Health, Home, and Happiness

After my little binge on refined/processed food last weekend, I was reminded of how I used to eat. I used to eat pastas, breads, bagels, chocolate until I was overfull, stuffed, starting to be way too uncomfortable without an elastic waistband.

I didn't realize it, but I just don't have the urge to eat that much any more. I thought it was because I was busy with two kids now, but no, after seeing how I act when exposed to processed foods, I realize it's because the food I now eat is satisfying. I do eat pretty often, I just ate some crispy pecans, but when I finished my handful I wasn't compelled to march right back down to the kitchen and get more and keep eating until I felt sick.

When I was eating more low-fat, low-nutrient (though all the labels claimed to be Enriched! Part of a Healthy Diet!), my thoughts were consumed with food a lot of the day. I thought that maybe it was because I was on the swim team and exercising a lot, but the thoughts didn't stop when I quit swimming so I could start working. If I had the money for them, I could easily drink 4-6 diet Pepsi sodas a day. If I bought a package of candy, saying that I would make it last all week, it would be polished off that night.

Now I often have high fat food around, and I usually have chocolate chips in my freezer (we do eat cookies! But after we fill up on whole grains, proteins, and healthy real fats) but the thoughts of food aren't always at the front of my mind. When I was in high school and weighed 15 or so pounds more than I do now, I thought that I just had lack of self discipline. Tomorrow I would only eat 1200 calories, I'd say. And it never really worked.

I do know that some people are able to be successful at maintaining a healthy weight on a low-fat diet, but I think they are very few and far between. And honestly, most of them are pretty crabby most of the time! They feel deprived, and deprived they are.

I feel so thankful that I found real food and am able to nourish my family with this, and maintain a healthy weight. I hope that my candidness can help people who are struggling with weight and health issues. While I'm sure there can be some self control issues (like, say, putting the processed food in your grocery cart, or resisting the marketing of fake food that is so often in the media) having a diet full of healthy, nourishing, real foods takes away the overwhelming desire to eat eat eat, since your body is getting the nutrients that it needs in ways that are appropriate.

Please, don't fall for the myth that your body doesn't need fat. Don't fall for the myth that the only difference between whole wheat bread, properly prepared, and white bread is the fiber content. Don't fall for the myth that vitamins are vitamins, no matter the origin.

If you're just starting, I'd recommend this post

This post is a part of Real Food Wednesdays