To indulge…or not!

It’s Sunday once again, and most of us are looking forward to bonding with the family over a hearty good meal. 

I can think of so many places that serve the fantastic brunch buffets, and a number of them are even serving champagne (not that I drink).

There are several restaurants that serve good buffet at a very reasonable price. Yummy...  Just thinking of food makes my mouth water.

We, Filipinos, have such a penchant for buffet. Typically, having a good meal is synonymous to how much we eat. We eat to our heart’s desire. Eat ‘til we drop! (Yes!)  Personally, I used to enjoy the feeling of being sleepy after a good lunch. 

And of course, a good lunch is not complete without rice. A number of restaurants have gained popularity because they serve unlimited rice, from fastfood chains to high-end family restaurants. Last weekend, I think I had two cups of Japanese rice! That was really filling. I felt a little guilty after because that amount of carbohydrates would go down to my waist. 

I’d really want to be conscious of what I eat. I want more fiber in my diet, less carbs, less sweets, especially after lunch. I want to mind my calories. But, this seldom happens. I eat what I please. 

Or shall I say, â€œLet me please eat.”

Nutritionists give us a food pyramid guide, but unless you’re in a controlled environment, say a hospital, it’s hard to follow it by the book. 

Fortunately, I discovered a book that counters much of the convention that we grew up with, especially for those who live in the metropolis. In Defense of Food, authored by Michael Pollan, simplifies the contents in its cover: “Eat Food.” “Not Too Much.” “Mostly Plants.” 

In man’s attempt to live healthy, much of us are becoming what Pollan calls orthoxerics: People obsessed with healthy eating. 

He presents a refreshing approach (the book has been published since 2008) because it reminds us to go back to the basics, way before nutritional values were required in food labels. 

Simply put, we should choose food in its honest-to-goodness form. Hence, “Eat Food” means eating real food and less of the processed food that claims to be nutritious like instant noodles or hotdogs with vitamins, or high in Calcium.

“Not Too Much” because the body needs to process the food that we take in. It also takes 20 minutes before the brain gets a signal that the body is full.  

The Hara Hachi Bu diet of the Japanese, which means to eat until the body is 80 percent full, is said to contribute also to their longevity.

Pollan raises the French paradox wherein the French enjoy food high in calories and yet, there is low incidence of heart disease.

I read in the book French Women Don’t Get Fat that the secret to the French diet is taking in small, frequent meals, and that they eat their food slowly. 

“Mostly Plants” — this sounds intimidating, especially for carnivores. There are plenty of us who just love meat! I don’t think this means that we should be purely vegetarians, but to ingest more greens into our system. An orthorexic would eat veggies for its fiber and nutrients, obviously, but we should eat vegetables for what there are. They taste good. (Why do I sense sarcasm?)

Our five-year-old nephew Nathan loves seaweeds, carrots and sayote. His three-year-old sister Brianna eats vegetables, too, but is more into fruits. 

I feel that this has much to do with upbringing and starting the habit of better food choices while young. 

The reality is, the children grow up unhealthy because the parents are also unhealthy. Because of this, there is an increasing incidence of obesity among children and teens, and of juvenile diabetes, and it is alarming. This unhealthy lifestyle is passed on from generation to generation. 

One of our regular guests in Salamat Dok, Naturopathic doctor Tam Mateo is very adamant when it comes to advocating to mothers. “Feed your family right.” His is a strong case, but it need not sound rigid. Simply put, eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants…and live well!