FDA - you're totally stressing me out

Thursday: Swim 25 minutes (23x25 laps; rest ~10 secs between laps)

Had a great swim tonight - really strong and clean through the water. I wish I could figure out how to swim every other day. I can totally feel the difference. I even threw in some flip turns and went 50 metetrs with no break and felt pretty good. It's amazing how much swimming gets your blood pumping. Just 25 solid meters slicing through the water and I get to the other end and feel like I've been running for 15 minutes. I felt awesome about it until I did the math and realized that I have to figure out how to get through 1,500 meters with no breaks. Oh god. I'm so glad it's February (at least for another 26 hours).

Here's the other thing on my mind today: the FDA. I heard that the FDA was raising their daily fruit and vegetable intake guidelines from 5 to 9. This totally stressed me out. I don't even know if I eat nine servings of *anything* a day. I barely hit five. Today for instance - fairly typical weekday: I had a grapefruit and a slice of peanut butter toast with breakfast; an apple and popcorn (homepopped - take that partially hydrogenated oil you bastard you) as a snack; a turkey sandwich with half an avocado sliced onto it for lunch; a banana; more popcorn (I was hungry) in the afternoon; and then couldn't commit for dinner post-pool so had some cottage cheese with apple sauce, then some steamed spinach with a little olive oil and a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I even took my vitiamins. I mean - I read that and I think, hell, I feel like I'm reading one of those "after" food menus in Women's Health. I mean, fruit, vegetables, protein, whole wheat bread - I concede the ice cream wasn't great for me, but for the love of God, FDA -- WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME???!!! And here's the kicker -- that's only FIVE servings (I could stretch to six if we can count the applesauce, but I'm dubious). It's now 10:30 at night. I am not hungry and I'm not going to slam 3.5 glasses of juice to make the doctors happy. I just can't fricking fit more vegetables into my day. So sue me.

Nutrition is typically something I haven't paid that much attention to in the past, but considering that I'm starting to roundly beat up my body six days a week, I feel like I should develop an interest. And maybe even figure how what energy drinks are all about and whether or not I can eat goo and not get sick. I just wish I could see what althetes eat. All the menus are geared to losing weight - not to distain that goal - I'd be thrilled to have ten fewer pounds to drag through the IronGirl - but I want to make sure I'm not asking my body to do something that I'm not fueling it to do. But I feel strong and I feel like my energy level is good (or is that the coffee?) so what does the FDA know anyway. Maybe I could have another cup of peach and ginger tea - that's sort of like a compromise.