Eating & Exercise

This is a follow-up from yesterday. What is my actual eating philosophy? To some, it’s dangerously, weirdly healthy. To others, it’s S.A.D., which stands for Standard American Diet. The truth is there are way too many eating philosophies out there that are polar opposites. So, I eat what I want and adhere to a few principles, but those principles are also to my taste. As in, I can’t stand the taste of soda, diet or regular. Thus, I don’t consume it. That’s not really much of a principle, is it?

• I don’t eat foods I’m allergic to, except corn…oops. I love my local Mexican food. I try not to eat it often or hives are the result.
• I balance my macros. E.g. breakfast might consist of plain yogurt with whey protein and blueberries and buttered gluten-free toast.
• I eat whatever fruits and vegetables I want because I love their tastes and textures. The anti veggie and fruit crowd can…. This is a family-friendly site.
• Potatoes are the staff of life. Take that haters.
• Carnitas are amazing.
• Chile must be consumed regularly. Bonus points for cilantro and raw onions.
• Black coffee is the other staff of life.
• I really don’t like sweets and am principled about cooking with only butter and olive oil. Even high-end restaurants will use soy or canola oil, both of which taste like sweaty gym socks. Thankfully, spices cover that flavor.

My exercise philosophy is not that different. My only principle is to do it every day. I don’t care what gym bros say. They can shove their philosophies up their narcissistic… family friendly. If I want to bee-bop up the street to Los Huracanes or Los Dos Carnales (my current favorite band), I will. If I end up with flaccid arms because I’m only doing weight training two to three times a week, sobeit. If I look older than my age, who cares? If I drop dead because I’m not bench-pressing 200 lbs, then I will die happy with the plaintive sound of the accordion in my head.

Choosing an exercise or diet philosophy is like choosing a religion. If you have no real convictions, then there’s not much point because you won’t stick to it. This is the one area where I listen to and learn from the hedonistic Janis Joplin philosophy of how can it be bad if it makes you feel good? That philosophy killed her; I understand that. But I’m not mainlining heroine. I’m eating food that makes me feel good and exercising for enjoyment. Now I just need to work on my personal relationships. Not having them is just as likely to kill me young. Loneliness will eat up a person’s soul from the inside out.

And now for some Los Dos Carnales: