Plog (ProACTIVE Health Blog)

Today we’ll be looking at Zack, the Chiropractic Assistant, a man with a love for cheap pizza, overpriced coffee, and mass-produced pastries

Wednesday 12/9:

4:45am- water

6:15am- apple fritter from Starbucks, medium black coffee

9:40am- bagel with buttery spread, water

11:00am- pretzel bits, water

12:30pm- banana, orange soda, sandwich

4:00pm- medium coffee with cream and sugar, peppermint brownie

6:00pm- water, more pretzels!

8:00pm- vodka martini, 7 olives

8:30pm- paella with chorizo chicken and shrimp, water

Friday 12/11:

4:30am- water

6:15am- coffee cake and medium coffee with cream and sugar

9:00am- piece of JB’s peppermint brownie

10:30am- chicken breast

12:00pm- two slices of pizza with jalapeños

3:00pm- orange soda, two more slices of pizza (repeat offender!)

3:15pm- medium no-whip decaf peppermint mocha with skim

3:30pm- water

7:45pm- Ethiopian food, spicy beef and two beers, water

Monday 12/14:

6:15am- medium coffee with cream and sugar, apple fritter, chocolate chip cookie

8:00am- cupcake, water

10:30am- leftover Indian food, water

12:45pm- double grande skim dirty chai

3:00pm- medium coffee with cream and sugar

4:30pm- cookie

5:00pm- water

6:00pm- sandwich

9:30pm- vodka martini, 3 olives, cheddar cheese, naan bread

Self Analysis:

I think I do pretty well in getting a variety of foods and pacing myself throughout the day. I never really feel hungry or thirsty. I do often get tired around 4-5:00pm. And I do get a sweet tooth and a coffee tooth every once in a while, plus those peppermint brownies and mochas from Starbucks are just too tempting! I eat pizza probably 3 times a week. It’s my thing, I just have a long relationship with pizza. I could probably eat some more fruit and veggies, and less of the processed carb-y things.

Dr. Jared’s analysis of Zack’s diet:

Oh Zack, where to start…For starters, I think we need to address the amount of caffeine you are consuming on a daily basis. Not only is it nearly impossible to stay hydrated, it leads to a constant feeling of anxiety and complacency in most people. Caffeine also has the unfortunate effect of depressing the immune system by overtaxing the adrenal glands. The long-term result is that you will be worn out, sick, and generally dissatisfied with life. A better solution is to fill your body with lots of water and nutrient-rich foods. This will give you a natural alertness that doesn’t leave you “crashing” mid-day. The bonus here is that you will be building your body tissues with the best materials possible without creating a bunch of waste products bogging down your system. Next, let’s talk about the carbs. It seems that most of what you eat is made of simple carbohydrates that burn quickly, flooding your bloodstream with glucose (sugar). Because your activity level does not require that much glucose to be available, weight gain will be inevitable. Currently, you are not seeing it, because you have the metabolism of someone in their early 20’s. As you age, metabolism slows, and all that glucose will be stored as fat cells…each person carries it a little differently, so take a look at your family members to see what you might look like in the not-so-distant future. Other noteworthy consequences to this type of diet include adrenal fatigue, type II diabetes, increased risk for cancer, hair loss, unhealthy skin, increased body odor, and generally being sick more than you feel well. So there is a lot to think about. Planning for your body’s future is hard to do well until you start to feel the impact of your past choices. By being ProACTIVE about your health, you stack the cards in your favor for long and productive life.