Eliminating Food Groups is Lazy. Where Do We Go From Here?

Happy fall!

Okay, so it’s been fall for over a week now, but, in my area of the country, it’s only recently started to feel like it (until about Saturday, it still felt like the devil’s armpit outside).

Fall is a special season for me. The leaves are changing, the smells of bonfires and tailgates are in the air, people enjoy hanging out outside, all the pumpkin-flavored things make a special appearance, and it’s socially acceptable to get a flavored coffee at any time of day.

I can’t remember a fall without pumpkin chocolate chip bread (since I learned to cook, anyway). I’m not much of a baker (you have to measure for that), but that’s one thing for which I’ll ignore my preferences (and habits of kitchen experimentation), hunker down, and get out the measuring cups. The mixing, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, the anticipation of the warm and gooey chocolate chips with the unmistakable scent and flavor of fall: it’s all worth it for me.  Even the extra calories, which I don’t typically count (and definitely don’t when it comes to pumpkin chocolate chip bread.).

And that leads me to picking and choosing our nutrition battles: one of my favorite topics that always bears revisiting with the change of food seasons.

For many of us, colder months mean comfort food: heavy, cheesy, starchy. There’s nothing wrong with that, but how does “comfort food” usually make you feel afterwards?

For me, in the long run, comfort foods are usually anything but. They feel great and taste wonderful in the moment, certainly. But many of them leave me feeling bloated, tired, and usually with a tummyache within a few hours. Anyone else?

Over the last few years, I’ve learned what makes my body perform well, and I usually stick to that. Not always, because there are pizzas and pumpkin chocolate chip bread in the world. But usually, so that things like pizza and pumpkin chocolate chip bread are conscious choices worth the consequences, rather than things I turn to when I’m upset or stressed out (and, therefore, things that only compound those emotional states).

I believe, personally, that fitness is a means to an end: a way to reach empowerment, expansion, and engagement with those people, social changes, and discussions that matter to us the most.

No matter your aesthetic or strength goals, we can all agree that feeling good and moving well is important. It’s easy to lose sight of that in the pursuit of fat loss or muscle gain or strength, but if we’ve hit an arbitrary number, but feel terrible or can’t enjoy a meal out with our loved ones or have trouble walking up the stairs, we’ve missed the point a little, no?

So, tying that into the topic at hand: where do we start learning what leads us to peak performance?

I’m not in the business of demonizing any one nutrient or food group (unless it makes you feel bad, physically or otherwise), but, in a traditional Western diet, we typically find high carb + high fat. This combination is rough on our systems for several reasons, not the least of which is that it typically contains foods that are very high in both calories and palatability, meaning, SUPER EASY to eat a lot of (eating until we feel like we’re going to burst, anyone?), leading to a huge caloric surplus, and, therefore, weight gain (no one ever got thin or healthy living on pizza alone, much to my dismay.).

Saying, “cut carbs,” or, “go low-fat,” however, is easy, and, in my opinion, lazy. It keeps us stuck in nutritional dogma and unable to find a way to make our nights out or holiday dinners work for us. Not a life many of us want to live.

So, what do we do?

• Take a step back and realize that not all carbs are bad, just as not all fat is bad.
• Prioritize protein, because we need protein to stay full and build (or keep, if we’re in a caloric deficit) muscle.
• Make sure there’s enough fiber, because our digestion is important, and it helps us to stay satisfied.
• Fill in the gaps with what makes us happiest: usually EITHER carbs or fat, with a sprinkling of the opposite, recognizing that we will, realistically, be consuming both (pick your battles, friends.).
• Avoid totally eliminating the things that bring us joy (the second you tell me no carbs, I buy a loaf of fancy bread, because I know in about 5 days, I’ll eat all the buttered toast I can find.). Strike a balance.

Need help?

Try out a veggie-based side dish to see how it makes you feel! Swapping out pastas, breads, rice, potatoes is what works for me, as I tend to overeat those things and feel sluggish (plus, I usually top them with a pretty fair amount of butter and/or cheese, historically). Choosing fiber and flavor instead eliminates the need for high-fat toppings, and keeps me just as satisfied. Try it out with your next harvest-themed meal, and let me know what you think! I served the following with a grilled pork chop, caramelized apples, and a huge salad:

ROASTED DELICATA SQUASH AND TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium-sized delicata squash, cut in half, seeds removed, and cut into half-moons

8 oz. Campari tomatoes

1T olive oil (or any oil you like that withstands high heat)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 T maple syrup

MAKE IT:

Preheat oven to 400.

Quarter tomatoes, add to a bowl with the squash, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast until the squash is tender, about 40-50 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then toss with maple syrup and serve.