Food is again the focus of my thoughts. According to my theory, one should experiment with food like one experiments with perfume until the right chemistry match is found.
Getting sick messed with my mind, and I've been analyzing all of the reasons why it happened. Stress? Recycled airplane virus? Diet? Take your pick - I'm sure they all contributed. Last weekend, when I started eating regular food again, and immediately got a headache after a whole wheat muffin, I decided to get serious about exactly what's going into my body.
B-man and I have been eating like the French for almost two years now. This means enjoying real food (no processed foods) with full fat goodness that is lingered over in slightly smaller quantities. And wine, of course. If I'm honest, though, I have gradually strayed away from fruit and veggies and become much more bread/cracker carb heavy. Yes, the French eat carbs, but my diet has been out of balance for longer than I care to admit. Plus, I'm just OVER eating meat.
And salmon is not meat, in case you wondered.
Here's the new plan (still very Mediterranean):
Fruit smoothie every morning (includes a big glob of natural peanut butter)
Carbs in the form of beans, oatmeal, fruit, veggies, quinoa
Lots of good fat, like avocados, olives, nuts and olive oil
Cheese stays
Wine stays
Wheat goes
Fish stays
All other meat goes
Best of all, the food I'm eating is delicious, resonating with my taste buds and my own 'eating intuition.' Weight loss was not my motivation to make this change, but I lost four pounds last week even though my calorie intake jumped up to between 2000 and 2500 a day. This tells me that I have hit on something that works for my particular chemistry. Like a perfume that sings on my skin and hits all the right notes.
We'll see how this plan 'dries down' over time.
image from expresstree.com
When I stopped eating wheat I immediately felt a lot less bloated. I also find it MUCH easier now to just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full and maintain a weight I feel comfortable at; previously my appetite was not very well regulated. I hope you like the new diet!(As in way of eating, not weight loss plan.)
ReplyDeleteElisa, you're right - it's much easier to regulate my appetite without wheat. And I seem to taste my food more for some weird reason. So far, it's going well, and I plan to continue as I'm feeling more peppy than I have in awhile. And I love peppy. You and I continue to have random things in common - I like it! And then, there's Belle en Rykiel...
DeleteHope you're loving married life.
Your French lifestyle sounds a whole lot tastier, but I hope you find peace with your body and mind through this new diet!
ReplyDeleteHi Gil - I'm a total foodie and would never sacrifice tastiness. I think this way of eating is still pretty French-ish, and I've always loved food that other people don't, like Brussels sprouts and lima beans. Food geek, I know. Good to see you!
Delete