Terry
and I were moving around the hotel room, preparing ourselves for
a long day of assorted stuff. And, as is the case for many of
us when waking up and trying to head out from a hotel room, we
were a bit all over. Things weren’t where we normally spot them,
and we found ourselves paying a bit more attention to finding
our shoes while making sure we had car keys and phones than what
was happening in background noise.
But
we did have the television on. National morning show. And… wow.
Just
wow.
In
my lifetime, I’ve watched a lot of things happen in the way we
approach healthy choices for eating and diet tips. Seriously.
A LOT of things.
(Ok.
I can feel some of you rolling your eyes and pulling away. Yes,
this is about kale. Sort of. Not a national emergency. Still,
hold on for a moment. Consider…)
I’ve
seen bowls of cottage cheese and pineapple move along to recommendations
of disturbing daily amounts of grapefruits which has progressed
along to kale. Eventually, the next fad will arrive. It may or
may not be a healthy fad. But I say fad not because there is anything
wrong with kale as a healthy choice—or a sensible amount of grapefruit,
if we’re being fair—but because it will grow in popularity, reach
a trending pinnacle, hang around for a bit and then everyone will
move on. You know. Fad.
I
remember when there were four food groups. Most of them have been
blasted away (good luck finding anyone presenting whole milk and
breads as great options without adding conditions to them). But
not just blasted away cleanly. Nope. We got pyramids and charts
and footnotes off in the corner. Designer plates for portion measurements.
We were told to eat forty-five servings of fruit each day. Scientific
studies proving that if your open hand can cover your ear, you
should eat three more turnips every eight hours.
There’s
no arguing with science.
Ever.
Ok.
Fine. We weren’t told to eat forty-five servings of fruit. But
you get the point. There are so many sources of what’s good and
what’s bad that I don’t think it should be any wonder that most
of us couldn’t answer correctly if asked how much water we should
drink daily.
(That’s
a trick thought. Depending on the source you use and trust, you’ll
find water amounts ranging between just shy of two liters to closing
in on four liters per day. And, of course, no one can really answer
anyway, since limiting it to water removes other potential sources
of hydration. What other fluids are you drinking? Are you eating
lots of fruits? If you’re getting watermelon and peaches as part
of your daily fix, you’ve got some solid sources of hydration
involved.)
And
that idea of water amounts being a trick really sums up everything,
doesn’t it? Because, honestly, without an in-depth study of your
eating habits along with an examination of how your body functions,
there is no perfect diet.
Plus,
we already all know the answer. It’s eat right and exercise. That’s
the answer. And that part has never changed.
I’m
not trying to be funny here. I do recognize that understanding
nutrition, getting help from knowledgeable sources, and being
good to yourself is incredibly important. Further, with a nod
of recognition to the fact that not everyone has the same ability
when it comes to motion and exercise, moving around and being
active is huge in all of this as well.
Not
kidding. A diet based on large portions of chocolate covered entrees
with caramel sauce is a horrible thing, especially when deep fried.
(Even though the mentioning of it has you wondering about getting
some deep-fried ice cream right now.)
But
I don’t get why the so-called experts seem to miss—again and again
and again—why people tune them out. Coming onto a program for
an interview, claiming to have discovered the lost city of good
health and nutrition, and then offering up the hardly groundbreaking
news that eating more vegetables and less fried foods… yeah… that’s
one reason we don’t listen.
I
was kidding around with a friend a few days ago, and the subject
of diet crazes came up. We both chuckled about grapefruits, and
I attempted to make a joke that the last grapefruit I bought was
a Fresca. We both thought it was funny. Then…
Well,
the other day I saw an article that Kellogg’s is being approached
with a legal dilemma involving strawberry Pop Tarts. Apparently,
the claim is that the product contains a low amount of actual
strawberries, while adding pears and apples to the mix. As accurate
as the concept may be, and whether or not it has any legal merit
or stability, it makes me chuckle and roll my eyes. I would contend…
and I cannot stress enough that this is nothing more than my opinion
here… if your search for strawberries leads you to Pop Tarts,
that right there could be a sign of a faulty treasure map.
Folks,
get out there and exercise a bit. Even if it’s just something
to get you out of the recliner for a few extra minutes here and
there. Take a short walk. Just a bit more activity. Dip your veggies
in slightly less ranch dressing and add some fruits in as snacks
each day. Even small steps can lead to some good results.
And,
if you’re thinking about deep frying a Pop Tart, don’t believe
that using blueberry will count as a serving of fruit.