I'm a Healthy Meat-Eating Gal... Tuesday, November 19

I used to wonder what people are thinking and now I just simply wonder if people think.

I say this because of a recent increase in the number of people I know claiming this diet or that diet is better than the other, and by "diet" here I am referring to a way of eating.  Let me correct my wording here and stick to calling it their "way of eating". 

A recently turned vegetarian ranted and raved to me about how I should cut out all meat in my way of eating and join him on the vegetarian path of eating. He claimed he never felt better and insisted it was because he no longer ate me.

 

"No, that's not why you feel better and have lost weight" I thought to myself.

Sorry but as a happy meat-eating carnivore I've never considered McDonalds hamburgers and KFC fried chicken real meat let alone real food, so cutting them out because you're now vegetarian is an irrelevant point. You shouldn't be eating that in the first place -- IT'S NOT REAL FOOD.

You've lost weight and feel better because now you are more creative with your vegetables and eat more of them to feel full which, if you know anything about eating clean, is by no means a vegetarian-only phenomenon.  

Eating vegetables is a good thing and I thought this was common sense.

I can totally understand if someone goes vegetarian if it's because they're an animal activist and don't approve of breeding animals for consumption -- I can accept that; I can respect that. Now if they're cutting out eating meat because they're worried about eating whatever hormones the animal has been fed, there's always grass-fed animal meat to consider.  With all the advancements in technology, knowledge and farming practices, I am confident in eating meat but to each their own.  

And then there is going gluten-free.

I've been reading a lot online about gluten-free eating because so many people I know have decided to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon that apparently has rolled into town.   Here's an article I just read, it's called The Good and Bad of Going Gluten-Free.

Being on a gluten-free diet used to mean essentially going on a "white foods" diet and eliminating processed and packaged foods.  

[I'm only into the first sentence of this article and already flags go up on my head. You should already be staying away from processed and packaged foods as much as possible because IT'S NOT REAL FOOD. Come on people, I feel like I'm repeating myself here! The general rule of thumb with clean eating is if it can't rot, spoil, wilt, or wither (can't die) then you shouldn't eat it... because [you know I'm going to say it again here] IT'S NOT REAL FOOD. But anyways, back to the article...]

Not anymore.

"Now we have a bit of a trap. Now it is easy to buy a lot of gluten-free junk food," says nutritionist Monica Reinagel, who hosts the "Nutrition Diva" podcast.

[The imagine of my vegetarian friend eating greasy deep-fried zucchini comes to mind here.  Oh, but it's a vegetable she's eating -- there is a vegetable under that inche thick fried batter -- so it must be good.  Sorry but all vegetables snacks are not created equally and eating a clearly murdered one won't help. Ok, now back to the article...]

 It seems the gluten-free diet has gone mainstream, with a lot of otherwise healthy people signing on. As a result, manufacturers are producing gluten-free cookies, cakes, pastas and other products high in sugar, fat or sodium.

Reinagel recommends checking labels closely and shopping carefully.

"You can't assume a food or a product is nutritious simply because it is gluten free," Reinagel says.

Millions of Americans are sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat and certain other grains. Most suffer from a condition called celiac disease. When they eat gluten, it triggers an immune reaction that can ultimately damage the lining of the small intestine.

Celiac disease is not the same as a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. But for all three the treatment is identical: a gluten-free diet.

Reinagel says a lot of people who can handle wheat go gluten-free anyway because they think it might help them lose a few pounds.

"If you are looking at a gluten-free diet as an easy solution for weight loss, I have to disappoint you, there is no guarantee that a gluten-free diet is going to lead to weight loss."

In April, teen actress Miley Cyrus took some heat for encouraging everyone to go gluten free for a week, saying "The change in your skin, physical (sic) and mental health is amazing! U won't go back!"

There is no evidence of significant health benefits from going gluten-free other than treating celiac disease or related gluten intolerance.

Reinagel says it is certainly possible to have a healthy diet that doesn't include wheat.

"You can't just assume 'Oh, it is gluten free, it must be good for me,'" she says.

Another problem is that gluten-free products are often lower in fiber than those made with wheat. Reinagel suggests looking for products that include whole grains, and supplement with other sources of fiber, such as fruits and vegetables.

 

I like the reference to Miley here because CLEARLY she is an expert.  She can't even pick out bum-appropriate underwear let alone throw some pants on before she goes on stage in front of millions.  I won't be taking food advice from her but I will recommend her to perhaps do some squats.  We've got a squat challenge going on at Hulk's, how hilariously ironic.  But anyways... am sidetracking here.

 

I considered going paleo because I do love my meat but it's anti-oatmeal and well, after years of eating my protein-packed egg oatmeal pancake, I'm not really functional until I've devoured it.  I definitely lean a lot on oatmeal as one of my main sources for starchy carbs.  It's right up there with sweet potatoes and bananas for me.  I will say this though, I have cut down on my dairy and not because of wanting to test out paleo way of eating.  Milk is jam-packed with nutrients meant for infants and I can't see how this massive overload for me as an adult is necessary.  Humans are the only animal that drink milk beyond their nursing days.

 

And then there's going vegan, I don't think I'll ever really understand this.  I have one member who's gone vegan and I consider her health reasons to be quite justifiable as to why she has but I've never really understood why others would consider it.  I suppose I'm just over concerned about how I'd get my protein in.  I mean, I know there's protein in other foods beyond animal products, like spinach, but the amount of spinach I'd have to eat to get the same amount I'd get from my serving of eggs white is rather ridiculous.  I eat about 60 eggs a week -- that'd be like a whole spinach farm.

 

The vegetarian fans don't want meat.

The vegan crew doesn't want anything to do with animals.

The paleo peeps don't want the grain or dairy.

The gluten-free gang doesn't want the grain.

 

I don't think there is just one way of eating that's suitable across the board.  Going gluten-free would mean I'd be in pure zombie-mode until my zillionth cup of coffee if I couldn't eat my oatmeal morning pancake but going off it would cause one of my members to want to cruch over in the corner and die due to tummy aches.  It's all a matter of figuring out what works for your body. 

 

Just because a way of eating for one my be different for another doesn't mean it's wrong, it's just different.  But, having said this, sometimes I seriously wonder what's the thinking and rationale behind some ways of eating.  Many ways of eating seem so restrictive.  I think that maybe in restricting yourself and trying to protect yourself perhaps you're actually hurting yourself.  Being too overly protective has made you vulnerable because in restricting various foods you've lowered your tolerance and immunity.  It's like when I made the switch from caramel cafe latte to cappuccino.  I used to drink caramel cafe lattes like they were water back in the day but now if I drink one they give me such a huge tummy ache.  The tummy ache is surely because of the sugar the caffeine is drowned in and the fact that I shouldn't be drinking such a drink.  It's like a sugar-packed punch to the gut and that's not sweet at all.  But my point is that my tolerance for the sugar is no longer there, my body has changed and now it totally rejects it.  Perhaps in cutting out this and that from people's way of eating has had a similar effect on what their body does or doesn't tolerate.  I don't know, don't quote me on this, but I will note that it's become this huge phenomenon among foreigners in Cheonan.  None of my Korean friends in Korean are even so much as a vegetarian. 

 

As for my own way of eating, there isn't really any food I don't eat -- note here that I am referring to REAL FOOD.  McDonalds hamburgers and deep fried zuccini don't fall under this category.  Heck I used to eat sand in my sandbox when I was a kid so my immunity system has always been tired, tested, and true.  The human body is an amazing thing but it doesn't run effectively if it's not fueled correctly.  I will never go vegetarian, vegan, paleo, or gluten-free because I don't see in how restricting my body natural foods is natural.  Instead, I eat clean.  

 

I eat REAL FOOD.

 

My food dies. It's not loaded with ingredients I can't pronounciate.  There is no guessing as to what's in the food I'm buying because I buy foods that are as close to it's natural state as possible.  I really try hard to not eat processed foods so you'll never see a loaf of white bread at my house and, beyond my love for tuna, I don't eat really eat any canned food.  I don't drink fruit juice unless it's fresh homemade juice I've made and my sauces for dishes consist of things like extra virgin olive oil, various spices and herbs. 

 

Clean eating is REAL FOOD eating and my body is so much stronger and healthier because of it.