Since it is almost 2010, I figured I would take some time to reflect back on something that has really impacted my life over the past year: food. I grew up eating LOTS of processed, fattening, sugary, convenient and over packaged foods. Some of my favorite foods included: candy bars, macaroni and cheese, lunch cakes and pizza. While, arguably I still enjoy some of these treats from time to time, and do indulge during the holidays (mmm…cookies), I still have managed to transform the way I eat this past year. Here’s how I’ve done that:
- Education: I’ve read many books, including The Way We Eat—Why Our Food Choices Matter, Food Matters and The Omnivore’s Dilemma
- Cooking: I cook all vegetarian and sometimes vegan. I rarely buy lunch out at work (maybe three times this past year)—I always cook in bulk and freeze the leftovers. I buy fresh foods and go to farmer’s markets when I can. I spend money on buying healthy, quality ingredients. You can’t eat well, without spending more money on the food you buy. Here’s a video from Good on that: http://www.good.is/post/how-much-do-we-spend-on-food The video above shows some advice for people just starting out and wanting to eat healthier.
- Exercise: When I exercise, I feel better, and this is motivation to continue eating healthy and being conscious about my food choices.
- Friends: There’s nothing better than being surrounded by friends while enjoying a healthy, home-cooked meal.
There’s always room for improvement (as with anything) in my eating habits and I’m conscious of that, but I wanted to share my story since I’ve come from a family where I knew very little about my food choices and the correlation between eating and health. It seems like an obvious relationship, but when we as a society start taking medications instead of looking at the root cause of our health issues, it seems we overlook this connection. While I’m still educating myself on how to eat local, gardening, cooking and the impact of my food choices, I feel I’ve come a long way. I feel healthier, look healthier and am 30 pounds lighter than I was a year and a half ago. I’m not about complicated rules or being so strict about my diet that I can’t enjoy eating—my goal is to improve my health and lessen the impact my food choices have on the environment. It’s simple.
How about you—have you changed your eating habits or made any other significant life changes in 2009?
i kind of want to eat better, but i dont want to give up my fatty treats at the same time (;
Hi Jamie! The cool thing is that you can still eat delicious, healthy treats that taste good. Next time I see you I’ll show you some
I for one gave up red meat exactly one year and two days ago, and I’ve never looked back since. Everything I once enjoyed with beef has been replaced by chicken, turkey, or a soy/vegetable patty… or dare I say… even tofu!
I’m convinced that red meats have no place in my diet!
Chris – Good work for sticking to your resolution! Cutting out something that you eat a lot of—especially red meat is a good way to change your diet for the better and decrease demand of red meat in the marketplace.