My Least Favorite 4 Letter Word

Day 284

A few weeks back I got this in my inbox from my cousin Amanda,

A question for the meatless man...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 2:41 PM
From: "Amanda"
To: "Jason"

"Hey,

I have a question for you. I've recently started a new diet: The Paleo Diet, but it relies heavily on animal protein because legumes and dairy aren't allowed. Having been vegetarian in the past, I'm not fond of eating meat more than once a day now. Do you have any suggestions of good vegetarian protein replacements, preferably those that don't rely on soy (or other beans) or dairy?

Thanks,
Amanda"

And, here is a brief definition of the Peleo Diet from Wikipedia:

“The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet Centered on commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts; and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.”

If something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Never has that famous adage been as true as when it comes to dieting.

Diet is a four letter word, both in the literal and figurative senses. All diets are fad diets because they are temporary fixes. I have done my fair share of diets and they are short term solutions at best. Once you go off one then the pounds start coming back fairly quick.

You may think going meatless is actually a diet but it is actually an eating lifestyle choice. I did not choose to go meatless solely to lose weight and I now plan on being meat free for good. My overall health was a concern and some other things also had to change such as getting regular exercise and looking at the food I was eating that wasn’t meat. Many people have asked if I lost all the weight from just going meatless. Of course not, it was a combination of the exercise and eating better but it certainly wasn’t dieting when it came to the food part.

My advice to my cousin Amanda and others out there looking to lose weight is to see a nutritionist and your primary care physician. Consult with them and let them know that you want to eat healthier. Do not rely on mythical diets. Instead I urge you to go for a realistic way of eating that allows you to get your regular portions from all food groups.

Healthier eating habits as opposed to diets generally:

- Give you all or most of the essential vitamins and minerals you need to carry out your daily life.
- Help speed up your metabolism.
- Give you a steadier stream of natural energy.
- Won’t make you feel starved or ravenous.
- Make you feel overall better.

Don’t simply take my word for it. See your doctor and have him/her refer you to a nutritionist. If you take the time to do so and actually listen to what they have to say you can change the way you eat for the better. All it takes is the initiative to make an appointment with them. Hope this helps Amanda.

Talk to you soon!
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