No Flour, No Sugar
Posted: January 30, 2008 Filed under: War and Peace 2 CommentsI can’t recall exactly where I heard about the fad diet proposed by Dr. Peter Gott. His plan is simple: eliminate all milled grains and added sugars from your diet, and safely lose 1-2 lbs every week. For added bonus, be sure to exercise and watch your portions. Presto! Weight loss!
Now, dieting and weight loss are not really subjects I know anything about. What little I do know is that when the Romgi and I started eating more fresh foods, cutting down the amount of processed foods we ate, and trying to get a good balance of nutrients, we felt great. Sadly, we didn’t keep it up very long, but while we did, eating was fun — and so was cooking. There seemed to be more options for what we could eat, because there are thousands upon thousands of recipes that use basics like chicken, spinach, herbs, etc. Salads are a great side dish, a light dessert once a week is heavenly, and life in general is getting better and better.
So I ask you. Why would you eliminate flour from your diet? Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t think flour is the bad guy here. Personally, I love bread. Krista gets extra rolls from her catering job and I eat six at a time. Yeah, I know, that isn’t moderation. But think for a minute. Isn’t the key to every successful diet finding the right combination of exercise, smaller portions, and healthy food? People have been eating milled grains for centuries, right, and they’ve been ok so far! The bigger problem is that as Americans we have little or no self-control; sure, trying to eliminate all flour and sugar from your diet will test your self-control, but I fully believe that it is much healthier to form eating habits that seek for balance. “No flour, no sugar” is an extreme, and I don’t particularly like extremes (except for some gospel ones: All people will be resurrected, for example).
That about finishes my tirade. I’m going to go eat some pizza now.
Oh, and here’s the link to Dr. Gott’s revolutionary book.
The Austere Academy
Posted: January 29, 2008 Filed under: Book of Sand Leave a comment
by Lemony Snicket
Well, I struck out with Book the Fourth, but The Austere Academy was almost a page-turner. This was the first time that I felt like the ending compelled me to go check out the next book as soon as possible. And no disgusting death scenes, either!
I was glad the Baudelaire orphans finally had someone their own age to talk to, and I’m sure the new characters will reappear in later books. I’ll let you know when I find out.
Until then, I plan to keep reading!
The Miserable Mill
Posted: January 29, 2008 Filed under: Book of Sand Leave a comment
by Lemony Snicket
I know that trains killing people in cars, herpetologists being murdered, and old widows mysteriously dying are not really topics for children’s books, but the Series of Unfortunate Events present such things in a way that kids might conceivably ok reading about (especially after Harry Potter). That’s why I was a little surprised that in Book the Fourth, The Miserable Mill, someone is actually sliced up by the lumbermill saw. Not just surprised — totally grossed out. Honestly, who puts that in a kid’s book?
I might even go so far as to say that this is my least favorite of the books I’ve read so far. The gruesome death wasn’t all that did it; the plot seemed too contrived this time. It didn’t feel like it flowed “naturally” (insofar as these unfortunate events are natural) as did the others, although there were, as always, hilarious remarks from the narrator.
Since at this point — having read Book the Fifth — I don’t recall anything in Book the Fourth that is crucial to the plot, I might say skip it. But then again, it’s a quick read, it probably won’t ruin your life, and I think you could really go either way.
Sorry, Lemony Snicket.
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