ServicesOur MissionFAQAbout UsContact
I’m going to talk about food today. And I’ll preface it by reminding you that am I not a nutritionist and I don’t play one on TV, but I think I’ve learned a thing or two over the years and more importantly, I think I possess some common sense.
So food – we’ve talked about it here before – tried to define its uses – as comfort, a way to connect with others, a method to share friendship and love, and finally, as fuel for our fabulous bodies. We know that some people (me) love food and others not so much. We know that some people (me) eat more when we are under stress and others (bitches! – just kidding) don’t eat when they are under stress. We hear phrases like, “healthy relationship with food.” And we understand the opposite. Food is life and for some in this and other countries, there is an incomprehensible lack of food. I read recently about a group of schools here in Denver who have programs to make sure school children have something to eat on the weekends when they are not in school – they bring home backpacks of food to feed their families. We’ve talked about all of that, but I don’t believe we’ve ever defined food.
Defined food? What in the world? Yes – I think we need to spend some time defining food. You see, I don’t think we have a great grasp on what is and isn’t food. We so loosely define food as anything we put into our bodies and I’m here to argue that most of what we eat isn’t anything close to food.
I want you to get up for me, go to your kitchen and look in your refrigerator and pantry. What’s there? I want you to think about your last meal – what was it? Be specific – can you name all the ingredients of the items you put into your body? Are you eating real food or processed, engineered stuff masquerading as food? How many meals a week do you eat out or “pick up?”
In my view – food is anything that was alive at some point. Everything else is a substitute. I’m not the first person to say this and I won’t be the last. But do you ever think about this? I think about it – a lot! I guess more than some because I cannot eat gluten and so I find myself reading labels religiously, questioning restaurant staffs, and considering where the things I put in my body come from. My question for you is – do you do the same? Do you read labels – and I don’t just mean a glance at the first few ingredients, but really read labels? And if so, how much of what you put in your body has two or fewer ingredients? Yes – I said two or fewer.
What if we made a pact to only eat whole foods for the next week? On top of that, what if we agreed to only eat things we make ourselves this week? Too hard? Don’t have time? Not interested?
I’ve done this before – both things actually and I will tell you that the impact on my body was nothing short of miraculous. My energy level, my lean muscle mass, my sleep patterns, my mood all improve if I just stay away from packaged goods. It’s an amazing thing to take preservatives and additives out of your diet. First of all, you can’t believe how great real food tastes! Fresh, whole foods can’t be beat in flavor, texture, sight and smell. They are more satisfying and of course more nutritious – I think of it as getting more bang for my caloric buck when I do this. My body performs better with whole foods than with packaged “stuff.” And by preparing all my meals and snacks in my own kitchen, I know exactly what I’m putting in my body – I have complete control over every bite.
Right now I’m imagining you telling me that this is “too hard,” you are “too busy,” and (I love this one) that your family will never go along with this. It can be hard and you are busy – but I’m not asking you to milk a cow, make cheese or even harvest your own wheat – I’m not asking you to make bread or kill the pig. I’m asking you to cook the oatmeal – the old fashioned kind – instead of opening an instant package. I’m asking you to peel your own vegetables, air pop or stove pop your popcorn and make your own sauce. I’m asking you to consider where your food comes from and see how it feels to eat simply for one week. If you want chips – peel a potato and bake some in the oven. Don’t feed your kids chicken nuggets unless you’ve made them yourself this week and hide the chips, candy and other garbage in the garage or trunk of the car – just for a week. Skip restaurants this week and meet friends or colleagues for coffee or tea instead. Or like me, make dinner and bring your friends to you. And simply see what happens. For just one week – simplify your diet and see what happens. Then report back.
So what do you think – are you in? Ready, set – eat.