FOOD: Knowledge vs. Practice (to all gourmets)

First of all I want to say that I have been interested in nutrition/health since I was about 12 years old. I’ve loved food for a long time, too, and both of those are things that keep growing. I took some nutrition courses in college but realized I didn’t want to take all those chemistry classes. I have read a lot but I feel like I am just scratching the surface, there SO much more out there, probably more than anyone can learn in a lifetime.

My intellectual knowledge and opinions of proper eating are always changing, and the truth is that what I know in my head does not always play out in how I eat, so I apologize for the hypocritical things you will observe.

Also I want to mention that as a young person in good health I don’t feel the need to be so stringent; were I treating a chronic condition then I would need to up the ante.

In the past I tried to make sure that everything that passed through my lips was “approved.” Now my goal is to make sure that the majority of my meals are very healthy, nutritious, and non-toxic, while giving myself some slack to enjoy life and food sometimes. It’s hard for me to “throw caution out the door” except on holidays when it is very easy.

I was a vegetarian for a long time, and vegan (except for fish) for a while, but when I started doing weight training I added in more fish, and chicken, scrounging around for protein sources including amino acid supplements. I am a believer in food combining (natural hygiene = NH) but only apply it in part. Also I have become pretty convinced by the Blood Type Diet (type A here)(BTA) so I’m trying to implement that as well.
I was eating some dairy products until a year ago in November. Since then, NO DAIRY. I have no regrets on this. My family does not eat very healthfully but I did convert them to rice milk. Also, I never eat pork, except on a trip to China where I couldn’t find anything healthy anyway. That was a rough trip. Anyway…

That’s the background. Now, down to the nitty-gritty.

BREAKFAST: I always start the day with a glass of water, then fresh raw fruit on an empty stomach. (NH) I get dressed while it’s digesting. Then I eat something else to last longer. Lately I’ve been cooking enough brown rice to last a few days, or buckwheat kasha (BTA). I eat it cold out of the fridge, douse it in E.V Olive Oil, and maybe eat a cup of romaine for good measure.
Other options: steamed okra, or buckwheat pancakes. (Both BTA) Very occasionally an “egg in a hole” of one piece 12-grain bread cooked in butter.
I realize most of those things sound weird for breakfast. But part of it is time and part of it is I don’t know what else to eat, and I like those things. Sure I’d love to eat streusel and cheese grits but that is not healthy! A long time ago I used to eat bran flakes or such, in water instead of milk but I wanted to cut out that major source of wheat, and possible rancidity/bug contamination etc.

POST-BREAKFAST: I take green tea (whole leaves) and drink it throughout the day, possibly 4-6 cups. On some occasions I might have Chinese tea or rosebud tea instead, usually if I’m out of green. One or two days a week I make sure I don’t take any caffeine. I have been reading up on green tea and it has about a million benefits so I like to put in a good plug for that.

I usually bring a snack such as raw pumpkin seeds or an apple, I get hungry before lunch.
The pumpkin seeds kill some worms and plus they have fat and protein.
LUNCH: When I am out at school I must bring something with me (very troublesome) or eat what is available near my school. Actually my school serves lunch but I NEVER eat there because they serve practically nothing healthy.
If I bring a lunch, an example might be a whole wheat tortilla filled with brown rice, salmon, olive oil, and cilantro. I’m still trying to get good ideas in this area.

If I eat out: previously there was a great restaurant with big healthy salads, dairy-free veggie soups (the “cream” was blended potato) and vegetarian sandwiches, grilled chicken breast sandwiches (Not proper food combining, and involves bread), red potato salad with red onions in yogurt, fresh juices, etc. The prices were reasonable, the atmosphere was great and I am very sad that they went out of business. Not everything there was 100% healthy but the breads were freshly baked like rosemary ciabatta, etc. and super delicious so I would make an “exception” about once or twice a week.

Now: Fresh juice (usually pineapple/carrot) (pineapple being an exception to the NH rule, and also great for BTA). Steamed/boiled fish in a thin tomato-based sauce and okra is most common because it’s most healthy. Another thing is slices of fish with noodles in a broth. Or, boiled chicken with white rice and a ginger garlic chili sauce (called chicken rice). I KNOW that’s not healthy but it really tastes phenomenal (it’s a specialty) and I get tired of eating the same thing all the time. No more than once a week.

DINNER/SUPPER (whatever you call it):
If I am cooking, then I will just list some ingredients I use more or less frequently:
Dark leafy lettuce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, cilantro, assorted veggies, fish, brown rice, red potatoes, onions, garlic, spices/herbs in general, Sea Salt , dried beans, some whole grains like barley, egg, some butter. I try to avoid tomato and eggplant (BTA) but occasionally will have something tomato. I don’t eat much shellfish except the occasional prawns which I love. I know their hazards but they have their good points too, I just make sure it’s only like once or twice a month.
That might sound limiting but a lot of recipes are just combinations of those things anyway.
If I go out, for example a pizza place I will get veggie toppings (broccoli is my fave) and no cheese. Italian places, maybe pasta (no dairy) but not too often. Turkish food is great, roasted meat, homemade pitas, lots of veggie salads and dips, spices. Indian food uses tons of spices, hot grills (the tandoor) and raw onions, etc. I love tandoori chicken. They use ghee (clarified butter) and I will make the exception in the dairy department of minuscule amounts of yogurt used in some recipes. I try to make wise decisions, or if there is none to be made then I just choose something I will enjoy the best (still no dairy).

GOURMET DEPARTMENT: As you can see, a lot of what I eat is simple (maybe boring?) but for me a lot is involved in the simple flavors of foods. For example, a nutty brown rice drizzled with a high quality olive oil is amazing as I savor the flavors.
I love to watch Jamie Oliver on TV. As I posted in the recipe forum, I have been observing that those great chefs (especially him) typically make healthier versions of food and use high quality ingredients, such as free range eggs, Sea Salt , fresh produce, etc. Granted, some things will never be healthy, like hamburgers. But I find the gourmets inspiring, and you can always modify their recipes.
I am never tempted by shoddy places such as McDonalds, or cheap grocery store concoctions. You cannot make me eat those things. I love a classy Italian place, ethnic foods, Japanese California maki (I never have been tempted to touch the raw stuff) etc. But it had better be worth it! Life is too short for bad food. Fortunately the best stuff is also more expensive which keeps one from eating it every day.
So, even if the meal is simple, if the ingredients are high quality I can savor their flavors. My favorite foods of all time are fresh strawberries, and fresh peaches.
I don’t drink alcohol, save the occasional amaretto, or fruit liquor in small amount. Not enough to be significant.

What about meat rotting? White things constipating?
As far as meat/animal goes, I take digestive enzymes with any meal containing animal products. Avoiding carbs at that meal also helps although I cheat a lot. I might take pineapple juice as well. I trust that I have a sufficiently high fiber diet to push those things out before they sat around too long. I take a fiber supplement (psyllium, rice bran, apple pectin) every few nights, and sometimes I do a high-dose bowel cleanse.
As far as white rice and noodles and the occasional bread, I try to avoid but it is pretty difficult. I only eat bread if it is a tempting fresh bakery good quality item, none of that lousy loaf stuff. Rice and noodles is more difficult, I just try to limit the portion. I really rarely take sugar, so even though I know that the whites are bad, I figure that I can handle a bit. Whenever I eat such things, I try to “wash it all down” with lots of lettuce, even if that means just eating it plain when I get home at night. I don’t naturally like lettuce or salads but my aunt helped me realize that was something that was really lacking in my diet. That addition has significantly helped my energy level, along with the digestive enzymes.

What I try to do is keep myself in check. Sometimes I get too carried away on eating too much animal, too much white, etc. It’s rather a pendulum effect. I’ll realize I’ve been eating junky, so then I’ll do a cleanse, eat super-healthy for a while, then gradually digress until I wake up again – “What are you doing to yourself?!” I’m always looking for changes and tweaks, keeping my ears open to new information.

One note on this is that I’ve noticed many people make too many exceptions! Everyday is a holiday or excuse to eat junk! “So and so got an award, let’s eat brownies” “It’s somebody’s birthday, let’s eat cake” “We’re trying a new restaurant so let’s eat something unhealthy” “This is my favorite place so I’ll eat something bad” “I’m with so and so, in honor of them I’ll eat this junk” “It’s just one thing, it won’t kill me” etc. In my mind, people need to come back to reality – all of the celebration adds up! People need to pick their “exceptions” wisely. Certain holidays (Americans: 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, their birthday. Period). Or perhaps one day a month. Or at the most, one day a week. Don’t be thrown off your guard by people trying to celebrate. You can be happy without eating the junk that comes with it. Once you draw the line it brings things into focus and becomes much easier to say “no.” Just tell people you don’t want any, you’re not hungry, whatever.

I’ve realized that exercise can cover *some* dietary sins. Exercise is really an awesome thing and it improves your body in so many ways. For example, I haven’t done weight training for a month, my metabolism has changed so I think I need to go back to weight training or strictly limit the protein.
Curezone really helps me with new ideas, and keeps me on my toes, and motivated. I don’t want to ruin my health by eating junk all the time, but at the same time I have learned I cannot restrict myself all the time. I try to take things with a grain of (sea) salt. Life is too short to completely avoid fine foods!

THE END

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