Diet Update and Thoughts on Moderation
My biggest diet update is that I hate green tea. Oh wait- that’s not new. What IS new is that green tea seems to be making me nauseous these days. I googled it, and it’s a thing- other people complain about it as well. WHY? There are several explanations, none of which make a lot of sense to me. Some people blame the tannins (but they’re in black tea as well) or the fact that green tea lowers your blood sugar. Whatever- I think it’s because my body doesn’t want to drink grass anymore. I’m considering an herbal tea option, so you know I’m really desperate. Two more weeks, people… and then I’m bringing back the Earl Grey. In running news, I’ve noticed that I’m craving long runs again. Actually, I’m just craving something different, and I feel like I’ve had a very (VERY) low level of depression all summer long (other than the week of my trip). Nothing terrible- but life just seems very one-note. I purposely kept the running to a minimum to heal up the ongoing hamstring issue, and that, combined with my diet, has left me feeling flat. I realized- I don’t LIKE moderation. I don’t want life to go along pleasantly but uneventfully- I want to run 20 miles, and then spend the rest of the day reading on the couch. I want to do back-to-back long runs, and celebrate with a Subway sandwich and Coke Zero. I want to observe the start of football season by drinking beer and eating nachos. I’m not sure all these ups and downs are good for a person. I knew someone once who told me he didn’t celebrate any holidays, because he didn’t believe in having highs and lows in life. YIKES. I love holidays!!! I do get sad when they’re over, but it seems worth it to me because I enjoy celebrating so much. I like having highs and lows! However… I’m pretty sure my digestive issues stem from too many highs and lows. When I was younger, I did a lot of binge eating, followed by no eating at all. I’m sure years of that wreaked havoc on my system, and while I don’t go to those extremes anymore, there’s still some of that mentality left. Moving forward, I have to figure out how to put the things I love back into my life without causing negative issues. I have some ideas- including using UCAN as a running fuel (a low glycemic, slow releasing starch) as opposed to sugary gels, and continuing to eat big salads for dinner most nights- but I’m not sure I can- or want to- change my all-or-nothing mentality. SIGH. Why does this have to be so hard? Why can’t I just eat and enjoy it and feel good? How did this all get so complicated??? Are you a person who likes moderation, or more of a “highs and lows” person? Any advice for the green tea issue? (Yes, Jenny- stop drinking it). Top photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash