Thinking about food

I've been thinking about food. A couple of internet articles (and you know how accurate and well-researched internet articles are) have mentioned an idea that I'm considering: that being the idea that if you stick to whole, unprocessed foods that have been around for thousands of years, you don't have to worry about counting calories, you will build muscle, and your fat will melt off you. It's called, among other things, the Primal diet, as in the diet of our distant ancestors. Basically what you could kill, harvest or gather yourself. Meats, grains, fruit, vegetables, berries, nuts...

It's an appealing idea to me; particularly the idea that it would be a bit cheaper and require less preparation. Yes, Primal dieters still cook things; no raw meats for me, thank you very much.

I have some friends who follow this diet, too. I've seen what they eat: salads with some nuts and a small amount of meat.

Here's the thing: Primal diet aficionados make the claims I mentioned above (build muscle, melt fat, never worry about overeating) and a few others: have more energy, and your tastes eventually change to where refined sugars and processed foods taste bad. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've convinced myself that changing to this diet would also decrease or eliminate my hay fever: allergies are a result of a weak immune system, and we are what we eat, and eating whole foods may build up the immune system, so...

Keep in mind that my thought on eliminating my allergies through diet is one that I have not read in any of the actual literature on Primal diets. I haven't actually read that much about the diets; just a few things here and there, and the recommendations of friends on the internets. I think it's interesting that my brain has basically manufactured a benefit out of thin air, born of my frustration the past few days with my allergic response to the nice spring-like weather.

At any rate, I may or may not switch my diet. I really do love doughnuts, and giving them up would be a mental strain I'm not quite ready to bear. But I like thinking about it.

I'm also a bit afraid to bring it up, since some, not all, of the folks who follow this diet are quite evangelical in their passion. So if you feel moved to comment on this post, please keep in mind that I am not asking to be persuaded. I'm just thinking out loud at this point. Don't over-enthuse, because I feel a bit uncomfortable with that and will likely react to avoid. Just sayin'. • 6:00 AM

Post a Comment

<< Home