Great Weekend

Dear Michelle,

I have to first of all apologize for being kinda harsh with my comment, because it was really a knee-jerk reaction — as most comments like that are — to the strong feelings of guilt tied to my own ideas of a “hearty” breakfast. It took me about 2 minutes to post that comment, and I do hope you take that and all comments like it with a grain of salt. I really wish I hadn’t started off the comment thread that way because the truth is that I’m really enjoying the blog and am super excited to try some of the recipes.

That said, I /am/ a new reader, but I did go back and read your bios so I understand a little bit about where you’re coming from. This in no way gives me the right to make any sweeping generalizations about what is right for YOU to eat — that is absolutely right. The thing is that you are in a very difficult position as a health food blogger. I should never have told you to eat more food — it is very clear that you feel your best eating this way. The more I think about it and attempt to clarify my initial gut reaction, I feel not so much concerned with your health personally, but with the reactions of other new readers like me, or younger more impressionable girls struggling with body issues and looking to vegan/raw diets to lose weight. The format of a blog means that readers /are/ going to see posts in isolation. Even though I am a new reader, everything individual post you make is legitimately subject to scrutiny out of context too.

Your language in your post is very wink-wink-nudge-nudge, and I realize that you didn’t mean things like “don’t judge me” literally, but the underlying tone was as though you were treating yourself to a big splurge. As someone struggling with body and eating issues, trying to enjoy my food and figure out what portion sizes are appropriate for my body, seeing your small (but really so delicious looking) stack of socca made me feel guilty (feelings that are MY issue, NOT yours for posting this…) about the hearty vegan pancakes I had just made for myself in the first time in about a year. As I am searching for the answers to understanding my own body, and as I don’t have the money to go to a nutritionist, I’m in the same position as a lot of young women — trying to find whatever information I can online as to what portion sizes are appropriate for people generally. It is almost impossible to get an accurate or helpful idea of proper portion sizes by scouring blogs, but I can guarantee you that lots of young dieting girls are doing it and subconsciously indexing ideas of what portion sizes make sense. Justifying eating tiny portions — which for /some/ people may be undereating — is easier when you see a healthy, thriving person eating tiny portions. When you blog about a version of pancakes that is pretty darn healthy compared to S.A.D. pancakes (which is the diet most Americans, and therefore potential new blog readers, are living on) and repeatedly call it a “treat,” there are two issues that arise for new visitors to your blog. One, some are immediately turned off to health food if this is what constitutes a “treat.” (This isn’t a problem for you, necessarily, but it’s just one thing I notice and try to deal with in trying to change loved ones’ minds about healthy food.) Two, there are going to be another portion of (young) readers who will see your photos, read what you’ve written, and unconsciously process this photo as the idea of a proper portion size for /everyone/ without necessarily understanding the idea of nutrition for the individual. Reading about this as a “hearty treat” might very well give way for the young, uninformed, decontextualized reader to associate feelings of guilt with heartier breakfasts like the one I had and started to feel guilty about, and begin the cycle of over-restriction that is so detrimental to our health and psychological well-being. Not that you are responsible for other peoples’ reactions, but you do and will continue to have an effect on all your readers with every nuance in your writing tone and every photo. I think the question that got me was “Do you feel it is okay for little treats like this?” The answer is OF COURSE, without a doubt!

You’re in a super difficult position, and I respect your work on this blog. As a blog writer you /are/ accountable for everything you write, and sometimes you /do/ have to defend it, because it is out for all the world to see. But like I said initially, please take dumb knee-jerk comments like mine with a grain of salt — I overreacted, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to dialogue with you a little about this.

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