Last weekend my very good friend and nutrition/fitness goddess from Bamboo Core Fitness, Jen Regan, wrote an article about McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. She was unprepared for the tsunami of comments and “clicks” she would inspire when she published her well researched and eye opening account of the reasons we should all avoid the creamy, green, limited-time-only, beverage!
Click Here For Article: Why You Should Never Drink A McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
The response that she received from her post was so unexpected (good and bad), that I felt compelled to push all other blog posts aside and write down my thoughts on her experience (from my perspective) having something go viral in today’s fast paced cyber world. I am also offering my own Delicious Perspective ideal shake for the little bit of Irish in all of us…I will not be at McDonald’s any time soon or ever again for that matter!
As I sit down to write, the Bamboo Core Fitness article has been viewed over 3 million times in 3 days from her website (the site actually crashed several times from the unexpected traffic). The article has been shared from her Facebook page more than 300,000 times. Mind boggling! I have never really known anyone who has had this experience first hand. I think of that kind of activity in unison with the Grumpy Cat and other such celebrities. The exposure is great for her business and highlights her writing abilities as well as her nutrition and fitness expertise – all great things.
The ugly side of this experience (as I see it) was the sort of bullying attitude of some of the negative comments. Of course, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, we know that. You need to have a thick skin when you put yourself out there for the world to see. I think we all understand that and brace for that, even sub-conciously. I guess I am old fashioned in some ways – I think that criticism should be constructive – not vulgar or hurtful – and when in doubt, adhere to the words of our mothers, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.
I feel a bit disappointed by society this week. Reading some of the comments written about the article seem to highlight a complete lack of humanism on the part of some people. Apparently, some people are very threatened upon learning that a beloved beverage may not be a smart or healthy food choice. We live in a democracy – thankfully – and people can eat and drink whatever they like (for better or for worse), likewise, our freedom of speech is one of our most protected rights in this country. I cherish that right like all Americans but I also think we have a responsibility to our fellow humans to be decent, kind and honest in the delivery of our opinions (especially the ones that we feel really strongly about).
Whether or not you partake in the annual Shamrock Shake guzzle, I think that it is important to remember that just because you can say whatever you want, filter be damned, in the seemingly anonymous world of the internet, does not mean that you should. I am reminded to think about the person on the receiving end of my words, comments, blog post, tweet or simple text. I love to express my opinion, (sometimes vehemently and hopefully constructively) but watching this cyber experience unfold in such an up-close and personal way has made me think about remaining human in an ever expanding cyber world.
Here is my recipe that I will enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day season! I think this is super tasty and in my opinion, a healthier option than the above McD’s chemical concoction.
- 2 cups organic frozen spinach
- 2 cups frozen banana
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- ½ cup coconut water - straight up - no additives
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon organic agave or ½ cup FoMu non-dairy Avocado Ice Cream
- ½ cup ice
- Put all of the ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth. Serve with a sprig of mint in glass.