Okay, so I might be on the edge about raw milk -- not really knowing how much to believe from which side of the argument. BUT, I would like the freedom to access it so that I can decide for myself. Isn't it our own risk to eat partially raw eggs or meat?
Ranting.
Illinois is one of the stuck in the middle states on raw milk legislation. By that, I mean raw milk isn't approved for retail/commercial sales, but it is legal to buy it directly from a farm. So how many of us consumers go to the farm for our food?
Not only that, but from what I can find online, there are two places within reasonable distance to obtain raw milk....just not in winter. There's another place about an hour North that offers milk. Hopefully year around.
But really? Who wants to drive an hour for one item? And if you're car-less like me, that one hour turns into something like three or four hours, one way!
[Positive note: if it's winter, at least I won't have to worry about the milk spoiling in the extended transit time.]
Curiosity killed the cat.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Skin Reaction and Civil Rights
So I found this while browsing a bunch of skin reactions on wikipedia. Thought is was interesting.
"In the United States, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that, because black males suffer from pseudofolliculitis barbae more than Caucasian males, Domino's Pizza's no-beard policy violated the 1991 Civil Rights Act, Title VII.[8]"
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is basically razor bumps, more prone to occur in people with thick, curly hair. I doubt there's something like this in place for the military.
"In the United States, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that, because black males suffer from pseudofolliculitis barbae more than Caucasian males, Domino's Pizza's no-beard policy violated the 1991 Civil Rights Act, Title VII.[8]"
Pseudofolliculitis barbae is basically razor bumps, more prone to occur in people with thick, curly hair. I doubt there's something like this in place for the military.
Skin Reaction from the Depths of Hell
I'm very suspicious that my diet isn't 100% perfect. This is because around the time that I added more milk back into my diet, I also noticed an extremely unpleasant allergy developed. I swear sometimes the happenings in this world are beyond coincidence.
January of last year, I was training for the Illinois Marathon in April. It was a cold winter training, which I enjoyed. Nothing like a cold day to keep you cool while you run for an hour. I've always been a runner. In middle school, I was the freak that chose the jogging option repetitively. The gym instructor one time told me, "If you really enjoy this, you should try cross country in high school." I hadn't heard of cross country. I have always been out of the loop, in my own happy place. Her words stuck with me, and cross country was the first sport I did in high school. The only sport I did with the school my freshman year. I ran for all four years. I was an average runner, 7-8 min miles, nothing impressive in the big meets where you find a bunch of girls with 6 min miles. Still, for our team, I was a reliable decent runner.
In college, I let off of the running a little bit. It was a stressful time. Whenever I did workout, running would be a part of it. When I returned to running with the marathon, nothing beyond slow miles had changed. I didn't care, so what if I did a 12min mile, so as long as I finish that thing. The most I had ever jogged or ran was 6 miles before that, so I was a little intimidated by the mileage.
People say allergies come out of nowhere, or come and go as you age. I have never been one to have allergies, so it's really peculiar that between April and October of last year, under 6 months time, I developed a reaction to running....or maybe the cold. I don't have a problem when I bike. I didn't have any problem when I was skiing New Year's Eve. Only when I run, and possibly prolonged periods of walking fast, do I have this problem. A year ago, I was training in the winter without an issue, what is going on?
The reaction is really something awful. There are no visible symptoms, aside from some slight redness. But it itches worse than anything I've ever experienced. I transform into this nasty creature I'm in so much torture. And it's awkward because it itches from my butt down to my knees. Who wants to run and violently scratch their behind at the same time? It goes away when I stop.
Funny, isn't it? How the life long runner became allergic to running? Literally.
Some thoughts on the matter:
When I was in cross country back in high school, there was a teammate who was allergic to the cold. In October, around the end of our season when all the important meets took place, her performance would drop. She said she would break out in hives. I thought it was crazy at the time. Never heard of anybody who had an allergy to cold. She must have been miserable! Come May, I'll be able to figure out if it is really running, or if it is specifically running in the winter if I don't solve the problem by then.
I firmly believe this has been a development in response to something in my diet. My health has otherwise been only improving, so if anything I'm feeling younger now than I was feeling two years ago (metabolically I'm probably younger at least). It's only been in this last year that I've made such extreme changes to my diet. Possibly culprits include: wheat (despite me axing it), pasteurized milk, meat, or eggs.
The reaction is very similar to a condition called dermatitis herpetiformis. Only less severe since it goes away quickly, and it doesn't blister. It could be in the developing stages. If so, I would really need to stick 100% to a gluten free diet as gluten-free is the only known cure for it. Since I've never been tested for celiac disease (although gluten-free has had significant benefits for me), I've been slightly okay with ingesting small amounts of it around friends or family. I was hoping that I'd be gluten sensitive, and not celiac. However, if this is reaction happens to be the early stages of dermatitis herpetiformis, then there's a >80% chance that I'd be positive for celiac. No thank you, I do not want a doctor cutting out a portion of my skin to test for dermatitis herpetiformis. Instead, I will keep experimenting until the answer develops.
By the way, that's 100% gluten-free, 100% of the time for at least 6months. If you have dermatitis herpetiformis and ingest wheat...however small, you can expect to have to wait 6months before you will be symptom-free.
I've read that milk can be very allergenic. Considering that I stopped drinking milk for a long time, and only very limited diary products, it could be a similar reaction caused by milk. Unfortunately, for we're talking in the time frame of 6 months, this will be a really difficult experiment. I hope to find some raw milk very soon and experiment with that. I've read from the pro-raw milkers that it happens to not be allergenic when not pasteurized.
No, I'm not terribly afraid of getting sick from raw milk. That's just something the FDA wants you to fear. I'm more afraid that I won't like it since I'm not accustomed to drinking it. Unfortunately, finding raw milk is a pain. In the state of Illinois, you have to buy it directly from the farmer.
Today I went for a 20min jog to test out the reaction again. It wasn't as awful as in October, but it was still fairly unpleasant. That was the motivation of today's rather long post.
January of last year, I was training for the Illinois Marathon in April. It was a cold winter training, which I enjoyed. Nothing like a cold day to keep you cool while you run for an hour. I've always been a runner. In middle school, I was the freak that chose the jogging option repetitively. The gym instructor one time told me, "If you really enjoy this, you should try cross country in high school." I hadn't heard of cross country. I have always been out of the loop, in my own happy place. Her words stuck with me, and cross country was the first sport I did in high school. The only sport I did with the school my freshman year. I ran for all four years. I was an average runner, 7-8 min miles, nothing impressive in the big meets where you find a bunch of girls with 6 min miles. Still, for our team, I was a reliable decent runner.
In college, I let off of the running a little bit. It was a stressful time. Whenever I did workout, running would be a part of it. When I returned to running with the marathon, nothing beyond slow miles had changed. I didn't care, so what if I did a 12min mile, so as long as I finish that thing. The most I had ever jogged or ran was 6 miles before that, so I was a little intimidated by the mileage.
People say allergies come out of nowhere, or come and go as you age. I have never been one to have allergies, so it's really peculiar that between April and October of last year, under 6 months time, I developed a reaction to running....or maybe the cold. I don't have a problem when I bike. I didn't have any problem when I was skiing New Year's Eve. Only when I run, and possibly prolonged periods of walking fast, do I have this problem. A year ago, I was training in the winter without an issue, what is going on?
The reaction is really something awful. There are no visible symptoms, aside from some slight redness. But it itches worse than anything I've ever experienced. I transform into this nasty creature I'm in so much torture. And it's awkward because it itches from my butt down to my knees. Who wants to run and violently scratch their behind at the same time? It goes away when I stop.
Funny, isn't it? How the life long runner became allergic to running? Literally.
Some thoughts on the matter:
When I was in cross country back in high school, there was a teammate who was allergic to the cold. In October, around the end of our season when all the important meets took place, her performance would drop. She said she would break out in hives. I thought it was crazy at the time. Never heard of anybody who had an allergy to cold. She must have been miserable! Come May, I'll be able to figure out if it is really running, or if it is specifically running in the winter if I don't solve the problem by then.
I firmly believe this has been a development in response to something in my diet. My health has otherwise been only improving, so if anything I'm feeling younger now than I was feeling two years ago (metabolically I'm probably younger at least). It's only been in this last year that I've made such extreme changes to my diet. Possibly culprits include: wheat (despite me axing it), pasteurized milk, meat, or eggs.
The reaction is very similar to a condition called dermatitis herpetiformis. Only less severe since it goes away quickly, and it doesn't blister. It could be in the developing stages. If so, I would really need to stick 100% to a gluten free diet as gluten-free is the only known cure for it. Since I've never been tested for celiac disease (although gluten-free has had significant benefits for me), I've been slightly okay with ingesting small amounts of it around friends or family. I was hoping that I'd be gluten sensitive, and not celiac. However, if this is reaction happens to be the early stages of dermatitis herpetiformis, then there's a >80% chance that I'd be positive for celiac. No thank you, I do not want a doctor cutting out a portion of my skin to test for dermatitis herpetiformis. Instead, I will keep experimenting until the answer develops.
By the way, that's 100% gluten-free, 100% of the time for at least 6months. If you have dermatitis herpetiformis and ingest wheat...however small, you can expect to have to wait 6months before you will be symptom-free.
I've read that milk can be very allergenic. Considering that I stopped drinking milk for a long time, and only very limited diary products, it could be a similar reaction caused by milk. Unfortunately, for we're talking in the time frame of 6 months, this will be a really difficult experiment. I hope to find some raw milk very soon and experiment with that. I've read from the pro-raw milkers that it happens to not be allergenic when not pasteurized.
No, I'm not terribly afraid of getting sick from raw milk. That's just something the FDA wants you to fear. I'm more afraid that I won't like it since I'm not accustomed to drinking it. Unfortunately, finding raw milk is a pain. In the state of Illinois, you have to buy it directly from the farmer.
Today I went for a 20min jog to test out the reaction again. It wasn't as awful as in October, but it was still fairly unpleasant. That was the motivation of today's rather long post.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Remembering an Acquaintance
I never thought that I would go down this path. That what I would read, would bring me so far out there...
So when I first met, Dan, I didn't ask all the questions I should have. It didn't help that I was shy in that crowd of friends. I often keep to myself many things for sake of not knowing how people will judge me. Anyways.
Dan made chocolates. I wish I could have appreciated them more, but I guess that takes knowledge of the process. Not everybody enjoys dark chocolate. I'm somewhere in the middle. But he was inventive with it (flavors and packaging), and it's really something else to see somebody so young producing something like that.
I don't have an amazing memory. College/sleepless nights really ruined that. So there are many gaps, and thankfully I have some pictures from my encounters to help this mind.
I remember Dan mentioning something about a food movement. Did he invite us to something? I don't remember that specifically. But he was talking about milk during that conversation. He wanted to do something with food and how it used to be made. He wanted to rediscover the traditional way foods were prepared and eaten. I can't remember how I internally processed that at the time.
I'm not the kind of person that misses people much, or develops strong lasting bonds. Sometimes, but after so many disappointments you kind of can't get attached. Not the same way at least. So to say I miss somebody I hardly knew just doesn't feel right.
Somehow, it seems like I keep being reminded of Dan, though.
I was on the bus one day and saw this. Thought it appropriate to take a picture, and oddly enough, my camera was with me.
Another time, later, I was reading about food and milk. Surfing the net, but trying to find local things. Found Dan again. If I knew then what I know now, I would have had a bunch of questions to ask. Life is a crazy place.
I never went to any of the events surrounding his death. I really only barely knew him, and I don't know how to console people. Just seems so awkward. Doesn't mean he is forgotten.
The Untold Story of Milk: Initial Impressions
After reading a book completely against milk, I found another book all pro-milk. When I first discover it, I was able to read a chapter or two online. What I had read really intrigued me, so I bought the book.
One of the cool chapters discussed the history of milk in the U.S. Really interesting. His history account of raw milk asserts that it was much more common before WWII....
The other cool chapter was one on lactose intolerance and raw milk. He claims that something like 80% of people will lactose intolerance can tolerate raw milk (because the enzyme that digests lactose is normally in milk before pasteurizing denatures it). That makes me wonder, if raw milk has an enzyme to digest the lactose (the primary milk sugar), does that change the way it makes your insulin spike. I commented before how I've read that dairy products spike our insulin, which supposedly equates to negative health consequences when prolonged.
Lactose intolerance is also an age related condition. Your body stops producing as many of the enzymes to digest milk as you age. Or so I've read online and experienced with in my family.
Anyways, I was excited about the book. So I started to read it from cover to cover, only to be met with minor disappointment.
1) A whole chapter related to historical references to milk especially from religious sources is not only not that thrilling, it hurts your argument. It was a long chapter. I know the author really just wanted to communicate that milk has been an integral part of human existence for as long as anybody can remember, but too many references to religious sources makes it sounds like, "See, God is on my side." That's nice, but too much and too boring. It kind of felt like he did Ctrl+F, milk, to the bible.
2) "In the whole range of organic matter, milk is the only substance purposely designed and prepared by nature," (pg. 13, Untold Story of Milk) ----LIAR---- Pants on Fire. Did Ron Schmid (author) forget about the whole category of fruit? It's sweet and alluring, with lots of wondering nutrients, made from nature, AND it wants you to eat it!
How else are those seeds going to go anywhere and propagate? Yes, the wild wind is going to carry the entire fruit + seeds off. How many times have you seen seeds in your crap? Okay, maybe you don't investigate, but they rarely get digested. You have to actually bite them open to get the insides digested. That's a very bitter taste which encourages us not to bite them. Fruit + seed = benefit for us and the plant. This is also the main reason why I'm a little skeptical about eating seeds for nutrients. I believe the whole foods that are good for us will also taste good. Seeds are not yummy in and of themselves.
While I was looking forward to reading this book, it ain't perfect. Good thing I read the other chapters first, or I would have less motivation to read this thing from cover to cover.
One of the cool chapters discussed the history of milk in the U.S. Really interesting. His history account of raw milk asserts that it was much more common before WWII....
The other cool chapter was one on lactose intolerance and raw milk. He claims that something like 80% of people will lactose intolerance can tolerate raw milk (because the enzyme that digests lactose is normally in milk before pasteurizing denatures it). That makes me wonder, if raw milk has an enzyme to digest the lactose (the primary milk sugar), does that change the way it makes your insulin spike. I commented before how I've read that dairy products spike our insulin, which supposedly equates to negative health consequences when prolonged.
Lactose intolerance is also an age related condition. Your body stops producing as many of the enzymes to digest milk as you age. Or so I've read online and experienced with in my family.
Anyways, I was excited about the book. So I started to read it from cover to cover, only to be met with minor disappointment.
1) A whole chapter related to historical references to milk especially from religious sources is not only not that thrilling, it hurts your argument. It was a long chapter. I know the author really just wanted to communicate that milk has been an integral part of human existence for as long as anybody can remember, but too many references to religious sources makes it sounds like, "See, God is on my side." That's nice, but too much and too boring. It kind of felt like he did Ctrl+F, milk, to the bible.
2) "In the whole range of organic matter, milk is the only substance purposely designed and prepared by nature," (pg. 13, Untold Story of Milk) ----LIAR---- Pants on Fire. Did Ron Schmid (author) forget about the whole category of fruit? It's sweet and alluring, with lots of wondering nutrients, made from nature, AND it wants you to eat it!
How else are those seeds going to go anywhere and propagate? Yes, the wild wind is going to carry the entire fruit + seeds off. How many times have you seen seeds in your crap? Okay, maybe you don't investigate, but they rarely get digested. You have to actually bite them open to get the insides digested. That's a very bitter taste which encourages us not to bite them. Fruit + seed = benefit for us and the plant. This is also the main reason why I'm a little skeptical about eating seeds for nutrients. I believe the whole foods that are good for us will also taste good. Seeds are not yummy in and of themselves.
While I was looking forward to reading this book, it ain't perfect. Good thing I read the other chapters first, or I would have less motivation to read this thing from cover to cover.
Top Signs to Stop Ignoring
I said in a previous post how we like to be tough and ignore the signs. I also believe that we've been conditioned not to recognize the signs our bodies are giving us. So I've devised my own funky list of things you should stop ignoring ASAP.
1) Acne after college.
Okay, we'll give a break to the hormonal teenagers. Acne is strongly connected to the well-being of your gut. Hormones being out of wack is also related to diet. Do not believe that there is nothing you can do about acne. Your skin is speaking for your insides...saying, "Help me or I will make you ugly!"
2) Hemorrhoids or general discomfort taking a crap.
Crap should be passing easily and without pain. If it hurts coming out, how do you think your intestines feel as it is passing through them? Maybe you didn't feel anything as it passed through the intestines, but it doesn't mean a lot of damage isn't being done. If there are any issues in this department, I'd start reading.
3) Unexplained bloating. May tie in with point #2 in that weird gas and craps frequently accompany bloating.
I know it's a shy thing to talk about with others, but still. It doesn't need to be a way of life. Unless, of course, you would rather have bloating than do without the causative agent. For me, this would be eating too much grains in one setting (ie, fistful - probably okay, more than a plate full - watch out!) and dried fruits.
4) General fatigue not explained by sleepless nights or excessive stress.
Can't say sleepless nights or stress are healthy alternatives, but if you're tired, you should at least be able to explain why. You're probably deficient or unbalanced in some way if you're always tired.
5) Change in libido.
Again, this gives you a little insight to what's going on with your hormones.
6) Slow wound healing.
If you get a cut or something, how long does it take to heal? One of the signs of diabetes is slow wound healing. It's also a sign you may have some vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
7) Menstrual Irregularities /Heavy bleeding
I've always thought I was a heavy bleeder...and I thought that was normal. I thought it was normal to feel like I have the flu the first day of my cycle. And I also thought it was normal that my period may come on time +/- one week! It's not normal. "Normal for everyone is different." BAH! What if you have any of these issues, and you could significantly change them? Our diet influences our hormones, so you have more control than you may have been told. In a post to come, I'll write a whole lot more on this topic...
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Animal Rights Meets Omnivore: Bad Idea
Now that I've got the background out of the way...
You can understand, then, that when I first added meat back into my diet, I didn't add a lot. Part of the reason I favor fish and eggs is because it seems like it is the least cruel. It's much easier to feel sympathy for taking the life of a cow than a fish. I like that you can still easily find wild fish in regular grocery stores. But there's a part of me that really does like the taste of meat....and another part of me that believes that meat is the key to my health improving.
Which finally gets me to what I wanted to say!
I had this crazy thought. I'm pretty sure that it's not that practical either, but for all the animal rights people out there who can't do without --- what about having farms that only sold animals that died of natural causes?
So there's a large plot of land where a bunch of animals live and breed. Put them in a mimic of their natural habitat, but void of all their predators. Let them live and eat happily until they keel over. Have sensor collars on the animals that alert the farmers immediately that an animal has died and where. Harvest the dead carcass.
But then I got to thinking, if there were no predators, how would these animals die?
Would it be gross to eat a cow that died from a tumor? Would something like that exist outside of factory farms?
Animal Rights Meet Omnivore: Background
When I first went vegetarian, I was in eighth grade. I didn't really question things for myself. I never considered why we eat meat, never questioned my diet. Until the girl across from me did. She was all pro-animal rights, and I was all for supporting her with the rest of my lunch table friends. I wasn't expecting it to be so easy, but then again, I wasn't really thrilled with most of the meat dishes made at home. I only occasionally missed things like sloppy joes.
The real motivation came from my family who poked fun at me. So when everybody else started eating meat again, I didn't see much of a reason to switch back. Anger ran through my blood, making it really simple.
I still remember eating out with a friend of mine (back when I had a little more of a social life). I guess I still hadn't learned the full art of questioning things. My cousin had given me the book, "The China Study," and I had become one of those vegetarian cultists. Not that I really cared if everybody became vegetarian or not, but just so set on believing that was the right path. I remember reading it and wondering to myself how the casein from milk experiments was enough to rule out all meats, too. But beyond that, I took to heart all that the author wrote. Convinced me to try vegan. Scared me away from milk for a long time. When I told my friend about the book, we were at dinner. I don't remember her giving me any good information against the book, but it was a few years ago. What I do remember, however, was her telling me, you should read more before you go believing this guy. Haha, my response was something like, "Maybe, but I'm pretty convinced..."
Maybe it took the three or so years for that to brew in my mind. And oddly enough, I had to go even more conservative with my food before breaking loose to last year's food research marathon. I had found a blog of somebody online who was vegan and grain-free. He seemed so happy with it. I was skeptical, but for whatever reason, I tried it. It was around this time that I was also training for a marathon. The new diet really lacked the energy I needed, but I had noticed some perplexing health improvements along with negative health impacts. It was enough to make me start questioning everything.
And now, instead of believing main stream conventional health points, I'm a looney. A looney omnivore.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
My Diet...
Interested in trying out what seems to be working for me?
Start by tossing out nearly everything canned. Exception, tomato paste (and beans if you eat them). Mainly, your meals shouldn't be from a can or any other ready-to-go package. Next, open the fridge, and get rid of all condiments containing anything with high fructose corn syrup (it's really not equivalent to sugar) or a long laundry list of ingredients. Most likely this will include all types of salad dressing. Salad dressings generally include soybean oil or some other crappy oil - and it does matter. Peanut butters usually have bad oils, too. You can find peanut butter without added oil, if you must. Just got to be willing to turn over a bunch of peanut butters to find it.
-Protein-
Make sure to eat enough protein from quality sources. Eggs are my go to choice. Spend the extra money and find the local organic ones. Factory farming isn't only cruel, it produces lower quality food for you.
I generally don't limit my protein. I personally favor fish and eggs, but I will also buy bacon, chicken, and beef. Oh, looking for a nutrient-dense protein option? --- oysters!..or liver. I make sure to find the fattest options, nothing that is blah % lean. I believe our bodies know what to do with that fat.
-Fat-
I get fat with my protein options. Don't be timid about fat. If I buy milk, I go for full-fat. If I buy yogurt, I hunt for the fattest option (which is almost non-existent because we're so low-fat crazed). I use coconut oil for cooking (I've heard it's also good for weight-loss). Olive oil rarely, for salads. You're probably wondering what to eat with your salad, learn to make your own high-quality dressings. I tend to use vinegars with salt and pepper.
All other oils I don't touch with a 9' pole. Unfortunately, this also means that I look at going out to eat as though it's junk food (even nicer places) since it is uncommon to use coconut oil or animal fats for cooking in restaurants.
-Carbs-
Simply, not from grains (more junk food in my mind). After eliminating wheat, I discovered that my bloating disappeared, too. I extended this to other forms of grain because I believe it would be the last thing I would eat if I was starving in the wilderness. They don't taste good the way nature prepared them for us. They're hard, boring, and require a lot of work to get them to the point that they are sought-after. Fruit, however, yumm yumm. The fiber in fruit is matched with water. Many fruits are something like 90% water. I think that helps prevent the bloating that is associated with grains. Not to mention all the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. My fiber comes solely from fruits and vegetables. Limit intake of dried fruits, too (ex, prunes = terrible bloating).
Potatoes became my comfort food. If I missed bread, I substituted with fried potatoes. It is a little annoying to have to cook so much, but the desire to eat grains has significantly decreased.
I'm not saying this diet is perfect. I still have a lot of uncertainty. I have an entire book on fats and another one on raw milk to read. These areas still have some grey to them. Furthermore, I've read conflicting information on sugar. But for the sake of happiness, I'm taking sides with the sugar-lovers. It doesn't seem to be harming me any.
Start by tossing out nearly everything canned. Exception, tomato paste (and beans if you eat them). Mainly, your meals shouldn't be from a can or any other ready-to-go package. Next, open the fridge, and get rid of all condiments containing anything with high fructose corn syrup (it's really not equivalent to sugar) or a long laundry list of ingredients. Most likely this will include all types of salad dressing. Salad dressings generally include soybean oil or some other crappy oil - and it does matter. Peanut butters usually have bad oils, too. You can find peanut butter without added oil, if you must. Just got to be willing to turn over a bunch of peanut butters to find it.
-Protein-
Make sure to eat enough protein from quality sources. Eggs are my go to choice. Spend the extra money and find the local organic ones. Factory farming isn't only cruel, it produces lower quality food for you.
I generally don't limit my protein. I personally favor fish and eggs, but I will also buy bacon, chicken, and beef. Oh, looking for a nutrient-dense protein option? --- oysters!..or liver. I make sure to find the fattest options, nothing that is blah % lean. I believe our bodies know what to do with that fat.
-Fat-
I get fat with my protein options. Don't be timid about fat. If I buy milk, I go for full-fat. If I buy yogurt, I hunt for the fattest option (which is almost non-existent because we're so low-fat crazed). I use coconut oil for cooking (I've heard it's also good for weight-loss). Olive oil rarely, for salads. You're probably wondering what to eat with your salad, learn to make your own high-quality dressings. I tend to use vinegars with salt and pepper.
All other oils I don't touch with a 9' pole. Unfortunately, this also means that I look at going out to eat as though it's junk food (even nicer places) since it is uncommon to use coconut oil or animal fats for cooking in restaurants.
-Carbs-
Simply, not from grains (more junk food in my mind). After eliminating wheat, I discovered that my bloating disappeared, too. I extended this to other forms of grain because I believe it would be the last thing I would eat if I was starving in the wilderness. They don't taste good the way nature prepared them for us. They're hard, boring, and require a lot of work to get them to the point that they are sought-after. Fruit, however, yumm yumm. The fiber in fruit is matched with water. Many fruits are something like 90% water. I think that helps prevent the bloating that is associated with grains. Not to mention all the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. My fiber comes solely from fruits and vegetables. Limit intake of dried fruits, too (ex, prunes = terrible bloating).
Potatoes became my comfort food. If I missed bread, I substituted with fried potatoes. It is a little annoying to have to cook so much, but the desire to eat grains has significantly decreased.
I'm not saying this diet is perfect. I still have a lot of uncertainty. I have an entire book on fats and another one on raw milk to read. These areas still have some grey to them. Furthermore, I've read conflicting information on sugar. But for the sake of happiness, I'm taking sides with the sugar-lovers. It doesn't seem to be harming me any.
Blaming the Scale
The scale we weigh ourselves is just a simple instrument. When I felt like my weight was out of my control, I turned on my scale. It's the same scale I have now, peculiar how we've become buddy-buddy.
I used to weigh myself, and the weights would vary so drastically from day to day. Always weighing in during the mornings before eating and after peeing. How else could I explain it, but to question the authority of the scale? Must be a faulty scale, there's no way I gained 5lbs!
It still jumps around these days, too. Only I feel that I have control of myself. It's a fragile control; I can become easily vexed should I see a weight gain of more than 2lbs overnight that I cannot explain by a splurge on junk food or something similar. But the general slope is downwards.
Today marked a real achievement. ---- 124.8lbs! ----
Definitely ringing in the New Year on a high note. I'm really not even trying (though the initial cutting grains out of your diet can be a challenge). Not exercising excessively. In fact, the last time I did any exercise was skiing New Year's Eve. Normally, I bike everyday for a total of about 40min. Not this week. I'm not a hungry either.
"It's working, it's working."
Diet Welfare Comparison
My boss and friend, a sociology major, is always commenting on the finer details of society. It's motivated me to make this comparison.
She explains that many people on our welfare system are viewed as people who aren't trying hard enough to better themselves and who are just eating out of the system. We place the blame on the individual, rather than the set up of society. We think to ourselves, these people are getting assistance, but if they're so poor, then why do they have those designer jeans and fancy phone? [Could have been a gift or second-hand]. We read into a life we don't know, judging by whatever limited information appears to us, dismissing the barriers that may have played a role. For example, consider the disparity in quality of education for inner city kids versus a rich suburban education in preparing a K-12 child for college. Would the barriers to getting into and staying enrolled in college be the same for both situations? Could be, but probably not.
Do we not do the same thing to overweight people (including to ourselves)?
Let's consider our dieting and medical society. We all know the stats...
"Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010)
Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010)"
Approximately 25% of the population will die from heart diseases, another 23% from cancer. What about accidents and not diseases? Combined, accidents, suicides, blood poisoning, and homicide only reach 8% of total causes of death. So, the majority of us can expect to die from a disease. Nearly 70% of our population has an issue with weight, and ~90% of us will die from disease (most of them, "diseases of affluence"). And we blame ourselves?
If we look at heart disease, your risks are mainly hereditary and lifestyle choices. Then you're told to limit your fat, eating whole grains, and less sugar - sent home with some cholesterol lowering drugs. The same supposedly heart-healthy diet that helps us lose weight, only we're not losing weight.
They say that being overweight or obese increases our likelihood to have heart disease, diabetes, etc. Do you really believe that 70% of the population has no willpower? Maybe, society has been set up in a way that everything we believe about food and health is actually setting us up for weight gain and disease. Maybe, instead of judging the flabby person eating a large plate of spaghetti, we should question all we think we know about food.
She explains that many people on our welfare system are viewed as people who aren't trying hard enough to better themselves and who are just eating out of the system. We place the blame on the individual, rather than the set up of society. We think to ourselves, these people are getting assistance, but if they're so poor, then why do they have those designer jeans and fancy phone? [Could have been a gift or second-hand]. We read into a life we don't know, judging by whatever limited information appears to us, dismissing the barriers that may have played a role. For example, consider the disparity in quality of education for inner city kids versus a rich suburban education in preparing a K-12 child for college. Would the barriers to getting into and staying enrolled in college be the same for both situations? Could be, but probably not.
Do we not do the same thing to overweight people (including to ourselves)?
Let's consider our dieting and medical society. We all know the stats...
"Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010)
Percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010)"
Approximately 25% of the population will die from heart diseases, another 23% from cancer. What about accidents and not diseases? Combined, accidents, suicides, blood poisoning, and homicide only reach 8% of total causes of death. So, the majority of us can expect to die from a disease. Nearly 70% of our population has an issue with weight, and ~90% of us will die from disease (most of them, "diseases of affluence"). And we blame ourselves?
If we look at heart disease, your risks are mainly hereditary and lifestyle choices. Then you're told to limit your fat, eating whole grains, and less sugar - sent home with some cholesterol lowering drugs. The same supposedly heart-healthy diet that helps us lose weight, only we're not losing weight.
They say that being overweight or obese increases our likelihood to have heart disease, diabetes, etc. Do you really believe that 70% of the population has no willpower? Maybe, society has been set up in a way that everything we believe about food and health is actually setting us up for weight gain and disease. Maybe, instead of judging the flabby person eating a large plate of spaghetti, we should question all we think we know about food.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Impossible Soft-Boiled Eggs
Since I've cut nearly all processed junk out of my life, I'm really keen on learning how to make the perfect soft-boiled egg. Or maybe medium-boiled egg. It's that transit from runny to solid, (but not quite) which I'm aiming for.
So far, it doesn't exist.
Today I got a wonderful surprise when I began to peel my "soft-boiled eggs." Soft-boiled eggs in which even the egg white was not yet solidified! Just what I want to eat. The image above is the aftermath. This would not be the first of my trials with eggs. I've also been trying to find ways to eat raw eggs. I know, I know...fear that salmonella, who is this girl that's off her rocker? I'm surprised I can still stomach them after some of these run-ins (raw egg white tastes like somebody else's snot getting stuck as it reaches the back of your throat).
Just to be clear, beyond the crazier details, I believe eating egg yolks are healthy and that they should always be eaten with the egg white (not discarded). Most of the nutrition is in the egg yolk, and it's the best part - listen to your taste buds. If you don't want to believe this crazy....
Egg whites vs egg yolks:
http://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2011/10/11/the-nurtional-value-of-egg-whites-versus-egg-yolks-what-do-you-use/
Effects of cholesterol in eggs:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/7301/description/Reevaluating_Eggs_Cholesterol_Risks
Recipe for uncooked soft-boiled eggs:
1) Place eggs in water and heat on medium-high heat for 15mins
2) Turn off the heat and leave eggs in hot water for 20min
3) Remove and let cool, place in fridge
Recipe for over-cooked hard-boiled eggs:
1) Place eggs in water and heat on medium-high heat until water boils (or patience runs thin)
2) Turn off the heat and leave the eggs in hot water for 10-15min
3) Remove and let cool, place in fridge
Confession, I know Nothing about Blogging
I must be getting old. I often feel like I'm not a part of my generation. This is one of those days. I've wasted countless hours trying to figure out how to be able to get my blog to appear when goggle searched, and I am temporarily giving up. Commentary suggestions is welcomed.
I attempted to add keywords to the template. It supposedly worked, but a google search does not show that it has helped. Not that my writing should warrant top hits...I'd still like to be able to find it without too much trouble (and others)!
The social anxiety part is the part that is having me hold back. I'm waiting to share this blog with my facebook friends because I'm afraid of running something-a-muck while I learn the ins and outs of blogging. I doubt I'll ever understand it all, but at least while this blog has nearly no viewers I can feel safe that nobody will laugh at the noobie errors. I have the same problem with facebook. It's always changing. I have no idea what of my stuff is broadcast and what has privacy settings on it. I recently struggled with changing my profile picture. Randomly, today, it appeared that the option I had been looking for returned. All these things create a nervous Beth. It is one reason that I don't post or do more with facebook. I need to get a second facebook profile with no friends that I actually know so I don't have to worry about what happens while I learn.
[Note: Also holding back on facebook updating friends until I have a base of entries written.]
Experiments without Conclusions
While I was home over the holidays, I attempted to continue my diet for the two weeks I would be in other people's kitchens. Some days it was easy, other days it was too awkward to be so restrictive.
Batman Rises and Movie Popcorn
One evening my family planned a movie night. It sounds innocent enough, food for snacking is optional, sort of. My family happens to love their popcorn with movies. My uncle eats popcorn for a meal often. I, on the other hand, don't really care about popcorn. When I eat popcorn, it's the bites with extra butter and salt that I get excited about.
Initially, I told them I wanted to skip the popcorn. It's not part of my diet, and I really don't have much desire to eat it. Then, they started asking questions, and I gave in. If I want to explain everything that has brought me to this position, I simply cannot do it adequately in person. I don't feel like my diet is ultra-restrictive, but that's coming from somebody who has become accustomed to doing without. Anyways, point of the matter is, I ate the damn popcorn, and I ate whole lot.
The popcorn was simple - not the microwaved in a bag give you cancer type. It was plain popcorn kernels popped in coconut oil over the stove. Melted butter and salt were added afterwards. Four simple ingredients, and I know for certain two of them (coconut oil and salt) do no have any adverse reactions with me.
I blamed the popcorn for my upset stomach with very loose, demanding attention stools. My cousin, however, thought maybe it was the butter....
So, Nearly Half a Stick of Butter Later
When I returned to my apartment after the holidays, one of the first things I did was go for the butter. I wanted to pinpoint it down to that popcorn. Unfortunately for me, eating three tablespoons of butter also has some unpleasant side-effects. Namely, my face exploding with red acne spots. I would also like to note, that I would never eat three tablespoons of butter with nothing else. It wasn't all that thrilling. I had to force the last bites down with some orange juice.
Clearly, it's hard to come up and the point the finger at one or the other. I never noticed any issues with more acne when I have used lots of butter on my food. Perhaps it's also because I don't force it down. With the popcorn, I didn't force it down. It's mildly addicting, each bite barely finished before you are reaching for the next one --- reminiscent of the addictive nature of cereal and pasta on a smaller scale.
I may never come to an absolute conclusion on popcorn. I really have no desire to eat plain popcorn. As I noted above, popcorn is only good to me because of the butter and salt on it. I do not have any popcorn in my pantry, and I have no intention to ever buy some. This has made me more vigilant to the possible effects of butter, and I will pay attention to my face more after heavily buttered meals.
Now, to relate some of this back to random things I've read or heard from others.
In the predominantly pro-primal/paleo groups of bloggers, there is this belief that anything that spikes your insulin response should be avoided. This includes all kinds of sugar, grains, and yes, even butter. Apparently the only dairy product that doesn't spike your insulin response is cheese. I am curious if they tested both pasteurized and raw milk out when they were doing their research. I am skeptical that it was a point of consideration. [Note: reason cheese doesn't spike insulin is probably because the lactose gets consumed during the fermentation process]. My diet isn't based on insulin response, and I do not believe in limiting fruit consumption. To play devil's advocate, I've found a meta-analysis study that found that dairy eaters resulted in more weight-loss in overweight people than their non-dairy counterparts. I imagine the increased fat intake helped curb hunger.
Batman Rises and Movie Popcorn
One evening my family planned a movie night. It sounds innocent enough, food for snacking is optional, sort of. My family happens to love their popcorn with movies. My uncle eats popcorn for a meal often. I, on the other hand, don't really care about popcorn. When I eat popcorn, it's the bites with extra butter and salt that I get excited about.
Initially, I told them I wanted to skip the popcorn. It's not part of my diet, and I really don't have much desire to eat it. Then, they started asking questions, and I gave in. If I want to explain everything that has brought me to this position, I simply cannot do it adequately in person. I don't feel like my diet is ultra-restrictive, but that's coming from somebody who has become accustomed to doing without. Anyways, point of the matter is, I ate the damn popcorn, and I ate whole lot.
The popcorn was simple - not the microwaved in a bag give you cancer type. It was plain popcorn kernels popped in coconut oil over the stove. Melted butter and salt were added afterwards. Four simple ingredients, and I know for certain two of them (coconut oil and salt) do no have any adverse reactions with me.
I blamed the popcorn for my upset stomach with very loose, demanding attention stools. My cousin, however, thought maybe it was the butter....
So, Nearly Half a Stick of Butter Later
When I returned to my apartment after the holidays, one of the first things I did was go for the butter. I wanted to pinpoint it down to that popcorn. Unfortunately for me, eating three tablespoons of butter also has some unpleasant side-effects. Namely, my face exploding with red acne spots. I would also like to note, that I would never eat three tablespoons of butter with nothing else. It wasn't all that thrilling. I had to force the last bites down with some orange juice.
Clearly, it's hard to come up and the point the finger at one or the other. I never noticed any issues with more acne when I have used lots of butter on my food. Perhaps it's also because I don't force it down. With the popcorn, I didn't force it down. It's mildly addicting, each bite barely finished before you are reaching for the next one --- reminiscent of the addictive nature of cereal and pasta on a smaller scale.
I may never come to an absolute conclusion on popcorn. I really have no desire to eat plain popcorn. As I noted above, popcorn is only good to me because of the butter and salt on it. I do not have any popcorn in my pantry, and I have no intention to ever buy some. This has made me more vigilant to the possible effects of butter, and I will pay attention to my face more after heavily buttered meals.
Now, to relate some of this back to random things I've read or heard from others.
In the predominantly pro-primal/paleo groups of bloggers, there is this belief that anything that spikes your insulin response should be avoided. This includes all kinds of sugar, grains, and yes, even butter. Apparently the only dairy product that doesn't spike your insulin response is cheese. I am curious if they tested both pasteurized and raw milk out when they were doing their research. I am skeptical that it was a point of consideration. [Note: reason cheese doesn't spike insulin is probably because the lactose gets consumed during the fermentation process]. My diet isn't based on insulin response, and I do not believe in limiting fruit consumption. To play devil's advocate, I've found a meta-analysis study that found that dairy eaters resulted in more weight-loss in overweight people than their non-dairy counterparts. I imagine the increased fat intake helped curb hunger.
From Ultimate Low to Ultimate High
Near the end of my degree, I had reached an all-time low point in my life. It's a miracle they let me out of school with a degree. Years of consistent sleep deprivation and a crappy diet really took it's toll on me. I began to have heart palpitations coming out naps. I would wake out of a nap with my heart racing like a bunny and other times with a weird rhythm. All I ever got was naps, and I was always tired. My whole circadian rhythm was all off. At twenty-four, I still had acne. And had developed more cystic acne. I went into college an athletic 130lbs, but I was leaving a slightly flabby 140lbs. The mentality of architecture school was "sleep is for weak." All of this torment I put on my body was all for what? A degree, but no confidence. All that should have been learned was undermined by the drive to succeed. It's really messed up that pushing yourself harder leaves you worse off, but I had no life outside of my studies and part-time work.
During my health readings, I came across an interesting finding. Apparently low grade sleep deprivation can render a healthy person pre-diabetic in just a couple of nights. It also messes with your hormones in a way that encourages hunger and snacking. I guess I was probably on my way to diabetes, or had it and didn't know.
Just a quick google find on the subject...
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/health/sleep-insulin-resistance/index.html
Another major error I held onto was the thought that my vegetarian diet could excuse eating junk food, especially the ones high in fat like Nutella. I imagine that both the junk food, and the vegetarian diet contributed to some of the issues I was having. My vegetarian diet equated to a low protein, high carb diet with periodically high amounts of junk food fats (needless to say, the worst kind). What I didn't realize until recently is that something in the vegetarian diet, but not related to the junk food was also contributing to menstrual irregularities. After all, I had been vegetarian nearly the entire time I had been menstruating -- irregularity and heavy bleeding were just the norms I had always known. And I can safely say that it was part of the vegetarian diet, void of excessive junk food because before college ears, my junk food intake was relatively low.
I'm not sure I'll never know quite what I did to my body back in school with the diet I had. I've been lucky that nothing so extreme has forced me to get medical help. The ultimate low I reached has motivated me to slow down. I may seem like a deadbeat, doing nothing with my life and my degree, but when you feel like your watching yourself die, you have a choice. I hope to someday be a super centenarian, and I'm not going to reach that kind of old age living like I was. So, I've taken a pause, and I'm rebuilding. Questioning all I ever thought about food, exercise, and sleep.
It's been a year of food experimentation. I've cut out grains, and added meat. I tried the whole cutting grains and meat - it simply does not work. It's hard enough being a vegan, let alone a vegan who doesn't eat grains. I tried it it my beginning stages of marathon training last January. I believe I was subject to what others refer to as "glycation." I ate lots of fruits and vegetables with nuts and olive oil for protein and fat. I was generally hungry and had energy crashes multiple times during a day. My acne decreased, except for the cystic stuff around my jawline. My pms symptoms decreased as well. So there were some benefits, but clearly not an ideal situation. Pair that up with a long approx. 10 mile run a week, and I had created a being that barely had enough energy for anything. So, I had to add something back....
But that's when I did something very unusual for a runner. I added the protein, the meat back....and remained on a low-carb from grains diet. Most runners carb-load, so it was a fundamentally strange decision on my part. I can't say the benefits happened overnight. My reluctance to eat a lot of meat after so many years and still the dominating dogma of low-fat to be heart-healthy left me still with a non-ideal diet.
In early October of last year, I started another dietary adventure, fear not fats and cholesterol. I started eating coconut oil, supplementing with vitamin E, eating more meats (trying odd ones too like liver and oysters), and being more serious about eliminating grains. I'll keep the description of corresponding consequences limited for now. All I'll say is that it became the first time since January that eating on a diet was satisfying -- that I wasn't hungry all the time, and I was seeing a gradual weight loss to weights below 130lbs which was only possible previously when I felt like I was starving.
I came back from the holidays a magical 126 lbs. Last year's New Year's resolution was to trim down to 125lbs (before the holidays, I had reached it while feeling satisfied). I feel like I'm regaining control over my body. 125lbs is something I haven't seen since probably the middle of high school, so weight-wise, I'm seeing some serious improvement --- especially since they usually say those last five pounds are the hardest to lose. I haven't even changed my exercise levels.
So there it is, a semi-long-winded breakdown of the biggest personal health turn-around I've experienced. Not to mention, in the process, I've broken the widespread belief that diet doesn't influence acne, pms, and cramps.
During my health readings, I came across an interesting finding. Apparently low grade sleep deprivation can render a healthy person pre-diabetic in just a couple of nights. It also messes with your hormones in a way that encourages hunger and snacking. I guess I was probably on my way to diabetes, or had it and didn't know.
Just a quick google find on the subject...
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/health/sleep-insulin-resistance/index.html
Another major error I held onto was the thought that my vegetarian diet could excuse eating junk food, especially the ones high in fat like Nutella. I imagine that both the junk food, and the vegetarian diet contributed to some of the issues I was having. My vegetarian diet equated to a low protein, high carb diet with periodically high amounts of junk food fats (needless to say, the worst kind). What I didn't realize until recently is that something in the vegetarian diet, but not related to the junk food was also contributing to menstrual irregularities. After all, I had been vegetarian nearly the entire time I had been menstruating -- irregularity and heavy bleeding were just the norms I had always known. And I can safely say that it was part of the vegetarian diet, void of excessive junk food because before college ears, my junk food intake was relatively low.
I'm not sure I'll never know quite what I did to my body back in school with the diet I had. I've been lucky that nothing so extreme has forced me to get medical help. The ultimate low I reached has motivated me to slow down. I may seem like a deadbeat, doing nothing with my life and my degree, but when you feel like your watching yourself die, you have a choice. I hope to someday be a super centenarian, and I'm not going to reach that kind of old age living like I was. So, I've taken a pause, and I'm rebuilding. Questioning all I ever thought about food, exercise, and sleep.
It's been a year of food experimentation. I've cut out grains, and added meat. I tried the whole cutting grains and meat - it simply does not work. It's hard enough being a vegan, let alone a vegan who doesn't eat grains. I tried it it my beginning stages of marathon training last January. I believe I was subject to what others refer to as "glycation." I ate lots of fruits and vegetables with nuts and olive oil for protein and fat. I was generally hungry and had energy crashes multiple times during a day. My acne decreased, except for the cystic stuff around my jawline. My pms symptoms decreased as well. So there were some benefits, but clearly not an ideal situation. Pair that up with a long approx. 10 mile run a week, and I had created a being that barely had enough energy for anything. So, I had to add something back....
But that's when I did something very unusual for a runner. I added the protein, the meat back....and remained on a low-carb from grains diet. Most runners carb-load, so it was a fundamentally strange decision on my part. I can't say the benefits happened overnight. My reluctance to eat a lot of meat after so many years and still the dominating dogma of low-fat to be heart-healthy left me still with a non-ideal diet.
In early October of last year, I started another dietary adventure, fear not fats and cholesterol. I started eating coconut oil, supplementing with vitamin E, eating more meats (trying odd ones too like liver and oysters), and being more serious about eliminating grains. I'll keep the description of corresponding consequences limited for now. All I'll say is that it became the first time since January that eating on a diet was satisfying -- that I wasn't hungry all the time, and I was seeing a gradual weight loss to weights below 130lbs which was only possible previously when I felt like I was starving.
I came back from the holidays a magical 126 lbs. Last year's New Year's resolution was to trim down to 125lbs (before the holidays, I had reached it while feeling satisfied). I feel like I'm regaining control over my body. 125lbs is something I haven't seen since probably the middle of high school, so weight-wise, I'm seeing some serious improvement --- especially since they usually say those last five pounds are the hardest to lose. I haven't even changed my exercise levels.
So there it is, a semi-long-winded breakdown of the biggest personal health turn-around I've experienced. Not to mention, in the process, I've broken the widespread belief that diet doesn't influence acne, pms, and cramps.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Introduction - Why
Welcome!
I'm starting this blog for a few main reasons. I mean, solely for your entertainment. Yep.
Last year, I began a project to research as much as I could about food and health in the search for consensus on the "right" diet. Most of my reading involved other people's blogs. I know, not the most "scientific" path, but I also believe there is something tainted with food science. This is my effort to document and pull together the many random things I've read to craft a conclusion.
Beyond pulling together other people's information, I will add in my own experimentation. I am surprisingly good at eliminating whole food groups from my diet for periods of time. For a period of about ten years, I was a vegetarian. A short while vegan. And now, I'm significantly grain-free. That's the simplified version of everything.
Following my six years of undergrad, I came to a realization that I wasn't healthy. Which, for those who know me, may seem exaggerated since I've never been extremely overweight and have no major health complaints. I do believe the little things add up, though. And I'll be sharing all the little details, so this is your fair warning to leave if you're bothered by things under the category of "too much information." These things need to be talked about somewhere, otherwise how do we know we're normal? I think sometimes it's easy to ignore all the signs that our bodies are giving us. We like to be tough, and the abnormal becomes normal for us....never realizing when it happened. I hope that my sharing these details may awaken others (what lone souls that may end up following this blog).
Finally, I also plan on sharing my random thoughts here...not necessarily related to food. I have some strange form of social anxiety. Maybe talking about it will help release the anxieties and at the very least may allow those who know me to understand me a little better. I may also ramble on about strange habits or whatever I so feel like. I'd rather comment here than broadcast my off-tones to all my facebook friends.
Conclusion of the intro, I'm writing this blog for these reasons:
1) Form a documented conclusion on a healthy diet
2) Use my own experimentation to fine-tune my ideas on said diet
3) Awaken others to get personal with their bodies
4) Release my social anxieties through blogging
I'm starting this blog for a few main reasons. I mean, solely for your entertainment. Yep.
Last year, I began a project to research as much as I could about food and health in the search for consensus on the "right" diet. Most of my reading involved other people's blogs. I know, not the most "scientific" path, but I also believe there is something tainted with food science. This is my effort to document and pull together the many random things I've read to craft a conclusion.
Beyond pulling together other people's information, I will add in my own experimentation. I am surprisingly good at eliminating whole food groups from my diet for periods of time. For a period of about ten years, I was a vegetarian. A short while vegan. And now, I'm significantly grain-free. That's the simplified version of everything.
Following my six years of undergrad, I came to a realization that I wasn't healthy. Which, for those who know me, may seem exaggerated since I've never been extremely overweight and have no major health complaints. I do believe the little things add up, though. And I'll be sharing all the little details, so this is your fair warning to leave if you're bothered by things under the category of "too much information." These things need to be talked about somewhere, otherwise how do we know we're normal? I think sometimes it's easy to ignore all the signs that our bodies are giving us. We like to be tough, and the abnormal becomes normal for us....never realizing when it happened. I hope that my sharing these details may awaken others (what lone souls that may end up following this blog).
Finally, I also plan on sharing my random thoughts here...not necessarily related to food. I have some strange form of social anxiety. Maybe talking about it will help release the anxieties and at the very least may allow those who know me to understand me a little better. I may also ramble on about strange habits or whatever I so feel like. I'd rather comment here than broadcast my off-tones to all my facebook friends.
Conclusion of the intro, I'm writing this blog for these reasons:
1) Form a documented conclusion on a healthy diet
2) Use my own experimentation to fine-tune my ideas on said diet
3) Awaken others to get personal with their bodies
4) Release my social anxieties through blogging
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)