Conclusion to book reviews-conversation with Dad

After having read “Skinny Bitch”, I had a conversation with my father about what he and his family used to eat growing up in the former Yugoslavia (now the Republic of Macedonia). The book made me realize that either extreme is not optimal-going to excess with poor eating habits, and also taking it too far in the opposite direction-being too rigid and extreme.

Because I don’t think anyone knows EXACTLY what human beings are meant to eat, I feel that the best option (for me) is to eat as naturally as possible, including those things that you love occasionally (whatever they may be). There are so many “cultish” groups out there, trying to convince us that there way is the BEST way, the only way, and any other way of eating/thinking is wrong and will bring about disease and poor health.

So, I asked my father what his family used to eat back in the day. Now, my mother and father are the only people in their family who developed a disease later in life. There have been no reported cases of diabetes, cancer, or multiple sclerosis in my entire family line (of which we know).

I found it interesting that both my father and mother developed a disease after living in the United States for so many years. Both of my father’s parents lived into their 90’s, without any ailments. My mother’s parents also lived long lives without any disease. Although my parents did adhere to their traditional Serbian fare, they also included many of the processed foods that are prevalent in the standard American diet, sometimes to excess.

What did the traditional Serbian diet consist of? A lot of meat, cooked in LARD (everything was cooked in lard), fresh vegetables from the garden, buttermilk and milk, eggs, cheese, beans, bread, and potatoes. Desserts were made with natural ingredients and real sugar. Very rich foods, and let me state again that everything was cooked in lard! But no heart attacks, no heart disease, no cancers, no diabetes, no high blood pressure.

I am not advocating a diet high in lard, but what is interesting to me is that fact that their diet was so rich and high in fat, yet everything was PURE, they only ate what they could grow or obtain from the garden. And yet, no one was dying of heart problems.

This has caused me to think about why so many Americans suffer from disease-diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and the autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus. Is it the actual food itself or food quality?

I will keep on doing what I am doing, trying to consume what Mother Nature has provided me, but I will always be open to other philosophies and ways of eating and living. Again, I don’t think anyone has all the answers.

:> Have a wonderful day!