My Blog: The Price of Being Paula Deen...
Yesterday the beloved Paula Deen announced to the world that she has been battling type-2 diabetes for 3 years. This came as no surprise to most people. She is famous for butter. I believe there was even a bust made out of butter for her once. I am not going to lie I have made a few of Paula's recipes before and they were divine. Not the healthiest but still delicious.
One of the things that I loved so much about Paula was her authenticity. She gave you her wit and charm along with a double dose of deliciousness. Additionally, the story of how she created her cooking empire is inspiring. However, upon yesterday's news it really showed me a side of Paula I didn't want to see. Paula's brand is her life. From growing up in the south, to her battles with agoraphobia, to being a single mom and finally becoming a millionaire and finding love. This is the story that is set up everyday when you tune in to watch her cook. So I found it quite disturbing that she battled with diabetes for 3 years without changing anything about her shows, recipes, books and for that matter what she stood for.
Anyone who has battled diabetes or been around someone who has it knows that life or death lies in the food you eat. A spike in sugar can be fatal. So to keep with the same buttery mantra is mind boggling. In her Today show interview she said she believes in moderation which is correct, but 90% of her dishes have a higher fat/sugar content as compared to its nutrient value. So we should have a small bite of your donut egg sandwich and forgo a wholesome bowl of raisin bran?
Can you honestly continue to show people daily how to make the same food that attributed to you getting a fatal disease? For three years? Tisk tisk tisk. I am not saying she had to tell the world but maybe when she found out she could have made a noticeable effort to be a healthier chef. Lastly, the icing on the cake was that she is now going to be a hired spokesperson for a prescription drug that treats diabetes. So instead of opting for healthier recipes (which she should have been doing over the course of the 3 years) her first public solution is prescription drugs.
Well I think I have sharpened my judgmental tooth enough for today. I am extremely passionate about the links that food choices have to your overall health and spirit. So share your thoughts. Has this changed your perspective of Paula Deen? What should she have done differently?