As I spend time in Texas, I am surrounded by food. Food is Texas, and as someone interested in food and its nutritional value and how it makes you feel. I am bedazzled by the immense selection and the size of the portions. Everything is vast, full of flavour, natural or enhanced, full of colour, though lots of beige depending on what you want, presented on plates or platters, that makes your eyes light up. Americans should know better and be educated to understand the good and bad in food choices. But it seems when it comes to food, there is a spell that makes them blind to eating for health. I am generalising here, and this is not everyone. But there are no medical provisions here without insurance. Yet, they have a high morbidity rate and seem to ignore how to eat for wellness, thus removing the frequent use of doctors and visits to the hospital.
I did visit the U.S. back in the days when I was overweight. My breakfasts were humongous and consisted of crispy bacon, pancakes, eggs, and lots of heavy pancakes drizzled in lashings of warm maple syrup, all washed down with gallons of fresh orange juice. As I was in an aircon restaurant, eating was comfortable. Then when I went outside in the intense heat, my stomach would hit the ground. The day was then postponed until I felt better. Having said that, when I was in New York, I would eat fresh bagels, cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon) for breakfast. Still significant-sized portions, but a little better to eat.
Back to Texas, with the large portions also goes the need for more exercise. No one walks. The streets have pavements, but they are not used. The car rules. Every shop, restaurant and outlet all have ample parking. It’s easy and convenient. The cars are large, and the freeways are multi-lane.
So we have two toxic components to health. Huge portions of food and minimal exercise.
There is also a real crisis with sugar, but that will be my next blog.
Menus, not nutritional guidelines on food packaging, are covered with calories and amounts of protein. No mention of fats or sugars is listed, as I can see.
I am concerned about a situation I have experienced here: I ordered a steak meal one evening. The humongous meal arrived smelling divine. I knew I could only eat a little because I have a VSG. This was not the problem, though. The problem was that I only ate steak. Which had the most mouthwatering flavour ever. I didn’t have fries or bread, just steak. After being a type 2 diabetic for years, I wear a blood glucose monitor. The steak should be zero carbs. But after this meal, my blood glucose monitor gave me a high reading of 13.6mmol. After much discussion with my husband, we concluded, and we could be wrong, that the steak must have been marinated in a sweet sauce before cooking. It’s the only answer that is plausible. Still, it was a delicious meal.
They know they have a problem with the nation’s health as the television networks have adverts on type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. These medications allow them to carry on as usual and ignore taking responsibility for their health. They do not have to eat just because these foods are available. There are plenty of places to walk to and around here in Texas. A little effort can go a long way to building a better lifestyle and improving health.
Now, this all sounds like doom and gloom and believe me, sugar, fat and vast portions of high-calorie foods are everywhere, but I can’t eat this food. The challenge I set myself was to eat well and walk. So far, this has been achieved, and I have loved the challenge I set for myself. Eating has been easy. Firstly, I have been ordering salads and a piece of protein, which could be grilled chicken, not deep fried, a beef burger or baked salmon. I have asked to leave off the cheese for salads and put the dressing on the side. The salads have been perfect. They have been made using various salad vegetables and sometimes chopped fruit and nuts. The choice of sauces seems to be unlimited. If I mentally know that I am paying for a meal, I will only eat a third. Still, that third has to be the ultimate quality and flavour, so I can sleep soundly at night.
Secondly, I have also found grocery stores selling freshly made fruit salads. Plus, I have purchased half a dozen low-carb but high-protein vitamin shakes.
My breakfasts, which, as you know, have been heart attack food in the past, have consisted of fresh coffee and scrambled eggs with the occasional piece of fruit.
For my walks, which has been more of a challenge, I take an Uber to a large shopping mall, put my Apple watch on walk workout and power around the mall for at least 30 minutes, taking in the shops I will visit when I finish my workout and meander with a coffee. The gym at the hotel is ok, and I should really use this, but I am in a room with no windows, and that doesn’t feel good. I am in Texas, so I want to see, feel and breathe Texas and, of course, taste Texas.
In the 1980s, the U.K. had a home DIY store called Texas. The slogan was ‘Texas - the big one’. I get it now, finally!