Eat your food without fear
Foul-mouthed chemist tells you not to believe everything you read
There are sugar-shaming, detoxing and gluten-demonizing diets. Scary food rumours swirl — it’s enough to take your appetite away.
You’d think food is out to get you, says Yvette d’Entremont. “We’re told “sugar is toxic, cheese is addictive and GMOs ... well, they’re up to something right?”
The wild wired world servers up a gluttony of food information — and misinformation filled with large helpings of pseudo-scientific BS, stresses d’Entremont, an edgy science blogger based in California who uses her chemistry and forensics degrees — and snark, swearing and researched facts — to expose bunk science, magical thinking and misleading blogs.
Scibabe wants people to look at food without fear — and do their research before assuming something that is based on psycho-babble is the truth.
For sure, people need to be more conscience of what they’re eating, she stresses, but she also wants them to be conscious of what they’re putting into their heads — and be their own best BS detector. The funny, foul-mouthed chemist stomps all over misconceptions and exaggerations about food and science, ratting out uncredentialed, misinformed bloggers, intentional misinformers and fear mongers on the World Wide Web.
“Get your information elsewhere — run to get your information elsewhere!” says d’Entremont. “Research and ask the experts. There is nothing more frustrating and irresponsible than some bloggers out there giving medical and health advice based on flawed ideas or linking to studies which they’ve misinterpreted based on scientific papers, solid evidence and reports from renowned medical institutions.”
She encourages people to read alternative views; however, science corroborates with itself, she adds. “There’s research at independent labs to verify results in science. It’s a lot more reliable than, let’s say, a mommy blogger who tells you her instinct is that organic food cures allergies — it doesn’t — or that appendicitis is caused by diet.
“If an ‘alternative’ food blogger has a hit rate of being scientifically accurate, that’s similar to the percentage of days that Donald Trump’s hair doesn’t look ridiculous.”
Stop listening to people who make their living telling you everything that tastes good is going to kill you, adds d’Entremont, who also guest blogs at goodineverygrain.ca/blog.
“This whole movement of alternative health and alternative food thinks that if we go back to organic and eat a certain way and avoid big pharma, we will live forever without disease.
“This is a position ignorant of science, medicine and history.”
D’Entremont stresses that if you have celiac disease, Crohns, allergies or other ailments, then it’s a given certain foods are off limits. But the rumoured toxic sugar, gluten and even bacon can be eaten in moderation without worry, she adds. “There are no foods or additives currently on the market proven to be toxic in the amount that a healthy adult would — or should — eat them in a normal day or lifetime.”