Falling in line right behind yesterday’s blog, (and especially with the holidays coming; more on this topic in the days and weeks to come!) I wanted to acknowledge that the feelings that come up with indulging, or times when our resolve is weak, and the good ol’ self-discipline breaks down, those kinds of feelings are more than okay, and should be acknowledged for what they are, good and bad alike (period.) Acknowledging them and taking ownership of your action (verbally or not – but just doing so at all) will literally get them off your plate and to dissipate instead of allowing them to fester. Naturally, whether you know and adhere to it or not – good foods produce good feelings; the bad ones being the cause of poor thoughts and feelings; the opposite is also true – good or bad moods dictate the foods you ultimately choose, consciously and/or subconsciously (although I know it makes sense, this stuff isn’t common knowledge!) That’s the black and white of it – but regardless, what I’m saying is that whether a good or bad choice is made – regardless, accept the ones you make with your whole being!

Our emotions often dictate the majority our choices, and reflect how we feel about ourselves – better foods, better thoughts, better self-love (again – you know what the opposite side of the story is here.) The guilt, the shame, and the “shouldn’ts” that overwhelm most of us when or after eating or indulging (in anything, not just food) don’t actually exist in reality. I’m not sure where this judgement has stemmed from – except to point a massive finger (…the index, in this case) at the even larger concept of “society” (…also, it could definitely be cross-referenced with the same token group of fictitious individuals once labeled as everyone that jumps off said yet-to-be-pin-pointed bridge!) Further, with the wide variety of chemically-produced and preservative-laden artificial “non-foods” out there these days, our emotional rollercoasters are kept in operation longer than we need have the patience for, ultimately breaking down at the dips rather than the ascents (which is why we might stay in those unsavoury feelings, and find it harder and harder to feel better about ourselves, let alone that bag of chips we just finished.)

The whole point to eating and food used to be enjoyment. God forbid that we remember the true old-school notion of food as fuel. I know – shocking, isn’t it…? Our society has gotten so caught up in food as entertainment, as an event (and needing to do it 3 times a day, I might add) that it’s a wonder we have time for anything else, let alone to even just enjoy the simple meal that is set before us. Most often, we’re robbed of this experience – the enjoyment factor. Who decided that ‘fast food’ was a good idea? Unless you’re practicing to be a leading contender of the IFOCE, when did eating quickly become something to admire, to adhere to? When did the paper bag become preferable to sitting down at an actual table, with utensils and placemats and napkins? The point in all that is that if food is truly meant to be eaten and savoured – then as Nike says, JUST DO IT. Forget about the poor stigma that ice cream or candy has, forget about the amount of butter that’s in that sauce or the amount of fat that’s in that steak. Doing it for the sake of doing it, and enjoying and being appreciative of every mouthful – that’s what eating consciously is about. (…It’s even one of the tricks behind why French women can eat the way they do, truly!) Loving the food you eat shows appreciation and gratitude toward your body – filling it with that enjoyment (whether the food is bad or good for you, I might add) will help it do it’s job that much easier, that much better. So now that you’ve read all this – stop listening to everyone and feel good about yourself and your choices, plain and simple!