to stand up for what we believe
in?
Like Meg Ryan's character in You’ve Got Mail, I think of what I’d
like to say only after the moment has passed. If I could go back to that
moment, this is what I’d say:
If you really want to help your clients, teach them how to
make smart decisions for their
lifestyle, teach them about portion control and moderation, teach them how to
recognize and handle emotional eating—three things considerably more effective
at achieving long term health than telling them to exclude entire groups of food.
I rest my case.
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