Hi there. Remember me? I'm your fearless anti-diet campaigner. Sorry if you've been in a diet twilight zone, either hungry, or eating yourself to death while you wait for my next thrilling installment. I've been on a bit of a world tour and have these blog-worthy observations to make:I've done a lot of eating since my last post. Pizza mostly. I've eaten Croatian pizza, ready-made Waitrose pizza from the UK and $10 pub pizza at my local.
Conclusion: Pizza is possibly the best food ever invented. There's really nothing you can't put on it and it can be healthy if you make it yourself. Seriously.
I also spent 4 days at a famous Thai health resort where I was offered more food than I'm likely to see in a month back here. Oh the perils of a buffet, even a healthy one. I surprised even myself with my discipline. (Confession: I also enthusiastically ordered the one allowable glass of wine with dinner each night and ate Burger King at the airport before flying home). Despite these small speed humps and the fact I eschewed the menu of physical activities in lieu of lying by the pool and watching Gilmore Girls DVDs in my suite, I left 2kg lighter and felt amazing, glowing and all that.
Conclusion: Eating chef-prepared health food and doing not much is a fabulous way to feel fabulous.
Five days in Dubai left me with a lot to say about incidental exercise. In the time I was there my physical activity consisted of walking from my mate's apartment, to the car, to a seat in a restaurant. Only a jaunt around a shopping mall did anything to raise my heart rate. I doubt I clocked 10,000 steps in total, let alone the recommended one day. Compared to Paris where I walked everywhere, charging up Metro steps and chased pigeons through the park while chanting ooh la la (OK, not really. Just trying to get you in le mood).
Conclusion: Parisian women don't get fat and people in Dubai seem to. Walk when you can.
I did much drinking to complement the eating I was doing. Especially in bonnie Glasgow where the summer light lingers until 11pm in July. I drank what seemed like litres and litres of booze – beer, cider, wine – everything in a glass bigger than my wee head, trying hard to keep up with the locals. I was also informed by my Scotland-dwelling friends that in some parts of Glasgow the male life expectancy is 55.
Conclusion: Drinking to excess will make you feel pretty shabby and is bad for your health.
There is also much to be said about airline food, and none of it relates to health properties. But my final observation is reserved for white bread. When travelling, you'll eat a lot of it.
