Foods I don’t eat and one nutrition rule I always follow

I am not a nutrition expert but I care a lot about maintaining a healthy weight because it helps my running. Running is my passion. I hope to run a 2.45–2.40 marathon later this year, having recently run 2.49 in a marathon in Southern California.

I don’t follow any restrictive diets (and I don’t want to see another headline about internment fasting!). The main rule is to not overeat. In general, nothing is off-limits. There are however a few things I’ve stopped consuming and I’m not tempted by them.

• Rich desserts. Do I have cravings for something sweet? Yes, sure. So I’d have a bar of chocolate, a few spoons of honey, maybe even a cookie. But I’d never have tiramisu or a triple chocolate cake. My wife makes an awesome honey cake. These are my twins in front of it a few years ago on their birthday. Maybe I’m missing out on the fun, but I wouldn’t have a single bite these days.

• No sugar, especially in its raw form, with one exception. Sometimes I like a cup of black tea so I’d add to it two-three pieces of brown sugar. Never white sugar though.
• This one is probably the strongest “never” on this list. I don’t eat meat in public places. Not fast food, not at restaurants. I don’t eat much meat at home either but I’ve developed a sense of mistrust for any meat served in public…