http://www.minahunt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/mina_no_more_diet4.pngTo begin with, it does not pay to take a night off of blogging...I missed out on a lot of great reads and had to catch up today...and I still have all today's reads to read! -- enough reading already???
Okay, I decided I would do a small entry about health and food. Just a small one. I hope. We'll see. To know me is to know that food and health are synonymous with me. Well, usually. My quest to be a healthy individual started at a very young age, so I've been researching food and diets for over 18 years.
Here is where I am at today:
Today I've decided that I will try and be smart with my approach to food. Exercise I will discuss another day. But food will be today's fare.
I used to be really really disciplined about food: I wouldn't eat red meat; I wouldn't eat more than one serving of carbohydrates in a day; I wouldn't eat eggs or baked goods; I would eat very very small portions. Diet coke was my only go to besides the three liters of water I drank in a day. Although, weekends and wine still coexisted regularly. How could they not? Everyone needs a vice - !
Here's where I am at today. I usually hate this word, but it works so well here: I am at balance. I don't want to cut out starches, nor do I want to disown red meat, tuna or anything else that may kill me due to hormones or mercury or whatever.
Today I say yes to the seven letter swear word. So to stay balanced, I eat around four to five small meals a day. Here is my sample menu:
breakfast: plain 2% astro *or liberte plain yogurt, depending on price difference. In it I put flax oil, blueberries, vanilla flavoured manitoba hemp protein powder, and psyllium fiber bran buds. Coffee with skim milk (because sugar and cream are extra calories)!
lunch: small wrap, (or three ryvita crackers, or two 30 g servings of bread) with tuna, egg whites and vegetables, tofu and egg, or faux chicken tofu. And a sugar free chocolate pudding -- again, I have vices!!!
snack: grapefruit -- I should have a protein here, so sometimes I have an ounce of cheeze.
dinner: always salad with homemade dressing. Meat. Potatoes. Veg. or Spaghetti. (there was a time I would not eat spaghetti)! Oh how deprived I was.
bedtime snack: two small homemade chocolate chip cookies. (again with the vices)
water -- constantly.
decaf tea -- two to three times a day.
wine -- on the weekends -- a glass or two, because, really, why not?
My goal right now is to maintain optimal health, to feel vital and awake, to stay lean without working out (for now), and to enjoy food. I want to be creative with my eating, not limiting myself in any way, but to know that what I put in is good energy rather than just garbage.
I am also taking a few supplements. I do not in any way know for sure if they work, but here's what I take:
1. Probiotic for digestion.
2. Multi-vitamin.
3. Green Tea for antioxidants.
4. Apple Cider vinegar for antioxidants and ability to lower glycemic index in food.
5. B Vitamin Complex for daily stressers/energy.
6. Calcium/Magnesium Vitamin D supplement. Because I don't eat a lot of dairy and I cannot drink milk *intolerance.
And that's the regiment.
The philosophy is to always have a protein with a carbohydrate; to eat high fiber, low glycemic, antioxidant rich foods; to drink lots of water; to eat lots of vegetables and a couple of fruits daily; to make eating simple; and, to enjoy the hell outta food! Oh, and looking good is the bonus side effect (i hope)!
On a personal opinion note: I adore watching Dr. Oz, along with all the other reading I've done about diet and health. I worry,though, about the 'all or nothing' approach to eating for two reasons. One, the approach is damn hard to maintain.And two, I fear food paranoia. I appreciate Dr. Oz's goal, which is optimal health. And maybe some people cannot have ANY of the white stuff if they hope to stay on track. But salt adds taste to food. And sugar-less cookies, ew! And don't get me started on whole-wheat flour cookies, double ew! However, I think we need these daily, weekly, montly vices to keep us sane and to ensure we maintain our love of food.
Daily moderation to me means
- six or less starches *totalling a mass of equal to or less than 180 grams or six ounces--mostly fibre-rich, but including some white flour/sugar if needed!
- two or so dairy products/dairy substitute per day.
- Five or more vegetables a day.
- Two or so fruits *especially berries and lower glycemic fruits.
- Two or so portions of protein *including legumes, two servings of red meat a week, two or more servings of fish a week, and lots of white meat and tofu!!!
- A couple of tablespoons of healthy fat day.
I know, being the buxom girl that I am, that I have to pay mind to my starch intake, and keep it on the lower end to maintain a svelter figure...My waist tells my sins rather honestly...But I still eat me a cookie or two a day.
Because -- why not?
*****please note that I am not a nutritionist and I do not pretend to be. I just hope that people will enjoy learning a bit about my passion...I LOVE learning about eating and I hope to one day pass on my love of food and health to my children!
thoughts?
Food is both a delight and a curse. I struggled with a horrid eating disorder for years, so it pains me to look at magazines and tell you what you must eat, why you must eat it, and all that. I hate watching TV because I still compare myself to those stars. In my eyes, my body will never be perfect, but I am learning to fuel my body with what it wants. Lord knows I don't want to go back there...
ReplyDeleteMelissa-- thanks for your honesty. I have certainly had my own food demons. for me it was the food pyramid (USDA) and the Canada Food Guide that really helped me see what we are supposed to eat (based on the research of many qualified dietitians, etc.). When I learned about portions and types of fuel, etc., I felt more liberated and aware than anyone can ever really understand.
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