I have an unhealthy obsession with s'mores. To be honest, I have had unhealthy obsessions with food for the majority of my life. In high school, I ate one or maybe two meals a day (usually one). In college, I took that unhealthy eating to a level way beyond that. I gained the "freshman 20" and then some, along with binge eating.
The unhealthy eating continued and grew for many years until one day I decided to be done with it. It isn't as easy as that, but just like with any obsession or addiction, you ultimately have to decide when enough is enough.
For the the past ten years, I have gone back and forth on eating healthy. Sometimes I do quite well and sometimes I slip. I joke about my s'mores obsession because it is funny. I hear the word "snow" and I think that I must have s'mores! I love everything about them: the taste, the look, the memories of making s'mores with my family growing up and recently by the campfire. I just love it all. I am not giving up s'mores forever...I just need to put them in their place. And their place is to be around every now and then, not every single snow day!
I tend to have an idea and go with it. It is both a strength and a weakness. My idea was to start "raw food" eating. By that, I just mean to add in more fruits and vegetables, slowly decreasing packaged and processed foods. It may not be the most convenient thing to do, but it just seems more healthy. I often talk about how important it is for my son to see me following my dreams of being a full time writer and how much I want him to use his imagination, but it is also important for him to see us eating healthy. I want him to see that we can eat healthy foods in more than just salads or cut-up carrots on his plate, etc.
Truth be told...I also want to look and feel more healthy. I have been so exhausted lately. Some say it is just my age (I will be 40 this year), motherhood, and/or the stress of teaching (our standardized testing, ironically called SOL, will be here soon).
Regardless, I am making a change. I looked into a few cookbooks on "raw food eating", have gone to the local farmer's market, and am also about to sign up for some exercise classes (something new I have never done I think...why not?)
For those of you interested in eating more raw food, here is what I am doing this week:
I tend to have an idea and go with it. It is both a strength and a weakness. My idea was to start "raw food" eating. By that, I just mean to add in more fruits and vegetables, slowly decreasing packaged and processed foods. It may not be the most convenient thing to do, but it just seems more healthy. I often talk about how important it is for my son to see me following my dreams of being a full time writer and how much I want him to use his imagination, but it is also important for him to see us eating healthy. I want him to see that we can eat healthy foods in more than just salads or cut-up carrots on his plate, etc.
Truth be told...I also want to look and feel more healthy. I have been so exhausted lately. Some say it is just my age (I will be 40 this year), motherhood, and/or the stress of teaching (our standardized testing, ironically called SOL, will be here soon).
Regardless, I am making a change. I looked into a few cookbooks on "raw food eating", have gone to the local farmer's market, and am also about to sign up for some exercise classes (something new I have never done I think...why not?)
For those of you interested in eating more raw food, here is what I am doing this week:
- I usually drink spinach smoothies for breakfast, but this week I will have drink smoothies for two days and use my juicer for the other three to five days.
- I have been reading up on new recipes....
- Went to the grocery store AND the farmer's market....
- My menu for this week has been created. I will be eating only raw food for lunches for at least three days during the work week and perhaps soup the other two days. I am not sure about next weekend. For now, I am focused on adding in as many healthy meals as possible without going too crazy in the beginning. I want this to be a new way of healthy living/eating versus a diet or a fad.
- I am also preparing regular meals for my husband and son with some "raw food recipes" mixed in as sides so that they may try them if they wish. My son doesn't eat much meat so I am hoping he will take to some of my new "creations".
- Last, but not least, I have been "pinning" SOO many great recipes. Feel free to check Pinterest for ideas. I often add in recipes, crafts, etc.
- Stay tuned for more "Raw Food Diaries".