So yesterday was supposed to be my grand entry into the sugar-free world. The outcome: failure. During most of the day I was able to avoid any sweets, although during the day is not the worst time for me. Most of what I will usually have would maybe be one soft drink in the afternoon, and some sugar in my coffee. But these were not so difficult to avoid.
Come evening, the cravings hit full force. My ritual of coming home and having a giant chocolate bar with a soft drink popped into my mind, then would go away, then came back again, and I would continue to try to push it out of my mind. I had pizza for supper, which did contain some sugar and also a whole ton of white flour. I'm pretty sure I react to flour in the same way, having some makes me want more. So this may have contributed to my evening cravings. I'm still considering removing gluten for digestive reasons. I mentioned that I hate the idea of fighting against cravings, and I really do, I felt that once they began I had already failed to achieve my goal.
So finally, I caved and just went for it. Ironically this happened as I was reading "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross, a book I wanted to re-read to give me some more insight into the addictive nature of certain foods. Her book is great, and does a fine job of tearing apart the idea of low-calorie dieting. We need to nourish ourselves with the proper foods if we want to overcome our mood swings and unhealthy food cravings. She doesn't think there is something wrong with us, but that for certain reasons our brains and bodies are our of balance, which leads to cravings and mood issues. I do feel that her support of amino acid supplementation is a bit overly simplistic and I doubt it works as well as the examples she provides from her clinic. I have tried 5-HTP and Tyrosine, and they may have provided some benefit, but not to the extend that described. On the other hand, I never used the whole program she recommends, only pieces of it, so maybe if I gave it a fair chance it would be more effective. Anyways, I'm fed up with taking supplements and don't want to spend a fortune on a bunch of them right now. I prefer to learn to eat in a way that does not require extensive supplementation, that feels natural and allows food to not be a huge issue.
Yesterday I just felt like giving everything up. Why should I keep reading about health when I can't even make simple changes? But I think this kind of attitude is what I've always used to give things up. I'm going to continue my research, trying different approaches, and doing whatever is necessary to make peace with my eating habits. If that means eating whatever I want and not being concerned about health, then so be it. I'm open to whatever it is that will bring me peace of mind.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Finding balance
I have a tendency to enjoy making drastic changes in diet. It's been fun trying out different ways of eating in an attempt to improve how I feel. Low calorie, vegetarian, vegan, raw, low carb, etc. I've gone through all the extremes and have yet to find something that is sustainable (for me), enjoyable, and that completely resolves my low energy levels and digestive issues.
This doesn't mean that particular diets don't have anything to offer. I certainly noticed improvements on some of them, in particular low carb eating, but when it comes to long-term sustainability there's no way I can follow such a diet, nor do I know enough about the long-term effects. But to ignore my own needs, whatever they happen to be, in order to follow a strict diet, is in my opinion a mistake. For example, eating out at restaurants is a huge pleasure for me, and happens to be my favorite activity when going out with friends. If I'm following a strict diet that doesn't allow whole categories of macronutrients, I will most likely feel deprived. Some may be willing to make such a sacrifice, but it has become clear to me that I am not. I can continue to struggle against this or I can choose to accept it and make decisions based on where I'm at. When I was eating low-carb, my energy was more stable, but even eating an apple would cause a huge blood sugar rush that would leave me wired and uncomfortable. I couldn't eat a "bit" of carbs without going into a binge frenzy. Again, this isn't to say this way of eating can't work for anybody, but it won't work for me.
I think individual variation is essential to take into consideration when considering what is an optimal diet. Look at how many different views there are, all having scientific evidence to support their side. Sure one can look more closely at the studies and find faults in certain arguments, but the reality is that there are healthy people eating just about every single diet you can imagine.
I believe the different results that people have with various diets comes down to individuality. Not just our individual biochemistry, but our psychology. Our minds play an important role in determining our physical health, and focusing only on diet leaves out countless known and unknown variables that are also essential in determining our level of well-being. Do you think that all the nutrients in that organic grass-fed meat you're eating are going to be properly assimilated if you eat it while experiencing a high level of anxiety while eating? If you're sleep deprived? If you're having an argument with a family member at the moment? These are equally important in determining how our body is able to use the nutrients in what we eat. We can't continue to obsess about eating a perfect diet while neglecting everything else, it just doesn't work. I wish that was not the case, because changing what I eat is easier than working directly on my emotional or psychological issues, but they're all essential. None of these are separate. Our physical health determines our mental health, and vice versa.
My intention is to find the balance that works for me. I think I will enjoy posting what I find along the way and discussing what other people have found works for them too. I'm sick of dogmatic, one-size-fits-all solutions. It's bullshit, and I refuse to continue listening to other people more than I listen to myself and what works for me. I've learned a lot through various books and blogs, but ultimately along the way I've had to take bits and pieces from them all to find an appropriate mix. Nobody has a solution that gives me exactly what I need, nor should I expect anybody to. I'm responsible for my own health and can't expect it to be handed to me on a silver platter for $19.99.
I don't mean to imply that there is not an optimal way for me to maintain proper health, but rather that it needs to be found through trial and error rather than intellectual theorizing. At this moment I'm allowing myself to eat pretty much whatever I want, and it's actually quite therapeutic. But in the long-term, I would like to develop a diet based on how my body reacts, rather than satisfying any psychological cravings. No strict rules, unless I determine that some foods simple can't be consumed in any amount without having an unacceptable effect on me. I suspect that wheat and sugar may fall into this category, but I'm making any major rules at the moment.
Basically, I'm a big work in progress, and that's okay. I'm skeptical of people who seem to know it all. Whenever I thought I did, my beliefs had completely changed within months. I'm choosing to stay open and learn whatever I can.
This doesn't mean that particular diets don't have anything to offer. I certainly noticed improvements on some of them, in particular low carb eating, but when it comes to long-term sustainability there's no way I can follow such a diet, nor do I know enough about the long-term effects. But to ignore my own needs, whatever they happen to be, in order to follow a strict diet, is in my opinion a mistake. For example, eating out at restaurants is a huge pleasure for me, and happens to be my favorite activity when going out with friends. If I'm following a strict diet that doesn't allow whole categories of macronutrients, I will most likely feel deprived. Some may be willing to make such a sacrifice, but it has become clear to me that I am not. I can continue to struggle against this or I can choose to accept it and make decisions based on where I'm at. When I was eating low-carb, my energy was more stable, but even eating an apple would cause a huge blood sugar rush that would leave me wired and uncomfortable. I couldn't eat a "bit" of carbs without going into a binge frenzy. Again, this isn't to say this way of eating can't work for anybody, but it won't work for me.
I think individual variation is essential to take into consideration when considering what is an optimal diet. Look at how many different views there are, all having scientific evidence to support their side. Sure one can look more closely at the studies and find faults in certain arguments, but the reality is that there are healthy people eating just about every single diet you can imagine.
I believe the different results that people have with various diets comes down to individuality. Not just our individual biochemistry, but our psychology. Our minds play an important role in determining our physical health, and focusing only on diet leaves out countless known and unknown variables that are also essential in determining our level of well-being. Do you think that all the nutrients in that organic grass-fed meat you're eating are going to be properly assimilated if you eat it while experiencing a high level of anxiety while eating? If you're sleep deprived? If you're having an argument with a family member at the moment? These are equally important in determining how our body is able to use the nutrients in what we eat. We can't continue to obsess about eating a perfect diet while neglecting everything else, it just doesn't work. I wish that was not the case, because changing what I eat is easier than working directly on my emotional or psychological issues, but they're all essential. None of these are separate. Our physical health determines our mental health, and vice versa.
My intention is to find the balance that works for me. I think I will enjoy posting what I find along the way and discussing what other people have found works for them too. I'm sick of dogmatic, one-size-fits-all solutions. It's bullshit, and I refuse to continue listening to other people more than I listen to myself and what works for me. I've learned a lot through various books and blogs, but ultimately along the way I've had to take bits and pieces from them all to find an appropriate mix. Nobody has a solution that gives me exactly what I need, nor should I expect anybody to. I'm responsible for my own health and can't expect it to be handed to me on a silver platter for $19.99.
I don't mean to imply that there is not an optimal way for me to maintain proper health, but rather that it needs to be found through trial and error rather than intellectual theorizing. At this moment I'm allowing myself to eat pretty much whatever I want, and it's actually quite therapeutic. But in the long-term, I would like to develop a diet based on how my body reacts, rather than satisfying any psychological cravings. No strict rules, unless I determine that some foods simple can't be consumed in any amount without having an unacceptable effect on me. I suspect that wheat and sugar may fall into this category, but I'm making any major rules at the moment.
Basically, I'm a big work in progress, and that's okay. I'm skeptical of people who seem to know it all. Whenever I thought I did, my beliefs had completely changed within months. I'm choosing to stay open and learn whatever I can.
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