Food...those evil, lovely, tempting, glutinously delicious morsels that we consume through our entire lives are something most Americans take for granted. The availability of food in the U.S. remains high. Between dollar menus, reasonable prices/abundance of grocery stores, and the plethora of restaurants down most American streets, food completely surrounds us. It's quite literally everyplace we look. Yet in spite of this, there are still many Americans (The Washington Post claimed 17% in an 2010 article) who remain malnourished, undernourished, or starving. That's not counting the obese and disorderly. In a developed country I would have expected this number to be lower. But considering the quality of our food, it makes sense. Seriously, a chocolate frosty for a buck is not better than a banana for .39. Yes, Captain Obvious, it's true. But that's what we pick, more often than not. Because we're weak. And the TV tells us to eat more frosties.
In my last post I talked about how I used dietary changes as a treatment for Interstitial Cystitis. However, I want to clarify that I am currently not following any particular diet plan. I did an uber-crazy elimination diet (more on this later, but you can read about them here) when I was diagnosed. That, along with a prescription medication, actually put my IC into remission for the time being. But the diet didn't stick because frankly, I just didn't do it right. I limited what I could eat so severely that I was cheating all the time. And I ended up taking pills that would allow me to eat all the garbage I want instead of making lasting life-changes. This is a bunch of crap, my friends. It's laziness. And again, a disregard for my own body. And to add to complications, I have spent the last few years recovering from anorexia nervosa. I was quite literally starving myself for most of my adult life...and within the past couple of years accepted that I had to eat every day. And now I'm supposed to be eating more variety? That means more food! Or does it? I have no idea what it means to have a normal diet.
The biggest problem with my current food consumption is that it really lacks any kind of focus. Like most people I know, I eat whatever is available, or cheap, or easy. This means mostly breads, fried foods and complex carbs. My vegetable intake is depressing. How do you even START to look at your diet? How do you change what you love, what you crave, or what you're USED to making?
The first step to proper nutrition (and sustainable diets) is making sure you're getting the appropriate amounts and types of foods.
Without that essential concept, any diet will have trouble standing up through moments of weakness. So let's approach this in true American style. The American dietary standard has actually been around for a loooong time. The The USDA Food Pyramid! Yes, this archaic tool we learned about in Elementary school is still around, but it's had a bit of a face lift (or maybe a tummy tuck!) as seen on their website www.choosemyplate.org. Normally I'm unimpressed with government websites, but dang. These guys really stepped it up for this one! It's PACKED with information for you, the average American.
#1 Hover over "Weight Management/Calories" tab at the top of the page.
#2 Click on "Calories"
#3 Click on "Daily Food Plan" in the body of the page content
#4 Create an account. You don't even need to include your email, so it's worth doing it.
#5 Start entering your daily foods in the food tracker. You can also use the coach to set food/exercise goals. We'll talk about exercise another day. Focus, young padawan, focus.
For example, based on my age, height, weight and activity levels, it's recommended I eat 1800 calories per day. Here's how my daily foods are broken down. But I STILL don't have any idea what 1800 calories looks like, let alone in terms of the pyramid. Time for a good, old-fashioned visual aid! Welcome to my kitchen! I have spent the day preparing these foods for you...just to show what the portion sizes look like, and how much food that amounts to daily. Please bear in mind that I am also a below-average cook. Seriously, if it's not instant I'll probably mess it up. And even then, results aren't guaranteed! All of these foods are simple, or packaged. They may not be the healthiest place to start, but they're the "easiest" options in order to meet my daily requirements. Once again, baby steps! I'm not going all organic overnight. Just not gonna happen. Besides, once you see what foods you already eat that fit into your daily pyramid, it's easier to fill in the gaps, or make substitutions for healthier options as you go. But for now, variety is the name of the game. Let's get our grub on!
Breakfast: 1 package instant oatmeal, 1 cup 100% apple juice, 1/2 cup yogurt
Snack: 2 small oranges, 1 granola bar
Lunch: 2 slices cold-cut Turkey, 1 slice American cheese and Miracle Whip on whole wheat bread and 1 snack item if needed.
Dinner: Grilled chicken/Mexican shredded cheese/red bell pepper quesedilla (small amount of butter in pan), 1/2 cup 1% milk, salad with dark leafy greens/craisins, red peppers, carrots, and 2 tsp or less of salad dressing
Dessert: 2 small squares of dark chocolate
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