You know, that's a strange word. I couldn't help but Google the etymology. Apparently, there isn't a Latin root. It's a genuine English word. It comes from the overhang of a roof on a house called an "eave." When rain falls from this and makes a line, it's called an "eavesdrop." An eavesdropper is someone who may stand behind this line, tucked up to the house, clandestinely listening to the goings-on inside. The verb "eavesdrop" was back formed from the -er noun.
Anyway...
I've been reading Eat to Live. I'm working on being healthy as a whole and eating for nutrition (as well as weight loss). It's going pretty well, though I do have the occasional slip up. While the cover of the book advertises weight loss, the idea behind Dr. Fuhrman's method is that if you focus on nutrients and get 90% of your calories from unprocessed fruits and vegetables, the weight will naturally come off. He's all about disease prevention. There's a lot of focus on preventing and reversing illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. For me, it's a little bit of preaching to the choir. But, I need some reinforcement because I'm not perfect and I definitely have some bad habits that could be reduced, or, better yet, eliminated. The book is dense and repetetive. I won't lie and say I'm having fun reading it, but I can tell it's helping to set me firmly on the right path, so I'm sticking with it.
What does any of this have to do with eavesdropping?
In the break room during lunch (while I was eating carrots and snap peas, reading this book and feeling smug) I over heard a coworker say this, "One of the things I really believe is that when I eat this Twix, if I eat an apple later, they cancel each other out." She was kind of joking. But her lunch was this: a Twix bar, corn chips and a Dr. Pepper. Other people at the table were eating Taco Bell, Sonic and microwave popcorn.
I may have slip ups (real fat kid slip ups sometimes), but it's moments like that that make me feel a little better about working at it and disciplining myself.
The book is packed with great information. your co-workers are the norm for eating habits in our culture, which is why diabetes, heart disease and cancer is higher in our culture than most others. Good job on your healthy eating journey. And it is okay to slip up some times. In the book he states as long as you eat right 90% of the time you are doing very well
ReplyDeleteOne of my coworkers is always talking about how she and her boyfriend eat healthy and that she really needs to lose some weight, then she promptly goes across the street to the mini mart for Zingers. Or she eats a Jimmy Johns sandwich. She eats there daily! She even admits that she doesn't like it, but it is fast, cheap and filling. I vow to only eat things that are both taste good and are good for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was just reading Meat is for Pussies by John Joseph and it was like preaching to the choir as well. One, I was not his target audience, as it is written for dudes, and two, he sums up information that is better explained it a ton of other books I have read. And he swears in a very repetitive way. AND the recipes at the back were not easy starter veggie meals like he thinks. But, it did make me think harder about how I am getting my protein and iron, so that is good.
How often do you actually think your coworker cancels out the twix with an apple?
ReplyDeleteMom and Chelsea- Yeah, it's a great book and totally packed with good info and statistics and charts that make things clear. But, it is so damn redundant. And (well, put Chelsea)I'm not the target. I'm using it more as a reminder of what's important. I need to read "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral" maybe. Or maybe a novel, ha. It's been awhile. And, I don't think my coworker eats apples. I've never seen that group put down anything but junk. And most of them aren't heavy, yet. It'll catch up.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Animal, Vegetable, Mineral! But there is meat eating in it. Have you read In Defense of Food?
ReplyDeleteeven though you are a vegan, you should read The Omnivores Delima. By Michael Polen.
ReplyDelete