The Freshmaker

Nobody comes to a food blog looking for diet advice. Nor do they come to hear the crazy rantings of a completely non-certified consumer about miracle diet cures.

“Great Abs In Six Minutes a Day” might sell more books, but I actually reduced my cholesterol and avoided going on a lifetime of meds by just making some simple changes to my diet. And I did it without exercise.

Exercise is great. It is. I joke about the subject a lot, but the truth is that I love the effects on the body. But in today’s modern world, who has the time? Apparently, a lot of people. I wish I knew their secret, because for me it seems next to impossible. I can barely manage to squeeze in six hours of sleep every night, and the idea of sitting down to a two hour movie feels as decadent as taking a week long holiday.

Let’s put the time management issues aside for today, and instead let’s go back to what did last time around that was so effective.

I made a list.

It’s effectively a list of heart healthy foods that at least someone on in the internet thinks might help reduce one’s bad cholesterol. This does not mean I’m giving myself carte blanche to eat as much of these as possible. There are still a few guiding mantras:

1) Eat only one hungry
2) Be mindful of portions
3) Know when to stop

Still, the list is so long, that it’s hard to think of a diet made up of these foods as restrictive. Mostly because it’s impossible to eat them all. Last go around I didn’t even get to the sardines. This time, I’ve already picked up a couple of tins which are in the pantry.

Sardines? Yep. Let’s look at that list again:

More fiber (minimum 25 grams of dietary fiber per day) from oats & beans
More sardines & herring
More olive oil
More nuts, especially walnuts
A clove of garlic a day
An avocado a day
Whey protein (in the form of yogurt)
Red wine
Black tea
Dark chocolate
Spinach
Four egg yolks per week maximum
Cook with canola, safflower, sunflower, olive, grapeseed, and peanut oils
Colorful fruits and vegetables
Avoid refined sugars and grains
Remember, fat is better than sugar
Season foods with turmeric, coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger

While that doesn’t sound restrictive, it’s hard to forget the foods I’ll largely be giving up on a long list of foods I love like:

Pizza
French fries
Fried chicken
Steak
Chicken fried steak
Chicken skin
Soft and semi-soft cheeses
Sausages and hamburgers
Bacon and other cured meats
Ice cream and donuts

The list goes on. And on Friday nights I’ll be doing the unthinkable, by going back to eating skinless chicken breasts.

Of course, there will be cheat days like the quarterly FLB tours, Yelp events, and other work related obligations. I’m not going to turn down any food judging gigs just because I’ve turned over a new leaf of healthful eating.

In fact, it’s because of great opportunities like those that I’m reeling in my consumption during the week. That’s my moderation. Eat twenty-five different soups in one day, and live the rest of the week on oats, beans, avocado toast, and dark leafy vegetables.

It may not work for everyone, but it seems to work for me. And while I’m in self-depravation mode, I can fantasize about the next FUSSYlittleTOUR, which is going to be seasonal burger joints.

That is going to be amazing.