To Be or Not To Be (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Fat-Free, Fun-Free)... That Is The Question.

Woman walks into sandwich shop and approaches the counter.

"Hi, do you have any sandwiches that are gluten free, sugar free, carb free, fun free and fat free?"

Young man behind the counter (who just took job so he can buy sick subwoofers for his car) responds "No, ma'am, we have wheat or white bread".

Woman walks out of store.

Her request seems funny but that is truly the trend of America today. How can we not draw attention to our diet when more that TWO-THIRDS of our population is over-weight and one-third considered obese?

To be exact, 68.6% of America's population is overweight. 

Surely, it wasn't always like this. Let us take a peek on the history of preservatives.

It all started back in 1910, when trans fats were invented. Oreo cookies and Aunt Jemima syrup was invented.

WWI (1920) brought new methods of saving food including canned and frozen foods. Wonder bread came out of this era.

In 1930, with the Great Depression, families were forced to accept foods that would keep. Ritz crackers and spam developed out of this era.

1940 is when it really went down. WW2. Dairy Queen and McDonalds came out of this era. Convenient foods were developed for soldiers, including dehydrated juice and instant coffee. Farmers began to use fertilization on crops, which decreased vitamins and minerals in fruits and veggies. The government cut back on the use of starch during this time, therefore farmers turned to hydrogenated oils and modified starches.

In 1950, America was cursed with the microwave and we have pretty much stumbled downhill from there.

So, what do we do?

As a triathlete, marathoner (is that what we're called?), rock climber and most recently ultra-marathon athlete, nutrition is very important to me. I have studied it a fair amount in my own life. I trained for my first triathlon on a vegetarian diet. I trained for my first marathon on a diet focused on fish and beans high in potassium and protein. And I didn't do a dang thing when training for my first 25k.

Here is what I learned: Training is all about feeling good.

If you can honestly tell me that you can eat a whole Jack's frozen pizza and go for a nice long run after, and feel good, then disregard. But, if you are a typical human that is strongly affected by the nutrients we put in to our bodies then read the following.

In the twenty-first century, we have access to so much. What do we choose? What do we steer clear of?

The safest rule is as follows: If it comes from the earth, eat it. If if comes pre-packaged in cardboard or plastic packaging (like potato chips), do not eat it.

We all love variety. Don't feel like your diet needs to consist of raw kale, carrots and coconut oil. Although, that mix can get you to great places, follow this guide for eating smart and not starving.

If you happen to be training for something (like myself), it's important to get enough nutrients. Focus on plant-based foods like sprouted grain bread that maxes out on whole grain nutrients. Sprouted bread is easier to digest which means that the nutrients are absorbed into your body faster. Other award-winning foods in my book include: Long-grain brown rice, wild rice, almonds, eggs, avocado, all kinds of beans including black, white, lentils, pinto, and garbanzo beans, cooked quinoa is fantastic (but so over-rated because it's in everything 'healthy' these days.

The quinoa comment reminds me of a Nutritional Caution. The food industry is smart. They have realized that words like "quinoa or chia seeds" are huge buzzwords right now. Don't believe the hype, unless it is actually cooked and you are eating a serving of quinoa. Our bodies don't pay attention to the ten little uncooked quinoa grains sprinkled over that granola bar bought from Aldi with 27 grams of sugar. By the way, each gram of sugar is a whole packet of sugar. 27 grams of sugar with those ten little balls of uncooked quinoa isn't doing much for ya.

I have mentioned some nutrition all-stars and nutrition burglars. To make this simple, just pay attention to what you are eating. Read the food labels. It's way healthier to eat two apples over that one small kindergarten-sized plastic glass of apple juice (check the sugar amount on that!). As for the gluten-free fad, it isn't actually healthier. It is imperative for those with celiac disease, but more-or-less unimportant for everyone else.

A friend of mine gave me some great advice that mulls over in my mind often: Every bite counts.

Every bite counts. Make sure they are good ones.

Your body, mind, energy level and happiness will thank you.