Food as Fuel? And then some.

A friend recently told me, "I've finally got my eating issues under control. I realize food is just fuel for my body. It's not meant to be fun." This woman isn't a person of extremes, but she was still on a honeymoon with this philosophy (you know how it is when you discover something new that works, or seems to work), and she wasn't interested in eating for pleasure.

I'd rather be fat -- and since I used to be obese, I get to say that without offending anyone. I'd rather be fat than resign myself to food as an equivalent to gas or oil or coal. I toyed with this idea when I was going through all my lose-the-lard experiments in the past, and frankly, it didn't last long.

Food is fuel--fuel that should be savored...enjoyed...and sometimes exalted. We should bond over it, commune with it, and show our appreciation for it. Of course, modern society has to deal with the overabundance we face. It's hard to appreciate what's on your plate when it's all available 24 hours per day. Drive to the grocery store at 3 a.m. and get a pecan pie. Drive thru and get fries. Pick up the phone and get fried rice and pizza.

We're spoiled. I admit that. But food is more than just fuel. It's pleasure, and luxury, and family, and celebration, and joy, and spirituality, and love. We just need to be careful what we classify under the big "Food" umbrella. Hint: if it comes in a box, there's a good chance it might not qualify.

Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

A week or so ago, one of my closest friends (okay, he's my ex-husband) called. He sounded incredibly bummed out, which isn't like him. Usually, we spend the first 5 minutes of a call joking around and teasing each other, but this time he was all business. My first thought was that one of his parents wasn't well. After all, they're getting up there in years and have suffered various ailments.

I wasn't too far off. He'd called to tell us his doctor had diagnosed him with diabetes. He's 44 years old. My mother and stepdad didn't get it until they were in their fifties, but my Ex is at least 75lbs bigger than he was when we married 17 years ago. And of course, all that extra fat is concentrated in his gut, the prime spot for feeding diseases of obesity. He told me that his doctor identified him as pre-diabetic last January and gave him a diet to follow, including a list of foods to eliminate. The list included bread and rice. He's from Honduras. They have tortillas and/or rice with EVERY meal! When I made spaghetti for this guy, I had to include a plate of starchy white rice on the side.

The doctor's orders seemed unrealistic, so he chucked the list and kept on doing what he was doing. The result was a fasting blood sugar level of 351. (Normal range: under 100) He's promised to test regularly, to exercise and to start eating better. If he didn't live on the other side of the country, I'd stick my nose in and start feeding him Raw foods (not sure his wife would like that). From here, all I can do is nag and make suggestions and hope this is the only wake up call he needs.

Raw Food Reverses Diabetes

Somehow, link by link, I ran into a trailer for a documentary-in-the-making called Raw for 30 Days. The film follows several diabetics who live in a medically supervised retreat and follow a raw food diet for 30 days. For those who stick with it, excess pounds of fat fall away, insulin dependence is no more and the disease that once controlled their lives is no longer an issue for them. It's not an easy journey, and not everyone makes it, but the results are remarkable. Haven't figured out how to get the video formated on my blog yet. Until I do, here's the link.
Raw for 30 Days