Out and About

These past weeks I've ventured outside my usual commons turf into the (as yet) unknown territory of downtown dining, to see how challenging it could be sticking to a special regime while going out. I've finally compiled a list that, while not exhaustive, is definitely taking shape. Of course, as I looked at the menus of the different places I visited, I couldn't help but look out for the best alternatives for each diet; be it vegan, paleo, HCLF or HFLC.

Here's a brief rundown:

Pita Cabana

Vegan-friendly options (for example, the falafel rice bowl on the left), which are also wallet-friendly and large enough to feed a family.  Or one of my friends, with no leftovers.

Given that the options are all based off rice or pita bread, it doesn't make it a good Paleo of HFLC place, but it definitely scores high in terms of carbs-- a good mix of greens and simple starches make this place a winner if you're looking for the warm comfort of soft food.








Webster's Bookstore Café (Sunday brunch)

After the Arboretum, Webster's is my favorite place in State College. It's this tucked-away used-books store and café, where you can become a lifetime member and keep a mug on the shelf.

A couple of weeks ago, while still doing the HCLF diet, I went in for Sunday brunch and had the Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (right). Although I had never before been a pancake person, I was immediately hooked: I now try to make my cheat meal a pancake breakfast on Sundays.

Apart from excellent pancakes, Webster's has some of the best vegan options around State College, from homemade hummus on bagels, to cashew cheese, to veggie noodle soup. Definitely a win for both HCLF and vegans.


Barranquero

Owned and run by a Colombian, Barranquero is definitely one of the best coffee shops in the area; with its quirky interior and superb coffee menu, it's a win for connoisseurs and students alike.

As can be seen by the picture (plantain patacones with cheese), it's a very good option for (again) HCLF, although there are no vegan options. However, the coffee list makes up for the fact, and if you can live without eating, I highly recommend it.  

Sadly, there are no paleo of HFLC options, so I'm one of the latter clients (I took this picture earlier, when doing HCLF). 







Irving's

A State College staple, I couldn't pass up Irving's Bagels. I had the hummus and veggies on everything bagel (vegan, GF) and was pleasantly surprised by both taste and texture. The bagel was everything a good one is supposed to be-- warm, toasty on the outside and soft on the inside, with chunky hummus and crunchy veggies. Sadly, that's the only vegan option apart from the garden salad with no chicken, and the bagels (which are all vegan, but there are no vegan toppings to go with).




That's it, folks! My (failed) attempt at following my diets when eating out-- I usually just tend to shrug and call it a cheat meal and move on, and not focus too much on what I'm eating. I do think it's important to keep a balance between tracking what you eat and indulging, and these have been my indulgences so far.

Paleo Party

Welcome!
Last week, I wrapped up my HFLC diet, and I just wanted to quickly share some stats and rankings about it:
HFLC
Convenience: 7/10 (if you're not too picky. I found some really good options in the dining commons, but I had to check beforehand, or dig really deeply for them)
Weight-loss potential: -2.5 pounds. This was more than with any of the past diets, but I did feel that slight sensation of not being full at any given time
Points for consideration/notes:

• Really good if you don't mind a slight feeling of constant hunger throughout the day

• Really good if you don't like desserts much

• Really good if you really like meat, cheese, and aren't a fan of carbs

Overall, I think that this diet is pretty easy to follow, as long as you adhere really closely to your nutritional guidelines (base calorie level, etc) for at least the first couple of days. There is also a transition period, in which you don't feel fully satiated after your meals, but you get used to it after a while. For me, was easier to follow than the HCLF diet, but harder to follow than being vegan, just because while I was vegan, I could still consume both vegetable fats and carbohydrates.
Overall ranking: 8/10, for convenience, no deprivation, hunger levels that aren't too extreme.

Now, without further ado....

The Paleo diet

Source: Jack Chadwick

The idea for the diet (and scientific backbone) was thought up by New York gastroenterologist Walter Voegtlin, in 1975, and was furthered by Doctor Loren Cordain, in his 2002 book "The Paleolithic Diet".  Both scientists talked about a "genetic approach" to staying lean, in shape, and healthy, by eating only foods which our Paleolithic ancestors had around. 

It's built on the premise that humans were healthier in the Paleolithic period than now: before the rise of modern agricultural practices, dairy development, and on-demand cropping. In other words, the diet limits you to eating only what our stone-age ancestors would eat: 

• Grass-fed meat 
• Eggs
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Fish 
• Seeds, nuts, healthy oils 

And it bans:

• Cereal grains
• Legumes
• Dairy
• Refined sugars
• Potatoes (sweet potatoes are okay)
• Candy/junk/processed food 

Basically, this:

Source: hippoquotes.com

I think this diet will be slightly harder to follow than HFLC, mainly because of the banning of dairy. I know I've said it before, but I love dairy. And this diet doesn't even let me have soy products (like tofutti vegan cheese, Daiya vegan shreds, or Silk soy yogurt), which is how I coped with not being able to eat dairy when I went vegan. I'm skeptical about this diet... And also, I think it'll be very hard to manage when eating in the dining commons, just because everything is refined, or has sugar, or some sort of dairy. However, I'm also excited for this challenge! I'm looking forward to see what I can make of it. Any thoughts, comments or advice would be greatly appreciated! 

Thank you for joining me on my quest for an appropriate diet! See you next week.