I got an earful the other day while making salads at the grocery store. Two middle aged women were getting their (I presumed) lunch salads which consisted of all of the pre-made salads on the shitty food side of the bar. You know, the sugary concoctions that go on a salad bar so people can eat off it and still consider themselves to be eating “healthy.” Ugh. Srsly.
Anyways.
One woman was declaring this year to be the “year without too much bread.” Now, come on. You make a diet declaration that you’re going to not eat “too much” of something you’ve admitted isn’t healthy for you. That’s one of the silliest things I’d heard in, well, days. After getting props from her overweight, over-inflammed friend, she was then asked by said friend, “but what about Pasta? I just couldn’t live without pasta.” Seriously? Cuz I couldn’t live without water and some food. But Pasta? Uhhh, yes. Actually have lived years without it. Although 2013 was the year of pasta for me. We home made Mac N Cheese three times when company came, once with bacon (big ‘DUH’ for not adding that sooner) and back in January when I was no carb for a couple of weeks we went and ate Italian food on date night. It was wonderful but pasta was just a small portion of the meal. Anyways, that’s the most pasta I’ve ate in at least 10 years. And I’ve managed to survive it.
Now of course, pasta has it’s place in life. It’s tasty, and you put scrumptious sauce and meatballs on it, and cheese. It fuels us for big competitions or training or whatever we need fuel for (NOTE: we do NOT need fuel to sit on the couch. Couch potatoing needs no fuel. Got it?)
But going without the every day pasta dish for the average sedentary America should not constitute imminent death. You’ll be okay. It’s as silly as saying that I would die without chocolate, or wine, or anything else that I actually enjoy but do just fine without too. Let’s take the drama down a notch folks, it’s just a carb. And if you think you HAVE to eat it or feed it to your children each day or they’ll just wither away and die right in front of you? Geez, I dunno, go ahead and live with your pasta and inflammation and fat. Then pass it along to your kids. Awesome.
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
Luciano Pavarotti
tosabarbell 