Eating Clean - Step 2: Rethink Your Relationship With Wheat

As a fitness junkie, I'm constantly thinking about food and fuel.  The more effort I put into fitness the more I think about what I'm eating.  So I have a few thoughts about diet.

In my first post, Eating Clean - Step 1: Know What You're Eating I discussed a general rule advocating that you should be able to easily identify your food.  That rule has a basic corollary to avoid processed foods.

One of the biggest culprits in the processed foods category is wheat flour. 

Wheat flour is the starchy part of the wheat grain.  It's pure carbohydrates with little of the nutrition of the whole wheat grain from which it originated.  The problem with wheat flour is it quickly and easy converted into sugar in your bloodstream providing excess calories and gets stored as fat.

I'm not against carbohydrates.  In fact I advocate a healthy dose of carbs every day and at the right times of the day.  But there are much better carbohydrate choices than simple sugars and refined wheat flour.  That's next in Step 3: Know Your Macronutrients 

The reason I throw this rule out first is because it's another easy, general rule that can lead to dramatic positive changes in diet without too much technical detail.  If you look at a piece of food and ask yourself "is there wheat flour in there?" the answer is generally YES for the worst food choices available.  Cookies, tortillas, donuts, pancakes, pasta, cake, etc., are all crutches that keep more weight on people than they'd like.  And it's easy to see what they have in common--wheat flour.  You'll also find that wheat flour has a companion ingredient that follows it pretty much everywhere and that's added sugar, usually in the form of fructose.  In general, avoiding wheat flour will conveniently lead to an avoidance of added sugar.

Wheat bread is convenient as a way to hold together a sandwich full of good stuff like avocado, lean meats or fish, veggies, etc.  But I always look for whole wheat bread and try my best to eat it sparingly.  Literally two or three times a week total is a good pace as far as I'm concerned.

Eating Clean - Step 1: Know What You're Eating

As a fitness junkie, I'm constantly thinking about food and fuel.  The more effort I put into fitness the more I think about what I'm eating.  So I have a few thoughts about diet.

Food is important to health, so know what you're eating.

Here's some sound advice I've heard before: if you can't identify what you're eating by simply looking at it, reconsider putting it in your mouth.

Following this simple rule has some interesting implications.  Most notably for me is the application to flour and wheat based products.  But that's actually another step in my plan.

A corollary from this rule is to avoid processed foods.  That means foods in a box or a bag or the so-called "center of the supermarket."  If you have to read the ingredients, you're probably not going to like what you find anyway.

That's not to say I don't look at the ingredients.  And clearly you can't apply this rule to everything.  But it makes you think.   One example is Greek yogurt.  Real greek yogurt is nothing but milk and cultures that make the yogurt happen.  Greek yogurt is great stuff because it's non-fat and high in protein.  It's gained a reputation as such, and thus it's popular right now.   But real Greek yogurt is also sour.  So what a lot of manufacturers are doing is taking regular yogurt, thickening it up with pectin, adding sugar and so-called "fruit on the bottom" and labeling it as Greek.  Arguably yogurt in general is a processed food that violates this rule, but it's also a great tool in your diet--so I find it worth reading the label.

The reason why most diets do in fact work for some time (if people stick to them) is because they're actually paying attention to what they're shoving in their face for some period of time.  It doesn't really matter if you're on a low carb or a low fat diet, the fact that you're paying attention and making choices is a big part of making better choices.  This is why this rule, to eat what you can clearly identify, is such a handy and sustainable basis for clean eating.

So look before you eat.

Fatherhood is a Choice

Dear Son,

Fatherhood is a choice.

Choosing fatherhood is an essential step in being a good father because you can't do it well under duress.  Without choice, you will not faithfully fulfill the  responsibilities that come with the role.  Without the commitment of choice, resentment and doubt will sap you of your energy, and make it impossible to chase your child down the hallway--be it for play or for discipline.

The good news is you may choose before or after you become a parent.  You might have to choose more than once.  You could find yourself in a position where you need to recommit for some reason, and that's okay.   Just promise yourself, the child and those around you that you will choose.

Do not go through the motions feeling like you've got responsibilities thrust upon you.  That's a dark and lonely existence.  Commit to the role, and the responsibilities will become obvious.

Responsibilities are many, and vary depending on your style and your circumstances.   You need to know what they are, and honor them.  If you choose this role, recognize it's the most important job you've ever taken on in your life.   The responsibilities become a priority.

These are duties you have to fulfill cheerfully.  You can't fake love, or play, or caring, or attention with a child.  You need to be present for this.  And being present requires choice.

So choose your roles in life, figure out what your responsibilities are, and fulfill them.

I wish you success as a father.

I love you,

Papa

Write Drunk, Edit Sober

Ernest Hemingway said, "Write drunk, edit sober."

Profound advice not only for writers, but for the rest of us as well.

What would my life be like if I planned it while uninhibitedly drunk, but executed on those plans with clarity?

It would be rewarding.  I would challenge me.  I would live aggressively, yet responsibly.

Take note of those drunk ideas, and execute on them.

Plan life drunk, execute sober.