If I'm to have listened to every piece of information I've absorbed over the last few months, here is what I have learned:
Soy is bad for you. In moderation, soy is very good for you. Soy is great for you.
Protein is essential to be healthy. Americans rely far too much on protein.
Whole grains are important to a healthy diet. Be careful, because as Americans we eat far too many grains..
Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. But only eat fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Eat only "real" food. Avoid anything processed.
Fat is bad for you. Fat is essential to absorbing minerals found in food. Eat more fat.
Eat approximately 1500 calories a day to look like healthy celebrities.
Being thin is not necessarily being healthy. But you're not healthy if you're not thin
Ok, this is literally just a smattering of the information that is swimming around my head on a daily basis. It's hard, this world of food. And lately, I'm finding myself more confused than ever. One source tells you to substitute low-fat cheeses for everything under the sun, and to make sure you consume Almond Milk. Not because Almond Milk is healthier, but because it has less calories and more protein than skim milk. Another person is telling me to consume whole, raw milk daily, because it's the healthiest thing. But am I healthy if I'm heavy? And is it healthier to eat cheese that is (deliciously) processed into a red wax circle?
Granted, I cook a lot, and eat mostly all real food, and avoid processed food and try to be as healthy as possible. I exercise regularly and drink in moderation and blah blah blah blah blah. I consider myself well-educated and learning about these issues. Mostly.
But I honestly find myself perplexed on a daily basis about one choice or another, and it often changes if I'm having a "thin" day or a "fat" one. Generally "thin" days lend themselves to whole, healthful ingredients, while "fat" days find me running toward the Splenda and away from the quinoa. I eat local when I can, consume mass fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis. But in the dark days of December, YES...I eat tomatoes. Bad, right? Or good, because I'm not eating marinara from a jar?
Does anyone else find themselves trying desperately to navigate these waters on a daily basis? How do you stay centered in your own eating mantra when everyone is shouting at you from different sides?
Hey cuz.
ReplyDeleteI had a mini-crisis about this very topic five or six years ago. My solution is tune it out entirely. Everyone has an opinion, and many of those opinions have industry sponsors. Add to that the amount of baggage around of food, even for "experts," and it becomes impossible to find any clarity.
The only truth there is about food is what your body tells you. It's easy to get caught up in nutritionism, but every person's body is different, and every person's body is attached to a different spirit that also wants to be nourished by that food.
Other than the very obvious, common sense things like eating food that is FOOD - real, whole food without hormones or pesticides or preservatives - and eating in season and local when possible, my mantra is give my body what it wants.
Sometimes (often) this is easier said than done. The body only knows what it's had. Throw in some emotions and a need for more fat can show up as a craving for ice cream, and a blood sugar drop might show up as a craving for cookies. It takes a willingness to investigate what is really needed. Likewise, food habits can throw everything out of whack. I always ate breakfast, completely out of habit, until I discovered by accident that during the summer I do much, much better if I don't eat until midday.
It took me YEARS of gaining and losing weight, yoga, and meditation to get me here, and I'm still learning all the time.
I feel like I should add that as I write this, I have blueberry banana muffins baking. Those are to feed my spirit (and use up the overripe bananas that were on the shelf). Everything in moderation, including moderation!
So there's my $.02 food novel. :)
Thanks L! It's such a strong struggle, and each day brings it's challenges and triumphs, right? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFor me,I take it all with a grain of salt. I know what works for my body. I also try to eat mostly unprocessed foods. Since September of last year I've lost 60 pounds and I've changed my eating habits dramatically. I've researched about what foods are best for you body, which foods are the most beneficial etc, etc. I do agree it is hard when one day you read that something you love is bad for you and the next its not but you just gotta know what works for you. Great post!
ReplyDeleteLadies...would you mind posting these comments on the new blog? http://www.eatit-drinkit.com. They're so good, so insightful, and I want to make sure no one misses them on the new blog! Let me know--and thanks!
ReplyDeletehello
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog Jill... I look forward to following you. If you are interested I have a blog too it is www.bella-fleur.blogspot.com, if you are bored I do some simialar things on my blog too, recipes, wine, photography, travels, craft projects etc ! Happy Blogging !!!