When hearing the word "diet" many preconceived notions come to mind such as depriving yourself of food, being miserably hungry and ultimately failing to reach a set goal weight. More recently the term diet has been abandoned for term "lifestyle change." The thought behind this term is basically that a temporary diet change cannot permanently alter your health; only permanent lifestyle changes can do that. I tend to agree with this theory. It is hard when food choices can be overwhelming. Just standing in the aisle of a grocery store can make me dizzy sometimes, but I'm am learning how to better listen to my body instead of the news. My diet has been changing drastically over this past year. I have become much more conscious about what I am eating and how I am feeling afterwards. My whole household has joined in on a healthier diet (albeit some members didn't have a choice i.e. the cat and the bunny).
I understand the convenience of fast food and frozen dinners. I also understand the reluctance of consumers to move away from mainstream brands that have been burned into our childhood memories as the best thing since sliced bread. After all, doesn't an Oreo cookie and a glass of cold milk bring you back? I was recently reading NPR's food blog, The Salt, which published a blog about how Many Americans Say Doing Taxes Is Easier Than Eating Right. I have done my own taxes before and I can say that I totally understand the comparison. It seems like there is a constant roll-out of the newest scientific study showing that *insert food item here* is actually good for you and *insert food item here* causes cancer. My main belief regarding these studies is that everything should be in moderation.
While these articles and studies can be interesting and contain some useful information, I have been trying to listen to my body first and foremost. This has led me to discover some hidden allergens and intolerances. For example, I recently discovered that I have a banana intolerance. It's not a true allergy, but it mimics the same response (think similar to a lactose intollerance vs a true dairy allergy). My mouth becomes red, swollen and itchy, and I will experience the most painful abdominal cramps. Banana can be hidden in some smoothies and avoiding it has saved me some tummy troubles. I also discovered that I am sensitive to sulfites. They are most notably used in wine-making and dried fruit as a preservative. It took me a while to connect the fact that when I drank certain wines then I would have to use my inhaler shortly after. I finally made the connection when I was eating some dried cantaloupe and had an immediate reaction to it. I began wheezing and after running for my inhaler I then ran to the container to check the list of ingredients: sulphur dioxide. I have been able to find sulfite free wine and I can now enjoy it without worrying about any breathing issues. This has motivated me to cut out as many processed foods as possible. I am a culinary student; why aren't I preparing my own food?! Fresh is best.
Aside from my dietary changes, the boyfriend has also been making his own. He used to be a big meat eater, specifically red meat. He has since cut out red meat almost completely (only eating it on special occasions). The main proteins in his diet come from poultry, seafood and nuts. I am very proud of him for sticking to his guns so-to-speak. There are a lot of social situations that are a part of the "American lifestyle" that call for red meat. For example: grilling. Now when we grill, the burgers are made from ground turkey, chicken sausages are subbed in for traditional pork sausages and the sides are usually grilled asparagus and/or shrimp kebabs made with pearl onions, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. Previous to his diet change the grilling menu would look something like this: steak, potatoes and possibly corn on the cob.
The two other members of our household have less say in their diet change, but I couldn't justify taking better care of myself without also extending that care to our pets. The cat is now on a diet of Organix dry cat food. I supplement the dry food with a weekly treat of Ultramix all natural canned wet food. This canned wet food doesn't look at all like the oddly smooth pate of "chicken by-products" that makes up most commercial wet cat food. This wet food has chunks of meat and visible carrots and peas. Both of these pet foods are made by Castor and Pollux. They used to be available at Petco, but they have stopped selling them, however I was able to find them at Whole Foods. Since I've changed her diet I've noticed that her coat is smoother and healthier and she has less hairball incidents. She has also shown more interest in running around with her toys. Best of all, she loves this food. Whenever I shake the bag or open a can she comes running!
The diet change for the bunny has shown the most drastic results regarding energy levels. Previous to the diet change he was eating mainly timothy hay and a fiesta mix pellet food and he was mostly a lazy bump on a log. After my journey through The Anti-Cruelty Society I had the pleasure of making friends with a co-worker who also volunteers at a rabbit rescue in his spare time. We started to talk about rabbits and he gave me some very interesting information. He told me things that I never knew about rabbits before and I began to feel like a bad bunny owner. I realized that I knew little to nothing about my bunny's social needs or health requirements. In comparison to what I knew about cats I felt like I knew nothing about my bunny. So I started to do some research.
I immediately turned to Red Door Shelter (the rabbit rescue that my co-worker volunteers at) and I scanned their website for information. I found a "bunny salad list" which included dietary tips along with the different types of herbs and greens that bunnies can, and can't, eat. I discovered that his diet should consist of mainly hay, followed by a variety of greens and lastly the pellet food (if any at all). Right away I purchased some organic leafy greens at my local produce place and took to the task of figuring out his favorites. I discovered two things: that he loves Arugla and that since I've taken a more active role in his care he has developed a new bond with me! Besides the obvious health benefits of his new diet, he has been more active and shown higher energy levels by running around our home office and darting in an out of his favorite carboard box. As a culinary student I am fascinated by the ability of food to carry and pass on love (think back to your mom's beef stroganof and why it tasted so much better than anyone elses). The bunny is definitely feeling my love via my mix of leafy greens vs over-processed manufactured commercial pellets.
Besides my discovery of my food related irritants I also discovered a new way to monitor my activity levels (which is important when determining a calorie intake). Ever since I traveled to the Grand Canyon, when I was 17 years old, I vowed that I would return to hike the Bright Angel Trail by the time that I turned 25. Well, I will turn 25 years old this December and I have yet to accomplish this goal. I decided that I needed a way to monitor my activity levels (and therefore increase my activity levels) in order to begin "training" for my Grand Canyon hike. Being in good health is important for this type of hike and diet and exercise are the only way to do it. My sister introduced me to the Fitbit. It is basically a super fancy pedometer. It clips on to your pants and monitors the amount of steps taken, how many miles traveled, how many calories burned and how many flights of stairs climbed. At night it attaches to a wristband and monitors sleep patterns by recording how many times awakened throughout the night. The Fitbit comes with a software that will compile this information into a series of helpful graphs and usable data. It also has an option to manually input entries into a food journal. With the food journal entries at hand the Fitbit is able to compare the amount of calories consumed vs the amount of calories burned on any given day. It's like having a mini-personal trainer clipped to your pants pocket.
Armed with the Fitbit, an awareness of certain food sensitivities and a new consciousness about my diet I am well on my way to feeling better than I ever have. By eliminating most processed foods from my diet I already feel a thousand times better. I also take a regular dose of vitamins each morning. I've upped my fruit/veggie intake and greatly decreased my meat intake. There are also some simple substitutions that I've made for those tempting snacks. I drink coconut water or La Croix sparkling water instead of sports drinks or soda; I eat lightly salted nuts/pumpkin seeds instead of chips; I eat a hardboiled egg for breakfast instead of a fried egg with bacon and maybe most importantly of all, when I am craving something sweet, I grab a Lunabar (one of the few processed foods that I still eat) instead of a candybar.
I'm still not exactly where I want to be, for example, I still have frozen pizzas in my freezer. However, I feel like I am well on my way. Listening to my body has been very important for me. If I eat a food and then feel like crap afterwards (like the feeling I got after eating a sausage McMuffin and the reason that I haven't eaten at McDonald's in over a year), then I probably shouldn't be eating that food. Food = fuel and we only run as well as the fuel that we put into our vehicle aka our body. If there is one thing that I can stress about diet it is this: health is in the stomach of the beholder. Learn how to listen to your body and give it the foods that assist it in running the best. Not everyone's diet requirements/activity levels are the same and I feel that listening to your body is the only way to go.
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