The D word

Yep the Big D....DIET

It seems these days our lives are ruled by this word, and it's become a bad word. It's a word we dread, a word our friends use to make us feel bad sometimes ( Are you on ANOTHER diet?)  A word that has become lost to its original meaning. It's become connected to deprivation, 'bad' foods and full of negative emotion.

Now I love words...I love finding out how they eventuate, what true meanings are....you should check out some origins of swear words! But for now,  let's look at the main meaning of the word diet from Dictionary.com.

di·et

¹    [dahy-it] Show IPA noun, verb, di·et·ed, di·et·ing, adjective

noun

1.

food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.

2.

a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.

3.

such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.

4.

the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.

5.

food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.

 

Now only ONE of those meanings involves what we consider the word diet to be!

 

Interestingly, the origins of the diet are (latin) Diaeta or (greek) Dieita.  And THAT meaning is " Mode of living"  So not just food and drink but EVERYTHING in the way you conduct your life!

 

And to delve a little deeper...the word Diaitan means to DIRECT ONE'S OWN LIFE.  

 

LIFE!  NOT JUST FOOD!

Let's face it, there have been some DOOZY 'diet's out there.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1950931,00.html

 

We've been 'dieting' for over 2000 years....vomitorium anyone?  No, How about a salt water enema? Man those Greeks and Romans sure knew how to live....nothing like stuffing yourself stupid on food then having a little visit to the vomitorium for a clean out so you can do it all over again.

 

 

Or the cure all 'diet' by a Presbyterian Minister...the Graham diet.  Only vegetarian foods and no caffeine and supplement with a graham cracker. Not such a bad thing until you find out it apparently cures obesity AND masturbation......

Or how about trying the Great Masticator ( read the word again LOL) 'diet' from early 1900's?  All you have to do is chew each mouthful exactly 32 times...then spit it out.  Makes dinner parties all new and interesting.

The ever faithful grapefruit diet from the 1930's....Atkins diet in the 70's and my personal favourite....the Cabbage Soup diet.  Eat cabbage soup for all meals for 7 days and you'll lose weight.  And friends incidentally, as you fart your way through your days.......

 

 

 

Personally I hate the word diet in its form as its used today. I don't consider the foods I am on with the 12 WBT to be 'diet' foods at all.  I get accused of calorie counting and being 'anal' about it all but when people see my lunches and dinners, I get a lot of ' Wow that looks GREAT!  Can I have the recipe!"  Desserts have been served at dinner parties and I've successfully held a dinner party using 12wbt recipes with great success. So when I am asked how my 'diet' is going, I take a deep breath, remember the TRUE meaning of diet (Mode of living) and answer..." I'm loving my new lifestyle." 

  Because I can honestly say, after a year of following this lifestyle plan, I cannot imagine or remember my old life.  I have never felt more alive, more confident, more amazing. I still surprise myself and my family life is a helluva lot closer and more fun!  And while I still have naysayers, and those who accuse me of being too fanatical, too fit or too healthy ( stupid huh? How can you be TOO healthy????) I live by one piece of advice which I now share with you....