By Paul Suplee, MBA, CEC, PC-3

I am becoming one of ‘them.’ I changed my eating habits way back in February, giving up soda and sugary foods, and if you know me, you understand that this is a huge undertaking.

I am a sugar junkie, or at least I was until this year. I was known for making a bowl of my mother’s famous chocolate-mocha icing and just eating it with a spoon.

Now, I can look at candy and ice cream at the store and it doesn’t even faze me. I mean, I have had one soda in the last four months, and while it was delicious, that’s all I wanted. I stopped right there.

As Father’s Day approached, my daughter Gabbie decided to make me breakfast. It was a strange day, as we had to cater a wedding that evening (who gets married on Father’s Day?), so Gubs (my nickname for my youngest girl) decided to let me relax in the morning and get my head straight.

As she approached me on Saturday, she was very serious and wanted to know what I could eat. I told her that it was super easy: no grains of any kind or carbs and sugars.

“So, meat, seafood, eggs (whole of course), bacon, and vegetables and fruits with good fats and low net carbs. As such, avocadoes, tomatoes and lettuce were high on the list. She roasted some Brussels sprouts and asparagus, both on the nice list, and made an amazing morning wrap for me. Fairly simple and straightforward, this went a long way to give me the boost that I needed for the full day of work coming up.

Probably the biggest paradigm shift for me has been in the endurance sports: running, swimming, paddling and cycling. At almost 53 years of age, I have spent decades carb-loading before a big race. Plate after plate of pasta with lean meat adorned my table prior to big rides or paddles, and we were all told that carbs are necessary for energy.

Enter a new mindset and it appears that we have been led astray. We don’t need carbs for energy, instead being able to utilize healthy fats that can be found in grass-fed beef, wild salmon, nuts, avocadoes, coconut, et al. For the first few weeks, I thought it was rubbish, and then something special happened. My joints started to hurt less.

My mobility improved and I started losing weight, all while eating the foods that I was raised to avoid. One day, I decided to test out this “you don’t need to carb-load” nonsense. I went on a two-mile jog and then an 11-mile bike ride. I pushed myself enough to be able to feel it, and much to my surprise, my sustained energy never waned.

What is it with this madness? I won’t get into the politics of food, although there are a great many movies out there addressing some of the issues that we have in our food chain. And unless you decide to shop on the outer ring of your local grocery store, you are going to be filling your body with all sorts of interesting concoctions.

Now, I am not lecturing anyone here. Please do not think that I am. When I get a hankering for pizza, I like to go and get a piece of pizza. Aforementioned Coke? Guilty as charged. If for some reason a little pint of ice cream screams to me, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. But, I have learned that my body and mind are definitely in a better place when these things are not a regular part of my meal plan.

Now that Father’s Day has come and gone, it is time to push through the rest of the summer and feed the masses. I think we are done with weddings for a bit, which is great. Some of those cakes are tasty, and it’s hard to walk by the table so many times without stealing a cupcake.

But with a little self-restraint, I can go months without any sweets. Or can I? Honestly, mom’s famous chocolate-mocha icing would hit the spot right about now. But, no I can’t do it. I know how it will make me feel afterwards. I’ll just stick with my good foods for now.

Egg & Veggie lo-carb Wrap

serves 4

4 large romaine leaves

1 c. halved brussels sprouts

1/2# Asparagus spears

Olive oil, as needed

Seasoning of your choice

12 whole eggs

8 slices bacon, cooked

2 c. Cooked chicken breast

1 avocado, sliced

1 c. Cheddar cheese

hot sauce (optional)

1. Wash and dry the whole romaine leaves and set aside.

2. Toss the vegetables with the oil and season.

3. Roast the vegetables in a 400F oven until cooked al dente. Set aside until ready to cook and assemble.

4. At go time, heat a frypan and coat with oil, butter or pan spray.

5. Scramble the eggs, adding a little water or milk if that’s your thing.

6. Add the roasted vegetables and chicken, season and top with the cheese to melt.

7. Spread this mixture onto the romaine leaves and top with the bacon and avocado.

8. Add hot sauce if you like. My go-to is Hank Sauce which is the best out there.

—Paul Suplee is a Professor of Culinary Arts
at Wor-Wic Community College
and owner of boxcar40.
Visit him at www.boxcar40.com.