I cook nearly every night. I do not particularly like leftovers, and if it were economically and environmentally responsible then I would have a freshly cooked meal every time I eat. When I do heat up leftovers, I often do not use the microwave. When I reheat food on the stove-top I like to incorporate something fresh, that way it doesn’t feel like leftovers (oh, the strange tricks we play on our minds). Anyway, there was no point to all of that. Just talkin’.
I generally follow the diet that people call Primal or Paleo (my favorite food/lifestyle blog is Mark’s Daily Apple). Sometimes I eat things that are not considered “healthy” according to this diet, but if I do I try to make it something that is worth the damage I’m doing to my body. I’m not always successful with that. One of the worst feelings is after eating something “bad” you immediately realize that it wasn’t nearly as good as you had anticipated. That’s one reason I no longer drink soda. It is not satisfying in any way.
This month, I am going to reset my body, since I haven’t been eating as well as I would like. I’m am doing this by taking the Whole30 challenge. I have done this once last year and I felt pretty phenomenal. The rules are simple: No grains, no dairy, no legumes, no white potatoes, no sugar, no alcohol.
It’s not a difficult diet for me to follow. So why don’t you eat like that all the time (one might ask)? I ask myself that all the time. I could make a bunch of excuses, but I guess it just comes down to laziness. Processed foods are convenient so sometimes I eat them. It’s energy-consuming to resist these foods when you’re in a social setting and you’re hungry!
Once this 30-day challenge is complete I do plan on keeping most of those foods out of my diet. For instance, grains and legumes do a work on my digestive system, so I do not want to eat those. I have never been a fan of milk, cheese is not that important to me, and I don’t normally use butter (olive oil and coconut oil seem to be sufficient, and delicious!), so those aren’t a problem. Although, I may incorporate some all-fat Greek yogurt. That stuff tends to ease my seasonal allergies. Potatoes are fine (although I may stay away from white potatoes and stick with other kinds), I live a pretty active lifestyle and I burn calories just by blinking, so for my body potatoes are fine. I don’t use sugar for anything, but I’ll go through phases of eating a lot of chocolate or other sweet things (which usually have wheat in them). Alcohol is the kicker. I love red wine and like to have a glass with dinner, so I will definitely be adding this back into my diet.
So, what do I eat? I eat a variety of seasonal (and since I live in California, many foods are in season year round) veggies that come from the local farmer’s market or a farm located a few miles north of where I live, and sometimes things I forage. My fish come from the fish market, and my chicken, pork, and beef come from the grocery store (since, unfortunately, butcher shops don’t exist over here!) Last night I had grilled halibut with a lemon and mint sauce; grilled bell peppers, onion, and jalapeños; fried sweet potatoes (the ones often called yams and the Japanese Sweet Potato, I think); spaghetti squash fried with fennel and spinach; and let’s not forget avocados! Sorry no photographs of the deliciousness, I don’t plan ahead very well.
I know there are many people who think diets are evil and stupid, so I don’t normally share how I eat unless I am asked. I do love food, but it doesn’t control my life. I want to be healthy, which includes eating in a way that is healthy. If this means avoiding certain foods, then I will do just that. Life is short, and I want to live it in the best way I can; I don’t want to be a burden on anyone simply because I didn’t take care of myself; I want to produce healthy offspring. This is one way in which I can contribute to my life and to the lives of people with whom I interact.
From Hadria 