There has been a lot of online chatter about an article penned by Tara Parker-Pope which appeared recently in the NY Times. The article focussed upon what type of cook we all are and the health implications of the outcome of the answer to that question.
According to the article, apparently in this time of economic hardship staying in is the new going out. So more and more people are putting that time at home to good advantage by preparing more meals from scratch in an effort to make ends meet.
But is your cooking better for you than what you would have chosen previously?
Well research conducted by Cornell University might help to give us a clue.
A team of investigators questioned the cooking habits of 770 family cooks and found that five distinct types of cook emerged.
“Giving” cooks (22 percent) are eager cooks and excel at preparing homemade treats and comfort food.
“Methodical” cooks (18 percent) follow the recipes for better or worse and so their cooking is clearly shaped by the cookery book they employ.
“Competitive” cooks (13 percent) want to create the best dish ever and don’t care about the consequences on health.
“Healthy” cooks (20 percent) focus less on taste and regularly use fresh ingredients and serve fish.
“Innovative” cooks (19 percent) tend to produce healthier meals by trying out innovative ingredients, cookery techniques and cuisines.
So what does the type of cook you are have to do with your weight?
Well, according to the survey, “giving cooks” tend to be the least healthy cooks, whilst “innovative” cooks tend to be the best in terms of the balance between taste and freshness.
Does this help us out in our slimming ventures?
Well there is a survey at the NY Times which can help you to determine which type of cook you are.
But much as I enjoyed reading the article and the underlying research I can’t help thinking that they miss a couple of points which are essential for successful slimming.
Point 1: This research is largely based upon the impact the “nutritional gatekeeper” has on the household in terms of their food choices, both in the home and out and about in the world.
These gatekeepers apparently influence about 72% of our food choices. I do not believe we need 28% of freedom of choice to get fat. I think a fraction of that freedom is all that is needed for many to put on weight.
Point 2: This is a static review of how people are at this moment in time. It’s a snapshot and not a video, if you like.
When I got fat, for want of a better way to put it, I was largely a “giving” eater, and not a “giving” cook. In fact I rarely cooked – I just made lousy choices: something to slam in the oven while I got ready to go out and drink too much. My food choices were largely poor. The repeated excessive drinking choice was clearly poor. My lifestyle was lousy. It didn’t matter what I did or did not cook.
Point 3: There is no indication in this research about whether they believe leopards can change their spots.
For my own part I had to – at least in my own mind.
As I have already stated I was a comfort eater and drinker which loosely translated into this research, as a single householder, makes me a “giving” cook.
But this is definately not how I cook now. And not how I lost weight. I became ... slowly admittedly ... a “healthy” cook ... much of the time. Which leads me onto the fourth point ...
Point 4: I believe most people are not just one category of cook all of the time.
I am a mix of these.
Nowadays, much of the time I am a “healthy” cook. I eat loads and loads of fruit and veggies ... between 5 and 10 portions per day. But when I started losing weight I was no where near this range – it took me years to get to this point and there were lots of other strategies I had to put in place along the way to allow me to make that long term transition.
However, I am only a “healthy” cook most of the time – the rest of the time I am largely a “giving” type, but not a giving type of cook, rather I am a “giving” eater. Finding the balance between the two allows me to still enjoy some of my old habits occasionally. It allows me to enjoy eating out with friends. I eat and drink to my heart’s content and I believe that is vitally important to the success of any long term venture ... to still be able to eat and drink in a way I enjoy.
Point 5: Following on from point 4 above, why can’t a “giving” cook create a “healthy” starter or dessert to go with a comfort main course, or for that matter, why can’t a “giving” main even be cooked with “healthy” options as accompaniments.
Point 6: I do not like categorizing people in this way. I think to stick people in boxes because of how they live their lives at this moment in time doesn’t define a persons capabilities – it does the opposite – it limits them to the category they have been dumped into ... just like being overweight or obese, or tall or short.
To be fair to the original article and the NY Times piece, the focus of the article is on healthy cooking, not necessarily on weight, but with ever expanding waistlines due to our Western lifestyle eating habits, the link is an obvious one.
Hope you find this interesting. If so please feel free to comment either here or drop me a line at my healthy weight loss site.
Until next time ... take care,
According to the article, apparently in this time of economic hardship staying in is the new going out. So more and more people are putting that time at home to good advantage by preparing more meals from scratch in an effort to make ends meet.
But is your cooking better for you than what you would have chosen previously?
Well research conducted by Cornell University might help to give us a clue.
A team of investigators questioned the cooking habits of 770 family cooks and found that five distinct types of cook emerged.
“Giving” cooks (22 percent) are eager cooks and excel at preparing homemade treats and comfort food.
“Methodical” cooks (18 percent) follow the recipes for better or worse and so their cooking is clearly shaped by the cookery book they employ.
“Competitive” cooks (13 percent) want to create the best dish ever and don’t care about the consequences on health.
“Healthy” cooks (20 percent) focus less on taste and regularly use fresh ingredients and serve fish.
“Innovative” cooks (19 percent) tend to produce healthier meals by trying out innovative ingredients, cookery techniques and cuisines.
So what does the type of cook you are have to do with your weight?
Well, according to the survey, “giving cooks” tend to be the least healthy cooks, whilst “innovative” cooks tend to be the best in terms of the balance between taste and freshness.
Does this help us out in our slimming ventures?
Well there is a survey at the NY Times which can help you to determine which type of cook you are.
But much as I enjoyed reading the article and the underlying research I can’t help thinking that they miss a couple of points which are essential for successful slimming.
Point 1: This research is largely based upon the impact the “nutritional gatekeeper” has on the household in terms of their food choices, both in the home and out and about in the world.
These gatekeepers apparently influence about 72% of our food choices. I do not believe we need 28% of freedom of choice to get fat. I think a fraction of that freedom is all that is needed for many to put on weight.
Point 2: This is a static review of how people are at this moment in time. It’s a snapshot and not a video, if you like.
When I got fat, for want of a better way to put it, I was largely a “giving” eater, and not a “giving” cook. In fact I rarely cooked – I just made lousy choices: something to slam in the oven while I got ready to go out and drink too much. My food choices were largely poor. The repeated excessive drinking choice was clearly poor. My lifestyle was lousy. It didn’t matter what I did or did not cook.
Point 3: There is no indication in this research about whether they believe leopards can change their spots.
For my own part I had to – at least in my own mind.
As I have already stated I was a comfort eater and drinker which loosely translated into this research, as a single householder, makes me a “giving” cook.
But this is definately not how I cook now. And not how I lost weight. I became ... slowly admittedly ... a “healthy” cook ... much of the time. Which leads me onto the fourth point ...
Point 4: I believe most people are not just one category of cook all of the time.
I am a mix of these.
Nowadays, much of the time I am a “healthy” cook. I eat loads and loads of fruit and veggies ... between 5 and 10 portions per day. But when I started losing weight I was no where near this range – it took me years to get to this point and there were lots of other strategies I had to put in place along the way to allow me to make that long term transition.
However, I am only a “healthy” cook most of the time – the rest of the time I am largely a “giving” type, but not a giving type of cook, rather I am a “giving” eater. Finding the balance between the two allows me to still enjoy some of my old habits occasionally. It allows me to enjoy eating out with friends. I eat and drink to my heart’s content and I believe that is vitally important to the success of any long term venture ... to still be able to eat and drink in a way I enjoy.
Point 5: Following on from point 4 above, why can’t a “giving” cook create a “healthy” starter or dessert to go with a comfort main course, or for that matter, why can’t a “giving” main even be cooked with “healthy” options as accompaniments.
Point 6: I do not like categorizing people in this way. I think to stick people in boxes because of how they live their lives at this moment in time doesn’t define a persons capabilities – it does the opposite – it limits them to the category they have been dumped into ... just like being overweight or obese, or tall or short.
To be fair to the original article and the NY Times piece, the focus of the article is on healthy cooking, not necessarily on weight, but with ever expanding waistlines due to our Western lifestyle eating habits, the link is an obvious one.
Hope you find this interesting. If so please feel free to comment either here or drop me a line at my healthy weight loss site.
Until next time ... take care,
Dr Ian Bracken ridge
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