I had a lot of conversations this week involving personal thoughts on food. It is so interesting how many of us view food as comfort. And also to share ideas about how we view food groups and the way we become accustomed to making our meals. What is also interesting is the psychology behind deprivation if one is to be told to not eat certain kinds of food.

Diet and health is definitely an evolution. I remember my very first exposure to holistic health was when I was in my early 20's with a very old Italian D.O.. He was a very kind old man with a life time of experience who said to me--,"you can't change what you are eating and doing over night, just--start." I felt excited and overwhelmed all at the same time.

Needless to say, it has been many years since then, and he was correct. Health is an evolution and it took many years for me to cultivate my eating and my thoughts about eating. And, while I do eat "everything"--I order freely at restaurants, and never worry about what someone is cooking at their home if I am invited over their home for dinner, there are things that I just....don't eat. However, I don't look at that as deprivation, I look at that as...choice. I choose not to eat certain foods that I view as unhealthy.

I think of food like this: "what will this food offer me in terms of nutrition". If the answer nothing, then I rarely eat it. That's the first thing. The second thing is that I think about the food groups I am eating so that I don't over eat starch--that is unless I have gone for dinner out and have a pizza, but then I balance it with veggies.

It does not bother me to not indulge in that store bought pie or chocloate cake-I can make my own healthy versions at my house. It definitely does not bother me to not drink beer or even alcohol for that matter beacuse I feel like the benefits that it offers me as a human being are so far greater than what would happen if I drank it regularly. It does not bother me to stay away from really fungal foods, I dont look at those as healthy either. Right or wrong, I have learned the things I have over all of these years and live my life by these lessons. I feel that it is a life sytle that I embrace and I feel privelaged not deprived.

People also say we spend a lot of money on water. But, I look at other families who spend that much and more on soda and juice and other drinks. What is more important than healthy water?  People say we spend a lot of money on buying organic food-but look at the money it saves in keeping your body more optimally healthy! People don't know what to do with you if you don't drink or smoke pot or do other things to get "relaxed" in social situations. But, we enjoy the feeling what we FEEL and think without having to be altered by other substances.

They say your body is your temple, and I try every day to treat it in that manner-Boaz and I both. This is how we lead our own personal lives and how we teach our children to eat. Children act on your example. They do what you do, not what you say. Teaching your children to be healthy is so important, and in my estimation, I think it will reduce the number of young adults who are having problems with substance abuse because they do not perceive it as something cool to do. It is so difficult to look back over the years and see how things could have been different had our parents known what we know. But, one can only change today and all the days that are coming.

Hopefully this post gives some insight that might help.

Dr.M & B