Eat Clean

    I have eaten mindfully my entire adult life. I have always been all too aware of the correlation between health and nutrition. True, there have been many times when I ate too much healthy, but I have always tried to minimize junk foods, fried foods, processed or prepackaged. Over the years I have refined and defined my nutrition. Not quite to the point of obsession, but definitely to the point of hyper-aware. About 6 or 7 years ago I became serious about eating for prevention. I began researching to find the best anti-inflammatory diet for me and my poor aching body. While studying the effects of food on inflammation I also realized that this was in line with anti-cancer, heart healthy and anti-depression eating. Kind of a grand slam of health. And a much needed grand slam.
    The year I turned 39 I made a vow to myself that each year on my birthday I would be in better health than the previous birthday. At times it has not been the easiest promise to keep, but I have succeeded. The first year I lost 25 pounds and increased my cardio workouts. From then on, I just kept upping the ante by dialing in nutrition, exercise, healthy living.
    Four years ago I had a rather large malignant melanoma removed from my back where it had resided for a number of years, a "birthmark" that I could not see. The oncologist was amazed that it had not spread, and honestly admitted that it was very likely my healthy lifestyle that had kept this potential killer in check. It was more than enough validation for me to continue to improve my health.
    Two years ago I cut wheat from my diet. It came from a chance conversation with a friend on the effects of lowgrade food allergies on inflammation and soft tissue regeneration. Two of my greatest adversaries. I took his words to heart and researched the premise, everything I could find backed this claim, with wheat and dairy being the two biggest culprits. No way in hell I was going to cut dairy, but I decided to go wheat free and see what happened. I can't say my joints benefited, but my chronic heartburn, that had plagued me for 25 years, disappeared almost overnight. Good enough empirical data for me. Wheat continues to be on the BOLO list. I don't obsessively spurn wheat, I can have it in small doses, but I consume it rarely. One major upside: it makes a carb binge a lot more work, therefore giving me time to let the cravings pass.
    This summer dairy became the enemy. Traitorous Dairy. My beloved, darling, dearest Dairy, turned against me, painfully. I tell myself that it is for the best, that it may have been an insidious, inflammatory culprit undermining my attempts to reach optimal health. But g'damn it Dairy, I still miss you every day.
    So, I have deleted wheat, dairy, processed foods, most prepackaged foods, nitrates (only all natural bacon and sausage for me, and rarely), chemicals, artificial ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, most white sugar, "bad" fats, fried foods, fast food, the list seems endless.
    What do I eat? For starters, I am an obsessive label reader. Mostly I buy fresh ingredients and cook delicious, healthy, balanced meals. True, I have a mere handful of my "Go To" meals that I rotate through regularly, depending on the season and available ingredients. I don't go for extreme eating plans like the current rage, Paleo. I aim for moderation; fresh fruits and veggies, organic when I can afford it, whole grains, lean meats. I am a big fan of smoothies, packing the blender with greens and fruit. I eat a lot of raw almonds and walnuts, avocado, eggs, organic granola, whatever fruit or vegetable is currently in season in my own yard. My Salad Garden gave me several months of fresh greens, it was fading just as my Greengage plums ripened and my heirloom tomatoes came on full bore. Now the plums and tomatoes are nearing an end, my winter garden is about to start producing, and my apples and heirloom pumpkins are nearly ready for plucking.
    I understand "Garbage In, Garbage Out." And the flipside of that; Rocket Fuel for the machine that is my body. If I want my body to treat me right, I have to return the courtesy. I want my body to perform at its peak, and this requires pure, unadulterated, top of the line, premium fuel. I eat Clean to keep my body Clean. This machine runs better and smoother than it ever has, and I plan on keeping it that way.