How I Think About Food

In today's cacophony of fitness and nutrition discourse, we're all choosing who is worth listening to. This is especially true when it comes to bloggers like me, who are informed aficionados rather than trained experts. I am decidedly average in terms of athletic ability -- and maybe a notch above average as a home cook -- but optimal health has been one of my passions for over two decades. 

This introduction to How I Think About Food, together with its companion, How I Think About Fitness, is intended to lay out my philosophy on the subject. I don't mind if you disagree; I just want you to know where I'm coming from so you can decide whether you want to follow along. I'd love it if you do.

Food is Not a Moral Issue

Modern culture loves label foods "good" or "bad." The nomenclature is so ingrained that I use it myself sometimes, even though I reject the implication -- which is, of course, that consuming unhealthful food is a moral failing on the part of the consumer. It isn't.

I approach meal selection as a cost-benefit analysis. What will I gain from choosing a particular food, and what will I give up? Long-term health? Mental clarity? Pleasure?

​Usually, I choose what makes me look and feel my best. Sometimes, I eat the pizza and put up with some bloating and a restless night's sleep. 

There are no good foods or bad foods; just choices and consequences.

My diet is a nutritional choice, not a religion. I make exceptions without guilt. There are no good foods or bad foods; just choices and consequences.

Food is Love

When did food become a necessary evil? Why do so many people believe they must earn the sustenance they require to survive? 

​I am not an employee of the refrigerator, being paid in calories for minutes on the treadmill. No more am I a child who needs to be bribed or rewarded for going to the gym.

Even when I am alone, eating is a gift to myself.

Food is fuel. I'm supposed to eat.
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More that that, eating is an act of love. To enjoy a meal is to nourish not only my body, but my community and my soul. Even when I am alone, eating is a gift to myself:

Here, Body, taste this. Use it to warm, to heal, to grow. I am taking care of you.

My Food Biases

I am not a nutritionist, a dietician, or a functional medicine practitioner. I'm just a layperson who has drawn informed conclusions over the past twenty-something years of reading across the spectrum of nutrition-related literature. I've changed my mind before based on the evidence, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. But for now, here's where I stand:

1. Ancestral Eating is Foundational - Call it "paleo" or "primal" or whatever you like. The upshot is that I function best on the diet I evolved to stomach; that is, whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Protein is Queen - Protein (mostly animal protein) gets pride of place in my diet because I value muscle mass, satiety, and metabolic health.
3. Fat is Not the Devil - I'm not afraid of fat, except for highly processed, industrial seed oils.
4. Low-Carb is a Useful Tool - I stay leanest and feel best on a relatively low-carb diet with lots of vegetables, some fruit, minimal grain, and little sugar.

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