Food

Strangely enough, food is one of the most hotly-contented issues today. The tradition of fueling the human body looks very different between cultures, and can even vary intra-culturally. 

The largest force of food-centered change is veganism, the belief that humans should not use animal products in any way whatsoever. The biggest critics of vegans are those that believe that humans require certain nutrients exclusive to animal products. I am not here to argue the validity of that claim but am instead here to counter it. This factoid seems to imply that meat is definitely a healthier option, but that is far from true. Most meats are full of fat, which—in large doses—can pose a significant health risk. The dedicated carnivore certainly has a diet more harmful than that of a vegan, thus making veganism an entirely acceptable diet. 

Unfortunately, many diets are not governed by the simple rules of veganism and, instead, involve stringent rules and restrictions usually in an effort to achieve some sort of weight loss. The keto, paleo, and Atkins diet all provide a host of convoluted dietary restraints. I feel that this ruins much of the reason people eat: to enjoy themselves. I, myself, would not enjoy going out to lunch with a friend if I knew that my meal choice would require significant preconception. Diets like these can also force you into an endless spiral of eating the same meal day after day. However, there exist other diets, such as the Mediterranean and Scandinavian diets, that allow for a wide variety of wholesome meals. However, I will heed a blanket caution against diets such as these due to their unnecessary strictness. 

Finally comes the diet that I follow. I know it would be helpful to have a Bible of food that you could carry with you and consult on your various outings, but this method is governed more on spur-of-the-moment discernment than study and preconception. My short, get-skinny-quick answer is "eat less, exercise more." When you bring an animal to the veterinarian, they do not recommend feeding your animal only berries and raw meat, nor do they enforce a host of fat-slimming foods--they simply remind you of the tried-and-true way to improve your physical health.  At first, you can start small. Try to limit yourself to 30g of sugar a day, take an ingredient out of your sandwich, skip out on that afternoon snack. If you just had to eat that extra cupcake, you can counter it with a walk, 10 or so minutes of cardio, or a quick bike around the block. Through your own willpower, you can eventually balance your intake and exhaust of calories to your individualized liking. 

In short, every diet has it's merits (and downsides), but--through a concerted effort and resolve--you can trim the cons and enhance to pros with just a little bit of practice.