Back in 1978, Bob and Charlee Moore founded Bob's Red Mill because of their sincere belief in the nutritional power of whole grains. So it's no surprise that Bob has taken a personal interest in Judith Finlayson's new book,
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate. In this book, Judith explores the science behind epigenetics, or external changes to DNA that can turn genes "on" or "off," as well as how your grandparents' nutritional history may affect your well-being—and how your personal choices could affect future generations!
We interviewed Judith to get the inside scoop on her new book and asked her what we can do to improve our well-being in practical, consistent ways. Read on to learn more!
Bob's Red Mill: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Judith Finlayson: I was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and moved to Toronto to attend university. I’ve lived in Toronto ever since. I think it’s a great place to live. It’s known as a city of neighborhoods, so it’s very people friendly for such a large (actually huge) metropolitan area. Most people don’t know this, but if you exclude Mexico City, Toronto is the third largest city in North America—smaller than Los Angeles but larger than Chicago. I live in Riverdale, a leafy area with two large parks that is quite close to downtown. It’s very people- and dog-friendly and walkable. I walk everywhere.
BRM: What led you to become a journalist?
JF: People I grew up with tell me that I always said I wanted to be a writer. I don’t remember that, but I was an avid reader as a kid. I just loved curling up with a good book. As I got older I realized I also loved literature in a thoughtful way—working backward and trying to see the larger picture behind the words on the page. As I became aware of social injustices, I really wanted to save the world. Becoming a journalist was one way of doing that. I felt I could make people aware of social problems, and by doing that help to make the world a better place.
BRM: What are you passionate about, in terms of food and the way our culture currently relates to it?
JF: So many things, I lose count. I love to eat. I think enjoying good food is one of life’s great pleasures. But once you get beyond that immediate satisfaction, it’s hard not to think about the issues that affect the food on your plate—in my case, the fact that I can afford to eat nutritious whole food and have easy access to it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many people. Sustainability is another concern. I’m shocked at how unsustainable so many of our agricultural practices have become, including our treatment of animals and fishing practices. We need to take better care of our planet. The good news is that in the process of doing that, we’ll take better care of ourselves by producing higher quality food. I strongly believe that access to nutritious food should be viewed as a right, not a privilege. Many people consume nutrient-deficient food because for a wide variety of reasons, their access to nutritious whole foods is hindered. That’s not right and I’d like to do everything I possibly can to change that.
BRM: How did you transition to writing cookbooks?
JF: The back story is a bit too long to go into, but basically, food had always been my passion and my hobby and when I was offered the opportunity to write a cookbook, I said yes. That book did very well, so at that point I decided to make my hobby my career. And since I’m a very curious person, once I started writing cookbooks, my interests expanded to nutrition and all of the scientific research around food as medicine and so on and so on. Eventually it took me to writing
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate.
BRM: I’ve noticed you’ve written a lot of cookbooks that feature slow cookers. What’s your philosophy behind that?
JF: My first cookbook helped to pioneer the idea that you could produce top quality dishes using a slow cooker. These days, everybody does that, but back then the appliance had been used primarily to cook legumes or as a way to prepare what are known as “dump and stir” dishes—mixing together a can of this and a can of that. I quickly saw that the slow cooker had the potential to produce great made-from-scratch dishes like soups, chilis and classic braises. These dishes use nutritious whole foods and in general terms are more economical because they utilize lower-cost ingredients like legumes and less-expensive cuts of meat, like brisket. One of the things I love about the slow cooker is that it is a way to help busy families and those on a tight budget to prepare nutritious meals. It’s also great for “big batch” cooking, so you can make extra and freeze it to have on hand. That means you don’t need to resort to unhealthy fast food on those days when you’re too busy to cook.
BRM: Can you introduce us to You Are What Your Grandparents Ate?
JF: You Are What Your Grandparents Ate is focused on the relatively new science known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). The fundamental idea is that what you eat and experience has implications beyond your own health. It also affects future generations. We now know that environmental impacts like poor nutrition or exposure to toxins at key developmental stages (pre-birth and early infancy are particularly significant) set the stage for the development of chronic illness later in life. There are a number of biological mechanisms at play; thanks to the science of epigenetics we are seeing that some are involved even before a baby is conceived.
Take your grandmother, for instance. Her impact begins when she was pregnant with your mother because that’s when your mother’s eggs were forming (females are born with all their eggs). So the food your grandmother ate, the air she breathed and any toxins she might have been exposed to are directly connected to you, because one of those eggs that formed when she was pregnant with your mother represents half of your biological origins. You may be surprised to learn about one study that showed that if you are female and your grandmother experienced famine when she was pregnant, it increases the chances that you will die younger than your peers whose grandmothers were adequately nourished. Your father, the other half of your biological heritage, also has the potential to transmit vulnerabilities, in his case, through sperm. Unlike egg cells, which form in utero, sperm cells form in puberty. The question is, does your grandfather’s diet have an impact on you, and the answer is yes. If you’re male, your risk of early death increases if your grandfather ate too much around the time his sperm cells were forming.
BRM: What inspired you to examine this topic?
JF: I was given a copy of
Nutrition in the Womb by Dr. David Barker, the epidemiologist whose work really launched the science underlying the developmental origins of health and disease. His first studies showed a link between babies with low birth weight and heart disease later in life. He published his original findings in 1986 and with other researchers began actively publishing studies that showed links between poor fetal nutrition and a variety of chronic illnesses, including obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension, as well as heart disease. By the year 2000 there was a substantial body of research linking the origins of chronic disease with poor nutrition during the first thousand days of existence, from the moment of conception. And yet no one I knew had ever heard of it. I started doing my own little surveys, asking relevant people like doctors and nutritionists if they knew about Dr. Barker’s research, and none did. I found that shocking and over time became committed to making sure that this important information reached people so it could start making a difference.
BRM: What are the top three things the average person could do today to improve their own health and that of their children and grandchildren?
JF: There is probably nothing you don’t already know. But we now have lots of science to support it. It’s basically sound nutritious advice.
Make a practice of consuming nutritious whole foods, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. To borrow from Michael Pollan, eat food, not too much, mostly plants. We now know that too much, as well as too little, nutrition at key developmental stages can have a negative effect on long-term health. In addition to a wide range of micronutrients, a diet high in various plant foods provides dietary fiber and phytonutrients, such as polyphenols. Among their benefits, these substances nurture the beneficial bacteria in your gut. We can now connect gut health with a wide range of health benefits from stronger immune systems to brain health.
Don’t eat processed food is the opposite side of this coin. If you’re filling up on junk, you’re not consuming nutritious whole foods that will help to keep you and your descendants healthy. I’ve never been a fan of processed food, but after researching this book, I realize that its negative effect on long-term health is even worse than I thought. A growing body of evidence links the consumption of processed foods with the development of conditions such as obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. It has even been shown to increase your risk of premature death. Sadly, its effects don’t begin and end with you. Thanks to a diet heavy in processed foods, many people suffer from a condition known as high-calorie malnutrition. This affects reproductive cells and the quality of pregnancies and, as a result, its negative effects are being passed on through the generations
Make sure you get adequate exercise. Sedentary behavior contributes to many different health conditions, from heart disease to osteoporosis and sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass and strength). While we’ve long understood that being a couch potato has negative effects on your health, science can now provide insight into why this is happening. For instance, recent research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that exercise can, in effect, slow down the aging process at the level of your cells by improving gene expression. One important point to remember is that your workouts don’t need to be heavy-duty to produce results. For people over the age of 50, low-intensity workouts have been found to be just as beneficial as those that are more intense.
BRM: What can you do if, say, your grandparents ate poorly or were deprived of important nutrients? Is it game over?
JF: Certainly not. This is the very good news that comes from our understanding of epigenetics. Even modest changes to diet and exercise can positively affect gene expression. Consider the groundbreaking agouti mouse study, which was published in 2003. It showed that improving the nutrition of pregnant females improved the health not only of their immediate offspring, but also that of the subsequent generation.
BRM: What do you say to people who are resistant to changing their current habits, or just feel helpless or are struggling with family members who aren’t on board?
JF: That’s a tough one. It’s hard, if not impossible, to change the behavior of people who don’t want to change. I guess I’d say, read
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, or give it to reluctant family members to read. They need to understand that their health is a legacy. It doesn’t begin and end with them. They need to reframe their behavior in terms of their responsibility to future generations.
BRM: Do you have a favorite Bob’s Red Mill product?
JF: It’s hard to pick just one. My pantry, freezer and fridge are filled with Bob’s Red Mill products. I love the various types of stone-ground cornmeal and grits. I always have several different varieties on hand. When I have time, I often make
steel cut or
Scottish oatmeal for breakfast. The slightly crunchy texture really makes the oat flavor pop. And I couldn’t live without the
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. It’s mostly whole grain, and I think it makes the flakiest pie crust.
BRM: What’s your next project?
JF: Right now I’m focused on the tour for
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate. I now have nine speaking events scheduled through November, across the United States and Canada, and I know more requests are being looked at. That is a lot. In December, I’m taking a holiday in the sun with my family, including my new grandson.
BRM: What do you like to do for fun?
JF: My husband and I love to travel. We’ve visited many wonderful places around the world, from India, China and Thailand to various parts of Europe. One of the most interesting trips we took was to Iceland, probably because it’s so different from anywhere else we’ve been. We hope to visit many more. When we’re home, I love to cook and to entertain. Having good friends over for dinner is, in my opinion, one of life’s great pleasures. We also like to eat out at interesting restaurants—not necessarily fancy but interesting. Toronto, where I live, is a very multicultural city and there are always new types of food to explore. I enjoy theatre, visiting museums and seeing a good movie. And I still love to read. I belong to a great book club. We have a facilitator and with her help we really generate some fascinating discussions.
Our thanks to Judith for a fascinating interview! Look for her book,
You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, at Amazon and other retailers, or come find us at
FNCE this October at booth #343, where we'll be giving away copies and you can meet our founder, Bob Moore.
Back in 1978, Bob and Charlee Moore founded Bob's Red Mill because of their sincere belief in the nutritional power of whole grains. So it's no surprise that Bob has taken a personal interest in Judith Finlayson's new book, You Are What Your Grandparents Ate. In this book, Judith explores the science behind epigenetics, or external changes to DNA that can turn genes "on" or "off," as well as how your grandparents' nutritional history may affect your well-being—and how your personal choices could affect future generations!
We interviewed Judith to get the inside scoop on her new book and asked her what we can do to improve our well-being in practical, consistent ways. Read on to learn more!
Bob's Red Mill: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Judith Finlayson: I was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and moved to Toronto to attend university. I’ve lived in Toronto ever since. I think it’s a great place to live. It’s known as a city of neighborhoods, so it’s very people friendly for such a large (actually huge) metropolitan area. Most people don’t know this, but if you exclude Mexico City, Toronto is the third largest city in North America—smaller than Los Angeles but larger than Chicago. I live in Riverdale, a leafy area with two large parks that is quite close to downtown. It’s very people- and dog-friendly and walkable. I walk everywhere.
BRM: What led you to become a journalist?
JF: People I grew up with tell me that I always said I wanted to be a writer. I don’t remember that, but I was an avid reader as a kid. I just loved curling up with a good book. As I got older I realized I also loved literature in a thoughtful way—working backward and trying to see the larger picture behind the words on the page. As I became aware of social injustices, I really wanted to save the world. Becoming a journalist was one way of doing that. I felt I could make people aware of social problems, and by doing that help to make the world a better place.
BRM: What are you passionate about, in terms of food and the way our culture currently relates to it?
JF: So many things, I lose count. I love to eat. I think enjoying good food is one of life’s great pleasures. But once you get beyond that immediate satisfaction, it’s hard not to think about the issues that affect the food on your plate—in my case, the fact that I can afford to eat nutritious whole food and have easy access to it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many people. Sustainability is another concern. I’m shocked at how unsustainable so many of our agricultural practices have become, including our treatment of animals and fishing practices. We need to take better care of our planet. The good news is that in the process of doing that, we’ll take better care of ourselves by producing higher quality food. I strongly believe that access to nutritious food should be viewed as a right, not a privilege. Many people consume nutrient-deficient food because for a wide variety of reasons, their access to nutritious whole foods is hindered. That’s not right and I’d like to do everything I possibly can to change that.
BRM: How did you transition to writing cookbooks?
JF: The back story is a bit too long to go into, but basically, food had always been my passion and my hobby and when I was offered the opportunity to write a cookbook, I said yes. That book did very well, so at that point I decided to make my hobby my career. And since I’m a very curious person, once I started writing cookbooks, my interests expanded to nutrition and all of the scientific research around food as medicine and so on and so on. Eventually it took me to writing You Are What Your Grandparents Ate.
BRM: I’ve noticed you’ve written a lot of cookbooks that feature slow cookers. What’s your philosophy behind that?
JF: My first cookbook helped to pioneer the idea that you could produce top quality dishes using a slow cooker. These days, everybody does that, but back then the appliance had been used primarily to cook legumes or as a way to prepare what are known as “dump and stir” dishes—mixing together a can of this and a can of that. I quickly saw that the slow cooker had the potential to produce great made-from-scratch dishes like soups, chilis and classic braises. These dishes use nutritious whole foods and in general terms are more economical because they utilize lower-cost ingredients like legumes and less-expensive cuts of meat, like brisket. One of the things I love about the slow cooker is that it is a way to help busy families and those on a tight budget to prepare nutritious meals. It’s also great for “big batch” cooking, so you can make extra and freeze it to have on hand. That means you don’t need to resort to unhealthy fast food on those days when you’re too busy to cook.
BRM: Can you introduce us to You Are What Your Grandparents Ate?
JF: You Are What Your Grandparents Ate is focused on the relatively new science known as the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). The fundamental idea is that what you eat and experience has implications beyond your own health. It also affects future generations. We now know that environmental impacts like poor nutrition or exposure to toxins at key developmental stages (pre-birth and early infancy are particularly significant) set the stage for the development of chronic illness later in life. There are a number of biological mechanisms at play; thanks to the science of epigenetics we are seeing that some are involved even before a baby is conceived.
Take your grandmother, for instance. Her impact begins when she was pregnant with your mother because that’s when your mother’s eggs were forming (females are born with all their eggs). So the food your grandmother ate, the air she breathed and any toxins she might have been exposed to are directly connected to you, because one of those eggs that formed when she was pregnant with your mother represents half of your biological origins. You may be surprised to learn about one study that showed that if you are female and your grandmother experienced famine when she was pregnant, it increases the chances that you will die younger than your peers whose grandmothers were adequately nourished. Your father, the other half of your biological heritage, also has the potential to transmit vulnerabilities, in his case, through sperm. Unlike egg cells, which form in utero, sperm cells form in puberty. The question is, does your grandfather’s diet have an impact on you, and the answer is yes. If you’re male, your risk of early death increases if your grandfather ate too much around the time his sperm cells were forming.
BRM: What inspired you to examine this topic?
JF: I was given a copy of Nutrition in the Womb by Dr. David Barker, the epidemiologist whose work really launched the science underlying the developmental origins of health and disease. His first studies showed a link between babies with low birth weight and heart disease later in life. He published his original findings in 1986 and with other researchers began actively publishing studies that showed links between poor fetal nutrition and a variety of chronic illnesses, including obesity, type-2 diabetes and hypertension, as well as heart disease. By the year 2000 there was a substantial body of research linking the origins of chronic disease with poor nutrition during the first thousand days of existence, from the moment of conception. And yet no one I knew had ever heard of it. I started doing my own little surveys, asking relevant people like doctors and nutritionists if they knew about Dr. Barker’s research, and none did. I found that shocking and over time became committed to making sure that this important information reached people so it could start making a difference.
BRM: What are the top three things the average person could do today to improve their own health and that of their children and grandchildren?
JF: There is probably nothing you don’t already know. But we now have lots of science to support it. It’s basically sound nutritious advice. Make a practice of consuming nutritious whole foods, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. To borrow from Michael Pollan, eat food, not too much, mostly plants. We now know that too much, as well as too little, nutrition at key developmental stages can have a negative effect on long-term health. In addition to a wide range of micronutrients, a diet high in various plant foods provides dietary fiber and phytonutrients, such as polyphenols. Among their benefits, these substances nurture the beneficial bacteria in your gut. We can now connect gut health with a wide range of health benefits from stronger immune systems to brain health.
Don’t eat processed food is the opposite side of this coin. If you’re filling up on junk, you’re not consuming nutritious whole foods that will help to keep you and your descendants healthy. I’ve never been a fan of processed food, but after researching this book, I realize that its negative effect on long-term health is even worse than I thought. A growing body of evidence links the consumption of processed foods with the development of conditions such as obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. It has even been shown to increase your risk of premature death. Sadly, its effects don’t begin and end with you. Thanks to a diet heavy in processed foods, many people suffer from a condition known as high-calorie malnutrition. This affects reproductive cells and the quality of pregnancies and, as a result, its negative effects are being passed on through the generations
Make sure you get adequate exercise. Sedentary behavior contributes to many different health conditions, from heart disease to osteoporosis and sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass and strength). While we’ve long understood that being a couch potato has negative effects on your health, science can now provide insight into why this is happening. For instance, recent research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that exercise can, in effect, slow down the aging process at the level of your cells by improving gene expression. One important point to remember is that your workouts don’t need to be heavy-duty to produce results. For people over the age of 50, low-intensity workouts have been found to be just as beneficial as those that are more intense.
BRM: What can you do if, say, your grandparents ate poorly or were deprived of important nutrients? Is it game over?
JF: Certainly not. This is the very good news that comes from our understanding of epigenetics. Even modest changes to diet and exercise can positively affect gene expression. Consider the groundbreaking agouti mouse study, which was published in 2003. It showed that improving the nutrition of pregnant females improved the health not only of their immediate offspring, but also that of the subsequent generation.
BRM: What do you say to people who are resistant to changing their current habits, or just feel helpless or are struggling with family members who aren’t on board?
JF: That’s a tough one. It’s hard, if not impossible, to change the behavior of people who don’t want to change. I guess I’d say, read You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, or give it to reluctant family members to read. They need to understand that their health is a legacy. It doesn’t begin and end with them. They need to reframe their behavior in terms of their responsibility to future generations.
BRM: Do you have a favorite Bob’s Red Mill product?
JF: It’s hard to pick just one. My pantry, freezer and fridge are filled with Bob’s Red Mill products. I love the various types of stone-ground cornmeal and grits. I always have several different varieties on hand. When I have time, I often make steel cut or Scottish oatmeal for breakfast. The slightly crunchy texture really makes the oat flavor pop. And I couldn’t live without the Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. It’s mostly whole grain, and I think it makes the flakiest pie crust.
BRM: What’s your next project?
JF: Right now I’m focused on the tour for You Are What Your Grandparents Ate. I now have nine speaking events scheduled through November, across the United States and Canada, and I know more requests are being looked at. That is a lot. In December, I’m taking a holiday in the sun with my family, including my new grandson.
BRM: What do you like to do for fun?
JF: My husband and I love to travel. We’ve visited many wonderful places around the world, from India, China and Thailand to various parts of Europe. One of the most interesting trips we took was to Iceland, probably because it’s so different from anywhere else we’ve been. We hope to visit many more. When we’re home, I love to cook and to entertain. Having good friends over for dinner is, in my opinion, one of life’s great pleasures. We also like to eat out at interesting restaurants—not necessarily fancy but interesting. Toronto, where I live, is a very multicultural city and there are always new types of food to explore. I enjoy theatre, visiting museums and seeing a good movie. And I still love to read. I belong to a great book club. We have a facilitator and with her help we really generate some fascinating discussions.
Our thanks to Judith for a fascinating interview! Look for her book, You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, at Amazon and other retailers, or come find us at FNCE this October at booth #343, where we'll be giving away copies and you can meet our founder, Bob Moore. 