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January 23, 2006
Blatant Attempt to Use Other Group's Resources to Promote CR
Don't tell anyone, but I'm very consciously hijacking another group's events in an attempt to convert the members of the group to healthy eating. Not necessarily to CR, though there many be hope for one or two. But I'm spreading the gospel of healthy, delicious, low carb, low cal, high nutrient eating without regard to what people think they want.
I got myself appointed Potluck Mistress (that means person in charge of potlucks, in case that's not obvious) for a social group in which I am involved, and I have the power to list what vague category of foods should be brought to events. For instance, entrees, salads, etc. Here is a reproduction (edited to protect the innocent) of an email that I sent to the group list re: upcoming potluck. Note my clever hijacking of the potluck and carefully forcing people to bring healthy food:
So that we may fortify our bodies and minds appropriately, it is again time to think about your potluck contribution for Sunday, Jan. 29. We have a hot plate now, so I'll bring vegetarian chili in a big pot with assorted hot sauces on the side. I will also bring a fruit dessert of some kind. Who wants to bring:
-- appetizers (
-- side dishes
-- soda
-- wine/beer
-- tea/coffee
-- another vegetarian entree or a meat entree
Thank you! Looking forward to seeing all.
Hehehe. I'm bringing a healthy entree, so I avoided the dessert monster by offering to bring a dessert myself. Of course, my dessert will be fruity and low calorie and so delicious that no one will miss the cookies and chocolate. Note the not so subtle praise of the woman who brought the vegetable tray last time... I just went nuts filling myself with celery and cauliflower.
The members of this group have accused me, only half-jokingly, of attempting to convert them to my cult. Is CR a cult? Depends on how you define cult, I suppose. I'm not really trying to convert people to CR, but I am trying to encourage healthy eating. Many, many members of this group have complained to me about their weight and told me that they are making an effort to eat healthier. Shouldn't we make that easier by providing good food choices at potluck gatherings?
So far, my attempt is failing. Here's a message I just got back (names purged to protect the dessert providers):
What side dishes are needed? I will be glad to bring any sweets that are needed.
Oh dear. I felt so frustrated... how are people going to get healthy if they're constantly confronted with cookies and brownies (and I don't mean Sherm's megabrownies) at social events with their friends? It all goes back to that nurturing issue: are you really doing your friends any favors by serving them "treats" that will make them fat and unhealthy? Especially when they're already unhappy with their weight?
I wrote to her off-list mentioning that I was planning to bring the dessert. Hopefully she will volunteer another dish. I don't think I would mind the gak-feeding so much if it weren't for the fact that many of the people in the group are overweight, and they're not happy about it. If someone really wants to eat cookies and doesn't care about the health effects -- or at least doesn't complain in my presence -- then I don't pay too much attention to what they're eating. But the constant eating and serving high carb, high saturated fat, high sugar, super high calorie gak, added to the complaints about weight and body image, really gets to me.
Okay, now we're making progress. I just got this back:
Well since you are bringing the dessert, what other side dishes are needed? Veggies? Some kind of dinner rolls?
and I responded:
Veggies would be fab!
I hope I'm not a total pest for trying to steer things in the direction of healthy foods. Several (group) members have recently mentioned to me that they're trying to lose weight/eat healthier, so I'm hoping to make that easier on folks by providing a lot of healthy, delicious potluck foods. I don't want to ruin everyone's fun, but I know that the excellent cooks in the group like you and (blank) can make great food that's healthy too, and that will make it easier for the folks who are working on the food issue to be successful without having to resist too much temptation.
Am I an evangelist? Am I a low cal crusader? An apostle of the Eggwhite? It's a far cry from the Priestess of the High Carb Darkness.
You could argue that I bring food into everything, but food is already in everything. We use food to bind together our communities, to celebrate our love, to comfort ourselves and others in hard times. Food is never neutral -- it's either nourishing you or poisoning you. Like any poison, unhealtful foods in small doses may not hurt you, and sometimes it's worth the risk. But these days, I choose to nurture those I love and care about or just like or even can barely stand with food that will fortify them in body and mind, not just numb their tastebuds with gak and bomb their brains with blood sugar spikes.
So everywhere I go, with every tool I have available, I try to spread the good news. You don't have to be unhealthy, unhappy, and obese. Anyone can be thin, healthy, and a lover of leeks (unless you don't like leeks.) We come to it in different ways, but we all have power over our own choices. Anything I can do to make it easier for the people I love, care about, just like, or can barely stand to make healthier choices, I will do.
I hope I don't lose my post as Potluck Mistress over this.
Posted by april at January 23, 2006 4:39 PM
Comments
You're on to something there! I avoid my group potlucks like the plague because there is simply nothing, and I'm not exaggerating, NOTHING healthy to eat. Nobody brings crudites, any vegetables are deep-fried, and of course there's the chips, nachos, cheetos, mystery meatballs, brownies, cookies, red dye no. 5 "fruit" punch, and cake.
But I do miss the socializing over the food. I mean that is the purpose of a potluck, is it not? To mingle why you dine? So I think I'll take a cue from the Potluck Mistress and wrest some power away from the current Potluck Meisters in my group. Quite a nifty version of that ole' saying, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
Posted by: Sam at January 23, 2006 4:54 PM
hey April,
Here is a CR-friendly side dish/veggie dip you can bring to your potluck dinner. Tzadziki in greek or cacik in Turkish.
500 gr. non-fat plain yogurt
2 cucumbers
4-5 garlic cloves (if people won't eat garlic in a public occation, omit)
mint, fresh if you can get them, flakes if dried
low sodium salt (1 dessert spoon or more if you like salty)
Cut the cucumbers into tiny little pieces
Cut the garlic into tiny little pieces
mix the yogurt with the salt, then with the tiny little pieces of cucumbers and garlic.
Add the fresh mint leaves or the dried flakes (as much as you like).
Refrigerate a little before serving.
This makes a great side dish as well as a great low-cal dipping for the veggie tray.
zeynep
Posted by: zeynep at January 23, 2006 5:10 PM