Welcome to Stressed Desserts

Those that know me will likely think my writing this blog is a little unbelievable. No, really. There’s two parts to that statement, so let me get to explainin’.

First – I love food. LOVE. IT. I was basically born and raised in the kitchen, and don’t stray very far from it, food, or eating wherever I am at any given moment (yes, I even dream of eating.) I’ve got food on the brain even before I get out of bed in the mornings. I have centered my career(s) around it. I arrange road trips with friends and family to go eat in different cities, provinces, even countries – all to satiate my tastebuds. (Fact: I even hold the women’s record at my local chicken wing joint!) So what’s my problem, you’re wondering? My body can’t physically tolerate most of the foods that I love (which makes being a “selective eater” almost unbearable, at times!) Alleriges, intolerances, sensitivies, you name it – I’ve got it, and lots of them. It wasn’t always this way; when I was younger, there was a “no-holds barred” on anything and everything in my parents’ kitchens, and my body definitely showed it through a gamut of mounting physical issues that I chose to ignore. Until a few years ago, the gastronomic path that I followed was with eyes closed; when my body decided it had had enough, I then had to start figuring out why food was suddenly my enemy.

This leads me to my second point: More than anything else, every moment of every day I’m at the mercy of my emotions (understatement!) While it can be stated that we all are, I particularly have had a very hard time managing the various emotional highs and lows of my daily existence and human experience. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t making any kinds of connections when I was younger (except the connection between my mouth and whatever food was on my plate) and passively suffered mentally, emotionally and physically, as well as internally and externally. I felt awkward and disconnected – and socially, I alienated all those around me because I couldn’t control my personal “drama”. To try to pacify and comfort myself in all the highs and lows of my emotional rollercoaster ride, I ate – and continued the cycle until yet again, my body decided to stop the ride; it wanted off.

…Any of this sounding remotely familiar? And why is this important, in the first place? While we all believe and over-identify with things that we feel, the thoughts that we have, and the emotions that come up in any given moment – in truth, that’s not reality. Have you ever thought about how and why those thoughts, feelings, and emotions are shaped or coloured as “good” or “bad”, “negative” or “positive”? Amongst all the things we subject our body to, have you thought about how food factors into this equation, how certain foods do in fact make or break your moods, and how they impact your energy, your hopes, dreams, and decisions? Further, why you might react differently to certain foods, or why a friend or relative just can’t seem to get their act together to make better food choices?

Monday to Friday, I’m here to start the conversation and address the concept of ‘conscious’ or ‘mindful’ eating; as it ultimately creates the road for how you develop, and how your life has and will unfold, we’ll break down the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind what you eat and how it affects how you think and feel. I’ll continue to do my best to shed some light on food and what your body is telling you with every mouthful – and to help, to support, to teach, and to help you to make choices, potentially avoiding any hazardous (if not social life-threatening!) rollercoaster riding along the way. We’ll also talk about eating in relation to stress, sleep, guilt and other feelings; to help calm you down, even to prepare you for an exam. You can also expect to find nutrition and other lifestyle tips, with the occasional healthy recipe to help satiate your mind and your cravings. If there are any subjects you’d like to see discussed, feel free to let me know and leave a comment!

You are what you eat. What you eat makes you, literally. What you do in your life, the choices you make – those are all effected simply by how you choose to live – and how you choose to live starts with what you put into your body as fuel. The goal is for us all to become a little more aware of our bodies and the food we think we need – I’m still working on this, myself. As healthy progress and change start with one single step, I know we can all make that ‘best foot forward’ literally even better.