A new kind of “diet.”
As an employee at Earth Fare, I find myself surrounded by a diverse population of people AND dietary lifestyles. I have customers and coworkers who are living under a plethora of dietary guidelines for reasons ranging from medical to ethical to personal preference. Some of the diets I’ve heard of before (things like Vegetarianism, Veganism, and Gluten-Free), but some were completely new to me when I came to work here (Raw Foods and the Paleo-Diet, for example).
I have to confess that even though I work in “the healthy supermarket,” I am not exactly a picture of health. My diet could be described as indulgent (and that’s putting it gently). I lost weight for my wedding by living on Lean Cuisines, and as soon as the honeymoon was over, I went right back to overeating all the wrong foods.
I’m starting this project with two goals.
1. I want to educate myself on all the different options and communities out there for taking on a “lifestyle” diet.
2. I want to balance my OWN health. I want to find the ideal diet for MY lifestyle. I have an autoimmune condition as well as rheumatoid arthritis, and I would love to find a way to manage both via my eating habits and healthy lifestyle instead of via medication, which always ends up making me feel sicker. I am currently NOT a picture of healthy choices, and I am also not taking any medicine for my conditions. Ideally, I’ll find a way to be healthy and medication-free.
I’ve also given myself two rules.
1. I will be completely honest. If I “cheat” or lapse from my own dietary guidelines, I’ll tell you. If I feel exhausted or my face breaks out or I’m hungry all the time, I’ll tell you. I want this to be a completely transparent experience so that I (and you!) can really get a taste of what each of these diets is like.
2. My health will be my first priority. If I do find that I am exhausted or starving or otherwise nutritionally deficient, I will take action. My first step will be to talk with someone who is living the diet I am trying - to compare experiences, learn about ingredients and nutrients I might be missing, and amend my diet to make sure I am doing it the healthiest way possible. If, at that point, a positive change is not noticed, I will see a doctor and resume eating whatever it is my body is missing. I will not sacrifice my own well-being in the name of research, and neither should any of you!
This is not an exercise in weight loss - that’s not the kind of “diet” I mean when I use that word. This is an exercise in health, eating habits, and learning what my body needs. If you have any suggestions about any of the diets I’m going to try (or any that you’d like to see my try), please send them my way! I would love for this to be a group learning experience.
Otherwise, follow along here! I know things will not always be easy as I make these changes, and I expect to feel hungry and uncomfortable at least a few times along the way, but as I said before - my health and well-being will always be my top priority.
