Happy New Year, delicious world!
With the holidays dinners and parties tucked under the belt, now is the time that lots of people swear that this year they’ll lose those extra ____ pounds that they’ve gained over the past few holidays… And to do this, they go on a “[insert silly name] diet”.
With the holidays dinners and parties tucked under the belt, now is the time that lots of people swear that this year they’ll lose those extra ____ pounds that they’ve gained over the past few holidays… And to do this, they go on a “[insert silly name] diet”.
| Diet. That’s such a dirty word. To me, the concept of dieting is that when someone temporarily deprives herself/himself of some food group, only to give in and binge on that edible contraband a couple months later. Diets never last and usually only end in guilt down the road. But hey. I get it, friends! I’ve been there too. I took a look at the scale, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled at what I saw. Then after trying all those futile diets, I decided to adopt a longer term solution by tweaking my overall foodie lifestyle. |  |
I’m not a doctor, but in my line of work I get to come in contact with a lot of cool nutritionists, athletic trainers, and other credible folks. After lots of brain-picking questions and research on a healthier food lifestyle, I’ve boiled down my learnings to three philosophies that have worked for me and, I think, can work for anyone – even the passionate foodie.
 QUALITY OVER QUANTITY |  EAT WHAT YOU CAN SAY |  EVERYTHING IN MODERATION, INCLUDING MODERATION |
Delicious Philosophy #1: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.
Think of the number of calories you consume as your bank account. It’s not unlimited – you only get to spend a certain number of calories per day before you start to get in trouble. No matter what your weight or caloric goal is, think of each calorie you eat as something precious. You want to make sure that the foods you eat are calories well spent – for both nutritious and indulgent foods.
| For a majority of my foods, I spend my calories on foods that are very dense in good nutrition and high in fiber – lots of whole vegetables and fruits, with some minimally processed whole grains and less-fatty meats. With nutritionally dense, high fiber calories, I’m feeding my body the best fuel it can have, helping myself feel better, have more energy, and actually feel less hungry between meals. Plus, it’s almost impossible to overeat on vegetables and whole fruits – trust me I’ve tried. |  When I’m about to eat something, I always ask myself, “Is it worth the calories?” |
Of course I don’t eat that way all the time – it’s impossible. I love food, and some foods are not like what I just described. I mean, have you seen my dessert recipes? (No? My dessert recipes are notoriously indulgent - just click on any of the desserts below.)
I try to minimize (not eliminate) foods with super high fat and added sugar content, but when I do indulge myself in a treat, I make sure that it’s really worth the calories. I don’t settle for any dessert or snack I see – I find the best version of treat I’m craving. No fat-free ice cream for me! I’m going for the super premium small-batch ice cream with salted caramel and a dark chocolate ganache swirl that’s just screaming indulgence…and I have just one small scoop. It’s healthier to enjoy a little of the best than a bunch of the mediocre.
Delicious Philosophy #2: EAT WHAT YOU CAN SAY.
Barring a degree in food science, most people do not know what ingredients like silicone dioxide or butylated hydroxytoluene do for foods and what the long term effects on the body are, good or bad. Some of these food science ingredients are okay, some are harmful and have been found to cause cancer.
I created this awesome word cloud using the FDA's list of food additives. You can learn more about food additives by clicking on the cloud!
I can’t tell you which of these kinds of ingredients do what. What I can tell you is that one way to simplify eating healthy is to eat foods that you can pronounce. Fresh foods founds on the outer rim of the grocery store - vegetables, fruits, whole grains and meats - are easy gimmes in this philosophy.
| Once you start to go into the center of the grocery store to find food in boxes, this philosophy will help a bunch. Want to pick up some pretzels or a can of soup? Pick the one that has ingredients that you’d find in a home kitchen, not a science lab. |  |
Delicious Philosophy #3: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION, INCLUDING MODERATION.
It’s impossible to be a good, healthy human 100% of the time. I’ve never met one, at least.
| 95% of the time, I follow the first two philosophies really well. The other 5% of the time I indulge in my indulgences – because life’s a one-way street, and sometimes I want to eat in a way that hedonist-bot would approve. If you follow the first two philosophies I mentioned 29 days of the month, one day of crazy indulgence won’t kill you. It won’t even deter you from your ultimate goal of being a healthy weight and having an overall healthy lifestyle. I call this day my “cheat day”, where no nutrition or health rules apply. Bacon with a bloody mary for breakfast, pizza with craft beer for lunch, and steak with wine for dinner? YES! But only for one day a month…not one day a week or every other day. |  Don't deny yourself the joy of being like hedonist-bot for a day. |
These three philosophies aren't the end all be all, and by no means do they replace healthy exercise or what your doctor tells you. I've been following these three philosophies for a few years now, and my weight / body composition has stayed at a healthy level with little fluctuations. I hope that these philosophies might help someone on his/her way to an overall healthier eating style that doesn't sacrifice the indulgent foods that are loved.
*Non-recipe related images on this posted were found online and through Getty Images.
