The Ten K: Diet Pointers

I'm not going to faff around on this one. Here are some diet bullet points that i will be adhering to over the course of the next few weeks. More will follow.

1. I don't count calories. Each person is genetically individual, therefore you each have differing ways of handling micro and macro nutrients - one calorie of white rice may be used/burned differently in a woman from Vietnam than a man from Greenland; find what your body is most comfortable with (gluten tends to make me feel lethargic and bloated, for instance). Furthermore, to count calories makes for rather a vapid existence, and often drags you into unhealthier psychological realms - don't ruin your relationship with food.

2. I eat when I'm hungry, not when my appetite, often dictated by the Gregorian calendar and external stimuli, insist I do. Drink a glass of water if you think you're 'hungry' - thirst is easily veiled - and wait for 30 minutes after eating to see if you are in fact full.

3. I always have a small piece of very dark chocolate at the end of the meal, handed to me on a tray fashioned out of integrity and respect, always accompanied by an espresso if it's at lunch, obviously...darling - this helps stop the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, as it signals a close to the meal. If this doesn't work, brush your teeth. 

4. I have something sugary post exercise (see blog on babies) and then eat within the hour. This meal always has carbs, to aid recovery, in it. Generally the carbs consist of either sweet potato, quinoa, lentils, legumes (black beans, butter beans, kidney beans etc.) and every now and then potatoes or rice noodles (good for Asian dishes). Look up Otto Lenghi for foody inspiration.

5. I'm not afraid of fat. If you've ever dieted and excluded fat, then you too will empathise with the crushing hunger and relentless fatigue that forever hangs from one's shoulders during so cruel a period. Fat is fucking fantastic, l defy anyone to increase their fat intake (only good quality fats need apply - coconut oil, fat from mackerel, extra virgin olive oil and beef, lamb, pork from a butcher etc.) and not see a difference in mood, cognitive function, sex drive, general demeanour and increased use of alliteration. 

6. I am the like the child from 'The Sixth Sense' but instead of dead people, I see sugar. It's not the same but it has it's moments. That means when you order a 'totes delish, über yummy mango salad from this, like, UNbelievable (and yet believable) retro-vegan, salad bar, run by this super-cute lesbian couple from Sierra Leone', I am aware that what you saw as a no carb, charity salad that you just HAVE to tweet about -#sierraleonesaladsareasbadastheirwarcrimesomg - I see as a sugar-laden, pretentious carb festival, without wrist-bands. Beware of sugary dressings and elusive salad dwelling fruits. Stick to lemon juice, mustard, olive oil etc.

The finishing note: If you are strapped for culinary ideas, stay true to this trusty combination...

Bake a sweet potato, steam some vegetables, throw in some pea shoots, rocket and watercress and then add either chicken thighs cooked with lemon and garlic, pork loin cooked with Moroccan spices (Ras el hanout etc.), salmon fillets with parsley, butter and lemon or even a ribeye or fillet steak. Be aware of portion control though...there is no shame in not finishing a plate of food (apparently).

More training intricacies to follow next week...

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