Spinach, orange juice and dominant ideology.

As a little kid, I remember when my mom would force-feed me spinach. I remember as little kid when it was way uncool to enjoy veggies, especially spinach. So why did I suddenly find I liked my spinach and was slightly disappointed when it was taken off the shelves due to an E.coli scare? And it wasn't just because I was back to eating the sometimes not-so-fresh lettuce found in the cafeteria.

Even though a lot of the vegetable's popularity came from how strong and manly Popeye became after eating his can of spinach (he was able to overtake his archnemesis Brutus and make swoon Olive Oyl at the same time), I can honestly say that these amazing reactions to spinach had little or nothing to do with my recent infatuation with the veggie.

Spinach often times comes with the connotation of being a very healthy food and, as a sophomore in college trying to keep off those extra pounds, healthy food holds some interest for me. And it is healthier than a lot of other food found in the cafeteria (just trust me on this one). Plus, everybody knows that dark and leafy green veggies are incredibly healthy. So where does dominant ideology come in?

In a recent air show for On the Media, Brooke Gladstone and Michael Pollan claim this push came from, surprise surprise, a dominant ideology.

POLLAN: ... There is an ideology at large, and it is this focus on looking at foods as delivery systems for nutrients... We don't know exactly why. We have our theories. They're often proven wrong. But if you eat food, you're going to be okay, and eating nutrients may not be the wisest way to go.

GLADSTONE: And, of course, you know, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. We learn about Vitamin C and suddenly orange juice is healthy.

POLLAN: ... The orange is a great case... The orange got a huge push from its industry. [...They] did this amazingly effective advertising campaign, such that every American believes it is an absolute necessity for good health to drink a glass of orange juice every morning – when, in fact, the differences in effect on your body of a big tall glass of orange juice and a big tall glass of Coca-Cola are not that great. You're getting a big hit of sugar, and an insulin spike as a result. Yeah, you are getting some nutrients, too. You're getting some Vitamin C...

So the next time you're deciding between that tempting pop or your regular morning orange juice, remember you're going more against dominant ideology than you're going against that strict diet.