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Dr Jane Genovese makes the latest research on learning, productivity and healthy living accessible to students, parents and teachers.
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The other day, I heard someone say they use AI to make their to-do lists.
Then another person told me he uses AI to read his email and tell him what he needs to do for the day.
I thought, “Why would you do that?”
Why have we stopped using our brains and completely outsourced our thinking to AI?
In a recent Guardian piece, author Dave Eggers shared what he advises young people when it comes to using AI:
“You’re one of one. You’re unprecedented in the entire line of human history. Only you have your brain. Only you can think of what you can think of. Only you can tell a story in a particular way. Why would you cede that to a machine?”
He went on to say:
“Once you have a machine think for you and write for you, you’re cooked as a species. That’s it. That’s the worse dystopian outcome there could ever be.”
Don’t let AI fry your brain
As generative AI and tech force their way into almost every area of our lives, I’m finding that I want to use my hands more, and not in a typing-on-a-keyboard-into-ChatGPT kind of way.
I want to chop vegetables, roll out pizza dough, journal with pen and paper, cut things out with scissors and stick them down on paper, write letters to people, make mind maps, and read physical books.
These are small acts of resistance, but I believe they are vitally important to retaining our humanity and confidence. These acts signal to our brains, “You’re still in control”.
Generative AI may seem powerful, but let’s not forget the tremendous power that lies within our brains and bodies.
There is a freedom and confidence that comes from doing things yourself, whether that be with your hands, your brain, or a combination of the two.
That freedom and confidence are built through sustained practice and being able to push through discomfort. But research shows these things can be eroded very quickly by routine use and overuse of AI.
Am I just a grumpy old luddite?
It’s easy to label those of us who are actively resisting using AI as old-fashioned, luddites or not keeping up with the times. But doing so overlooks some serious issues associated with AI.
When I first discovered ChatGPT, like most people, I was amazed. It had this mystical quality that pulled me in. But as I started to learn more about generative AI (specifically ChatGPT), the magic started to crumble away. I discovered generative AI had a dark side similar to social media. As investigative journalist Karen Hao writes in her brilliant book Empire of AI:
“…in the same way we once thought Facebook was merely a place for posting vacation pictures and connecting with long lost elementary school friends, or for sparking positive and transformative social movements, there is more to the sleek, entrancing exterior than meets the eye. Under the hood, generative AI models are monstrosities, built from consuming previously unfathomable amounts of data, labor, computing power, and natural resources.”
As I started to see red flags around the environmental and exploitative human impacts of AI (e.g., the data annotators in Kenya who train AI are paid less than $2 a day), I also became alarmed by the ways ChatGPT affected my confidence. These red flags were impossible to ignore.
I distinctly remember this one experience where I used ChatGPT to draft a question to ask at a public meeting. Almost immediately after asking the question, I regretted it. I felt like a kid who had cheated on a test. I felt bad that I had outsourced my thinking to a machine.
Since then, I’ve heard several people say, “Using AI isn’t cheating! Don’t feel bad!” but I think we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to look beyond the AI marketing spin and take a good look at what the research literature says.
A recent study involving 1,923 adult participants found that people who were overly reliant on AI experienced decreased confidence in their cognitive abilities and reported feeling less ownership of the ideas. However, people more likely to challenge or reject AI’s suggestions reported greater confidence in their thinking and a greater sense of ownership of their ideas.
Keep in mind that this study was conducted with adults, not students. Students are still developing their cognitive skills and therefore are not in a position to easily challenge or reject AI’s suggestions.
Whilst I believe we are all vulnerable to becoming dependent on AI and using it to avoid thinking, young people are especially vulnerable. AI conditions us to expect immediate answers, which is problematic in a learning environment where we often have to sit with discomfort and work through challenges.
In fact, another recent study found that people who relied on AI were less likely to persist with a task than those who did not rely on AI. What was most alarming was that it only took 10 minutes of using AI to induce these negative effects.
This should set off alarm bells for all of us. Why? Because persistence is a key part of learning and skill acquisition. It’s also one of the strongest predictors of long-term learning.
Until we have guardrails in place, it’s best to challenge ourselves to use our brains without AI assistance as much as possible.
Yes, using your brain can feel scary and uncomfortable. But in my experience, it’s also incredibly satisfying (like lifting heavy weights or running up a steep hill).
I was reminded of this recently when I had to get up and speak at a public meeting. Due to having very little notice about this meeting (only 5 minutes), I had no time to scribble out ideas on what I was going to say. There was no time to practice and deliver a polished presentation. All I could do was get up and speak off the cuff about this issue I care deeply about.
And you know what? I surprised myself. I delivered a solid presentation.
I felt proud that I could rely on my brain to pull together a coherent speech on the spot. No notes. No ChatGPT. It was just me and my brain.
This experience gave me a natural high that lasted for several days!
For me, the AI-reliant experience leaves me feeling degraded as a human and doubting myself. The other experience (relying on my unique brain) leaves me feeling fully alive and powerful.
To sum up
When you use AI, even for just 10 minutes at a time, you need to be aware that it can change you (and not necessarily for the better). Every task that is outsourced to AI makes you less likely to persist with solving a problem. And unless you’re actively challenging the glitchy AI slop, you’re also crippling your confidence and cognition.
Our tech overlords want to create a friction-free experience where we don’t have to think at all, but they’ve overlooked one key thing about life and learning: it’s a struggle. But that’s how we grow and become stronger.
Be brave. Refuse to take the path of least resistance. Embrace the struggle. Use your brain as much as you can. Remember Dave Eggers’ words of wisdom, “You’re one of one. You’re unprecedented in the entire line of human history. Only you have your brain”. So, use it.
The other day, I watched a video of how crab sticks are made.
When you see how a crab stick is made, trust me, you’ll never want to eat one ever again (you can watch the horrifying video here).
Spoiler alert: There’s no actual crab meat in a crab stick.
Like many people of my generation, I grew up eating all sorts of ultra-processed foods. I developed a taste for chemical additives.
I remember always feeling hungry. I could never stop at just one chip, one biscuit, or one bowl of sugary cereal. I constantly craved more. I thought the reason I couldn’t stop at one chip was that I lacked willpower.
But it turns out that wasn’t the problem.
No one has a willpower problem when it comes to ultra-processed foods. As gastroenterologist Dr Trisha Pastricia explains in her book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong:
“[ultra-processed foods] have been engineered to overcome our body’s normal signalling processes telling us we’re full, providing quick glucose spikes and driving us to eat more.”
So please, don’t blame yourself for eating that whole packet of chips. Blame the ultra-processed food industry!
In this blog, I look at the science behind why ultra-processed foods are so harmful to our health and what we can do to minimise their consumption.
It’s not my intention to overwhelm or scare you. My intention is to increase your awareness so you can make more informed decisions about what you eat.
We’ve been manipulated by the ultra-processed food industry
Many of us trust food manufacturers and the government to act in our best interests. But researchers who study the harms associated with ultra-processed foods will tell you this is completely naïve thinking.
I recently discovered The Lancet Series on Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health. If you’re not familiar with The Lancet, it’s one of the top medical journals.
The series also examines the strategies used by big food corporations to completely transform our food system, maximising profits at the expense of public health.
To launch this Lancet Series, an event was held (and streamed online) where the researchers presented their key findings.
I watched this movie-length event online (you can watch it here). By the end, I felt angry by the conduct of the ultra-processed food industry, but inspired by these courageous researchers who were taking them on!
I believe this is among the most important work on food this decade. I encourage you to take the time to watch this launch event that unpacks the research. Here are six things I learnt from this Lancet Series on ultra-processed foods:
1. Ultra-processed food corporations are like Big Tobacco
Both industries are dominated by powerful corporations whose profits depend on driving overconsumption.
The ultra-processed food industry uses strategies straight from the Tobacco playbook. They employ sophisticated marketing strategies to build lifelong customers, fund studies to create doubt and confusion, and engineer their products to have us reaching for more.
2. Ultra-processed food products are more than just fast food
Ultra-processed food products are attractive products made with cheap ingredients and additives to maximise industry profits.
They contain things you wouldn’t typically find in your kitchen, such as protein isolates, emulsifiers, artificial colours (e.g., Ammonia Caramel 150c), and flavourings (e.g., Disodium 5′-ribonucleotide 635). Think soft drinks, chips, lollies, muesli bars, and fruit-flavoured yoghurts.
When I tried to explain ultra-processed foods to a friend, she said, “But aren’t all foods processed to some extent? Pasta is processed! Cheese is processed!” Yes, that’s true. But pasta and cheese are significantly less processed compared to ultra-processed foods.
This is where the NOVA food classification system can help simplify things.
This system was developed by Brazilian epidemiologist Professor Carlos Monteiro and his team at the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition. This system categorises foods into groups based on the extent and purpose of processing.
How much of your diet comes from the foods in category 1?
3. Ultra-processed foods have displaced real food
Professor Monteiro said that in the last 20 years, we’ve seen a big shift in people’s dietary patterns. The ultra-processed foods in category 4 have displaced the foods in categories 1-3.
Instead of drinking water, we crack open a can of soft drink or a juice box. Instead of having a bowl of oats for breakfast, we have a bowl of sugary cereal. Instead of pasta with a veggie bolognese sauce, we have a packet of store-bought Mac & Cheese or a frozen microwave meal for dinner.
In other words, most people are no longer cooking meals at home like our grandmas used to. They are eating ultra-processed foods that contain ingredients grandma would have baulked at.
4. Ultra-processed foods have led to an increase in chronic diseases
When proper meals that are made from healthy whole foods are replaced by ultra-processed foods, this leads to serious problems.
Studies show that the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the more fat, salt and sugar you consume, and the less fibre and protein you consume.
An overwhelming body of research shows that consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with many chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and cardiovascular diseases.
There’s also this nasty little thing called xenobiotics that ultra-processed foods contain.
Xenobiotics are toxic chemical compounds, such as BPA, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and flavourings, that we are not physiologically adapted to consume.
As Professor Carlos Monteiro said:
“This is the perfect storm for chronic disease.”
5. The ultra-processed food industry has deskilled us
Not only are these food corporations harming our health and reducing our lifespan, but they have deskilled us. They have robbed us of the opportunity to develop valuable cooking skills.
As one researcher said, “Why cook when you can get takeaway?”
The message that came through loud and clear was that these companies do not care about our health. Their business model is all about maximising profits. End of story.
6. We need a real food revolution led by politicians
It shouldn’t just be up to the individual to make dietary changes. It’s clear that our current food system needs to change.
We need regulations that stop these ultra-processed food corporations from marketing their products to children. We need to tax these food products so corporations don’t make such massive profits. We need to make healthy foods (fruits and vegetables) more affordable for families, and much, much more.
But until we have strong political leadership to push for systemic change, what can we do right now for ourselves to fight back and reclaim our health?
Here are seven things you can do to take back your power:
1. Start cooking
We can start by cooking more meals at home. Every meal you cook is you taking back your power from the ultra-processed food industry. It’s you filling your body with the nutrients, phytochemicals, and fibre you need to function well.
Become someone who refuses to give their hard-earned money to these corporations that are chipping away at our health. You can do this by stepping into your kitchen and cooking a nourishing meal.
You don’t have to cook every day. To make your life easier, try batch cooking or as they say, “cook once, eat twice”. Personally, I like spending a couple of hours on a Sunday prepping some meals for the week ahead.
2. Don’t know how to cook? It’s time to learn
It’s never too late to learn how to cook. I didn’t learn how to cook until I was in my thirties. When I finally picked up some basic cooking skills, it was an absolute game-changer.
If you’re new to the world of home cooking, never fear. I recommend starting with some basic kids’ cookbooks (find healthy ones), an online cooking course on a platform like Rouxbe, or online videos of other people cooking (e.g., Jenny Can Cook).
The thing about cooking is it’s a skill. It’s something you need to practice. With time, you’ll get better. Before you know it, you’ll see yourself as someone who takes pride in cooking and fueling up on nourishing meals.
3. Download and start using Yuka
Yuka is a free app that informs and empowers people to make better food choices. Here’s how it works:
When you’re at the shops, you use the app to scan the barcode of the food product. It will rate the food item based on nutritional quality, the presence of additives, and the exposure to pesticides.
It is 100 per cent independent, which means it doesn’t take money from the ultra-processed food industry or any food brands for that matter.
4. Invest in basic cooking tools
Cooking requires some basic equipment, and it’s worth the investment. You’ll get that money back plus more life energy and better health.
So, what do you need to get cooking?
As a bare minimum, you’ll need a good chopping knife, a chopping board, a pot, a wooden spoon, a tea towel, some measuring spoons and cups, mixing bowls, and a stove.
If you don’t have access to a stove, consider investing in an Instant Pot (see point 5).
5. Invest in an Instant Pot
I own my fair share of kitchen appliances, but if I had to pick my favourite it would be my Instant Pot. An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker that allows you to get a healthy dinner on the table quickly.
In my Instant Pot, I have made delicious pasta dishes, fried rice, soups, and curries. Once you get the hang of using it, you’ll be whipping up dinner faster than it takes to order takeaway and have it delivered to your door. Best of all, an Instant Pot won’t break the bank (I got my 8L Instant Pot on sale for $200).
6. Embrace the Brazilian food guidelines
In the Lancet series, the researchers said we need to shift from a focus on reducing fat, salt, and sugar in our meals to reducing our overall consumption of ultra-processed foods. This is what the Brazilian food guidelines set out to achieve.
The Brazilian food guidelines encourage people to eat whole foods that are minimally processed and to enjoy sitting down and sharing meals with others.
Instead of focusing on individual nutrients, the Brazilian food guidelines are a joyous celebration of food. For example, here are some of my favourite recommendations from the Brazilian food guidelines:
- Make unprocessed or minimally processed foods the basis of your diet
- Avoid ultra-processed products
- Eat regularly and carefully in appropriate environments and, whenever possible, in company
- Shop in places that offer a variety of natural or minimally processed foods
- Develop, exercise and share cooking skills
- Plan your time to make food and eating an important part of your life
- Be wary of food advertising and marketing
7. Have healthy snacks ready to go
Psychologist Dr Ashley Gearhardt asks us to consider what small steps we can take to remove the most harmful ultra-processed foods from our diets.
One easy place to start is with snacks.
She encourages us to think about having easy to prepare snacks, such as fruit and nuts, that we can have nearby in case we get hungry. She says you never want to be in a position where you feel like you’re starving and the only thing available are ultra-processed foods.
So doctor’s orders: stock up on healthy snacks!
To sum up
The researchers involved in this Lancet series made it clear: it’s not about never eating ultra-processed foods. The goal is to reduce your intake of these harmful food products and boost your intake of real foods. This is how you take better care of yourself.
What I’ve found is that once you start replacing ultra-processed foods with real foods, you kick-start a self-reinforcing feedback loop. Your brain and body begin to feel fantastic.
Every real meal you eat helps you be more clear-headed, which in turn helps you make better food choices. Before you know it, instead of craving chips and soft drinks, you’ll develop a taste for real food rather than chemically enhanced food products.
This is how we can change our lives and the way we feel. One bite at a time.
I know a woman who sells high-speed blenders for a living.
A few months ago, she casually mentioned that cottage cheese and pistachio nut butter were trending.
“How do you know this?” I asked.
“My company hired a new digital media strategist and that’s what she told us . . . I’m off to buy pistachio nuts!” she said.
For a brief moment, I felt a pang of FOMO (Fear of missing out).
My tranquillity was disturbed.
But I steadied myself. I took a moment to pause and reflect on what I’d just heard.
“Cottage cheese and pistachio nut butter are trending.”
I had a moment of clarity, and my brain screamed, “Who really cares?!”
Was it a problem that I didn’t know about these viral trends?
Of course not!
Up until this point, my life had been perfectly fine without cottage cheese and pistachio nut butter.
But I was grateful to have had this conversation because it got me thinking about the impact of viral trends.
A lot of what you see trending online and in the mainstream media is mindless pap. It’s influencers and advertisers trying to sell us things we don’t need to impress people we don’t even like. It’s a lot of noise and distraction that doesn’t add much (if any) richness, value, or meaning to our lives.
These trends can distract us from what’s truly important and even diminish our lives in the process.
The dangerous path of following trends
If you’re thinking, “Whoa! But it’s just cottage cheese, Jane! Chill out!”, please remember that not all trends are as harmless as a tub of cottage cheese.
Some trends can evolve into hugely profitable industries that shape the worldview and behaviour of millions of people. Take smoking, toxic masculinity (i.e. the manosphere), and extreme dieting, for example.
Worst of all, it’s super easy to get caught up in trends, especially when you’re young and impressionable. Often, we don’t even realise we’ve been swept up in a trend.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve purchased my fair share of gimmicky products over the years and gone down some unhelpful paths. For instance, when I was 18, while participating in a free meditation course, I followed a spiritual guru for a short time before realising it was not the path for me.
Thinking about fads, trends, and gurus reminded me of what Stoic philosopher Epictetus said:
“Become your own soul’s doctor”
What did he mean by this?
Epictetus was telling people to quit chasing after gurus and the latest trends.
In his book The Art of Living, Epictetus wrote:
“The latest fashionable sage or book or diet or belief doesn’t move you in the direction of a flourishing life. You do.”
Grab hold of the reins of your life
It’s time to take back your control. Instead of looking outside yourself for answers, look inward.
Stop following social media influencers and looking at their bland content (unfollow them). Block online ads (install an ad blocker plugin). Stop reading junk mail catalogues that stir up your consumptive desires (Put a No Junk Mail sticker on your letterbox).
In other words, dial down the noise and start tuning in to yourself.
What is it that you really want or need?
Once your basic needs are met, what you really need is very rarely something you can buy online or at the shops.
For me, when I’m feeling a bit down, I often just need a glass of water, an apple, some time outdoors, a little movement, a nap, or a chat with a friend to perk myself up.
What do all of these things have in common?
They are free or cost very little.
We know these things are inherently good for us. They may just not seem as interesting or exciting to our brains, which crave distraction and novelty.
Influencers and advertisers can’t make money off peddling drinking water (unless it’s bottled), going outdoors (unless it’s a commodified experience), or spending time with a friend.
But they can make money from peddling products!
Don’t get sucked in. Take control: The next time you feel tempted by a viral trend or product, pause and ask yourself if it truly adds value to your life. Reflect before you spend your money —become your own soul’s doctor.
When you become your own soul’s doctor, you know deep in your bones that you don’t need the rubbish that is constantly being marketed to you. You know that you are enough just as you are.