On Nutrition

A while ago, I decided to try an experiment known (and smartly marketed as) the Whole30. As the name suggests, it is a 30 day challenge based on Paleo principles with emphasis on eating “real and whole” fruits and vegetables, high quality meats, and eliminating processed grains.

This way of eating was largely intuitive to me, although my Chinese roots loudly objected to the exclusion of noodles, rice, and dumplings. I have no intention of giving these staples up for good, for 30 days though, I figured why not give it a try. To make things more fun, I roped my boyfriend into doing it too, and frankly it was a much bigger challenge for him, and there was (at least initially) much grumbling about missing out on pasta and pizza and crispy, battered, fried chicken. In the end though, I think he enjoyed it.

A few observations

• The upfront commitment compelled more awareness of things I was putting into my mouth. I read many more food labels and asked waiters about how things were prepared. This was interesting and actually my favorite part about the whole experience. I learned the preparations and origins of sauces I’d previously glossed over and ignored - Romanesco (Spanish, nuts + peppers), Normandy (French, meat or fish stock + cream, butter, egg yolks) and Beurre Blanc (French, butter + white wine reduction), among others. I learned about things that typically have added sugar (most cured meats like bacon and sausage), and components of dairy (basically everything in a French restaurant), or soy (which knocks out most Chinese restaurants, unfortunately) when not explicitly listed on menus. Obviously this was also a lot more work, and made eating out a slightly more complex process of scoping out menus ahead of time and being that annoying person with all the questions at the table, but overall it highlighted to me our tendency to eat, and then think, rather than the other way around.

• Related to this, it was great to be released from the compulsion to “try everything” and end up overeating. This was particularly liberating in the context of work related lunch and dinner functions where a buffet of difference choices leads to eating a bit of everything – even things I don’t really like. Limiting food choices forces prioritization and actually led me to more fully enjoy the foods I was eating.  And, when I was done eating, I was done eating. Which sounds obvious, but I found I actually improved my productivity and concentration when the activity of thinking about and finding food and snacking was taken “off the table” for a few hours, until my next meal. The net effect of this is that I ate with greater appreciation and awareness – partly because I was making an effort to think about it, but also because I tended to actually be hungry.

• Other things I really liked: learning to cook with more variety and improved technique! Roasted vegetables are a true blessing. Meat stews are the most rewarding and forgiving of dishes to cook on a winter weekend. And nothing beats a perfectly poached egg over a giant bed of arugula, blueberries, and sweet potatoes (which is a corollary of the rule that a runny egg makes everything better, always) Some favorites below (1) Porchetta over kohlrabi greens and topped with fried egg (2) Lamb meatballs and olive oil roasted vegetables (3) Cabbage, carrot and dill chicken soup

• Things I really missed and will resume eating: Fage yogurt with heaping blueberries, red wine, ice cream, the aforementioned Chinese food staples, tofu, and cappuccino. I don’t really consider most of these things to be “unhealthy” and really, who in their right mind is willing to give up ice cream. I did not miss bread or cheese all that much. Nor do I feel any need to ever go anywhere near the grocery store snack aisle anymore, though I do occasionally miss a good bowl of cold milk + cereal.

All in all, its been an enjoyable exercise in discovering new and glorious foods to try and in being cognizant of the things I am putting into my one and only body.

Unfortunately, nutrition and health is a complex process (rather than outcome) and there is no gold standard to be found in the “Paleo” or “DASH” or any other branded eating method. I’m convinced conscious, thoughtful, and most of all self reflective eating is the only way to get around the nutrition confusion that continues to plague the scientific literature.