Healthy Food vs Good Tasting Food: Paula Deen Controversy

I can’t believe that the first month of 2012 is nearly over! My mother always told me that time goes by faster as you get older and she sure was right.

I’ve been eating breakfast every day, as planned. I get a few pieces of fruit from the “Fruit guy” near my job, but I still need some more bulk in my diet, so I’m going to start cooking/eating more beans.

Speaking of my food, I’ve been following the Paula Deen story and I’m a little disturbed by the whole thing. If you’re not familiar with the story, this is it in a nutshell: Paula is a TV chef and she’s famous for using lots of butter, lard and sugar. She cooks what is most commonly referred to as “comfort food” or “Southern Cuisine”. She was diagnosed with Type II diabetes 3 years ago, but she only admitted it to the public recently. People keep asking her when she plans on admitting that it was her cooking/eating habits that caused her to develop diabetes. They’re also “demanding” or “strongly suggesting” that she change her cooking style to include healthier foods. When I say “they” I’m referring to talk show hosts, news interviewers, etc.

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that develops, no one if born with it. It is caused by a combination of things, including being overweight, eating a diet that’s high in fat and sugar and not getting any (or enough) exercise. It is preventable and usually reversible.

I was watching The View yesterday and the ladies got into a heated discussion about the topic. When it was suggested that Paula should demonstrate how to make healthier meals and desserts one of the hosts said something along the lines of “She can’t because she’s known for cooking food that tastes good”.
When I hear people complaining about not wanting to eat healthy because healthy food doesn’t taste good, it makes me want to scream! I’m not a health fanatic by any means but I know that if I dine on fast food, soda and Hostess Twinkies, I’m going to have to pay the price for it eventually. There are plenty of ways to cook healthy AND tasty food. Most chefs on TV have changed their cooking styles in favour of more healthful cooking methods and techniques. That’s why Paula’s cooking style stood out so much.

Anthony Bourdain, another celebrity chef said this to TV Guide about Paula Deen "When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you've been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you've got Type 2 Diabetes. ... It's in bad taste if nothing else”

I saw Paula Deen deep fry a stick of butter !!! The fact that she waited 3 years before admitting that she was diabetic is very telling. She defended her method of cooking for years by saying that a person can eat anything he or she wants to, as long as it’s done in moderation. It would be nice if she tried to lighten up her old recipes and make them a little healthier. I just don’t see how she will be able to continue to have the same kind of cooking show, with all of that fattening, artery clogging food, while she’s acting as the spokesperson for diabetes medication. She has been saying that she doesn’t plan on making any major changes to her cooking style.

Actually, the reason she “came out” is that she agreed to be the spokesperson for a diabetes drug called Victoza. I didn’t hear this until about 2 days after the story broke. I wish she would have decided to promote healthier cooking and eating, instead of promoting a pill as a quick-fix.