That soda post I wrote a while back…it’s been nagging at me.
I felt sort of guilty posting it in the first place, because I know that some of my readers have a serious Sonic Cherry Coke addiction. Some of you (or your loved ones) love soft drinks the way I love that first hit of morning java. And with all the soy chai lattes I’m wearing on my rump, who am I to make anyone feel bad?
It’s not just guilt that I’m feeling, though, not simply the anxiety of a cyber-hostess who has committed the ultimate social faux pas (if I were the Emily Post type, I’m sure I’d be able to tell you that Rule #1 is never, ever make your visitors feel bad. It is in poor taste).
No, it’s that I feel like I’ve dived headfirst into a generally unhealthy, and utterly unhelpful, fray: the mindset that focuses on TAKING THINGS AWAY.
It’s true that as a nation, we’re not healthy. You all know this. The headlines get screamed at you daily: We’re obese! We’re diabetic! We’ve got heart disease! We’re Fat, Fat, Fat! And Bad, Bad, Bad! Shame on us! And so we embrace solutions that aren’t actually solutions at all: low carb diets, low fat lifestyles, grapefruit diets, Special K challenges. They could be solutions if they worked. But they don’t work, because they leave us frustrated, or hungry, or bored, and so we go back to exactly what we were doing before we embraced that solution. And then we feel even worse.
And while I was thinking about soda, and lattes, and all the things that make us feel bad, it struck me:
It can’t be about what gets taken away.
It has to be about what gets added.
All those diets. All those recommendations. They are ALL focused on taking things away — sugars, white flour, fats, meats. And sure, we do need to have less of those things. Nearly all of us do. But the focus, in all of them, is on removing things — and worse, removing things that we enjoy. And when that’s our focus, when that’s our sole focus, it just doesn’t work.
Which is one of the things I like about this farm-fresh, unprocessed approach to food. It’s bringing something IN to my life, not removing things from my life. It’s bringing something — oh, I don’t know, tactile, I suppose. Colorful. Sensual. Soulful. Those are big, touchy-feely words, but they’re true. The whole idea of turning green beans into a yummy treat…a veggie-rich soup bubbling away on my stovetop…that Sapelo Farms visit I made…a big ol’ slab of fish baked in the kitchen from scratch alongside good friends…those things are just so much more satisfying, so much more life-enriching, than peeling back the top of a plastic bin of pre-made Country Crock mac and cheese ever could be.
And there’s a tremendous side benefit: I’m eating better, too.
Try it. Forget the diets. Throw away that scale. Stop logging what you consumed in a journal. Stop beating yourself up about something that you ate or drank, and wish that you hadn’t. Just start with what you want to add. Start with fresh produce, for example, all those fruits and veggies we should be eating daily (5-9 servings, folks…but just this once, let’s not count). Don’t even worry about which fruits and vegetables you SHOULD eat. Don’t let it be a chore. Just pick some that you like, and buy lots of them. Then eat lots of them.
And if you drive past a farmer’s market? Or a local farm? Buy things there. You’ll meet real people—some of them neighbors. You’ll find common ground, almost literally. You’ll be supporting a healthier community, a better world. Best of all, you’ll be dealing with nature’s bounty — magical, a miracle, when you really stop to consider it — instead of peeling back a plastic lid, or opening up a styrofoam box.
And then eat those foods. Eat them enthusiastically. Let the juices run down your chin. Wipe your mouth with your sleeve. Don’t count calories, or carbs, or fat grams. Just enjoy those green beans, or plums, or asparagus, or whatever. Don’t suck the joy out of something as innately pleasurable and satisfying as eating. Just focus on adding those good things to your life: a richer experience, a more profound connection to the world around you, a stronger appreciation for nature itself.
Foods can do that. The right foods can.
Amen! Now if only I would run out of room for ice cream while eating all those fruits and vegetables I love. (I think the ice cream goes to a separate stomach….)
Well said!!!!! I couldn’t agrees more. Just one item that should be “phased” out. Bar-Codes! LOL
Beautiful post. I agree with it too – to a certain extent. I wrote a post (on my blog – not the group weight loss blog) awhile back about my personal approach to “cheating” on my diet. (I’m a South Beach girl) I think that the more moderate “just eat healthy and watch your portions” strategy works great for people who do not have a severe weight problem. But for the truly obese, which is what I was, a more formal approach may be necessary to teach proper eating. After all, if I had known how to “just eat healthy” I wouldn’t have been 80 pounds overweight! (grin) Also, removing sugar for at least a few weeks helps the palate appreciate all those wonderful tastes in natural foods. I never cared much for fruit before… Now an apple is CANDY!
Anyway, I’ve become a diet relativist. If it’s healthy and it works for you – Go For It!!
Dear Cleaner Plate Hostess,
You made me feel better now.
Sincerely,
Vikki (a Cleaner Plate fan who drinks diet pop)
As someone who has a fondness for Cherry Coke Zero, I feel better too.
Great post. And so , so true. We always seem to try the positive reinforcement with the kids first, why not with food, too?
Very good post, Ali ! I always enjoy fresh the best, and don’t worry about the calories too much. That’s what exercise is for !
P.S. You post often, but it never shows that you have updated your blog (I use blogrolling, but there is also smething on blogspot that allows you to show when you have updated).. I check regardless, but…
Good perspective. I was thinking about this myself while eating my husband’s homemade oatmeal this morning. I thought, how can anyone not LOVE these foods?
I have to admit, I am guilty of posting a long series of bad news on childhood nutrition and food marketing all in the name of us becoming aware. But, it depresses me, too, these statistics. I am ready to post recipes and to just go back to loving my local food experience again. So ready.
Blest, those are both great, and really wise, points (learning to eat healthfully, and clearing the palate so that you can actually enjoy the taste of your non-sugary foods). Thanks for that perspective. And, hey, KUDOS TO YOU on those 80lbs. To the rest of you, I have seen Blest’s photo, and there is no doubt. The woman is a smokin’ hottie. Blest, my dear, you are an inspiration!
Annie…oh, man. I’m a luddite with dial up, and I don’t know how to make sure that it shows an update. I only know how to hit ‘publish.’ I’m going to have a wordpress-savvy friend teach me what I need to know. In the meantime, please keep checking.
Expat, no need to feel guilty – your childhood nutrition series has been AWESOME.
Aw shucks! Thanks! Just to be totally honest though – I haven’t quite gotten rid of all 80 YET. 66 down, 14 to go!!
You go, girl!
Oh yes, the positive always works better than the negative. Except in math.
I agree with what you say about not counting and worrying endlessly and just focusing on eating foods that are good for you. The only thing I would add is that one easy way to do that is to try to pick from a range of the brightest colored fruits and vegetables you can find.
Generally, speaking, the more colorful the (natural) food is, the more loaded it will be with the nutrients and phytochemicals your body needs. So, try to eat your way through a rainbow every few days.
I seriously think your blog ate up my comment.
From yesterday.
Just ate it up.
And yet, I’m not near as smart as I thought I was b/c for the life of me I can’t figure out what I said.
Let’s pretend it was almost as smart as this post. *wink*
Woo-hoo. Loved this post. That’s how I got started eating well … adding in luscious, beautiful fruits and veggies. And oh, it feels so good.