Off the Beaten Path

So I wanted to write an article about trust in the medical system. I’ve come to this conclusion that so much of what is going on in the blogosphere, so many low-carb and vegan diets, all happen because of a lack of faith. Once your faith in what passes as standard nutritional gospel has dissolved, you are at the whim of whatever scientific theory will sound most plausible.

It’s sad how little territory is explored off the beaten path. It’s sad how much interesting information or clear scientific evidence is just left by the wayside. It’s like this path was beaten out long ago, and now everybody just tramples along. Nobody looks up. And it takes so little critical thought, so little outside research to start poking holes in the standard nutritional dogma. You have to honestly wonder why so few are out there trying to truly map out what health is.

But nutrition is too complex to navigate without guidance. And with most traditional recipes wiped out by processed foods, modern lives, and poor science, those of us on the outskirts have to hobble together whatever we can from the little information that exists.

It’s ironic that this can lead to a much faster decline in health than simply following the conventional wisdom, but it makes sense when you think about it. If conventional wisdom leads to a decline in health across decades, or across generations, then there is no outcry, or even awareness. But if it led to a decline in health in a couple years, that would not be tolerated.

I know my own problems are largely related to my period of low-carb dieting. But I acted on the best evidence I had at the time. As they say, a little bit of information is not always a good thing. But neither would I take it back. I hate to imagine myself mindlessly following the herd when I know a lot of the information out there is wrong.