Two simple words

By embarking on the Caveman diet, which I guess some may consider quite extreme or faddy, I've been exploring my feelings about food and its relationship to good health.  Leading to the realisation that possibly I was in some sort of denial about diabetes and it's time to accept that this diet is no short term measure. This time, however, I have the confidence that this is a diet that will work.  It's diet that feels natural rather than extreme and cutting out temptation has slit the throat of my inner little devil.   The Caveman diet has stopped the cravings PERIOD.

I have to admit it - I have always had a healthy appetite, and have sometimes satisfied it with the wrong types of food.  But we're surrounded by an overwhelming amount of choice and some, like myself, want to try it all. Hence, every time I spied a new product I'd have to try it.  Problem is the flow of these products is never ending and the extra calories start to mount up.  Then once we're hooked we're reeled in by the food industry, along with its food technicians who are employed with the purpose of creating ever more choice and indulgences.

The Caveman diet is contrary to most of the diets I've followed.  This is because it's restrictive and limits choice.  You do have to re-educate your taste in order to enjoy healthier food, however it's satisfying and far from tasteless. 

A major bonus is that being man's first diet the Caveman diet is not commercialised.  I believe that too much choice is where many other diets help us to fail.  Hence, I'm finding that limiting choice is a comfort.

Choice is taken to extremes by the diet industry.  If you've ever been to a diet club you will know how many diet products are promoted.   The diet industry simply reproduces a style of eating that we have become accustomed; it supplies foods that are similar to what we were previously eating, and (hooray) you can eat in almost unlimited quantities and they won't make you fat. Ha, if only!  I shouldn't forget to mention that with these miracle products up goes the price alongside the chemical content.

So now we have the low fat foods, low sugar foods and even the low carb diet industry gets in on the act.  We can reproduce the foods once enjoyed rather than tackling the fundamental problem - eating habits.  After all, if all else fails you can control your sugar with insulin or opt for gastric banding.

STOP and remember those two little words - 'No thanks' with practice they become much easier to say.

Something I've learned so far on the Caveman diet is that, if you can change you mindset, you will stop missing the foods you can't have and start to enjoy what you can. Re-educating taste to enjoy the simplicity and savour the flavour. Along the way is the loss of guilt feelings associated with food in the knowledge that everything consumed is nourishment.

I've certainly felt a loss of control along with my increasing waistline, which I'm sure other overweight people can relate to.  Now I'm starting to feel that I'm back in control.  I do think it's true that our taste buds have actually been re-trained by Cooperations who care very little for the few that end up with serious health problems, after all once we've been fattened up they have plenty of products to help us lose weight again.

Whoops, I'm starting to sound like a food nutter, I assure you I'm not, but I am enthused and relishing the sense of regaining control.

The point of this little rant is that at the end of the day if we should be enjoying a good quality of life and it does not need to revolve around food.  We should after all be eating to live NOT living to eat. 

The Caveman diet requires a change of attitude and acknowledgment of the serious consequences of overindulgence, a submission if you like, that this is a way of eating for life.  Returning to old eating habits after weight loss would mean a return to old habits and consequent weight gain.

Comments

[AllHeart]

The general populous may label us "food nutters", but to the intelligent and discerning few we have dared to take the blinkers off and see things for what they really are.

The first step is always hardest, especially when it's through the looking glass.

[DoingTheCaveman]

*Cringe* apologies for the terminology. Reading back, admitting that our food chain has been tainted and acknowledging some conspiracy to poison simply for $£$£$ did conjur up a 'nutter' association. But I think I've well and truely crossed through now - the disbelief I feel with what I see loaded into shopping trolleys. The side I've crossed from appears to be the surreal one and the 'nutters' seem strangely sane.