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28 January 2013

not so apologetic

Have you ever found yourself apologizing for what you eat? People take food personally, which is not all that puzzling since food truly is personal. Your well being and quality of life is directly affected by how you take care of your body, and by no surprising fact, by the food you eat. In an ideal-world scenario, someone eating a microwavable meal chock full of chemical preservatives and a day's worth of sodium or a meal from a drive-through fast food joint would apologize and be defensive. However, it was awkward and disconcerting when I found myself apologizing for what I was eating this past week. And no, I didn't have a heated up "Lean Cuisine" meal. I was happily munching on brown rice, green pepper slices, cheddar cheese and Mary's Gone pretzels. And yet, I was backtracking. And explaining myself. The two ladies I usually eat with made jokes and said they needed to hide their lunches from me (one, a frozen spaghetti meal and the other, a frozen microwavable pizza) so I don't judge them. No, I was not judging them. Did I think they should be laughing and joking about how unhealthy they admit to eating in comparison to how "healthy" I was eating? No. But it was weird. In my pathetic, unnecessary defense, I ended up saying something along the lines of, "I don't have any dietary restrictions that I know of, but I know what food makes feel good and full of energy after I eat it and I know the food that doesn't make me feel good." Really, danielle? I felt like a teenage version of myself trying to talk to a stranger about Jesus. "I...uh...because Jesus said so..." And it's not the first time I've been given a hard time for eating food that is good for me. (I will not say "healthy" because apparently it has a negative connotation) No, I do not care what you eat. If you are close to me and I cook for you, (ahem...husband...) yes, I WILL make delicious food that will also positively nourish your body. (so beware, house guests) But because I/we choose to live this way does not mean I will pounce on you and tell you what you're doing wrong with your diet. Which is what I felt like saying to my lunch ladies: "Yes. I did come to take my 20-minute lunch break in the uncomfortable teacher's lounge to talk to you about what you're eating and why it's not healthy for you."

Point said? I don't like to vent on my blog, but I felt like it had to be said. (Thanks, Maria)

Realfood Tip:
try planning your meals out when you're hungry. No, don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry. Plan a couple days, or a week's worth of meals, while you're semi-hungry so you know what you'll be interested in while you're hungry and ready to eat a meal. We know we should only eat while we're hungry, so chances are we'll be more willing to try something with brussels sprouts or beets while we're hungry, and what better way to plan for that than while we're craving a little good nutrition during meal planning?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You said it! I seem to always be explaining myself now. Ugh. Why do people care so much?! You eat what you eat and I'll eat what I eat.

Courtney said...

Been there, done that...until I was pregnant at least. Now my eating habits are all over the place =)