My Challenges with Nutrition

Alice in Wonderland over knee socksHow many of you actually wonder if your diet is balanced? Recently I was surprised to find out that Health Canada covers consultations with nutritionists. I got a phone call from a nice lady who answered my questions and sent me some information in the mail.

So I tracked my intake for a few days and to my surprise I realized that I am eating enough of everything, except for grains. I only manage to eat about half the grain products (bread, rice, etc.) of what I actually require.

This makes me wonder why this is important. I used to think that eating less bread was a good thing, but now I am not so sure. If anybody can explain to me why we need grain products to begin with, I’d be happy to know.

P.S. Contrary to the image here for illustration, I wanted to say that I actually have complete apathy for sugar. I enjoy a little bit of good cake at celebrations and an odd chocolate truffle with tea, but sweets have never been of much interest to me.

6 thoughts on “My Challenges with Nutrition

  1. I would not do anything like that. I know for sure that I am eating totaly wrong kind of food and I am happy with that.

  2. Here is a good link to briefly explain the benefits of eating whole grains. I cook up a half cup of old fashioned whole oats every morning, and just add raisins. No milk, just cook in water – boil for five minutes.

    The subject of diet is especially prone to fads and extremism. The Atkins diet – no carbs! Right now the big rage is “gluten-free” It’s a 3 billion dollar a year market for the food industry, while the doctors say there is no such thing as gluten sensitivity – you are either are allergic to it, or not. Writers make millions for books like “Grain Brain” an anti gluten rant. Genetically modified (GMO) foods are being demonized for no reason… the “facts” are filled with falsehoods… the “non-GMO” craze is a huge money maker for the food industry as well. I would stick to reputable sources like your Canadian one, and take a traditional approach, avoiding fads and extremes.
    http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-why.html

    • David, thanks for the link! It helps to hear what other people think.
      I also like to cool oatmeal in the morning. Another grain that I eat in the morning is buckwheat, it’s something that people love in Eastern Europe.

  3. Oh, but in fairness – I do three or four double cheeseburgers at McDonald’s as well, but only once a month or so.

    • Hi David! I personally don’t find McD’s so bad, it’s just that it needs to be in moderation. When I travel I eat there a lot because it is affordable and consistent, I order mostly salads.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

11 − five =