First, a word from our sponsor:
Beakman's Vegetarian Based Powdered Chicken Stock -- Remember how everyone told you 'tastes just like chicken' when you were a kid? Well it does.
Yes, my fellow campers, I found myself wandering the aisles of the local megamart this morning in search of a bottled low-fat yogurt smoothie to boost my protein intake, when what did I find in the bulk food aisle? There was a bin full of beige powder that was labeled 'Chicken Stock (Vegetarian Based)'. It's amazing what they can do with yeast extracts these days. Of course, I always say that if a vegetarian diet has still got you yearning for meat, you're not doing it right!
This is just one more interesting data point in my latest thinking about how screwed up the modern American diet is. You see, food has been much on my mind since I paid a visit to the doctor a couple weeks ago. Though the maladies that took me to my general practitioner turned out to be minor, they took my vitals, including weight and blood pressure. Both, I'm sorry to say, are up over what they were just 3-4 short years ago. So, my doctor has "advised" me to lose some weight.
The modern American diet is so screwy, it's kind of sad. I keep thinking back on the words of a French foreign exchange student who visited my high school french class almost 20 years ago. Her words: "beaucoup frité" or more idiomatically "so much fried food". It's true... from hush puppies to fried chicken to french fries to chicken wings to deep fried turkey to pork rinds, we Americans love our greasy fatty, fast foods.
And it's killing us. We've managed to turn the traditional weight pyramid -- where fat people are admired because they actually live well enough to get fat -- inside out. Now it's only really wealthy people who can afford a buff, chiseled, thin body thanks to personal chefs and personal trainers. Barring those folks who have the metabolism of hummingbirds, the rest of us can't "just eat whatever we want" without fear... because getting fit has become hard work.
For those who fear that I will now head off the deep end into the murky world of Atkins, fear not. After talking with my MD a little bit, the big thing I need to do is watch my portion sizes. I'll just be "saving a little room for dessert" and then not having dessert is all. As far as Atkins-ism is going, I am trying to cut my starches a little... but only because a little more protien, a touch of carbohydrates, and a lot of bright green veggies seems like the thing to do right now.
Well, that and a few M&M's once in while... after all, life completely without chocolate wouldn't be living, would it?
said drgeek
on 2004-07-23 at 8:32 p.m.
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