Food mentality

Today my mom and I got into a huge conversation about what she calls "food mentality." It ended up being a really heated conversation. She argued that some people have advantages and have a higher food mentality because of the food they were given or around while growing up. While I agree with her partially, part of my argument is that in a world where every single household has the internet and almost every single pocket carries a smart phone, there is no excuse for people to eat poorly. And not to exercise.

So maybe we're both right, maybe she's being too lenient, maybe I'm being too harsh. I don't know.

What I do know is that on my recent trips to the library, I've been drawn to books on clean eating. What is clean eating? It's eating food as it was intended to be. Example: butter vs. margerine. Butter is in it's purest form. Yes, it contains fat, but the body knows how to process fat. Margerine is often made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. I've read at least three books recently about how your body works with hydrogenated oils, but I still couldn't tell you EXACTLY what happens when you consume it. What I can tell you is that your body isn't familiar with it's makeup and therefore your body doesn't know how to process it properly. It's been known to slow down a person's metabolism, too. Which, what does that lead to? Weight gain. Something else that might suprise some of you: synthetic sweeteners that use the zero calorie claim? Yup. Those slow down your metabolism, too. So maybe put down your daily diet soda and drink some water instead. Below is picture of a good rule to follow in regards to all of this:

So anyway, enough of that mumbo-jumbo. What can you do to change your food mentality? It's easy! I first recommend reading a book on it. Take notes, get into it. A really great book for people who are new to this is "Eat This, Not That." It's colorful and interesting and snarky. And it shows you that sometimes the more "healthy" option at the grocery store is 10 times worse for you than the so-called "bad" version. A book that will terrify you into eating right submission? "The Blood Sugar Solution" by Mark Hyman, MD. This one isn't quite as frilly, but it focuses on the diabetes epidemic in our country and it takes a different look at it. It has amazing recipes and places where you can track your progress. But it will scare you... in a good way. The other one is by Jillian Michaels (we all know that she's helped me more than anything else in my war against my lazy self) and it's called "Master Your Metabolism." If both of the aforementioned books had a baby, it would be this book. It'll peak your interest with the celebrity trainer and also freak you out. A good cookbook for learning how to cook this way? Rocco Dispirito's "Now Eat This."

Next, research recipes online (there's a trillion, I promise you) and plan a menu for the week. This is where the little voice inside you says, "Oh, but organic food is expensive!" Okay. Ignore that voice and listen to me. I shop at five or more different stores to get good-for-you food and be able to afford it. Our family of three has a monthly food budget of only $350. You CAN do this. A little secret that many of you will find hard to believe? The cheap-as-heck grocery store Aldi's. Go. Look at the labels. Yes, some of their foods contain the bad stuff, but look at the milk, chicken, eggs... No growth hormones. Grown locally. Even the potato chips ingredients are simple! "Potatoes, (non-hydrogenated) vegetable oil, salt." I dare you to check it out and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Then go to your local grocery store, then hit up the health food store to get the hard-to-find stuff and bulk items. Be prepared to spend a little more time cooking, but you will get used to it and you will reap the benefits from this almost immediately.

Finally, when you work out, give yourself a reward. NOT FOOD. NO. I've seen people put $1 into a jar for every workout and when it gets to $100, they buy themselves something nice. Personally, I turn on my Bravo shows (Real Housewives, etc.) during my workout and it makes time FLY and I have a reason to watch this junk and justify it to my husband who is oh-so-critical of reality television. Make your workout exciting by setting up a way for you to look forward to it!

And here's the other thing that is important to remember. Give yourself a day off from time to time. Work out four days a week and go for a walk or two. Then take Wednesday and Sunday off. Stop by your favorite diner and have a cheeseburger from time to time. But then jump right back into doing the right things. You have to keep your sanity and you have to be happy to make this work.

So... Time to wrap things up. I hope that you find some of this helpful. It took me years to put this all together and I hope this makes it easier for some of you. The only reason I post these things (as I've said before) is because I really want to help people who feel helpless. I know that feeling. I hate that feeling. That feeling is capable of being extinguished.



Have a good weekend!