The 2013 Food Lover's Cleanse Diary: Day 13
Sara Dickerman didn't just write the Food Lover's Cleanse--she's an active participant. Follow along with her every day as she reboots her diet. (No juice fasts allowed.)
I might have lost you all if I had suggested a soup-and-salad dinner, like yesterday's meal, at the beginning of this program. You might have assumed that this was a diet-diet. But I think the thick-tangy-sweet squash and tomato soup, with whiffs of ginger and turmeric, is a very nice soup indeed. As for the salad, I had to replace the escarole with curly endive, but they're quite similar: rugged chicory greens that require a slightly more aggressive dressing than a tender lettuce. So, hello, anchovies! I left the meal feeling quite full. Maybe I need a little less to be full these days, but I also think some things are more filling than you expect them to be. This plan has reminded me of the power of pausing before seconds. Sometimes it takes a minute for your poor belly to realize it is full.
Just one more day left, and I'm thinking about getting out to eat. And by thinking I mean salivating. But is it possible, or even desirable, to keep healthy eating on your mind when you're out? I think it's best not to have any illusions about restaurant food. The reason so much of it tastes better than everyday food is because most chefs have no compunction about fat, and salt, and delicious breads and pasta. On the whole, desserts are filled with butter, sugar, and lots of white flour. Even if you order something austere-sounding like fish, it's likely to have been butter-basted as it cooked. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just something to register.
If you do decide to stay on the straight and narrow while you're out, it's good to have a conversation with yourself before you head out. Decide where you want to indulge. Everything can be a tradeoff. If you want to get a Reuben, maybe don't order fries. If you want a dessert, say no thank you to the bread basket. A big bowl of steamed clams or a platter of raw oysters is indulgent and a relatively low-impact way to start a meal. Grilled meats and fish are generally going to be less heavy than saucy ones or fried goodies. Wine by the glass might slow your drinking pace.
Despite my sober advice here, I will soon eat too much or too many rich things or too much of too many rich things. I would be a feeble hedonist indeed if I didn't overdo it. And then the thing to remember is that this doesn't wash out all the good habits I've been working on this month. It just might be time to rev up the salad spinner again for the next few meals at home.