Conor McClure writes an excellent post that debunks much of the nutritional advice of my childhood. The focus of his post is on calories, but there's a lot of goodness.
It is absolute silliness to suggest to someone to avoid fruit, nuts, or coconuts because of their calorie content alone—they are some of the most healthful foods one can find.
We couldn't agree more in our home. We eat a lot of high fat foods here … it's just a matter of what type of fat. Real, raw food is the aim.
He also hits another nail on the head when discussing weight loss:
Changing nothing else while eliminating all sugar consumption, “simple” carbohydrates like bread and pasta, sweeter fruits and juices, and reducing overall carbohydrate intake will result in fat loss.
Another truth we've experienced in our home. Weight melts away when you stop the carbs. You literally cannot not lose weight when you take this step.
A few thoughts that came to mind while reading this:
- sadly, the lack of expertise that mainstream medical professionals have in this area is glaringly obvious
- eating right costs more; in our home we spend greater than 20% of our income on food, simply because organic, local foods cost more; getting stuff on the cheap at Walmart is not sustainable, so we consider the money we spend on food our investment, in our children and in this planet
- a sedentary life leads to poor health … this concerns me when I think of our profession; a standing desk is better than sitting all day, but it's not enough to overcome the lack of exertion 8 hours in front of a screen requires
- related to the last point, as I quickly approach the end of my 4th decade of life(!), I realize I have to make the most of my time off screen if I'm going to continue in this industry; it's why we live on a small acreage, haul our own firewood, and grow a garden … my time away from work needs to be physically demanding
My wife often repeats this mantra she heard from The Omnivore's Dilemma:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Good advice!
