Food fads by choice

This has been on my mind for some time now. Fad diets and elimination of food by choice. I read an article about it on Sunday and nodded along to the words, and also received some judgment about my own food this week. I'm going to come right out and say it.

If you're on a sugar/dairy/gluten free diet by choice, don't try to guilt me for my generally good choices. FFS. Sick of your judgment & grumpiness. Go eat something delicious and cheer up.

Most of the food I eat I cook from scratch. I can say that I know most ingredients I put into my cooking. That is, I try to only use whole foods. It's rare that I cook with pre-made sauces or even pasta now. I use fresh (and sometimes frozen) vegetables, fresh fruit, (mostly) organic free range meat, fish, olive oil, plain yoghurt, rice, duck eggs, organic milk (I have been using Elgaar milk from Tasmania lately), beans, lentils and barley, oats, flour, herbs and spices, and nuts. I occasionally buy bread, and it's only these past few weeks I've had icecream in the freezer. I don't drink coffee and only drink herbal tea, and don't add sugar to my foods or drinks. I find it hard to find a late night snack in my fridge or pantry because I don't keep biscuits or chips, and the only chocolate I have is Green and Black's dark orange. Sometimes I drink coke and other soft drinks but I also drink about three litres of water a day. Cheese is my weakness.

I eat whole foods because they make me feel good and happy. Over-processed foods make my tummy sore. I know I am getting the goodness I need from whole foods without added nasties. And I also never feel guilty when I dine out or eat a cake at work once a fortnight for afternoon tea.

Though I don't exercise as much as I should, my BMI is between low and average, I have a fast metabolism and feel pretty healthy.

In the past week these are some of the things that I've cooked and eaten. 

Chicken with a salad of mango, tomato, corn off the cobb, spinach, capsicum and lime juice, with a side of quinoa. Roast lamb chops with broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes and beetroot. Half an apple scroll, strawberries and pineapple, and muesli on Yalla yoghurt. Vegetable fritters made from squash, pumpkin, spinach and corn off the cobb topped with mayonnaise. Yum! And I can name almost every ingredient except for the spices on the chicken, the ingredients within the mayonnaise and the apple scroll.

Food confessional over.

So when people who are on fad diets by CHOICE, I don't appreciate them tsk-tsking my own food choices. The sugars in my fruit, or my full fat dairy or the additives in my mayonnaise are none of your business. My belief is that I eat such a balanced diet that the occasional food with hidden sugar or salt or transfats (whatever they are?) doesn't matter. It's like when people are on these food elimination diets by choice, their attitude becomes holier than thou, and they are obsessed with what they and others eat.

I am finding the rise in these food choice/elimination fads - no gluten, no sugar, no dairy - are making people a bit grumpy, very judgmental, quite boring, and often difficult at meal times. I am wondering if these food elimination diets are a new form of eating disorder?

Continuing on from Mia Freedman's piece - I also wonder if food elimination is done to be trendy? While I am about to set foot into controversial territory, I wonder whether all food allergies exist. I was talking with my dermatologists and allergy specialists about food allergies - they find it strange that I don't suffer from any food allergies, yet am very susceptible to them. They also said that they believe many people don't actually have a true food allergy. 

I was reading a blog post a while back, by a nutritionist (I am sorry I don't have it to link to now though) that outlined the panic surrounding eating full fat dairy. The post detailed the nutrients in dairy, and then made the point that people shouldn't be panicking about eating fresh whole foods, but processed foods, like the ones that come in packets and tubes. Like avocado in a tube or cheese in a can. 

Here's my food philosophy:

Cook meals with ingredients that you can see. As in - fresh, whole foods. 

Cook simple meals. It doesn't take long to chop some vegies, steam some fish and put together a delicious fish taco.

Whole foods doesn't mean boring.

Eat for health. 

Eat for happiness. 

_

I am going to cook dinner now. I am having salmon and leftover mango salad. What's the sugar content in that?

PS - a friend asked me if I eat McDonalds, given that most of my diet is pretty good. Yes. Yes I eat McDonalds and am quite partial to a Quarter Pounder.