Thursday, February 16, 2012

Are You Really Gonna Eat That?!

I am a meat eater. I like drinking milk and eating cheese and I damn sure like sugar! And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I also love a well-prepared fish dish, a vegetarian chili, almost all fruits and vegetables and green smoothies. And I know there’s nothing wrong with that.

There is a huge movement right now towards being very aware of what you are putting into your body. Which is so, so good. Obesity has literally become an epidemic, especially in kids, which is so very sad.

I do feel though, as is common with a new trend, people are going way overboard when it comes to what we should eat to be healthful and what we are pushing onto other people. There are people who would shudder to know that my kids probably ate their weight’s worth in sugar on Valentine’s Day (it‘s one day people!). There are those who think I’m a bad mom for giving my children milk to drink and red meat for supper. Those people can suck it.

What once was good for you, now is bad. Milk will cause extra mucus in the body, leading to inflammation, causing any number of ailments from acne to respiratory diseases to IBD. Fruit is full of sugar and will lead to yeast infections, diabetes and cancer. Whole wheat bread has gluten in it and will certainly cause you to have nerve damage, IBD and even brain disease. (These are all “facts” I just found on Google).

Okay, slow the fuck down people!

Yes, if I have seven glasses of milk a day, shit’s gonna go wrong in my body. If I eat nothing but fruit, I will likely get diabetes. And if I consume a whole loaf of bread in one day, I will most likely be backed up for a week or two and perhaps not be able to feel my fingers and toes. But who eats like that?!

People need to get smart about what they eat, and especially about what they read. Milk, fruit, lean meat and whole wheat are good for you. As long as you don’t eat too much of them.

I like to compare the occasional “treat” that I eat with alcohol, a substance that has no nutritional value whatsoever. If I have one drink, my body is fine. The ol’ liver processes it and it leaves my body with no harm done. If I have 5+ drinks, my body feels GREAT for a little while, and then really not so good after that. If I eat healthily on a regular basis, then take my kids to McDonald’s for a night out, my body will be fine. If I eat that crap 2, 3 times a week, shit is gonna go down hill fast.

My point I’m trying to make is, Everything In Moderation. Most people, including me, do not eat as well as they should be to support their bodies. This growing trend of awareness is going to help change that. According to Canada’s Food Guide, a healthy adult should be eating everyday, on average, 8 servings of fruits and vegetables, 7 servings of grain products, 2 servings of milk and alternatives, and 2-3 servings of meat and alternatives. I don’t know about you, but I personally eat too much meat and dairy, and not enough fruit and vegetables. I am working on changing that.

If you choose, for whatever reason, to cut out from your diet dairy products, or meat or all sugar, then all the power to you. But please don’t tell me that I will be in poor health because I choose to keep those foods in my diet.

Or I might have to slap you with a beautiful rib-eye steak … covered in sugar … with cheese on top.

7 comments:

  1. Leah I love your blogs! Your freaking honest is so refreshing! You say the shit everyone else is think! Courage mama to speak your truth! thats what it is all about!
    oxo tracy

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  2. Wonderful post.... I am currently working on a post of this very nature.

    You have a wonderful perspective!

    www.kristinekaren.com

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  3. Well said, Leah. Kids detox fast. It's okay for them to get treats occasionally. It's okay for all of us to get treats occasionaly.

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  4. Nice! I have been thinking about food a lot lately. Getting into these "new" ways of eating and thinking about food is motivating and inspiring some days. Then, trying to actually put it into practice can leave me feeling perty frustrated!

    The food journey is our own individual endeavor. It is so easy to feel guilty about food. its a sensitive topic spanning back to our fondest childhood memories!

    The human body is amazing and regenerates itself each and every day, every minute making new cells! If we treat ourselves to a blizzard (like I just enjoyed) today, tomorrow is a new day!

    balance.
    like yer blog!

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  5. Thanks Erin. I agree. I have a love affair with food. I suppose that's why my post was so passionate this week. Our bodies really are amazing. Mmmmmm .... Blizzard :)

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