Column #220

On October 29, 2019, former President Barack Obama was interviewed at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago. During the course of the interview he made a two-minute comment about being woke. It was instructive for our times and everyone should take it to heart.¹

The word “woke” has an interesting history. Originally it was a term of African American origin that referred to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social and racial justice. First used in 1938, it was derived from the expression “stay woke.” As with many expressions its meaning evolved to include more topics than originally intended. In the past half dozen years or so its usage started including politics generally. More recently young folks have been using it for a very broad range of topics.”²

As Obama explained in his comment, some people who believe they are woke have a habit of weaponizing their points of view. That’s because they believe their woke viewpoint (about whatever) is absolutely the only way to perceive it. Then with a feeling of superiority they ostracize people who express different slants of view on the same topic. When publicly ridiculing and shouting down others, woke folks are exhibiting a holier-than-thou attitude. They don’t realize that’s a very negative human frailty.³

Obama says the problem with this condescending approach toward others with differing views is that it doesn’t work if you want to create change. That’s because—“The world is messy, there are ambiguities.” He explains that people you might despise or consider incompetent may be good people who actually share many of the same beliefs you do regarding topics other than the one you’re addressing.

That’s why being judgmental of others is not a constructive trait. The Bible has many parables that compare judgmental attitudes with being accepting and respectful of others. All of them remind us we are all God’s children. Ridiculing people in an attempt to change them not only builds walls but it’s self-destructive. Working on one’s self and setting positive examples is a far better approach.

When food is a topic, everyone has a different perspective. What people eat is so personal and ingrained in their daily habits that a change in the appearance, texture, smell, and flavor of any food they are supposed to eat can be very disturbing to them. Getting people to refrain from eating sugar, sweet fruit, ice cream, and chocolate is nearly impossible. Some people crave bread. Not everyone likes the flavor of nutrient dense foods and so on.

Everyone’s background differs. Maybe impressions start in the weeks before birth. For sure, during our formative years and even later in life our experiences and perceptions of how we are treated become hardwired into our lizard brains. This is why advertisements for what are and are not proper foods for optimizing health are usually based on fearmongering, ridicule of other approaches, or product descriptions that appeal to physical senses rather than the intellect. The overwhelming success of goods marketed that way prove the effectiveness of those approaches.⁴

Unfortunately, just like in politics where it’s rather messy and reality is somewhat ambiguous, nutritional science is quite messy and often ambiguous. Debates rage over the conflicting conclusions in the tens of thousands of studies. Nearly all studies are conducted by people who have at least some biases. Interpretations of reports are usually made by people with biases. Some reports are seriously flawed with errors. Some people can see results in experiments that don’t actually exist. This happens in science the same way that some people in an audience totally misinterpret what is said even though many others interpret the speaker’s statements in their proper context.

Not all of us are 100% in tune with the times, yet we are all “woke” in various degrees for a broad range of topics. So it’s no wonder that we’re not all on the same page. Therefore the concept of what is a proper diet will continue to range all over the field of play. But in my book, based on the science as I see it, the “truths” behind the healthiest foods can be summed up in three paragraphs.

Foods that are high glycemic (carbohydrates, sugar) should be minimized. Grass-fed and Omega-3 animal fats are far superior energy sources.⁵

The bulk of our diet should consist of foods that are nutrient dense and diverse. Kale, spinach, broccoli, and similar greens are plant-based foods that fit. Of course meat is the most nutrient diverse food while also being very dense. The best meats are grass-fed because their nutrients are always more dense than the grain-fed meats.⁶

How essential nutrients are balanced in the foods we eat are exceedingly important. I do not focus on foods that are dense in a few nutrients and eat them like as if they are supplements. I prefer complete foods with natural, essential-nutrient balances such as is found in the greens and grass-fed and Omega-3 meats. I think the essential nutrients Americans need to focus on most are the essential fatty acids (EFAs) Omega-6 and Omega-3. These two families of EFAs should be balanced 1:1 in the diet and consequently in the membranes of our cells. Most Americans have ratios well above 10:1. This is a concern because as the ratio goes above 4:1 incidences of chronic disease increase dramatically.^{7 8}

I’m woke, but hopefully in a positive way.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

1. Barack Obama Takes on ‘Woke’ Call-Out Culture: ‘That’s Not Activism’ from YouTube Video

2. Woke from Wikipedia

3. What Judging Others Reveals About You from The Positivity Solution

4. Stories and Your Reptilian Brain by Ted Slanker

5. Sugar = Sugar = Sugar by Ted Slanker

6. Is it Actually Different? by Ted Slanker

7. EFA Education Balancing Omega 3 and 6 Fats Gives Better Health by Dr. Bill Lands

8. Why Omega-3 Can’t Improve Health by Ted Slanker