Coming from a realm of people who are definitely social eaters, one of the first questions asked whenever there's going to be a gathering is "there going to be food?" I realize some are genuinely asking because they want to bring a dish to ad to the table however when men and some women ask I know that food and sometimes what kind of food is going to be the deciding factor of whether we'll see them that day. Do you know people like that? The saying " breaking bread together" when it was coined a thousand years ago meant just that, breaking bread and maybe a few nuts and berries. What does it mean today?
You know. It means our plates will be piled high with ribs, chicken, ham, collards swimming in a pool of yummy bacon pot liquor, sister Johnson's 5 cheese mac and cheese, Martha's 4 bean baked beans with ground meat, potato chips, BBQ chips, bacon ranch chips, sour cream chips, doritos, and tucked at the end in the back of the 25 foot table a Sister Foster's green leafy cucumber tomato salad with the standard three salad dressings. Oh but, that's not all, no sir-ree. There's the other 10 foot table practically toppeling over with carrot cake, chocolate cake, triple chocolate cake, cookies of all sorts, pie, pies and more pies and of course my husbands favorite banana pudding. At the end of the day, the majority of all this "good food" is devoured and everyone's sitting around so stuffed they can hardly move, including me. But for the majority of Sister Foster's tossed salad, it ends up in the dumpster. Does this sound like one of your gatherings?
This same scene plays out all across America. While we think we're enjoying our food, it's truly making us sick. Personally I have never had high blood pressure or diabetes. I want to keep it that way, but a lot of my friends do. Across the nation the numbers are off the charts. The general public feels as long as there's medications to help my body keep in check, then I don't have to. I can eat what I want, when I want, then pop a pill to keep it all under control. High blood pressure and type II diabetes are both the first signs your body is struggling. If your diet is left unchecked, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and a host of other ailments will be next. These two diseases are both ones that can totally be controlled by diet. What we put in our mouths has a direct baring on how we feel and how healthy or unhealthy we are. It's not my intention to get myself banned from gatherings. So don't be thinking "then she shouldn't show up if she don't like all our food." It's a difficult test to turn away from all those things I fed myself for years but, each time I choose what's good for my body, choosing to eat healthier, makes me feel good about myself and I know each day gets easier. With that said, if you should see me at a gathering, after eating a healthy meal, having a small piece of cake or banana pudding, don't be too judgmental. I'm working on it.
This is our test. The next time we're ask to bring a dish to a gathering, let's be determined to bring something healthy. "Oh, come on. You're creative, there's more to eat than salad." I frequently use AllRecipes.com for inspiration of healthier choices. Try it, you'll like it, and so will others too.
The trick is to learn to HATE food that is bad for you, and to desire the food that will improve your health. If you go to someone else's "gathering", be sure to take something that is healthy for you, and you'll have something to eat! Sometime, just take a look at the people who always bring the so-called "scrumptious" (unhealthy) dishes. Are they your healthiest, skinniest friends?? NOT!!!! Why follow in their tracks? If you do, you'll find that their tracks also lead to a wealth of health problems!!
ReplyDeleteOh my wise and thin friend... I know you have had to eat a VERY specific diet for most of your adult life. Wise because wayyyy before most, you reconized that many of your health issues were food related. Not making excuses but, you have been eating healthy for so many years now that maybe you forget that learning to HATE the bad foods is a daily struggle for many, especially when they don't feel the immediate and obvious issues that await them, like you did.
DeleteTry this: Eat healthier for a period of time, say 2 weeks, don't forget to replace your normal beverages with water. Then eat as you use to for just one day. Most likely you will feel the ill effects of that one day. You may then want to make wiser food choices on a regular basis with an occasional treat. It may be good to wait until after this weekend when you will be less tempted to indulge.
ReplyDeleteJulie, thanks to your encouragement I am making great changes. I lost 1 and a half lbs eating fruit, lettuce, tuna. Basically I've given up bread, eating whole wheat if I do. I like the idea about greens. Does eating cabbage count because that's what I ate yesterday. PLewis
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DeleteThe health benefits of cabbage include frequent use as a treatment for constipation, stomach ulcers, headaches, obesity, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease.
DeleteDid you know that the inexpensive, humble and widely used cabbage can practically work miracles? Cabbage is a leafy vegetable of Brassica family, and is round or oval in shape. It consists of soft, light green or whitish inner leaves covered with harder and dark green outer leaves. It is widely used throughout the world, and can be prepared in a number of ways, but most commonly, it is included as either a cooked or raw part of many salads.
Cabbage is beneficial in curing various health ailments and a short list of those researched attributes are listed below:
Copy and paste the link in your address bar to read the rest of the article. http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-cabbage.html