Journal of a Corn Free Diet, Week 1
Day 2
1:02 P.M. - IzzitGreen Office
It's day two of my corn-free diet and I'd like to introduce you to what will, for the next 13 days, be a daily activity for me. This is to rank, on a scale of 1-10, how angry I am about this ridiculously strict food regiment I have found myself on (you'd be amazed at how little food you can eat if you have a corn allergy.) I like to call it the Lewis Black Scale of Rage. Today, I am 'sitting pretty' at about 10. This is to say, I am infuriated. That may have something to with the fact that I ate lunch alone on intern row here in the IzzitGreen office, as my newly claimed desk was stolen by another co-worker...but more likely it is due to a change in diet even more serious than I expected. The only things I have consumed since yesterday morning are (a very particular brand and variety of organic) hummus, organic strawberries, organic baby carrots, pineapple, water, tea, various vegetable sprouts, roasted organic red peppers, and 2 small whole wheat pitas. I just discovered that [processed] yeast is usually fed corn (or corn is at least added to it in some way), so that means I won't even be eating the rest of the pitas I purchased the other night. There is only one particular brand of yeast that doesn't use corn in any way...and I'll have to scour the city of Boston to find it so I can make my own bread. I feel healthier, physically, already, but there is no doubt that I'm mentally craving comfort foods that, in some capacity, are made of or with corn. This is going to be a very, very difficult 2 weeks, but quitters never win and winners never quit. If loving corn is wrong, then I don't want to be right. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Day 3
8:46 A.M. - IzzitGreen Office
As I lay in my sauna of a bedroom attempting to catch some Z's last night, I couldn't help but ponder my vastly changed diet. Being a [poor] college student, my inclination is to dine-out or take-out...all the time. Living away from home this summer had the potential to do some serious damage to my health, but in early June I decided I was going to learn how to cook. I'm not talking about boiling pasta and grilling. These are things I had down pat. I considered myself a more capable cook than most, too. But when I committed to learning to cook, I meant getting down to the nitty-gritty: no more bottled sauces or preservative-laden ingredients. I'm talking about making full meals from scratch and understanding the nuances of cooking in-season, sustainably, and locally.
I'll tell you what...I haven't looked back. Cooking from scratch is not only a very rewarding practice- its incredibly healthy and it allows you to eat locally quite easily. Although I have been eating fairly well so far this summer, the corn-free diet has taken these eating habits to an entirely new level. For dinner last night, I made myself an awesome corn-free meal that had me bursting at the seams. I started off with some bruschetta made with a yeast free baguette (my girlfriend showed me how to make this a few weeks ago), followed by a brown rice pasta dish with sautéed organic summer squash from my university's sustainable garden. I stuffed my face after nearly 2 full days of mostly raw fruits and vegetables. Along with the food, I mentally gorged myself with episodes of Chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares- a highly entertaining program on BBC in which Ramsay saunters around the UK ripping apart failing restaurants and getting them back on the track to success. This more than quelled my longing for a substantial portion of food (and entertainment) and I have to say that I am somewhere around a 2.5 on the Lewis Black Scale of Rage this morning after an enjoyable night.
Today, I had a great oatmeal breakfast (another recipe I can thank my girlfriend for) that has kept me quite content, as well. In any case...the corn-free lifestyle doesn't seem so bad today. I've got a peanut butter and banana sandwich waiting for me in the fridge and can't wait for lunch (don't worry, I used Teddie brand old fashioned, corn-product free smooth peanut butter- a New England based company.) Corn is overrated...but after these two weeks, I'm fairly certain I won't completely abandon my corn-addiction. We shall see...
Side note: I'm proud to say that I have been Korn free for 20 years.
Recommended enlightenment:
Book Review: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters - Treehugger
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - BBC America
Day 6
7:01 P.M. - Home
In a strange turn of events, my corn-free diet has caused me to gain a little bit of weight. I'm confident I know why, too. Before beginning this diet, I was on a (possibly permanent) hiatus from snacking. I can honestly say that snack foods had been nearly completely eliminated from my diet. However, with my food options now substantially less vast, the arguably unsubstantial meals I've been consuming have caused me to revert back to compulsive snacking. I've found trail mixes without corn products...a true double edged sword. These blends of various dried fruits, raw nuts, and dark chocolates taste great- but they only satisfy a more surface-level need rather than act as nourishment. Ultimately, snacking on these things ends up doing more harm than good. To be honest, I wish I could get off this 'diet' and get back to just eating regularly...consuming mostly fresh and as many organic, local, and in-season ingredients as possible. Today, I find myself somewhere around 6 on the Lewis Black Scale of Rage.
One more thing...
Corn itself isn't bad for you...it's the cheap food that this corn allows to be produced and the unhealthy corn derived ingredients (like High Fructose Corn Syrup) that are a problem (in terms of public health as well as the environment). My best guess is that a corn-free diet is best suited for those allergic to it...not those trying to eat healthy.
Recommended enlightenment:
The Michael Pollan Diet - 9 Principles for Healthy Eating
Summer Heat - What to Eat! by IzzitGreen user Kendra
Image from Flickr user Darwin Bell shared with a Creative Commons Attribution License.
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