Eat Free or Die!

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

ABC News: Orthorexia: Obsessing Over Health Food.

Posted in Diet | Tags Diet, progress | No Comments »

ABC News: Orthorexia: Obsessing Over Health Food

Monday, September 8th, 2008

So, this story disturbs me. I know people who are borderline obsessive about what they eat. It’s good to be mindful about what we consume, but ask enough people and you’re sure to be told that pretty much everything out there is “bad for you” in some way.

This is the reason that I get a little testy when people start speaking in absolutes about diet. You know: carbs are always bad, sugar is evil, non-organic is poison, blah… blah…

The American diet is, on average, pretty awful from a health standpoint. However, when diet and a quest for good food transitions from a general concern about, and responsibility for, one’s health to an obsessive quest for bodily purity and “perfect eating”, I get a little skeeved out.

To clarify my position – I primarily seek out good foods, fruits, and vegetables mostly because I like to eat, and good food tastes better than processed crap. As a secondary benefit, good food is generally healthier and I can control what I’m consuming if I’m making it myself. But when you’re killing yourself at 30 from malnutrition in order to avoid cancer at 70, there’s something very wrong.

Diet is a balance, and “everything in moderation” is a mantra by which most people can live good, healthy lives that don’t involve worrying and obsessing about every last bite they eat. So, eat that fruit, but don’t overgorge on calories. Eat those potatoes and parsnips, but not too many. Have that pork chop, but eat your vegetables and leafy greens too. Cook those carrots – sure some nutrients leach into the water and some are lost, but cooking makes plant nutrients generally easier to absorb by our omnivore digestive systems.

And stop worrying.

Bookmark this:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Posted in Food, Miscellaneous | Tags Diet, health food, obsessive, orthorexia | No Comments »

Weekend Wrapup

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

So, yeah – I took the Labor Day weekend off. No new posts on Friday or Monday.

Tomorrow’s update resumes my intended Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule.

Diet update: 9 more pounds to go. I avoided my two-week curse – every 14 days or so I seem to have a spike – and have maintained steady, if not spectacular, progress. At this pace, I should hit my goal by Mid-October.

Bookmark this:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Posted in Diet | Tags Diet, vacation | No Comments »

Diet Progress Monday – August 25^th

Monday, August 25th, 2008

The first 20 pounds have been passed. I’m into the final ten of stage one. I’ll see if I can hold that weight for a while, and then go for ten more.

Nothing notable this week. Weight loss has tapered to about a little more than a pound a week, while I was clearing nearly two pounds before. I need to exercise more, I think – I’ve been lazy.

Bookmark this:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Posted in Diet | Tags Diet, progress | No Comments »

Diet Progress Monday – August 18^th

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Only shed a pound this past week, but considering that I kinda fell off the wagon last weekend, that’s better than I expected. Total lost: 19 lbs.

Eleven more to go before my stage one goal. Then I’ll see if I can maintain that weight for a while before trying for another 10-15. I’m really aiming for 200 or below.

According to BMI, I’d be at the high end of “normal” at 185. Which is insane. There’s no way on this earth I hold that weight for any amount of time. With the German and Czech gene pool I’ve got going for me, the best I can aim for is “stocky.” Even when I was younger, going to the gym, and in better overall physical shape, I was never 185.

Bookmark this:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Posted in Diet | Tags Diet, progress | No Comments »

Diet Progress Monday – August 11^th

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Eighteen pounds and counting.

Notables from this week:

It’s berry season – we went out and picked a couple pints of blueberries and almost a gallon of ripe blackberries yesterday. Fruit betties – slightly sweetened fruit baked with a breadcrumb topping – are not bad dessert choices.
Long derided by the more snobbish wine drinkers, Italian Pinot Grigio, especially from the Valdadige DOC, is a great summer wine. Somewhere between the mineral austerity of Sauvignon Blanc and the rich fruit of Chardonnay, it’s a wonderful picnic wine and does an admirable job accompanying light summer foods.
It is possible to put together an incredible and satisfying high-end meal with considerable portions and still come in at under 800 calories. You’ve seen part of this already with the Caprese salad. More to come.

Link it up:

Butler’s Orchard – Farm market, pick-your-own berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), cherries, peas, pumpkins, and apples. Just south of Damascus, MD.

Bookmark this:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Copy HTML:

If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.