I had to take some time to really calm down from my initial thoughts about the recent announcement circling in the food world — PAULA DEAN ANNOUNCES THAT SHE HAS DIABETES. REALLY? After years of treating butter like a food group, frying up lots of chicken, baking rich cakes, etc., did she and her loyal fans really think that years of cooking high fat, high sugar meals would not catch up with her? Well, we “reap what we sow” and if we continue to eat unhealthy foods, we will have consequences that could lead to some sort of bad health issue. But I’m not sure that Paula agrees with this. She does not admit that her cooking has played a role in her having Type 2 Diabetes, and that is really sad. In fact, when Al Roker from the Today Show asked her about her thoughts as to how she could have gotten diabetes, she said everything except that. Instead she says what many Americans say, “It’s in my family genes!” Come on people!
Why did she wait so long to tell?
I’m shocked and disappointed with the fact that Paula waited THREE (3) years to tell her loyal fans that she was battling with this disease. WHY? Why did she wait so long to announce something that many people struggle with every day? This would have been the perfect opportunity to humanize her brand even more and tell the world that I’m just like you. Yes, I know people have a right to decide how much of their personal lives they want to share with the world, but come on, it’s not like she had a terminal illness! In fact we’ve seen other celebrities come out and announce worse things than diabetes like Christina Applegate and Guiliana Rancic announcing breast cancer to everyone shortly after the news broke. But no, Paula decided to wait because she said in an interview that she didn’t have anything to give the people.” What does that mean? What does she have to give us, besides truth and transparency?! So now after three years she’s ready to give us something…and it looks like it benefits her and the Dean family:
1. A paid endorsement with Novo Nordisk a drug company making diabetic medication
2. Bobby Dean’s new FoodNetwork TV show called “Not My Momma’s Meals” where he is making healthier versions of Paula’s recipes
Lastly, I want Paula to stop saying that she encouraged everyone to eat in moderation! Just stop it! If by chance she did, it was probably one episode in January when the network decided to have a theme to cook healthy. After that it was chicken and dumplings with sweet tea!
Learning Lesson:
We should all learn from Paula that we are what we eat, and despite the genes in our family, if we continue the tradition of eating unhealthy meals with very little exercise, it will catch up with us! So, take a step back and evaluate your pantry and recipes and determine if it’s worth possibly getting sick. And if you need help with recipes, consider purchasing the cookbook “So, What Can I Eat Now?!“
Rhonda's Cooking 