Describing My Diet

I've tried and failed in so many ways to describe my diet to people that I finally sat down and determined how to handle the question.  I tend to be intentionally abrasive at times, so planning my response makes that less likely.

First, the 50,000' view:

I eat real food that satisfies my hunger.

That's pretty simple, right?  In fact, it only leaves two points to discuss with my questioner: 

• What constitutes real food?
• What foods satisfy hunger?

I like this opening response because it's hard to disagree with.  No matter your definition of real food and your understanding of hunger, a diet that consists of real foods and doesn't leave you hungry will seem agreeable to most people.

If they probe deeper, again it's just an expansion of those two points.

Real food is meat, vegetables, some fruit, and a little nuts, spices, and added fats.

Real food does not include beans and grains.  I don't believe I'm designed to eat that stuff, and I can tell I feel better when I don't consume them.

That's where I might get some pushback, and it can spin off into conversations as bizarre as being told I'd end up with deficiencies because I didn't eat grains.  Yeah, I wonder how we made it until we developed agriculture.  It's about then that I give in and embrace my abrasive side.  :)

The other point is simple as well:

Real foods that satisfy hunger are those which don't cause rapid changes in my blood sugar.  Protein and fat in every meal, and slowly absorbed carbs keep my blood sugar stable.  That in turn, minimizes hunger and cravings.

Most people can identify with having sugary stuff and being hungry again an hour later.  Many have experienced having cereal or pop tarts for breakfast and being ravenous long before noon.

If they're interested to know more at that point, I recommend some websites and books.  If not, then at least I addressed their questions quickly and to the point.

Some will be fine with those first 8 words and never ask another question.

Fewer still will be intrigued, dig in to the information freely available on the web, and make a change for the better.  And it's for those few that I think it's worth my time to develop an answer that makes that change more likely.