Patricia Chuey

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Garbage Food

August 15, 2016 By Patricia Chuey

Garbage Food

Immersed in the food and nutrition profession, I’m always surveying the landscape and trying to come up with simple yet impactful messaging to encourage eating well and feeling great about it.

I continue to promote taking an 80-20 approach to healthy eating. Perfection is never the goal or the requirement in achieving optimal health. Where being mindful of the source and quality of what we eat is important, being meticulously “clean” about eating in every choice is also not necessary. Washing our hands before we eat is actually the most important and proven effective “clean eating” measure we can take in preventing illness. Cook at home and you’ll also be well on your way to mastering clean eating!

You’ve heard me speak about how doing diet math and precisely tracking each morsel you eat by using the numbers on the Nutrition Facts section of food labels isn’t the answer either. Instead, reading the Ingredients List and noting what the food is actually made of is useful. Many of the very best foods out there, think fruits and vegetables, have no labels at all and minimal packaging. They don’t have to try to convince us they’re good for us with bold  misleading claims about what they don’t contain. I’ve also encouraged choosing mostly food that rots if left on the counter for too long since foods with an eternal shelf life don’t typically provide the natural nourishment we require.

To all of these guiding principles and in an ongoing effort to make all of this even easier, I’m adding this latest rule of thumb for choosing great food:

Decent food doesn’t generate excess garbage.

Garbage food promotes both garbage as waste/litter and garbage behaviour.

Sadly, I’m reminded of this every time I head out on one of my regular running routes. I run up a rural-ish road that takes me past a lush green sports field and along a path leading to spectacular ocean and mountain vistas. The scenery is pristine, fresh and energizing. I can’t imagine throwing a speck of litter onto this sacred ground and the beauty that’s all around.

I think, or at least hope, it’s the minority, but every time I head out on this route I see garbage at various points on the side of the road. I never see salad bowls, nut butter jars, fish bones, vitamin bottles or paper bags from wholegrain bread strewn along the route. What is always there is pop cans, potato chip bags, chocolate bar wrappers, slurpee cups or fast food shrapnel – all litter from what can be considered unhealthy food we should eat less than 20% of the time, if at all. Note: Real ‘rock stars’ don’t litter. There are also always cigarette butts on the ground. A serious fire hazard in this wooded part of the country, I’ve always wondered how our beautiful earth can possibly be considered someone’s ashtray??? Sober or not when doing it, I wonder if some people aren’t even conscious of the fact they’re littering? That seemed to be the case in a news clip I saw where a local reporter interviewed a young couple who denied littering mere moments after throwing their McWaste out their car window – an action that was captured on film.

Perhaps the worst food I’ve ever come across for lack of nutrition along with over-packaging is those gimmicks marketed as a kid’s lunch or snack pack. As I ran along on a gorgeous blue sky day and saw a couple of those on the ground, all I could think about was how garbage food leads to garbage behaviour. I had to write this post because I suspect many of my nature-loving friends have also made this observation at one point or another and been baffled by it. If I see a trash bin nearby, I pick up the trash to discard properly. I then wash my hands while shaking my head in wonder. Then I reflect on the walking group I can start someday for earth-conscious nature-loving retired folk who value fresh air, getting outside for walks in the company of friends and doing something to keep the neighbourhood beautiful.

I know I’m speaking to the converted, but continue to respect your body and the earth by eating wholesome, low garbage-generating food. Ingesting quality, nourishing food also leads to clearer thinking and most likely the kind of thoughts that would prevent throwing garbage out your car window or anywhere you feel instead of in a proper recycling or trash bin. Also encourage kids to eat for their health and the health of their planet.

Filed Under: ChueyOnThis Tagged With: bad food=bad habits, clean eating, garbage, litter, waste

Patricia Chuey

It has been my life’s work to create peace of mind around food and health. What an absolute joy to connect with so many who have shared, done the work and now reap the benefits of an energized, healthy life!

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Emma Lee

Patricia Chuey was a freelance writer for Urbanbaby & Toddler magazine for 9 years. Her articles were not only accurate and timely but also engaging and well written. In readership surveys, her articles received some of the highest marks from our discerning readers.

Ann Collette

I have had the pleasure of working with Patricia Chuey in her capacity as a dietitian, recipe developer, writer and consultant for more than 15 years. Patricia has truly distinguished herself, not only for her comprehensive knowledge of nutrition and contemporary nutrition-related issues but also her empirical knowledge of health in general – attributes that… Read more “Ann Collette”

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Patricia exudes her own joy de vivre and is always ready to roll. She is graceful and professional while sharing her knowledge and expertise with our viewers. She is someone you can relate to and look forward to seeing. Patricia “invites you in” and you want to stay. She is the perfect expert/co-host.

Karen Stark

Working with Patricia was a wonderful experience, her knowledge, experience and passion for food was very apparent. She worked on several tofu recipes for us and for our tofu cookbook that helped it become a great seller on store shelves

Jeff Bohnen

Patricia came back to Intrawest for a return engagement as a guest of our Health & Safety Committee, and was just as great the second time around! Not only is she funny and engaging, but she also has an amazing ability to be a teacher, not a preacher. Her easy-to-remember, common sense approach to nutrition… Read more “Jeff Bohnen”

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This was the BEST lunch and learn I have ever been to. Informative, not lecturing like this topic can sometimes be. Patricia was a very effective presenter and I found it incredibly beneficial to me. She was fantastic; informative, funny and interesting!

Jack Hourigan

Patricia brings vast nutritional knowledge, quick wit and professionalism to every show. She is a pleasure to work with, is a talented dietitian and has a calming presence on and off camera…everyone should have a Patricia Chuey in their lives…we’d all be a little happier and healthier!

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You make me look sooo good. The staff are buzzing around talking to each other and saying how great you are. Thank you once again for making our staff appreciation day function so successful.

Deanie Foley Gillespie

Patricia developed 96 original recipes for BC Tree Fruits. In addition to providing recipe development and nutritional analysis, she also determines if recipes are suitable for low fat, heart healthy and diabetic diets. Patricia always met the challenge of creating recipes that target our numerous fruit commodities as she brings vast industry knowledge to the… Read more “Deanie Foley Gillespie”

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“Patricia was the very first mentor I ever had, and I’ve looked up to her ever since the day I walked into her office.  An extremely accomplished business woman and dietitian, Patricia’s passion for helping people succeed is truly unprecedented.  I’ve had the great fortune of learning from Patricia over the years, and can put… Read more “Tori Wesszer”

Rhonda Klatik

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Patricia for the past 9 years conducting Health and Wealth seminars. Patricia is one of the most captivating and enjoyable speakers I know. Her subtle humour and extensive knowledge of nutrition and well-being amazes her audiences. I recommend attending her highly sought after seminars. You’ll learn the key… Read more “Rhonda Klatik”

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