Fanatic. Or Fan, attic.

I was thinking about diets a bit. There are a lot of them. High Fat; Low Carb; High Protein; High Carb; Low Fat;  Eat All Day; Eat Once A Day; All Grapefruit; No Salt; Go Bananas;.High Burnout. That last one isn’t about calories, it’s about diet fatigue, or exhaustion. Which leads me to attic fans. Clear the air.

I spent years trying different diets and trying to lose weight. I was good at being a fanatic when I started the plan. But I’d always crash and burn which was counter productive to burning calories and losing weight. Sometimes it would be after I’d lost a lot of weight and sometimes it would be the first day. Sometimes I would get mixed up and combine the plans.  High Fat and High Carb. That does not work. At least it doesn’t for me.

I did find what works for me when I learned that I was a sugar addict and started paying attention to my foods and moods. I will always be grateful to Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., for writing Potatoes Not Prozac and pointing me to my own personal journey. And I will always be grateful to the person who donated their copy to the library booksale for me to find and purchase for twenty-five cents.

Some people might consider me to be a fanatic about added sugar. I suppose I am for my personal dietary guidelines. But I don’t tell people they can’t eat it. I actually bake and cook with it if someone else will enjoy it. But I don’t eat things with added sugar (including maple syrup, evaporated cane juice, honey, agave nectar, dates, etc.). I pay attention to sugar content in foods because I can’t afford to eat it based on how it makes me feel and what it does to my impulse controls and mental clarity.

I’ve been avoiding processed grains and dairy for awhile. It’s not because I adhere to a popular diet or even fanatical lifestyle. Or even because I’ve found out I’m allergic to them. It’s because I’ve learned that I feel better when I avoid these things.

I think the message here is that sweeping statements about diets and eating guidelines make me feel a little on edge. There are too many personal factors that need to be considered for a one size fits all approach to food. That’s my opinion, though, and no one else has to be on board. I’m fine with that, because I’ve found what works for me by paying attention to what I eat and how I feel.

And now for a  couple of comments on attic fans. We didn’t have modern air conditioning at home when I was a kid, but we had an attic fan. It worked to move the air on those hot and muggy nights. It worked best when the windows were open just a little–not wide open. I read once that an aircraft engine could empty a house of all its air in a matter of seconds. It probably takes a bit of dust with it. Maybe all the furniture, as well. Seems a bit fanatic to install one of those. But perhaps it would work for someone?

Maybe my fan club will comment.