How much to you worry about what you eat? Give suggestion

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musawakilia

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 7, 2024
Messages
1
Location
New York
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you worry about what you eat?

1 = Not at all. You start every day with three eggs, cooked in butter, with a half pound of bacon on the side.

10 = Obsessed. You read everything written about healthy eating, and don't eat or drink anything that any "expert" says will kill you.

I'm sure everyone here falls somewhere between those extremes. No judgement's please. I just think it would be fun to see where we all fall in that spectrum.

Since I opened this can of worms, I guess I should start.

I put myself at about a 7. There was a time when I was probably a 5, but I'm a lot older now, and can't eat like I could 30 years ago. As I continue to get older, I may have to shift up to an 8, but can't imagine ever being at the 10 level.

I have some things I have to do, like limit sodium intake. Not my choice, my kidneys made that decision for me. I also try to keep my weight down, because I feel terrible when I get too fat.

When I was diagnosed with, and treated for cancer in 2006-2007, I asked my doctors what I did wrong, or what I was exposed to that caused my cancer. They told me that there was no indication of what may have "caused" it. Basically, they didn't know, and I would never know.

Based on that, I made some lifestyle changes, but nothing drastic. Mostly, I started cooking more, and eating out less. I especially cut way back on fast food. I also came to realize that a salad isn't healthy if you drown it with ranch dressing. I just started eating in a more informed manner.

I still sometimes indulge in a greasy cheeseburger and fries, but not very often. The main thing is, I'm honest with myself about that burger and fries, and don't feel guilty about it. My philosophy with food is that I could eat a perfect diet, and still cross a street and get run over by a bus.

Eggs cooked in butter and bacon is one of my go to breakfasts and that's because I do lean more towards being obsessed with what I eat. Yeah, around an 8 would probably be a good proxy of where I stand.

Sugar is a big no go for me and needed to keep that to a bare minimum and certain carbs in general from my A1C getting up there 15 years ago and a few other issues that go along with inflammation and the problems that causes. Now my numbers are in the mid 4's, so being a little obsessed with what I eat and who I listen to for nutritional advice has been a learned skill over the years.

I basically never consume fast food and UPF's are generally non existent in my diet and consume local which means seasonally as well and organic when I can and if I have a choice, for the most part.

An example of that 8 is I procure all my beef from a local dairy farmer, who I also know personally who's also involved with regenerative agriculture and treats all his farm animals with a high level of care. Basically I choose a retired dairy cow for my main protein and fat source and also get other local animal sources like poultry and lamb. Veg, the same, mostly local and seasonal. Right now it's asparagus, rhubarb and early and young assorted greens which will be coming to an end this week I believe.
 
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