Last week Paula Deen {probably my most favorite TV foodie} revealed during a Today Show interview that she was diagnosed a few years ago with type 2 diabetes. And, boy did that open the floodgates for the dog pound to pounce all over her!
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What really got my blood boiling was this post over on some lame vegan blog. I mean, seriously — how can one ever even consider being a vegan? What would be the point in living?! Anyway– a whole other blog post entirely.
In a nutshell, the above reference post attacks Ms. Paula for having "pushed" her cooking methods and recipes on everyone via her shows, cookbooks, and websites. Now that she's a diabetic she is somehow being blamed for sharing her own passions and knowledge about southern comfort food and should somehow be held responsible for passing it on to the rest of us?! Excuse me? All that vegan crap you've been eating must totally have you lightheaded! What I'd really like to say to the author of that blog post is "Chill out and cut into a nice ribeye!" It might actually make you a bit more enjoyable to be around.
How is what WE {as free and independent individuals} choose to eat suddenly the problem of celebrity chef's and the recipes they've been dishing out for years? Aren't we humans of free will, able to decide for ourselves what we want to eat and put into our bodies? I, for one, LOVE her cooking and think we'd actually be a lot better off as a society if we'd actually USE a stick of butter in a batch of cookies every now and again. I mean, why mess with a good thing? The poor kids who are succumed to being short-changed by moms who swap butter and eggs for applesauce? I couldn't even imagine. Why even indulge in a cookie if it's not truly "indulging"?
And why is it so horribly wrong that Paula is now an endorsed representative for a pharmaceutical company with whom she is now working to develop a new "Diabetes in a New Light" nutritional program for diabetics? Because of her diagnosis, is she suddenly expected to simply find a new career path and NOT use her newfound passion to educate others to share what she knows? Would any one of us – given the same situation – NOT change our tune in an effort to sustain our living? Shifting her professional focus and using her circumstances to her advantage is quite brilliant! I love it when people think entrpreneurally. Genius. Pure genius, Paula!
It's absolutely ridculous that "Erik" from Vegan.com actually put this into his blog post:
"Nevermind that this meant that she went a full three years continuing to encourage people to eat the same sorts of godawful foods that likely caused her own diabetes."
Really? The fact that she took the time necessary to figure out where to go from this point is her own business and she owes her fans and audience ZERO response or accountability. Even if by sharing her recipes she actually was "encouraging" others to eat that way, so WHAT?? Since when did we revert to blaming others for our own choices? Simply sharing a recipe does not force us to change our own life choices or eating habits. We are bombarded everyday with messages from television, social media, blogs, internet news, and so on, yet ultimately the decisions about our own health and well being are our own. If you are someone counting on a celebrity chef to teach you about the value of nutrition, then you are in need of some serious therapy, my friend.
Now, pass me those sticks of butter, ya'll and step off Paula!
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