What Do You Eat?

Food and eating are such a difficult subject, aren't they?  Particularly at this time of year, when we've just spent the Christmas season enjoying all those special treats, and indulging in enormous holiday feasts.  Then, when we're all feeling bloated and slow moving, New Years hits and we all swear to never ever indulge like we just have.  What a trap food has become!

  Like most women, I have some body image issues.  We all have our reasons, and we all have our solutions.  I have turned to increased physical activity and core work to improve my fitness levels, and as a bonus improve my appearance.  

Of course, hand in hand with increased activity comes that old urge to start improving our diet.  And don't all the big diet companies know what we're going to do?  If you watch TV at all, you see the ads for Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, or Herbal Magic.  As far as I'm concerned, all the diet companies have a vested interest in keeping us fat.  They make a profit as long as they persuade enough people to use their product, for an indefinite period of time.  No matter what they tell you in the ads, or at the meetings, they don't actually want anybody to keep the weight off, because then they have no clients.  That is strictly my opinion, and I may be totally mistaken.  

 Personally, I try to use moderation in everything I eat.  I prefer fresh or frozen vegetables to canned.  I prefer to make most meals from scratch instead of buying frozen entrees.  I try to include a source of lean protein in every meal, and work (not very successfully) to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible.  We use butter, olive or canola oil, not margarine.  We try to eat at least 1 main meal a week that is based on beans or legumes.  We are blessed in the variety and quality of food that is available in Canada, and that we can afford to make these choices.


 However there always days and situations in a girl's life when chocolate is the only solution to the problem.  And when I reach that point, I try to enjoy a smallish piece of very dark chocolate with almonds.  Or chewy caramel wrapped in very dark chocolate.  Or dark chocolate cake with butterscotch ice cream, in moderation of course!  I don't have the craving feeling that I used to get when I was younger, that chocolate had better appear or somebody else was going to suffer.  I truly believe there is strong link between hormones and chocolate cravings, and as our hormones decline so do the cravings.  Which is not to say that I don't enjoy an occasional piece of chocolate. 

I am still not reading a lot these days.  All of the books I have mentioned recently:  "The Next Ex", "The Girl Who Disappeared Twice", and the Sara Paretsky anthology are all still on the go, but I'm just not into reading at the moment.