So today I watched a few documentaries: "Fed Up" and "The Perfect Human Diet". Both AND all of my previous Christmas vacation documentaries on nutrition, eating, diet, etc further confirms in my mind that success in eating healthy is reducing carbohydrates. I very very strongly advocate for low carbohydrate eating and the carbs one does eat should be mostly low-glycemic carbs (meaning they do not produce high insulin spikes in your body, which influences how your body produces fat & how healthy your liver ultimately is). Fat content should be watched - ESPECIALLY animal fat, but should not be necessarily restricted nor should a person be fooled into "low fat!!" or "reduced fat!!!" claims in processed food. Fat from plant sources like olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado, coconut oil, and even nut oils & butters like sesame oil & almond butter are the added fat sources I try to use. Vegetables - green leafy ones and vegetables with high color- should be the majority of your food intake each day. As should lean protein like chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef, etc.

I don't eat a lot of red meat - but I LOVE a steak every once in a while. Red meat is a sometimes protein source for me mostly because its calorie to protein ratio isn't all that great. Chicken is always my go-to protein source -the biggest protein bang for my calorie buck. So is whey protein in a pinch if I'm on the go. I get somewhat concerned at times because products with whey protein are essentially processed foods...so I have an ongoing battle within my brain between staying away from processed foods in favor of eating "real" foods...but I willingly eat whey isolate protein processed food products. I will also eat soy processed food products but I don't prefer soy, personally. I think it messes with my hormones and gives me an upset tummy sometimes. Soy protein also does not seem to be a very efficient protein for me either.

If you've been reading this blog for some time you will know that I am eating products by Ideal Protein. These are highly processed foods that are somewhat more wholesome than your traditional protein products you can buy at the grocery store or even health food stores. However, they ARE processed and do not fit into the category of "real" foods. They are merely a means to an end. High weight loss in a shorter amount of time, but then weaned off of as a person begins to structure their diet around whole "real" foods completely.

This brings up another thought. I'm trying to limit my times of eating out. Every once in a while like maybe once a week, I will go out to eat. This is usually a social thing for me. My go-to place is Applebees or a steak place. I can get plain protein and steamed veggies in these restaurant environments and my eating companion(s) can get whatever their heart desires healthy or not. It's a win-win. But again, I'm trying to limit my eating out and trying to cook my own foods from "real" foods because I don't trust restaurants to actually be cooking/preparing "real" foods. I think restaurants use foods that are convenient to cook fast and ones that aren't fresh and are full of preservatives.

So I am a strong advocate of reducing the amount of carbohydrates in one's diet and especially watching the sugar content. I'm also an advocate of eating real food. That being said, I DO enjoy eating junk food, processed food, and fast food sometimes. Sometimes it just hits the spot or it's just something I want to eat. But that's SOMETIMES...not even once a week. I'm talking like once every two weeks or so eating stuff that is made in a factory. Maintaining this kind of eating habit is one I think will help me stay healthy and stave off my family's high propensity for diabetes and heart disease. In a month or so, I'll have my annual physical. I'm excited to see my bloodwork. If it's not improved from last year, then I know that all this changing my diet and being sort of militant about what I will and won't eat is hogwash and WON'T help me stay healthy. But you know what? I feel REALLY good when I eat this way. I feel so good eating this way that the good I feel when I eat something processed like Doritos or chocolate just doesn't compare.

That's all for today. I'm going to miss my weigh in this week because I have a work trip to do so even now as I type I'm thinking about how to stay on track next week while away from home. I'll be eating out constantly and I need to gear my brain up so that I bring along healthy snacks or know where/how to get them -and how I can arrange my eating to get the most lean protein and veggies without added carbs, sugars & overall calories. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that throughout next week. It will be an interesting one! :)