My Healthy Eating Philosophy

I've been interested in healthy eating for probably as long as I've been a mother. There are a lot of different ideas about what a healthy diet consists of. Some people think that eating like the food pyramid tells them to is healthy. Others focus on vegetarianism or veganism. Other focus on organics, or less processed foods, whole foods, and now raw foods has become a more common idea.

In my years of trying to be healthier I've dabbled in most of these ideas for at least a few meals. :) Some I've stuck with for months or even a year. What I've found is that most changes you make for health are changes your body appreciates, but there is always another healthy thing to do just around the next bend. You have to be kind to yourself or you can get overwhelmed with it all.

I've known people that would only take their own food to eat when they went to a friend's house for dinner, or even with a group to a restaurant. I've known people that refused to eat food served when they were guests in someone's home. I've known people that didn't even get together with other people because they had completely isolated themselves with their food rules. Some wouldn't even let their children attend normal events like birthday parties or receptions because of the many foods there that they did not want their children to eat. I've known people that were so into their healthy eating that I have wished to have them as guests in my home, but felt that the pressure of trying to come up with food that would be acceptable to them would require far more effort than I had to give.

In short, I've seen a lot of healthy eating turn into what I consider unhealthy living, because people were not willing to be flexible and to care for other people more than they cared about the food that went into their mouths.

(Please know I'm not talking about people who have serious medical needs to avoid certain foods. That is a whole different ball of wax and of course in a case like that I know that you need to take care of yourself first.)

As it says in my bio info, one of my life philosophies is "people first." In my life people come before money, before things, before selfishness, and also before food issues.

To me, my health is important. But so are the people in my life. I do not want to be the person that lectures their friends about the soda they drink or the processed food they eat. I do not want to be the person that brings weird stuff to potlucks that nobody will touch. And I definitely don't want to be the person that doesn't go and be with others because of food.

I can take care of my health for every meal of the week, and be a good sport if I go someplace where eating something else is the norm. Last Sunday was a perfect example. We had a luncheon after church. They were serving subs, chips, veggies, and other picnic-y sorts of things. I wasn't going to get picky about the white bread or nitrates in the lunch meats. I ate subs and a few chips, drank water, skipped dessert, and all was well. No big deal. Just eat and have fun with the people in your life! I have 20 other meals this week that I can eat healthier than that!

I have also found that nobody cares what I eat. When I go to small group there is usually dessert, coffee, soda, and so on. I always have water and nothing else. I never say anything about it, and nobody makes a big deal about it. If someone has made something special that they want everybody to try I can sincerely say, "That looks so good! Wow! Thank you for bringing that!" and then apologize that I can't have any because I'm not eating sugar right now. If you do it with a truly loving heart, not quietly judging people for eating differently than you do, it comes out just right and nobody feels weird about it.

So please know, blog friends, that when I share my ideas with you it comes from a place of saying, "Hey! This worked for me. Maybe it'll work for you." If not, then hey--just enjoy the pictures and come back tomorrow. You can smile and go have a Twinkie, love me all the way to McDonald's for a Big Mac and fries, whatever. I like ya just the same even if you do eat junk all the live long day! ;)