Labels

There is no shortage of labels in this world...Everywhere you look, people brandish them, wear them, argue over them, kill for them.  It's really quite crazy.  It seems our lives are driven by labels, believe in this, belong to that, oppose those guys...I said it before, this World is crazy and it's out take it all from us, that's probably why people want to feel like they belong, stand out of the crowd a little bit.
I know that the good doctor coined the term 'nutritarian' to encompass the practices described in the Eat to Live book, but I'm not into it.  I don't feel the need to wave that flag. Since I've started this whole thing, I have come to think of myself as just 2 things: Healthy and Active.
If we want to get down to it, I am gluten-free sugar-free oil-free egg-free dairy-free pescatarian triathlete [in training], 90% of the time.  Talk about labels!  I would rather say that I make my choices based on a long term plan to stay in good shape, minimize preventable diseases [especially in the cardiovascular area] and maybe even stay clear of others [I may be genetically predisposed for certain diseases, such as cancer, but being in great Health sure can't hurt anything, can it?], and generally keep sharp. I don't have any condition that requires me to do any of things, I choose not to have them.  I'll break it down quickly:
All of those foods that I am avoiding are, in my opinion, far too calorie dense.  They tend to associate with less-than-healthy habits.  I don't want to pick on anything in particular, but let's pick Italian food in general.  It pretty much has all of the things I avoid [gluten, oil, sugar, eggs, dairy, meat] because any given plate of just about any dish has just too many calories, too much fat and far not enough nutrients.  So instead of trying to compromise I decided to exclude.  I feel that it is more productive to concentrate on a Healthy habit rather than modifying an unhealthy one.  Keep in mind that I will still have those from time to time, that's what the 90% is for.  Because a glass [or two] of great wine is only better with a slice [or two] of Brie! I am French after all!
Now certain labels I do pay some attention to, like the ones in the grocery store.  They can get pretty confusing, especially with the ever-changing serving size deceit, and I don't buy too many things I don't prepare but just the same it's always good to see what's in them.  If it goes in a recipe, I may alter the amount or keep some information from it in the back of my mind.
Overall I think it makes more sense to keep it simple, makes it easier to focus on the task.  I'm sure that my activity won't always include training for triathlons, but I will always be active.  There may be times when I won't be able to eat this way, but I will always make the healthiest choice.
Well that's it for now.  Please send me some feedback, let me know how I'm doing!
Until next time,

Oliver P.