Comments on: Food Rules

By: Michele | aka Raw Juice Girl

Michele | aka Raw Juice Girl — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:31:46 +0000

I love the simplicity! I’ve decided to simplify my life (all aspects, not just eating) and am working toward that goal. I recently blogged about shedding labels I’ve limited myself to and creating a more peaceful, forgiving approach toward my eating habits and health in general. It’s already lifted a huge load from my shoulders and many readers are able to relate…..

I followed over from Work Happy Now, by the way – so glad Karl mentioned your post. :-)

Congrats on the weight loss!

*smiles*
Michele

By: Kristin

Kristin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:25:58 +0000

Rule 65: Celebrate bacon on prime birthdays . . .

By: Tyler Karaszewski

Tyler Karaszewski — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:06:00 +0000

As idealistic as the pro-natural-ingredient rules are, they don’t make that much of a difference in terms of weight loss. Fewer calories eaten = more weight lost. Rule 45 is king, everything else is just details.

I’ve done this — eat less, surf more, bike more. I’m 5′11″ and I weigh 162 lbs.

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:57:54 +0000

Great post, JD. It reminds me of this one fitness blog that I really like. ;)

Good luck with your quest this year. It has truly made Mac a different person.

By: ClaireTN

ClaireTN — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:34:40 +0000

I love Pollan. One of my rules is that I won’t buy a food product that has ingredients that don’t sound edible themselves. I also try to eat a snack of a raw fruit or vegetable with either a glass of water or a pot of green tea about an hour before dinner. Just munching on some carrot sticks or an apple keeps me from getting hungry and helps me come to the table not feeling starved. Plus, I get in an extra serving of fruit/vegetable. Okay, one more: I always eat a serving of fruit (usually berries) with breakfast. Getting that first serving in right at the beginning of the day makes it much easier to get at least five a day.

By: bethh

bethh — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:39:01 +0000

wow, that’s a lot of rules. I agree with all of them and think that “Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans” sums up several of them well. Do you subscribe to any food blogs? They’re a great way to dip your toes in the real food waters. I’m sure if you put out a call for suggestions you’ll get a lot.

By: Dan Owen

Dan Owen — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:22:59 +0000

In one of your blogs, you wrote that you spent 8-10 hours a day working on your book. This, of course, is the length of a typical work day. Have you thought at all about why this work schedule prevented you from eating a healthy diet? I assume that healthy prepared meals from Whole Foods are as easily accessible to you as Sno-Balls from the Mini-mart. You can see where I’m going with this, I’m sure: I know from your GFS posting before writing your book that you had an excellent understanding of healthy nutrition before you set out to write your book, and the resources to provide healthy food for yourself. Is a new set of rules the key to changing those eating habits?

I live by two rules: I eat almost no processed foods, and I stop eating when I feel full. I give myself permission to start eating again as soon as I feel hungry: on some days that means that I eat 15 or 20 “meals,” but a meal is often a handful of almonds or some dried peaches. This stuff fills me up fast, and with unlimited permission to eat again just as soon as I feel hungry, I don’t feel so pressed to eat past the point of feeling full.

Pollan is great: is there anyone who gives such practical advice about eating? Ommivore’s Dilemma is a book I’ve given as a gift close to a dozen times; I think it should be assigned reading in schools, right around the eighth grade.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:22:02 +0000

Great rules. I know most people hate ‘rules’ but maybe there’s a reason they are recommended suggestions- maybe they actually work. For the people who hate [food] rules, perhaps it’s time to look again why to hate them. (Hint: it’s usually about patterned, habit responses, which people hate to break… but may not serve anymore from its original purpose).

I had an interesting thought about the wine suggestion (#43). I realize that I eat less when having a glass of wine with food. Maybe it makes me drunk and sleepy – and don’t eat more ;)

I also agree with the “yuck/yum” statement. I love cottage cheese but many people yuck it. (So what? It’s good for me and it’s nutritious) So why diss me? I won’t yuck theirs…