After my interview, which turned out to be less of an interview and more of a 5 minute chat, (but it went well!) I stopped by work to drop something off and started talking to a women who also works in the campus food court area. She mentioned previously that she was on the G.I diet with her fiance and we started talking about food and exercise, what I eat and how I work out etc. She seemed very open but the biggest thing I noticed was how limited her options were with the G.I diet. For example, I mentioned how I like to add banana to my oatmeal in the morning, but apparently they are not allowed because they are too high in sugar. I understand that to some degree, but I just can’t get behind a diet plan that restricts REAL food. This focus on restriction instead of moderation really gets to me, because banana’s are awesome for you. They are high in soluble fiber and potassium and lots of other great stuff.

This is similar to my beef with weight watchers and processed foods. I really believe that if you eat REAL, unprocessed good quality food in moderation it will do amazing things for you in the long run. Weight loss is really just a part of it, think of cancer prevention, stronger bones, eyesight, digestion, energy levels, mental and physical strength and overall, LIVING a longer life.

Believe me, I am not a saint by any means, I crave chicken nuggets, fries, chips and refined sugars as much as the next fat chick. Eating real food is hard because we live in a society where fast and cheap are the norm and everyday foods we eat are full of preservatives and chemicals. Just the other day I searched the grocery store for a loaf of whole grain bread that didn’t have preservatives in it and came up short. The alternative: 5 bucks for a loaf of multi-grain bread from an organic bakery in town, it may be twice as much and I’ll have to freeze it so it doesn’t go bad but at least when I read the ingredients list, I can pronounce and recognize every item. Now that’s real.