Super Foods and Whatever Else I Like.....

Okay, I'll admit that I got a bit sassy on that last post when I talked about eating muffins. It's just that I find it interesting that it's okay to comment on how a person looks when she is thin. I can't tell you how many times I've been called "skinny bitch". If I ever said something so rude to someone who is battling their weight it would be considered, well, rude. And I find it really annoying when someone calls me that while eating their second bearclaw for breakfast. Okay, done venting. So here's some more useless advice for those of you who have asked.
I said in that last post that what you look like is directly related to what you eat and how you move. So I'm going to reveal to you my secret weapon when it comes to food. Get over it! The purpose of eating is not to feel better. The purpose of eating is to give your body the nutrients that it needs to survive. And when you view food from that perspective you let go of your need to medicate yourself with it. We all have "holes in our soul" and everyone finds their own way to fill them. Some use drugs or alcohol, or shopping, or sex. And many people use food. Either in abundance or, in my case, the lack of. That's right. I have struggled with an eating disorder for most of my adult life. I won't go into the details of it here because that could go on for days. But I will say that I have had a very unhealthy relationship with food for a really long time.
One of the games you play when you struggle with an eating disorder is the "good food/bad food" list. And everything you eat fits neatly into one of these categories. You'd be surprised what makes it on the good food list. With the help of a very good therapist I learned how to manage this game by replacing my "good food" list with what you probably know as super foods. And if you don't know what super foods are, you should, so google it.
So here is what now makes the "good food" list for me on a regular basis:
Oatmeal with fresh blueberries, an orange, a boiled egg, and a cup of green tea. That's my breakfast pretty much everyday Monday through Friday. On the weekends I eat whatever happens to come along.
Lunch is where I pack in most of my nutrients. I usually have a really big salad of fresh spinach, with whatever fresh veggies I have picked up at the farmer's market that weekend. So lots of broccoli, carrots, big fat juicy tomatoes, red and orange bell peppers, or any other brightly colored veggies that happen to catch my eye. This salad usually has at least 3 or 4 different kinds of vegetables in it. I always throw in some form of protein such as salmon or tuna, or sometimes black or kidney beans. Then I have some type of fruit with my salad. Usually apples that I buy from the cutest little Japanese lady, but sometimes some type of melon or berry depending on what's in season.
Then for dinner I usually have my lightest meal. Maybe a bowlful of steamed veggies from the market with or without some form of protein like chicken or fish.
And then sometime throughout the day I snack on something like yogurt or cottage cheese.
You will notice that I do not mention any bread. That's on the "bad food" list. See, I still play the game. Actually I love bread. That's the problem. Too much of anything that refined is not a good thing for me. So I always try to keep it real when it comes to food. By that I mean eat real food. You know, the way it comes from nature. The more it's processed the less nutritional value it has for you. And remember, getting nutrients is what eating is all about.
It's not that I don't think eating should be a form of pleasure, it's just that that shouldn't be the primary reason for doing it. And besides cooking and sharing a meal with someone has a lot more to do with who that someone is than what it is that you're eating, right?
A few other words of advice when it comes to food:
It's more about what you eat on a regular basis that counts. So an occasional brownie isn't going to kill you.
Go for fresh, colorful foods that don't come in a box or a can.
Front-load your meals. That means eat most of your food before 3 in the afternoon.
Reduce that amount of "white food" you eat. Stuff like white flour, white rice, and white potatoes. That's how you get that muffin top.
Throw out that scale in your bathroom. It doesn't matter what the number on it says. What really matters is how you feel.
And lastly, always remember beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes. And it's not who you are on the outside that counts, but who you are on the inside that's going to make a difference in this world.