On one side, we have the traditional foodies. Cool, calm, and sophisticated, they have decades of science and some of the highest authorities in the nutrition world on their side. They are the zero-calorie, non-dairy, lowfat, aspartame kind of crowd. "Proven" science and weight loss diets are the weapons of choice for traditional foodies, but don't think that means they won't stoop to some low-blow marketing tactics when it suits them.
On the other hand, the rebel eaters are becoming stronger and more numerous. Hippies, stay-at-home moms, political activists, and yes, even a few potheads make up this group of health food miscreants. With aggresive guerilla warfare and a focus on the natural, these bloggers and eco-villagers don't need science to tell them what they already know - but they've got plenty of it. Join the army of the rebel diet, and you will never look at food the same way again.
Weaponry in the Arsenals of Lifestyle Dieters
Ask who you will, the fact that your diet is part of your lifestyle is unanimously agreed upon. The makeup of a quality lifestyle diet, however, is radically different between the two groups.
Foot Soldiers All Use Green Bullets...
The concept of "green" living is an important one, and it can vary from person to person. The traditional foodies' idea of green and healthy lies somewhere between a solar-powered skyscraper complex and a suburban community garden. Some of their strongest weapons are simply misguided truths.
Counting Calories
You have to use more calories than you consume each day to lose weight. Use exactly what you consume to maintain a healthy weight. Traditional foodies will even tell you to get "the most bang for your buck" by choosing foods high in protein, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals, and low in sugars and fats. To them, healthy often boils down to the Nutrition Facts. But how can rebel dieters count calories when most of the food they eat doesn't even have a nutrition label?
All Sugar is Created Equal
So say the old school nutritionists. When sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, turbinado, and even sucanat - sugar as close to the originial sugar cane as you can get it - all add calories to your diet, it's better to use zero-calorie chemicals like aspartame and saccharin. When you're more concerned about counting calories than an elevated risk of cancer, that is.
Low Fat Foods Make Low Fat Bellies
Fat is stored in your belly, hips, and buttocks to save for a rainy day. Conventional logic has it that if you eat less fat, your body will simply store less fat. But fat, especially saturated fat, actually helps your body's metabolism. The saturated fat found naturally in meats, butter, and full-fat dairy products are vital for a healthy brain, heart, liver, and even bones.
...But the Rebels' Bullets are Naturally Green, Not Dyed That Way
The rebel dieters' view of Utopia is a little different. It's a world entirely free of chemicals in the food supply and in households. It's a world where we work with Mother Earth rather than forcing her, like a slave, to work for us. And it doesn't require any math.
Additive-Free
Try to convince a rebel that a lowfat 100-calorie cookie snack pack is better than 300 calories worth of their homemade oatmeal cookies, and they'll look at you like you're off your rocker. Those homemade cookies may have lots of calories and will only last a few days, but you can throw in flax or chia seeds for extra protein, use healthy fats like coconut oil or real butter, and substitute applesauce, honey, or organic sugar for the ultra-refined sugar. The 100-calorie cookies are full of chemical fat substitutes, bizarre fillers, and a myriad of artificial preservatives. Not to mention, fresh-from-the-oven homemade cookies taste way better.
Homegrown Organics
It's not that rebels refuse to eat conventionally grown fruits and veggies - it's just that organic is always better. And like the ingredients in homemade food, we have control over everything that goes on the foods we grow at home. While traditional foodies are happy to leave the details of their food to the corporations, rebels know that homegrown organics bring more power to the people.
Non-GMO
Want to reduce your risk of food sensitivities, digestive problems, and at least a dozen different types of cancer, all hile putting money into the hands of small companies trying to make a difference rather than huge corporations trying to make a buck? Cut out GMOs.
Heavy Artillary in the Diet Wars
Every strong army has a secret weapon at their disposal, and the armies in this war are no different. The strongest and most persuasive nutrition bombs are at their fingertips.
Weight Loss Dieting
Everybody wants to lose weight. Traditional foodies promise that the pounds will melt off if you adhere to their strict guidelines. And when you gain it all back within a month, it's because of your deviation from a dietary lifestyle that you've never been passionate about.
Your Health is Determined By Your Diet
Rebel dieters don't diet simply to lose weight. The conerstone of any diet, rebels know, is not your weight but your health. Eat to stay healthy, and the weight loss will follow. The rebels use food for energy, for relaxation, even for medicine. We've treated everything from seasonal allergies to staph infections to life-threatening illnesses with the foods we eat - and the foods we don't eat. We're not afraid to question the doctors, to challenge the FDA's appalling lack of regulation in the food industry. We breastfeed our babies and raise our children to know how to forage. And as long as we keep fighting the diet war, we are the future.
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