Curio Lists
How to Eat and Stay Healthy
So how do you eat and stay healthy? Honestly, I don't know. So if you're looking for an article that explains how to do it, remember, I am not an expert. See a nutritionist if you're that desperate for help. But I'll share my opinions with you.
Eat Fatty Foods I seriously believe that we have been misled about "low fat" foods. Do I think we should be eating hamburgers, french fries, and hot dogs every day? No, I'm not that fond of fried, processed foods. And science does seem to be consistent about saying that's not healthy. What is unhealthy, in my opinion, is a diet that relies on "low fat foods". Low fat everything makes a big difference in your diet. You'll end up eating too many carbohydrates.
In my opinion we should all stay away from "low fat alternatives". Don't buy low fat products. Don't eat low fat diets. They are not healthy. You'll just load up on empty carbohydrates and sugars that are used to make low fat foods taste better. We need fat in our diet and we should not be afraid to eat it.
Eat More Fiber My grandpa called it "roughage". I think my mom just said "veggies". You're supposed to eat a lot of plant-like foods so that your body can digest the fats and proteins. There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. I am not sure what your body does with soluble fiber. It absorbs it and uses it in some way. Insoluble fiber is not absorbed into the body. Insoluble fiber absorbs excess sugar and fat in your gut. It also makes your stool nice and thick ("normal"). You need to eat both kinds of fiber, and so just eat 4-5 servings of vegetables per day.
What is a serving of vegetables? Good question. I don't know. I think that's about half a cup of any vegetable. Potatoes are not vegetables. Potatoes and carrots are roots and they are starches. A starchy food is one step up from a sugary food. Think of starchy foods as a fast way to fuel up when you need energy. If there is a lot of starch in a rooty food I don't think it will have much if any fiber.
Eat More Protein We need animal protein but we should not eat a lot of red meat. Red meat for some reason is not as healthy for us as we would like it to be. So cut back on the beef. Bison or buffalo is okay to eat but it's more expensive than beef. What the experts say we should eat more of is fish, chicken, and pork. Some people don't eat pork for religious reasons and that is okay with me. I can't say I am big barbecue ribs fan anyway.
Some grains and vegetables are good sources of protein. Did you know that? If you enjoy oatmeal, oat bread, or other oaty dishes you'll get some protein. I like lentils which have a lot of protein. I'm not fond of spinach or kale but those are also rich sources of protein.
Eat Fewer Sauces Speaking of BBQ, dry rubs are healthier than those sweet syrupy sauces. Ketchup is loaded with sugar and anything you eat that depends a lot on ketchup is probably not good for you. It's better to eat mustard than ketchup and at least mustard comes in a lot of flavors.
You can add flavor to your favorite foods in other ways. Namely, use spices. I use garlic. My wife likes ginger. The more you rely on spices like peppers, garlic, ginger, and rosemary the more flavorful your food becomes and the less you depend on sauces.
Eggs are Okay All those horror stories you read about how bad eggs can be for you, they are not true. Eggs are now considered to be a very health source of protein and other nutrients. Think about it: eggs are a chicken's way of ensuring her unborn babies have the best possible food. Why on Earth would anyone think eggs are an unhealthy food? Of course you want hormone-free eggs. I prefer only the natural kind that are produced by hens in natural, organic environments. Without the salmonella, of course.
Cook your food. Eating raw food is dangerous, not healthy. There is a reason why our ancestors learned to cook and it wasn't because they were watching the Stone Age equivalent of cable television. They learned through trial and error to protect themselves from diseases and illnesses by cooking their foods.