Living by the rules

Sorry I’ve been slacking with my blog this past week.  I’ve been traveling and as you know, a change of countries always throws normal routine out the window, from your eating habits to sleeping patterns to even your bowel movements…ok, TMI there (too much information ;)).  Anyway I am definitely back in business now! 🙂

So note number 53 about me: I’m a mega magazine junkie.  Over the years, I have fortunately matured somewhat and expanded my horizons.  I’ve gone from buying the National Enquirer and other celebrity gossip magazines to buying magazines on health & fitness.  I find them to be such a great source of information, as well as a powerful motivator.  Reading about the benefits of taking care of yourself and about the success of others gives me all the more reason to.  In fact I’m actually a subscriber to Zest & Runners’ World.  So you can imagine my excitement when I had a stack of magazines to get through when I reached London.  I came across this insightful article on ‘food rules’ by Michael Pollan.  I loved his phrasing and though I’d engage in some of that ‘sharing is caring’ jazz.

1) If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

2) Don’t eat cereals that change the color of milk e.g. Coco Pops or Fruit Loops.

3) Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognise. I have to argue with this one as my grandmother has NO idea what quinoa is.  After several explanations, I think it’s a case of ‘don’t understand now, won’t understand ever.’

4) Don’t eat anything that won’t rot.

5) Eat all the junk you want, as long as you cook it yourself.

6) Do all your eating at a table. Treat food with a bit of ceremony to avoid mindless eating.  This is something I really need to work on this.  If I’m eating alone, I need to be in the company of good TV or magazine.

7) Shop the outer ring of the supermarket where the fresh produce is. Inner ring, outer ring- I check it all out 🙂

8 ) Don’t buy food where you buy your petrol.

9) It’s not really food if it has the same name in every language- McDonald’s, Pringles, Cheerios, etc

10) The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.

…And here’s a bit of irony for you: while ‘procession’ refers to a step forward, eating processed foods is definitely a step backwards in attaining a healthy lifestyle: fresh is best 🙂