I recently was asked a question about the way I eat. An anonymous poster asked “Do you ever get bored with eating so healthy?”
What a great question!
It sparked something in me and I wanted to share my thoughts will all that read my blog as I think it is a very important subject to delve into.
The answer is: No.
I have never felt more enthusiastic about eating and food in general than right now in my life! I actually cannot wait for my next meal or snack as I know it will not only be good for my body but it will also taste AMAZING!
And on top of everything else, I FEEL AND LOOK AMAZING! I have energy, bloating is gone, my digestion and intestinal track function normally, NO headaches, NO stomach issues, I think clearer, my skin glows… I am a completely new person, inside and out. I am also the lightest I have ever been but I also eat the most. I can see you scratching your head, but it makes perfect sense.
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On a personal note: I have had a love – hate relationship with food for years. I never quite understood the meaning of healthy nor did I understand what foods could do for my body and soul. I was one of those of girls who bought everything low fat, fat free and sugar free. But I was so upset that I was not losing any weight. I restricted calories and fat, but still I saw no results.
I cringed at the thought of going out to restaurants, eating around people or going to any event that had food. Everyday I would obsessively think about food and how negative I looked at it.
So I popped diet pills, played around with starvation diets, even tried to succeed at eating disorders – yes, I tried but failed because deep down I knew it wasn’t right. At the time I felt that I had the power over food and my situation, and it was amazing! “Look at you stuffing your face, while I am here not touching anything on my plate. I have power and YOU DON’T!” Until I became light headed, had ZERO energy and when I did eat I was so famished I would binge. Binging leaded to guilt, fast fixes and an very unhealthy life.
I felt deprived and so bitter towards “thin” people who would be eating greasy food and still have their figure. I thought if I was “thin” I would finally be “happy”. It was a very low time of my life and just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.
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So why did I just share all of that? Because I have learned to embrace and welcome food into my life; but it has been a long road! I have never been so pleased and happy to sit down to a huge bowl or plate of food. I eat when I feel like it and ALL of those negative thoughts are COMPLETELY gone!
When I eat wholesome food from the Earth, I help give my body the proper fuel it deserves. I never take my body for granted any longer. My legs make me run, my heart makes me live, my brain makes me think, my eyes make me see, my arms make me hug and my hands make me feel.
I want you to understand that I have made a lifestyle change to best suit my life, goals and desires. I love eating fresh, wholesome foods. Nothing beats a juicy piece of fruit on a hot summer day, or a warm mug of fresh made soup on a chilly afternoon.
I am passionate about nature and what it provides for us. Taking a seed, giving it some love and watching it grow is such a spiritual experience. Then that same plant gives back, producing a variety of healing foods for you to enjoy. What a blissful relationship between man and plant.
I have eliminated processed foods from my diet completely, as they do not fit in the kind of lifestyle I want to live. They don’t even taste good to me; too salty, fake ingredients, added preservatives and ingredients that I simply cannot pronounce nor do I know anything about them.
I am not on a diet. I don’t believe in diets and this word should be eliminated from everyone’s vocabulary. My motto is Eat to Live – Not Live To Eat. This has been a very long process and did not happen over night. I can fully understand where the anonymous poster is coming from – to the average person who eats an “average Western diet” may look at my daily plates of food and think, “Vegetables, weird grains, fruit… where is the fun in that?”. But to me it is fun and I have never eaten so many foods that have excited my taste buds and senses.
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For those that might be reading my blog for the first time, I live a 99% vegan life. I do not deprive myself of food, cravings, or even “fun” food. If you look in my freezer you will see a few cartons of coconut ice cream (which I will have to say is AMAZING!), I have a few bars of dark chocolate in the pantry along with potato chips and candy. Do I eat these on a daily basis? No.
I have found a healthy balance between living and food. I consciously splurge. I know that it might not be the best choice but Hey – I am grown woman who can make decisions. And I never feel guilty.
Making a life style change may seem like a daunting experience. It’s about determining your goals, what you think you can do and the hardest part: ACTUALLY DOING IT! Here is a list that I feel would help anyone create a healthier lifestyle that can be achieve by anyone.
- Start small. Take one meal a day and try something new. Change your daily Egg McMuffin to a bowl of creamy oatmeal with peanut butter, pure maple syrup and dried fruit 4 times a week. You should be able to feel a difference in your body as you may not be bloated or puffy from all of the sodium, among other things that are in that breakfast sandwich.
- Explore options for food purchases. Visit your local farmers market’s to get the best tasting and freshest produce around. You will be amazed by the way food is actually supposed to taste! You can also visit your local health food store or larger health food market. Just spend a few hours looking at all of the different products; you don’t even need to buy anything! Write down some products that you might like to try then go home and do some research.
- Get cooking! A lot of the times people just don’t know what to cook and it’s hard for them to think outside the “Hamburger Helper” box. Buy a recipe book that is full of tantalizing pictures of wholesome food and get busy! Make it a family event where your husband and/or kids can help. Go to the store, buy all of the ingredients then make a tasty meal. Think your kids are picky? Getting them involved in making meals is a sure fire way to have them eat!
- Make it look eye appealing! I don’t care how tasty a food is – if it doesn’t look good chances are you probably wont eat it. Purchase a few “fancy” plates and bowl and turn a simple salad into an elegant meal!
- Look for support and know you are not alone. I think this is why “diets” fail – people feel that they are all alone. Just in the 8 months that I have been a food blogger I am simply amazed by how many other strong, healthy individuals eat a wholesome diet. I honestly believe this has helped me be more conscious about my food decisions and life style change. It has opened my eyes to new foods and cooking methods, and I never feel alone!
- Splurge without guilt. Yes, have chocolate, have fries, have a big ol’ burger – but throw that side of guilt away! I used to have a huge amount of guilt for eating anything “bad” for me. This was way before I cleaned up my eating, though. I NEVER feel guilty any longer, but it has taken a long time for me to get to this point. Guilt adds pressure, stress and un-happiness to your life. The one concept I love about this life style change is that I don’t miss the way I used to eat so I don’t crave greasy food any longer and have no desire to eat out on a regular basis. I love my kitchen and cooking wholesome meals for me and my family. BUT when I do go out I enjoy every bite!
I hope this post has helped you see that I am very passionate about the way I eat and live. It’s not about being vegan or vegetarian, it’s about living a conscious life. Food helps your body grown, heal and live.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Michael Pollan
Here are some of my favorite resources that have helped me along my journey to optimal health:
Michael Pollan he has written The Omnivores Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules. ALL worth reading!
Food Inc – A documentary showcasing where are food comes from and exposing the truth about our beloved “farms”.
Animal, Vegtable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – their family decided to up and move to a farm and eat from the local land.
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone – her journey from an unhealthy eater to a glowing vegan. She explains eating healthy as sexy, as it should be! She also has a great website, The Kind Life, that she posts regular articles, recipes and healthy living ideas.
And I wouldn’t be here without ALL of the wonderful blogs I read on a daily basis! I am constantly learning from each one of you and I treasure each one of you! Check out my ever-growing blog roll on the right of my blog for inspiration!
Eating Animals – A sad, yet true picture of the impact eating meat causes. This is why I decided to live a vegan life.
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I am going to close with a few more thoughts that I want you take away form this post.
No – I don’t get bored eating the way I do. I embrace it and LOVE it. I love it because it not only tastes amazing but it makes me feel amazing.
But please remember that it has taken me years to get to this point. And it goes beyond cutting some vegetables for a salad; I understand the amount of work, time, love and care that goes into each vegetable, fruit or grain I eat. Food should be a celebration of life!
The Clean Eating Mama 
What a fantastic entry! I have been wanting to eat clean for a long time and finally took the plunge about a month ago. I feel amazing now, but I will say that your comments on old relationships with food hit home for me and made me tear up.Thank you! I look forward to following your blog. :)-Jessica
Preach on Tash! Great post! I wish more women would embrace this. Even though we are our own worse enemies, trying to be conscious of what we put in our bodies is never a bad thing!
Hi! What a greta post! I am an avid calorie counter transitioning to eating clean. I still can't pull away from counting my calories though. I'm sure you don't count, but do you know approximately how many calories you eat per day? I love your blog! Thanks!
Tasha, this post just solidifies why I love reading your blog! You are such a smart and strong lady and you have come to such a wonderful place in your life and with your eating!
that was a wonderful post! You are such an inspiration and I really enjoyed reading your tips. I don't get bored with eating healthy either! 🙂
Absolutely amazing Tasha! Thank you, thank you and thank you. Your post was informative and brilliant.
What a beautiful post. Are you sure you don't want to be a writer. I eat healthy already and I was completely inspired and motivated! It is do true though, it's amazing what little adjustments to diet can have on your whole life, perspective, attitude. Awesome!
Wow, thanks for posting this Tasha! Your post actually brought me to tears at one point; it feels good to know that the way I used to feel about food wasn't unique to me. I think you're right, most women feel completely alone when it comes to battles with food. Amazing post! Thank you!Jess
I just tried to reply and couldn't but had to say that this is a Hall of Famer post! I have to link to it. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I am so on the same page. Well said!
This is a Hall of Famer posts for sure! I'm going to have to link to it today – just very well-said and so many of us are coming from the same place! I'm not vegan or vegetarian but our minds are in the same place.
When I was eating unhealthy in college I hated food. It was an annoyance, I never though twice about it & just ate because I had to. NOW, whoa, huge difference! I love food, fresh fruits and veggies especially. Just the way I feel compared to how I felt 7 years ago as a freshman in college is a complete 180.
Food is never boring to me! Thank you for sharing your story and how you overcame eating disorder and unhealthy ways. I struggled with binge/emotional eating before.
great post Tasha! we don't eat as healthy as we should, but when we're doing good, we both definitely feel better inside & out!