A few simple FOOD RULES
January 13, 2010 by OCstrength
Filed under Diet, Featured
Most of this post comes from information found in the book written by Michael Pollan, titled FOOD RULES.
Slowly but surely, I intend to change my eating habits for good. I must admit, it is hard to change so many years worth of habits…not to mention, educate myself as much as possible on the types of foods available. (the manufacturers will not do that for you)
Yes, it is overwhelming…and NOBODY is going to be perfect. I don’t give a shit what they say, everyone has faults and fuck ups. The idea is to make them ‘treats or cheats’ in moderation. Another side note; moderation is not ‘a little everyday’.
I am currently doing plenty of ‘reading, research, and personal experiments on myself…and doing the best I can to find ‘real food’ readily available.
Let us start off with a few basic rules I will work on to make a constant habit.
Please note; I am not even close to being smart enough to make these ‘rules’ up. I highly recommend you purchasing “Food Rules” which is easy to read, simple to understand, and sticks to a few basic rules….it is written by Michael Pollan. It’s a paperback, and will run you about $11. This book will soon be a part of all my beez in peez reading arsenal. I got mine at Borders, but im sure a search of Google will yield you many purchasing option.
On with a few of the rules. This first one is not from the book, but I think it needs to be repeated…LOUDLY.
1. Eat MORE fruits and vegetables.
Let us worry about it being organic once we learn to eat more fruits and vegetables. I repeat, EAT MORE fruits and vegetables. Unless you are already highly skilled at this, it is safe to say you probably need to double your daily fruits and vegetables intake. I repeat, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES…not grains and flour. Once you can eat them, then begin looking for a farmers market or organic CA grown products.
Dude, he said it was REAL grape juice!
2. Avoid packages.
Of course you’ll need packages for a few items… and i guess you can count an egg carton a ‘package’…but I am more referring to the frozen, microwavable, crackers and cookies type of packages. Guess what? Fresh fruits and vegetables usually don’t come in a package!
3. If it has more than 5 ingredients…BEWARE.
Adding to this rule; If you’ve never heard of the ingredients, or wouldn’t use them at home…avoid them. Have you ever used cellulose, maltodextrin, or all types of phosphates and gums…whatever the fuck those are, to cook at home? I highly doubt it. For example, butter is real butter…margarine is a bunch of fake chemicals. Wouldn’t you think bread should just contain either flour or wheat flour? HAAAA!! Go grab your bread now, ill wait. You’re going to be shocked to find out how much SHIT is in that $1 loaf of bread you thought was a great deal. All chemicals designed to preserve shelf life and make a bigger profit.
That cereal makes me tired.
4. REAL food is more expensive.
So, I understand ‘times are tough’ and nobody has a bunch of money to spend on healthy food. BUT…here is the but, with whole, real. healthy food…it takes less to feel ‘full and satisfied’ and I won’t even get into the medical costs associated with poor eating habits. You will have to shop more, because real food dies faster than bulk packs of frozen items from Costco..so stop making excuses and shop more. REAL FOOD DIES FASTER.
I, personally, shop at a few stores looking for the best values. I will buy meat and freeze it if needed, and I also frequent the ‘discount’ rack at all the stores I visit. Most items will be expiring in the next few days, but the discount is worth the trouble of cooking them right away.
In our society today, we have put too much emphasis on quantity over quality. The ’savings’ is passed on to the consumer with plenty of health issues to go with it.
You may have to cut back on some other things, such as; bar trips, vacations, material items, movies, eating out, golf, getting your hair and nails done weekly, and other various leisure activities. BUT…here is another BUT...I still think it’s hilarious, well, actually sad, that you would say you cannot afford to eat like this…but spend at least one night a week drinking at a bar. Or a couple hundred bucks on a purse or a new hair-style. $8-10 for a drink is OK? But a few extra bucks for real food is not? C’mon!
I will continue to post about food rules and ideas in the next few posts to come.
What?! I'm not fat, so I don't care.
People, FOOD is the missing key is. Don’t look to me for some super hero workout that’s going to allow you to eat whatever you want. And please, do not blame me for your lack of results…which is caused by your lack of effort. And yes, you may be young and have no issues with the shit substances we now call food….but you will, eventually. Poor eating and lack of exercise will make you FAT…if it has not already, and it will eventually make you very unhealthy. Take a look back down your bloodline right now…think….any weird diseases or genetic issues in your family? Diabetes, heart issues, obese relatives, bone issues, cancers, etc?
In the book, Food Rules, the author says, “It is better to pay the grocer, than to pay the doctor.”
Go buy the book.
-Mike.
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Thank you for the great blog Mike
“1. Eat MORE fruits and vegetables.” Especially more vegetables. 5 bananas a day is not a substitute for eating green stuff.
oh cmon, if youre eating 5 bananas a day you have to be a monkey
-M
We certainly sell enough of the things at the grocery store where i work. They have their own table, everything else just has a little strip. Customers are always asking about the other fruits “is it hard? is it sour? does it have seeds?” I want to tell them “the bananas are over there. sop expecting everything else to be just like a banana.”