I eat everything.

Monday, February 04, 2013

I'm not a vegetarian. I eat wheat, dairy, sugar and carbs. I drink alcohol, coffee, and tea, sometimes black, sometimes green.

I love raw fish. Baked goods. Meaty burgers, veggie burgers: sometimes with buns, sometimes without.

I love fruits and vegetables, but also bread and noodles. Sometimes white rice, sometimes brown. Sometimes white bread, sometimes dark bread full of little seeds.

Some days I have salad for lunch and soup for dinner and everything's homemade and organic. Other days I eat refined carbs like it's my job. Some days are low-carb, some days are low-fat. I don't really plan it - it just happens.

Lately, I feel like a minority in that I eat everything. I'm lucky to not have any food allergies or sensitivities, and I'm cursed with a weakness for things like pasta and red wine - the thought of giving them up gives me the willies. It has never occurred to me to get rid of eating a particular food. (Except margarine. That shit'll kill you.)

I love animals, but I also happen to love parts of them on my plate. I'm not on a cleanse.  I'm not doing Whole30. I'm not even 100% sure what gluten is, but I know I eat it.

I eat everything, and it's beginning to feel uncool. But even worse, it makes me really question how I eat and whether eating everything is good or bad. Could I be doing better? Would overhauling my diet make me healthier?




I try to eat a basic, balanced diet. It's certainly not perfect, but it seems to be working OK. I generally feel fine, have enough energy to get through the day, and sleep decently. I splurge a little a lot on the occasional slice of pizza or cookie, but I eat my fair share of veggies, lean protein, and other healthy things.

Could I be feeling and looking better? Most definitely. Could I live in a world without cheese? I DON'T KNOW.

Thinking about making a big change to the way I eat is stressful and there are so many conflicting opinions on different diets, depending on who you ask. There are people who get unreal results on a Paleo diet and others that just seem to be slogging away with it and not seeing any positive change. Some people give up dairy and feel 100% better almost instantly. I know from my own experience that cutting out alcohol pretty much automatically guarantees you'll lose weight, but do I really want to say goodbye to my Friday beer or post-work glass of wine?

So many options, so many mixed reviews, SO MUCH STRESS. What to do?

For the rest of February, I'm going to keep track of what I eat and how I feel every day and see if there are any patterns. If I feel like ass every time I eat a hamburger, or if eating chickpeas gives me magical powers, then I'll know how to adjust my diet.

I am not counting calories or attempting to lose weight. This is about paying attention to the way I feel in general: energy level, moods, skin freak-outs, headaches, alertness, fitness, stomach drama, and so on, identifying foods that are good and bad for me. I'm not convinced there is a one-size-fits-all approach to a healthy diet, so hopefully this little experiment helps me figure out the best way for me to eat.



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12 comments

  1. I am the same, I love pretty much everything and can eat it all, we are lucky. BUT I have noticed that after an A@W or fish and chips or chinese takeout I can feel horrible. I dont even go to McDonalds as I cant bear the aftermath of grossness. If I eat a nice home cooked meal or a decent Thai at a restaurant - Talay Thai is nice or choose the cedar plank salmon with veggies and rice at Montanas I feel fine aftewards. Those are the signs I am paying attention to

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    1. Fast food and Chinese food have the same effect on me and I try to avoid anything that's too greasy. Chabaa Thai is really good too if you're ever looking for an alternative to Talay!

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    2. Thank you, I shall check it out, still finding my way around this beautiful province

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  2. You're not alone, I eat everything and don't restrict but try to keep some things in moderation only. There are some things I can't give up (like white rice) because of culture. If I have the option to choose brown, I will but I if I don't, I don't run home crying either. I think your way of figuring out how your body reacts to food is one of the best I've heard so far, it doesn't sound obsessive and you're listening to your body and not what others are telling you. Mad props!

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    1. Thanks! I'm pretty interested to see how it goes. I just don't think there's a single plan that works wonders for every single person. If there was, we'd all be eating the exact same things :)

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  3. Three words lady, HUNGRY. FOR. CHANGE.

    Do you have Netflix? It's on there. Watch it. You'll thank me.

    I eat everything too. But, after watching Hungry for Change, I've made some big changes and I can feel the difference.

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    1. We do have Netflix! Maybe during the SNOW EVENT this weekend I'll carve out some time to watch!

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  4. oooh, I am going to check this out!

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  5. Hi Amy, I never have any luck commenting on your blog but I've been a regular reader for ages. I have included your blog in a round-up of my favourites here: http://wp.me/p25oSj-K9 It's a blogger award, so if you would like to participate, it would be great to know about your favourites. Otherwise, just know I always love what you write!

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  6. I've been dabbling in Paleo, but also love me some sushi. A life without it is not worth living, really. hahaha.

    It's a tough balance to find. I've heard that with Paleo, the 80/20 method works well. 80 percent good and 20 percent where a handful of nuts (hi-oo) just won't cut it. I guess with cutting out most carbs, that a lot of weird body issues (skin problems, bloating) kind of fall by the wayside.

    I dunnoo. I will have to watch that Hungry for Change show too.

    Dammit. haha.

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    1. Paleo is so intriguing! I keep seeing meals that look amazing and are Paleo. But I'm like you, I'd miss my sushi a little toooo much! I feel like 80/20 might be doable, though. So much to think about!

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