Post graduate degree? Check.
Sunny, positive outlook? Check.
Cute hair? Check.
Fun fashion sense? Check.
Healthy body and food outlook? Check.
Cute car and pets? Check.
I’m pretty much aspiring to be Bridget Marquardt from The Girls Next Door. I’ve mentioned the show before, and it’s still one of my favorites. And I can’t help noticing that Bridget is basically the embodiment of what I want to be. She is bubbly, friendly, and never says anything negative. She’s focused on school work, has a realistically cute body, and wears adorable clothes. She even has precious pets. I might not aspire to date Hugh Hefner, but I do want to be more like Bridget. Just as soon as my hair grows out!
This week I’ve been reading The South Beach Diet Supercharged, by Dr. Arthur Agatston. The follow up to 2003’s The South Beach Diet, Supercharged reintroduces Agatston’s eating recommendations, and also includes exercise suggestions and tips that make it a lifestyle plan instead of a diet.
When I picked it up, I was expecting it to be an Atkins-style low carb diet, but it’s more than that. It focuses on eating healthy, whole foods, and eliminating sugary, processed ones. The plan is divided into 3 phases. The first, which lasts two weeks, is designed to quickly shed weight and reduce cravings, so it is very restricted. There are no fruits or whole grains in this phase; you are pretty much limited to most vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy and beans. Phase 2 gradually reintroduces some fruits and whole grains, and Phase 3 is the maintenance phase once you’ve met your goals.
I really like the emphasis on eating healthfully, but I’m not sure that I’m willing to give up fruits or whole grains, even for two weeks. Also, the book claims that this plan is easy for vegetarians to adapt, but there are very few vegetarian suggestions. Almost all the recipes include meat, and virtually every breakfast in Phase 1 is egg-based. Apparently, if you subscribe to the website, there is an entire section on vegetarian meals, but this comes at an additional cost. I wish more of these recipes had been included in the book, since I’ve already paid for that.
Another issue: Agatston is very focused on eliminating sugar and sugar cravings, so he does recommend sugar substitutes and diet sodas as part of the plan. In my opinion, these are not healthy choices.
I do like his emphasis on working out smart; his suggestion of doing walking intervals is practical and available to anyone on the plan, regardless of fitness level or gym membership.
So I think this is an interesting, worthwhile read, but if I decide to try the plan, I’ll probably modify it a bit to suit my needs.
My doctor recently told me to avoid foods with gluten, which isn’t a big deal for me. Unfortunately, he also said to stop eating soy replacement foods, which was pretty devastating to me, the hardcore vegetarian. And on top of that, I’m not one of those vegetarians who loves beans and vegetables. Nope. I love(d) Morningstar Farms fake chicken and bacon. But my health comes first, so in the spirit of doctor’s orders, I’ve said farewell to soy, wheat, barley, oats, and spelt. (Well, not spelt so much. Can you say goodbye to a food you’ve never eaten?) I also am apparently a little low on protein and iron, so in desperation, I’ve begun experimenting with power-packed grains. Quinoa is pretty much at the top of the list. Revered by the ancient Mesoamericans, it’s one of the few grains (technically, it’s not actually a grain, but whatever) that is a complete protein, so it doesn’t have to be paired with beans to give me maximum benefits.
As someone who doesn’t cook, I was a little daunted to just buy some bulk quinoa and start from scratch. So luckily, I found this French Herb blend from Seeds of Change. It’s comprised of quite a few organic ingredients, and although it’s a bit high in sodium, I can usually stretch out the package to last 3 or 4 days. It’s pretty delicious, with the unexpected side benefit of having all the same spices as the gumbo I used to love. When I was a kid, my Dad made a killer chicken and sausage gumbo, but I had to give it up when I went veggie. Now I get a bunch of the same flavor notes in a super grain. Not too shabby.