The Natural Diet

So John and I have started a “natural” diet for 2 weeks. We discussed out eating habits and realized that we were eating too many processed food items, and that old fried “bar menu” was becoming a weekly staple of our diet. Not to mention pizza night and Chinese food night. Sure you can have healthy pizza and healthy Chinese food (the vegetarian “Buddha” delight comes to mind) but who wants to do that when all you want is a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese or General Tsao’s Chicken!

This diet is based on an all natural food diet by Todd Soura, the owner of the Doylestown based Action Personal Training. I found it in the 2010 late spring edition of Bucks Magazine.  The corresponding print article comes with the subtitle “What life would be like if we removed the assembly line from the grocery store.” He is quoted the following from the article:  “This is my 10-day Non-processed Food Plan. The basic aim: cleanse the system of refined sugars, flour, bread, and artificial sweeteners.” John and I decided to follow it, not to a T, but to what was do-able for our crazy lifestyle, and see what effects it would have on us after two weeks. Todd recommends 10 days and states that some people have dropped 5-7 pounds in that time period. I figured I could go two weeks. John agreed and so on July 5th, we started our “natural” diet.

The diet is all about natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and seafood. It is easier for the purposes of my blog to state what you CAN’T eat: processed foods; flour products such as breads, pitas, bagels, tortillas, muffins, pizzas, cookies, pancakes, waffles, crackers, and pretzels; deli-style lunch meat; high-fructose corn syrup; candy; white rice; pasta; processed meats including hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausage, pepperoni’ and salami; diet drinks with artificial sweeteners; store-bought fruit juices; refined sugars and artificial sweeteners of any kind. UGH.

Two days into it and I am following the diet very well. We have given up all bread and pasta products. I have had eggs for breakfast, salads for lunch, chicken and turkey burgers for dinner, and fruits for dessert. We are modifying it a bit. We are allowing lean pork, home-made farmers cheese (as it’s not store bought processed cheese), and plenty of alcohol :). You are also allowed coffee, tea, and homemade fruit or vegetable juices. The plan actually does allow for alcohol: beer, wine, liquor but with no mixers, and limited to 7 drinks over a 10 day period. Uh .... yeah right. I am using raw sugar in everything instead of artificial sweetener. This plan does get you to read labels though! I never realized that high-fructose corn syrup was in so many products!

I do feel a little bit tired, though. I think I am beginning to feel the withdraw effects of no high-fructose corn syrup and no carbs. Friends who I have talked to about this and have told me the first 3-5 days are the hardest as your body reacts to no refined sugars and carbs.

With this change in eating habits, I am starting to exercise regularly again. Trips to the pool and gardening have helped out a bit. Since Mom passed away, I have allowed myself to skip working out regularly and have noticed that my beer consumption went up a bit (the beer belly has started). I weighed 150 right before Mom’s accident and have gained a fluctuating 10-15 pounds over a year and a half. So as I turn 40, I have taken a hard look at my diet, and my lack of exercise, and am working on changing this. Wish John and I luck! And any advice anyone can offer I would surely appreciate!