One of my nieces is a prolific user of Facebook; she posted a couple of links recently, one of which pushed Dr. Oz suggesting a weight-loss drink consisting of fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and a small dose of honey. I made a few comments, noting that for people, especially with a family history of diabetes or other relevant risks, fruit juice, particularly pulp-free varieties, you are getting a lot of the sugar of fruit without the mitigating fiber. I also pointed out that not all apple cider vinegar is created equal, that certain unfiltered (without "the mother") varieties may be healthier. My niece questioned that, and I explained, analogous to extra virgin olive oil or raw milk, certain processes (like heat treatment in pasteurization) may disable beneficial nutrients.
Another thing she posted involved drinking a number of glasses of water. This brought me back to an old debate I had with Atkins fundamentalists in a forum maybe 13 years back. Atkins was one of those who promoted the 8 glasses of water myth, and there were related "laws" like you couldn't substitute coffee or tea for water, that drinking coffee was dehydrating, etc. I simply pointed out that we get a lot of water from our food (especially fruits and vegetables), the body has a way of signaling it wants more water, and clearly we need to replenish after vigorous, sweat-inducing activity and/or our urine has a darker color.
I also pointed out that I'll often add a pinch of ceylon cinnamon and a teaspoon of coconut oil with my morning coffee. Cinnamon (not the conventional store type which can be toxic in high doses) can help regulate blood sugar, and coconut oil is a great source of MCTs, a beneficial type of saturated fat which is less vulnerable to fat storage in the body. (I read a story that farmers fed their pigs coconut and were alarmed to discover their swine were losing weight.)
One of these days I may post some of the websites I consult in terms of nutritional guidance, but a short list would include, but not be restricted to: Weston Price, Eat This, and Livestrong. I will say that I do have some points of disagreement with some of these sites; I'm definitely not a locavore or an anti-GMO guy; I tend to be a skeptic about the cost-effective benefits of organic foods. I have a tongue-in-cheek style of humor, and when a recent Twitter game tag asked to publish an unpopular opinion, I wrote, "Eating locally grown produce makes you fat." Let's just say that some locavores were not amused.
In terms of my recent grocery shopping at Sam's Club, actual items purchased included:
- imported (NZ) ground lamb: oddly enough, the producer and/or Walmart will tend to market the meat as organic or natural vs. grass/pasture-raised/finished. To me, the bigger selling point is the latter (I'm focused on a healthier omega-3 ratio, CLA, and/or other characteristics. "A 2010 research review led by Daley found that grass-fed beef outclassed grain-fed nutritionally, with triple the immune-boosting vitamin E, up to five times the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and seven times the antioxidant carotenoids.") I saw a Huffpost claim that almost all NZ or Australian exported meat is grass-fed.
- American grass-fed ground beef.
- quinoa. In fact, I tried cooking the high protein whole grain for the first time today. To my taste buds, it tastes a little like a nutty flavored rice.
- 100% maple syrup. Actually I tried to purchase from Amazon a paleo-friendly pancake mix and they shipped me a paleo bread mix, a relatively rare screw-up. This is an item I won't use regularly.
- walnut oil
- avocado oil
- bananas
- grapefruit
- kiwi
- uncured sodium nitrate-free hickory smoked bacon
- oatmeal
- fresh produce (spinach, onions, mushrooms)
- multi-lb. nuts (pistachios, almonds, pecans)
- cage-free eggs
- protein bars (Larabars, Fiber One Oatmeal & Chocolate)
I will say that the gimmick foods like protein shakes, chips, cookies, and bars are beginning to wear a little thin on me.
Most of my grocery shopping is done at a local Walmart. I have found some 2-lb. grass-fed roasts on sale but not recently. They do sell some grass-fed beef bricks which I'll buy between shopping trips to Sam's Club. I will buy some conventional beef at Walmart, but it tends to be leaner cuts like the loins, e.g., sirloin.
I did enjoy my first loaf of ThinSlim Love the Taste bread (low carb/almond flour). But I liked the taste and the chewier texture, excellent toasted.
Finally, I've started a monthly subscription for grass-fed beef. So far, I'm pleased, but what really blew me away was a promotional Heritage chicken from Emmer & Co. included with my first shipment. You know that trite saying that "it tastes like chicken"? Well, this chicken was so good, it was like I never really ate a real chicken before. You can order them straight for the vendor, although at roughly $10/lb., not including shipping, it's pricey. And I will say that shipping costs for most premium meats are costly.
