#7 HOW I SHOULD EAT AND DRINK

Quit eating like a pig.

Eating to exercise, or exercising to eat?

Roryd sez: Three keys to my physical, mental and spiritual health are calorie restriction, plenty of whole foods, and lots of exercise. These aren't the only keys, but are bedrock principles. As my brother-in-law Marcus would have me, "Don't exercise so you can eat. Eat so you can exercise."

When it comes to eating, I believe the best thing I can do for myself is to:

• eliminate all foods with the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on the label
• eliminate all foods containing palm, coconut, or generic "vegetable" oils
• restrict eating meat, including chicken and fish, to 8 ounce servings, 3 or 4 times a week
• eat "organic" dairy products (yogurt)
• eat no foods containing lard
• restrict all fast food
• eliminate refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, white flour blends, boxed cereals)
• eliminate white sugar (sucrose), corn oil
• eliminate artificial sweeteners
• restrict even whole-grain flour. Replace flours with the whole grain.

I AM DOING WELL WHEN I INGEST:

• 30 grams (plus) of unrefined fiber per day (whole grains, fruits, vegetables)
• 70 grams of high quality protein per day (whole grains, organic dairy, poultry, eggs, beef, fish...)
• a multi-vitamin/mineral (I take one tablet of a three-a-day regimen because I don't like all those megadoses, especially of B)
• 500 mg vitamin C (when I feel like it)
• 1,500 mg. glucosamine/chondroiten (for extra joint cushioning)
• 2,000 mg. L-Glutamine with a carbonated seltzer before exercising (maybe)
• olive oil and red wine or Bragg's apple cider vinegar as salad dressing
• one or two glasses of beer (I'm partial to Bass Ale)
• raw walnuts
• Hearty Rye and Multigrain Wasa crackers
• salads
• organic oatmeal and oat bran
• organic multi-grain breads
• vodka gimletts on the rocks and beer
• three cups of coffee a day (no sugar, low-fat milk)
• 5-8 8 oz. glasses of distilled water
• fruit and vegetable juices cut 50% with water

One of my goals is to limit calories while getting plenty of nutrition. I try to limit myself to about 2,200 calories a day (not easy). Two hours of exercise burn about 1,000 of these. Believe me, I get plenty of calories beyond this spartan regimen, and haven't starved to death yet.

Summary: Limit refined calories and junk food to no more than 10% of total caloric intake (calories do count); get plenty of high-quality protein, unrefined carbohydrates and fluids.