The phrase comes from Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food. First of all, I love the idea of vegetables having souls! But apart from that, Pollan makes an excellent point on the connection between nutrition and health. He writes that we can’t possibly know what is going on in the soul of a carrot – meaning that foods are incredibly complex and react in our bodies in thousands of unseen ways. Modern science, of course, has tied certain nutrients to a few specific outcomes. We know that calcium builds bones and beta carotene protects eyes, to take two very simple examples. As Pollan points out, however, scientists have yet to discover all of the compounds present in any one food, much less the multiple effects that each has when consumed. (This is not to say that the whole endeavor of nutrition science is pointless – but Pollan counsels readers to recognize its limits.)
Bottom line: We know enough about nutrients and the ways our bodies use them to show us that fruits and vegetables are vital to good health — and that they almost certainly have protective properties we have yet to identify. The soul of a carrot is deep.
I take away two key lessons from Pollan’s argument here, for pre-diabetics and others looking to live the healthiest life possible:
- I’m thankful for my meter. There aren’t many tools available for measuring the direct impact of what we eat on our bodies. A very powerful one, however, is blood glucose monitoring. This tool provides instant feedback on how your meal or snack affected your blood glucose. Just think about how unique – and awesome – that is. True, blood glucose levels are only one indicator of what that food is doing inside your body – it’s doing lots of other things that we can’t see or measure. But for anyone seeking to prevent diabetes – or nerve damage, kidney damage, and the other possible outcomes from elevated glucose levels – it’s an absolutely critical tool. Instead of dreading the finger sticks, I look at it as gathering valuable data on my health, without a visit to the doctor’s office.
- I’m done with processed junk. When I was first confronted with a pre-diabetes diagnosis, I brought up all sorts of excuses and rationalizations about why I couldn’t forego desserts and other “treats.” They centered around the idea that such foods are a key part of enjoying life, everyone eats them, and maybe it wasn’t worth making such a “sacrifice.” After reading Pollan’s book, Gary Taubes, and others, I now realize the cumulative effect those foods – I’m talking about junk foods and desserts made from refined white flour, fat, and sugar – can have over time. They are not neutral to health, but actively harmful. And after a year or so of making those foods very rare in my diet, I find I don’t miss them… much.
It’s not always easy, but I try to chose “soulful” foods over processed ones – foods with more nutrients and complexity than those composed of sugar, butter, and flour. Our bodies are complex, and nature is the best way to nurture them!