Even-Steven
I went shopping this weekend and bought two things. I bought a book by Michael Pollan called Food Rules. Maybe you’ve heard of it. My friend Pauline told me about it, it’s all the rage and a #1 NY Times Bestseller. According to the cover it’s “an eater’s manual.” Basically it’s an easy to use book of rules that takes the complexity out of eating. For instance rule #37 is “The whiter the bread the sooner you’ll be dead” (referring to the fact that you should be eating whole grains). The final rule is rule #64, which reads “Break the rules once in a while.” I like that one; in fact, the second purchase I made this weekend was a box of Girl Scout Cookies. By the way, rule #19 is “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” Looks like I’m even-steven.
As for the Girl Scout Cookies, I won’t make excuses. Excuses make you appear weak and nobody wants to hear them anyway. I bought the cookies and I ate them, they were good. I did it because I told myself that I wanted to support the GS’s but the truth is, eating them brought me back to the time when I was a GS. One season I ate so many GS cookies that I racked up a bill of over $150 which my Dad had to cover. That’s when I learned not to make excuses. How do you explain why you ate dozens of boxes of cookies? Temporary insanity? Or, “face it Dad, I’m just a pig,” would have gone over better.
Anyway… Back to rule #64, break the rules once in a while. Pollan says, and I agree “Obsessing over food rules is bad for happiness, and probably your health too.” Worrying about nutrition will make you no healthier or slimmer. Relax, throw “the rules” out the window once in a while, what matters is everyday practice. That can be said for everything in life, don’t you think?
Tomorrow we’re talking about setting goals. I don’t understand why so many of you are afraid to commit to even the smallest goal. Yea, I know it’s frightening but seriously, aren’t you getting a little bored?
Happy Monday!
p.s. Rule #43 – Have a glass of wine with dinner. Drinking a little every day is better than drinking a lot on the weekends…
Physical Funness for the Motion Starved 
February 28, 2011 at 2:04 pm
I’d say Pollan is a local demi-god when it comes to food and nutrition. His other books, such as Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food, make for fascinating reading as well. It’s good to put at least some consideration into what you put into your body. Just say no to McDonald’s!
And I’ve been snacking on Thin Mints. Tis the season 🙂
Need balance. Eat more greens (or the rest of the rainbow as noted in earlier posts).
March 2, 2011 at 4:46 pm
wTF? I can’t believe you bought Trefoils. They must be the most bleh of all GS cookies.No samosas? No do-si-dos? This is coming from someone who, in the last month, has purchased about 14 boxes of cookies from six different kids and has managed to eat sleeve after sleeve of thin mints while still covered in fresh sweat from my work out. No wonder the scale refuses to budge. Glad those scouts only sell cookies once a year. I’m still doing my crunches though it would be easier without the rolls around my middle.