Welcome to the confusing and controversial topic of food. Confusing because there have been so many studies about the foods that we eat, that we don’t even know what to choose, especially when given so many options. Controversial because everyone has their own set of beliefs about food or their own set of food addictions. Telling anyone what they should eat causes the food justification to rise. Something I’ve come to understand; if you believe you are justified or righteous, you’re probably doing things wrong.
Okay. Moving on.
Do you know what is in the your food? Can you even pronounce the name of all the ingredients? How many ingredients are in this box anyway? Why is sugar in my pasta sauce?? It really shouldn’t be this hard.
To tell you the truth it isn’t that hard. Food is easy. Humans have made it hard. Darn humans, always getting us into trouble. Oh Wait… I’m human. Great.
Anyway. Food is easy, because real food is grown food. It’s everywhere. I just realized that a weed in my yard was actually food. That you can eat the young leaves like a salad and the seeds can be used like rice. A weed! It took a woman who spoke almost no English to tell me this. The reason she knew it is because she wasn’t brought up in the culture of processed everything. And that, my friends, is where we have gone wrong.
Now don’t freak out. I’m not telling you to grow your own food and such, but I am asking you to think. Think about what food really is. Alive. Growing. Beautiful. If it doesn’t decompose, do you really think your body can digest it? Preservatives are exactly that. They are designed to preserve the foods. To prevent foods from breaking down. Our bodies need to break down what we eat. Trying to break down foods designed not to break down is a stomach ache (and other diseases) waiting to happen. If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, then you have to look at what you choose to stuff your face with.
There are some important things I want you to consider when choosing what to eat and what to feed others, especially children. I don’t want you to judge yourself on past choices, I want you to think about the choices now that will affect your future. You are where you are now based on passed decisions. What you do today can change your future. So ask yourself these questions when shopping:
How is my health currently? Do I wish it to be better?
How do I feel after I eat these foods? Do I want that to change?
Is this really food? Could I buy it at a farmers market? Did it grow or was it made?
I really don’t care about the studies that state that (real) foods are good or bad. If you’re not allergic to eggs, eat eggs. If you like coconut, eat it, drink it, roll around in it, whatever. If it’s food made by “God” and doesn’t kill you, you’re good. If it was made by man, not so much.
Too much has changed in the foods when you can buy them off a shelf. If it doesn’t rot, you probably shouldn’t eat it. There are exceptions to every rule (like freeze dried or canned fruits and veggies), but generally it’s a pretty good guidance system.
I want you to know that you don’t have to be perfect. Chocolate is my best friend, so who am I to judge. But there are repercussions for all the actions and choices that we make. I want to be happy and healthy, so that is where I make my choices from. What will make me happy and healthy? Good food, good people, and good times ahead. I really, and truly want that for everyone. I hope you want that for yourself.
Katie
P.S. You are worth being cared for, even if you are the only one who cares for you.
Health Coach Katie 