Food obsession

I'm obsessed with food. It wasn't always like this. Trust me, I think about all the time. Food is an amazing thing. It repairs & heals the body. I didn't always have this frame of mind.

I used to think I could eat whatever I wanted, and I could. Playing basketball throughout high school allowed me to eat a whole bag of BBQ potato chips dipped in sour cream without gaining an ounce. More colby cheese & saltines, please! How about a whole carton of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream? Bring it on. Needless to say, I didn't give nutrition much thought.

Enter college. Ordering pizza & breadsticks several days a week was the norm. All-you-can eat bagels & cereal from the cafeteria was my dream. Still no weight gain. I continued to workout, play basketball & row on the crew team. Age was in my favor and it was great! Until my last couple years of college. I wasn't playing any sports, but continued to workout. Alcohol & highly processed foods (pizza rolls, anyone?) started to take a toll. But these Twizzlers are fat-free! I don't know why I'm gaining weight??

After college, a desk job & twenty pounds later, I continued on my fat-free thinking. And the pounds kept packing on until I wised up I was eating too many calories. It's all about the calories, stupid!

The weight started to come off after I developed the habit of keeping a food journal (and continue to do so). But I still wasn't eating enough wholesome foods, like fruits & vegetables. I cut calories, but was still eating Special K bars, Jello (with artificial sweetener), high-sugar cereal & 100 calorie snack packs. My body was not getting the nutrients it needed. And my energy level wasn't what it needed to be. Needless to say my workouts took a dive, too.

I finally met with a "whole-food" chef. She really opened my eyes. Fruits, vegetables & whole grains. Pretty simple, eh? If it comes from a box, you probably shouldn't be eating it. This is the my mantra now. My obsession with food and how it can transform your body continues to grow with every article & study I read. It's really quite amazing what is in kale or blueberries. And how it can nourish your body and improve how you feel. The single best thing you can do to improve you diet (and your life) is eat more fruits & vegetables. I know it's hard to get the amount you need every day. I think I'm getting about 6-7 servings on most days. And we're not talking about weekends. So I've decided to add to my diet the next best thing, Juice Plus+. It's reassurance for me on those not so great days, I'm getting what my body craves & needs. And you know if it wasn't whole-food, I wouldn't be taking it. Period. I don't even take protein shakes because most have synthetic preservatives.

I wanted to share my story in hopes that if you're struggling a bit with your diet, be patient. Try to do something every day to improve it. Small changes add up. It's a journey and not a short one. You're trying to change habits you've had your entire life. But if you need a little help, please let me know. I'm always here (unless I'm at the beach). :-)