I might be showing a little bit of age here this morning by referring to Wo Fat, a villain on an old television show called “Hawaii 5-0.” It was also the nickname of a medical school classmate, who didn’t appreciate it, even though he fit the moniker very well indeed.
I’ve never been a fan of “low fat” dishes, or ingredients, and the few “no fat” items that have crossed my lips usually fell in the “disgusting” category. Usually they ended up in the garbage disposal as soon as no one was looking.
Now, having said that, there are actually low or no fat foods that are delicious. The key here is that they are very close to their natural state. For instance, is there anything better than Jersey tomatoes, sliced, with a touch of salt and pepper, and maybe a drop or two of olive oil, or balsamic vinegar?
How about watermelon with a touch of salt? Or not?
Fresh peaches? Or cherries?
A salad pulled from the ground, only minutes before eating?
But I’m a realist, and this doesn’t happen every day, or even month. But when the opportunity presents itself, go for it. Your body loves these ingredients, as opposed to Pop Tarts, and microwaved mac and cheese.
The other thing is, most low fat and no fat items are really not food, but a sort of chemical construct. See if you recognize any of the ingredients. And most of them contain artificial sweeteners, which are just plain bad for you.
I think it’s best to follow the late Julia Childs’ approach, where she said, “If you want to lose some weight, eat a little less. You don’t need to eat a 16 ounce steak, or a one pound potato. Butter isn’t your enemy, gluttony is!” My kind of girl.
And really, it doesn’t take Larry The Cable Guy to explain to you that Hot Pockets really aren’t good for you. Although his explanation of what they did to his system is hilarious.
One of the big keys to long-term weight loss is eating real food in as close to its natural state as possible. Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean meats. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to eat with a group of chefs, you would be very surprised at what they really like. Almost everything they like is very simple, and there isn’t much fuss. But the ingredients are pristine.
Years ago we couldn’t do that (get really good ingredients).
But now we can, so with a minimum of effort you can find really good fresh food. So gradually introduce this into your diet. Start with one day a week, or one meal a week.
A study I just finished reading showed that people who made changes in their diets, simple changes, not radical changes, and who took a pure pharmeceutical grade fish oil, lost weight and kept it off.
That’s good news. Simple changes in diet, combined with an ultra pure pharmaceutical grade fish oil are a dynamite combination.
So make these changes and you won’t need to be spending your time sitting around reading old magazines in an overcrowded waiting room. Get started now.