Part VII: The Well-Balanced Diet

I love food. Fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy, sweets and meats, I love all of it. The amount of food that some of us consume per day is ridiculous; in fact it’s pitiful. It’s not just how much we eat that is unfortunate, but what we eat. There have been days when I would be in a rush in the morning, quickly grab a granola bar and run out the door. Although this may seem like a healthy breakfast it is not enough to fulfill the body throughout the morning.

Dieting has become a popular form of eating healthier and in portions. Dieting should be cautioned because some forms of dieting abstain you from eating the foods and proper nutrition needed on a daily basis.

Having a well balanced diet is encouraged. This is very different from dieting because having a well balanced diet is a habit whereas dieting is a temporary lifestyle. It is suggested that we eat three meals a day as well as a healthy snack. These meals include the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With breakfast being the most important meal of the day I always made sure I filled up on fruit and oats.

During my journey I decided to look into diets to find one that would work for me. The problem was I couldn’t find any diet that I liked. At this point I decided to concoct my own diet. About seventy percent of my diet was breads and dairy. I had a thought that if I took breads and dairy out of my meals maybe it would help me lose more weight. You must substitute other foods in place of what you take out of your diet in order to continue the balance of nutrition.

The substitute I used for dairy was soymilk and almond milk. It is all natural and has double the calcium that a gallon of milk has. In reality, I could take all calcium foods and drinks out of my diet and have one glass of almond milk, which would provide me with enough calcium for the day. Since most of my diet was breads I decided to take almost all breads out of my everyday eating habit. The substitute I used for the breads was whole-grain products. It satisfied my craving for bread while also providing me with the oats and grains needed for my fiber intake.

It was difficult to go out and eat or even cook at home because breads and dairy are in almost every meal. I remember going to a burger restaurant and asking for a burger without the bread. As expected, the cashier gave me a weird look and plugged some buttons into the cash register computer. Soon enough the food came out and to my surprise the cook had made me a lettuce wrapped burger complete with vegetables and extra sides. It was great going to a restaurant and having such flexibility with what I wanted to eat.

Join me next week when I discuss how biking can improve your weight loss while helping you clear your mind.  I will also tell stories from a fifty-mile bike ride that I took on accident. Enjoy your week!