What Type of Fuel Do You Put in Your Body?

September 10, 2015

A patient came into my office this morning and told me she made all the food for her daughter’s recent wedding.  I asked her “Do you have any idea what’s in a piece of cake? You would never eat frosting if you knew the garbage that goes into it!”  Chocolate frosting is definitely not a healthy fuel!

Alas, we still eat frosting. Some of us occasionally eat it out of the container with a spatula. Ahem, guilty.

Putting healthy fuel in our gas tanks

Yet, we would never think of putting diesel fuel in our non-diesel car engine. Most of us wouldn’t even put regular unleaded into a car that requires high test. I know a guy that drives across town just to get to a specific gas station, because he says the fuel quality is superior. Yet, he’ll stop for a bear claw and a frappuccino on the way home! We’ll dump whatever junk is tasty and easy into the most complex machine we own - our bodies.

Many of our patients travel extensively, either for work, or because they are super cool and have free time with disposable income. Our patients that are on the road for work struggle with healthy food choices, and figuring out what to do at business meetings or in foreign countries.

I just got back from my first real vacation in three years.  While on vacation, I did an experiment to see if I could make healthy choices while away from home. I had access to a kitchenette for about half of my time away, so I started by bringing 12 hard-boiled eggs, and some smoked salmon as my portable protein sources. I also brought a stash of about 30 low-carb protein bars and some unsalted nuts.

I went to the grocery store every couple of days for fresh fruits and vegetables, and the only thing I ate in restaurants was grilled fish (olive oil, spices, and lemon) and roasted veggies.

My healthy vacation menu

Typical breakfast:
2 eggs (cooked in the kitchenette with fresh veggies)
1 fruit

Mid-morning snack:
1 protein bar

Lunch:
Arugula and spinach salad with smoked fish, eggs, and tomatoes. (Be very cautious with salad dressings, as they are the biggest negative caloric influence.)
Matt Metz portable salad dressing: 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp olive oil, local vinegar, black pepper, chipotle pepper.

Mid-day snack:
1 hand-full of mixed nut
1 hand-full of locally grown berries

Dinner:
Fresh fish on the grill (olive oil, garlic, lemon)
Roasted veggies

I spent 6 of the 10 days on a sailboat in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia.  I used that time to truly focus on my health and well-being; specifically by making great food choices, sleeping at least eight hours a night, avoiding alcohol, and exercising at least one hour per day.  I also made sure to drink at least 2 liters of water each day, and varied my workouts between long walks and hikes when we made port, swimming in the sea, and daily calisthenics like push-ups and squats. I returned home 3 pounds trimmer, and feeling great.

Back to work and my normal routine

The hardest part of going back to work for me has been maintaining those positive habits that I developed while on vacation.  After a tough redo case in the O.R. this week, the first thing I wanted was a bag of chocolate covered pretzels.  But I resisted.  Okay, I had a couple, and then I felt cruddy afterward.

The point is, life gets in the way of healthy living. Stress, work, illnesses, relationships, and family are always going to compete with your personal time. But you’re much better prepared to deal with those stressors if you’re fueling your machine correctly.

Turning to chocolate cake and alcohol in times of stress only punishes you, and makes it harder to combat life. You wouldn’t reward your unleaded engine after a long road trip by filling it with dirty diesel fuel, would you?

Fill your kitchen with fresh fruits, veggies, and lean protein sources instead of junk food. Throw away the unhealthy comfort foods you turn to in times of stress. If they’re not available, you won’t eat them! Discipline yourself to remember how good it feels when you treat your body right, and how lousy you feel when you abuse it.

Not only did I actually lose three pounds on vacation (whoo hoo!), but I saved a ton of money by preparing my own meals. Everyone else on my trip gained at least five pounds by doing the, “I’m on vacation, forget the diet,” thing.

Let’s get healthy together, wherever we are!

Photo credit: futureatlas.com cc

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matthew Metz, MD, FACS is a board-certified, Cleveland Clinic trained, Bariatric Surgeon practicing with the Denver Center for Bariatric Surgeryin Colorado. Dr. Metz has performed thousands of bariatric surgeries and is well known in the area for his kind demeanor, technical proficiency, and compassionate bedside manner. Read more articles by Dr. Matthew Metz!

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