Re:Volution

I'm always reading nutrition and exercise books and articles, always challenging the arguments on both sides of anything I read, so I'm constantly changing my diet and exercise routine up. Through all of my readings, I've come to these conclusions: 1) Eat real food. 2) Grains really are not necessary in our diet and shouldn't be eaten in the quantities that we eat them. A little is ok, but really no more than 1 serving of a whole grain a day. 3) Fruits and vegetables should be the basis of our diet. 4) Every meal should have some protein (and not a fake meat processed protein) 5) Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are no longer hungry. There is no set number of meals you should eat a day. Sometimes you eat once a day, sometimes you eat 3 times a day. 6) Protein shakes/bars are not food. It is highly processed and full of sugar or sugar substitutes that are terrible for you. The China Study was based on casein protein powder and showed a direct link between such processed powders and cancer and other diseases. The conclusions that were drawn from that was that all meat and dairy causes cancer. I challenge that correlation - to me, it proves that dairy that has been heated and processed into a powder is unnatural and causes disease. However, for thousands of years people have been eating meat and dairy (full fat, not that fat free stuff) without the rates of cancer we have. It's not the meat and dairy that are bad, it's the processed crap and chemicals. If you don't have time to eat a meal, then skip it (that's right, you won't die if you skip a meal people, and it won't slow your metabolism down - tribal men and women skip meals all the time and are some of the most muscular people on earth). Or, if you are really hungry and can't fathom skipping a meal, have a hardboiled egg and an apple or some Greek yogurt blended with berries. If you are vegan, have some hemp protein powder with fruit (yes, it's processed, but not as bad as some other things). Please don't use soy milk/yogurt - that stuff is full of GMOs and is so chemically altered it is NOT good for you! 7) Lift weights and back off on the cardio a bit. 8) Do stress relieving activities - journal, meditate, yoga, lay in the sun in the grass, take dance lessons - anything to get rid of stress. 9) Pay the farmer, not the doctor. Meaning, buy the highest quality food you can afford. Organic when possible, and for poultry/meat, buy grass fed or make friends with a hunter and get some venison. It is leaner and full of healthier Omega 3s. 10) All things in moderation. Yes, as Americans we know nothing about moderation, but try to exercise it a little! If you want some alcohol, have 1 or 2, maybe even 3, but that's it. If you want some dessert, have a little bit, not the whole cake, and have it occassionally - holidays, birthdays, bbqs, and maybe some ice cream on a summer walk. I really struggle with this one because once I have a bit of anything sweet, I am like an alcoholic who has had one sip of whiskey. I'm all over that sweet item like a dog in heat. So, I usually just avoid it altogether. But I do occassionally have a few bites and then exercise what I call "Pushaways" - push the plate away and if you have to, cover it up or smash it in your napkin so you won't eat anymore. You all might disagree with soome of the things I have listed, but this is what I know that works for me, and it is the way we should be eating. We would be a much healthier (and happier) nation if we ate real food and quit the processed junk, ate more in moderation, and played outside more. So what am I eating? Here's what I had for breakfast. Organic free range chicken apple sausage, 1 egg over easy, 2 big leaves of swiss chard, lightly sauteed in olive oil and a cup of black coffee. Healthy, filling and delicious. I probably won't even have lunch because this breakfast usually tides me over until 3 or 4 p.m. Then I might have a handful of almonds and a pint of berries or some jicama and guacamole and have dinner a little later (usually fish or lamb with a salad and some steamed or sauteed green veggies). Or, I'll just dinner at 4 p.m. and make it hearty enough that I'm not going to want to snack later because evening snacking for me leads to snacking all night long, which is never a good thing! So, let's start a diet revolution and get back to real natural food!!! Peace & Berries, Jaime