Putting the Pieces Together
This might just be my proudest moment.
Yes, really. What you’re seeing is me, in front of a plate stacked with all the Thanksgiving foods - turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, even stuffing! This was the first Thanksgiving of my life where you’d see any of those things on my plate. The year before, I’d have some pasta with butter and salt, with a buttered roll or maybe a plain baked potato with butter on the side.
I was an extremely picky eater well into my twenties, and I really believed that refined carbs and some butter was all I’d ever eat for dinner.
But over time, I started to feel that the way I was eating was out of alignment with the way I wanted to live. A free 30-day yoga challenge I did on a whim led me to daily workouts and meditation, my group fitness certification, and a more mindful approach to my life. And in taking that approach, I was starting to feel like my diet just… didn’t fit in. I wanted to take better care of my body and the environment, and I knew that the way I was eating wouldn’t do that.
So in 2020, I made a life-changing New Year’s Resolution. Now, I’m normally NOT a fan of big resolutions, since they can make us feel stressed and are difficult to keep (raise your hand if you’ve made the same New Year’s Resolution multiple years in a row!). But I decided I was going to either eat or cook a new food every. single. week. And what I discovered changed my perspective around food.
No, I didn’t lose any weight. I still suffered from anxiety, and I was still slightly anemic but otherwise in good health. I wasn’t bursting with newfound energy or sporting glowing skin. I didn’t get any of the things I felt like I had been “promised” by the diet and wellness industry, which is constantly coming up with new ways to package a system that, at its heart, is about getting skinny.
Instead, I developed a deeper relationship with eating. I was able to cook for myself (beyond boiling a pot of water or microwaving a baked potato), and in doing so I started to see how food could be transformed by the simple work I was doing in the kitchen, and how good it felt to care for myself through food. I started cooking with my mom, swapping recipes, and sharing photos of our latest creations, deepening my relationship with her and creating room for more connection. I was finally able to venture beyond Italian restaurants with my boyfriend (a big foodie!), and taste new and interesting things together. Food became more than just a mindless reaction (hunger leads to pasta) and grew into an experience of nourishment and connection to myself and those around me.
Mindset is a really powerful thing. So while you may not be a super picky eater like me (though if you are, let’s talk!), you are likely here because you don’t feel in control and at peace in your relationship with food. But food, movement, and mindfulness are literally made to nourish you - so let’s find the joy.
