When people say I hate diets or I am so confused about what diet really works, what they’re really saying is how can I keep eating cake without getting very fat. Okay maybe cake is not your thing but whatever your vice is, you’re wondering how to keep it in your eating repository along with the “healthy stuff”. The age old conundrum of vice versus virtue.
Here is my take on it. Instead of making an adversary of your vices why not find it a place alongside your virtues. The key is balance. I know you’ve heard it before but it is true. Balancing nutritious foods with not so nutritious foods pleases both your body and your palate. But how? People wail to me. The answer is to change your food attitude. Stop demonizing certain foods. No food is bad on its own, it’s our overindulgence in it that makes it bad.
Over restricting will almost always backfire. You try being “good” by resisting the feasting, living on chicken breasts and lettuce, only to find yourself comatose in a bucket of ice cream. Your will power is exhaustible.
Present yourself with a wide variety of delicious foods on a daily basis. For example bacon, eggs and toast in the morning. Shrimp caesar salad, tomato soup, an apple and a small packet of cookies or pretzels for lunch. Grilled pork chops with collard greens, asparagus, sweet potato mash, more salad, grapes and a couple scoops of ice cream for dinner. A glass of wine before bed.
Being food inclusive automatically leads to portion control as you have to make room for all the deliciousness.
My Dad doubted me on this. His diet consists of oats, wheat bread, egg whites, chicken without skin, low alcohol, legumes, skim milk, bran cereal, broiled fish, tomato stew, leafy vegetables, rice, beef and mash. He is not doing too bad on this diet and there is some variety. I blew his mind and snatched all his edges with my version of variety when he came to visit me for three weeks. He ate whole eggs, oats, chicken with skin, steak, lobster, ribs, burger, potatoes, tacos, fish, ice cream, bacon, cheesecake, pasta, rice, pizza, chinese, pulses, brazillian buffet, lamb chops, roasted goat, olives, cheese, bread, yogurt, seeds, nuts, a ton of fruits and vegetables. For libations he drank copious amounts of water, green or herbal tea in the morning, had a beer with lunch, beer or wine with dinner, bourbon or whiskey as a night cap. He lost 22 pounds. He was flabbergasted and felt great. How he asked, how did you do that? Variety and balance Dad. When presented with so much variety everyday, you ate till you were full by making room for satisfying bites of everything.
Variety balances out your mind and your body by providing ample nutrition and preventing boredom.
This eliminates absent minded eating when the act is thoughtful and pleasurable. And that my friends is my two carrots. I wish you a happy eating.
