I'm a Snob!

A food snob that it is :O) I was recently perusing through an outdated issue of Glamour while I munched heartily on some doctored up grits with okra, cheddar cheese and fish (don't judge me- I pictured the meal and finally got around to satisfying me urge and it was delicious!) when I came across an article entitled, Why You Should Try the Snob Diet.

At first I skimmed and was about to turn the page (if you have only known me for a day you will quickly surmise that I am not about the diet life... at all) but then the heading, 'Snobs don't deprive themselves' made me stop and start from the beginning and I was very impressed at what I found.

I suppose I will share my own views on eating first: I do not believe in depriving myself of anything I want to eat (and I don't), I believe that meals should be savored - I am often made fun of because I am a slow eater, in fact, I used to get in trouble on school mornings when I was growing up and was forced to miss an hours worth of sleep because I ate so slow due to my mother's fear I would be late, I also believe that if you stop eating when you are full and do not eat when you are not hungry then you should be fine, and precluding some sort of medical condition I do not believe in diets...at all.

 I couldn't imagine missing out on the savory goodness of oxtail (if its about eating- I will be mentioning my favorite food over and over again- sorry), the tangy wonderulness of my mom's garlic aoli (or my mom's anything- when it comes to cooking she has earned her stripes seven fold), the rich decadence of dark chocolate everything or the smooth indulgence of gelato in multiple flavors (yes please!)

I also believe however, that when it comes to food that quality should come before quantity and that as the consumer you have the last say about what you put into your body. Of course, some may argue that living this type of gastrointestinal indulgent lifestyle could reek havoc on your wallet- not so my friends. If you are more selective about where and what you buy you do not have to sacrifice quality- or perhaps you sacrifice those amazing $200 pair of shoes this month and invest in your internal well being- some adjustments may have to be made, all I'm saying is it is possible.

I was so excited when I read the theory and research behind this habit of eating because it finally confirmed what I have been thinking and doing all these years. So without further ado:

The Tenants of Being A Snobby Eater:

*Choose the highest quality foods whenever possible

*Don't deny your cravings (my personal fave)

* If it is not truly delicious, don't eat it

* Savor vs Wolfing down your fare

* You be in control of what you eat and when

* Do not eat while distracted (turn off the tv, don't answer the phone, save the txt til after you eat, stop checking your emails or going over the final draft of that report- it will all be there when you are done and with a well fed belly you may be in a better mood and better able to deal with all of the demands placed on you)

So the research says that (I am paraphrasing) 1. When you eat something you want and are looking forward to eating- you get fuller faster and do not eat as much 2. When you satisfy your taste buds (cravings) you are less likely to binge later or snack to fill the empty void created because what you ate didn't satisfy you 3. People who have restrictive diets generally do not weigh any more than people who eat what they want (I found this to be particularly interesting) 4. This amazing research has been buried under the diet industry's sneaky capitalization on people's (mostly women) emotional ties to their appearance and the media's messages regarding what we should look like, in fact 10,000 new diet products hit the market every year...and you can just imagine how much society spends on them.

So I say- do what is right for you but free yourself from the guilt that accompanies being good to yourself- food is where we get our energy, it can help us build immunity to live healthy active lives, our bodies need it to survive (unless you are a monk and are trained to fast for long periods of time) so shouldn't we enjoy this thing that we have to do anyway? I invite you to make as many of your meals as special as you can (people can taste the love in brownies :) )

And one last thing: Do share your meals with quality company as well...and if it's just you- know that you are a gem and your own company is sometimes your best.

Be Your Best You

CL

 What say You?