There are so many people that are prisoners to food. I was one of them. I thought I was just fine eating the way I did and in fact, I didn’t want to change. You can be thin and still not be healthy. After an annual check up a few years back I had a wake up call. I had a choice to make. Either change my lifestyle of eating or have to start taking medication. You see, heart disease runs rampant in my family. Thank goodness for a good friend who encouraged me to change my way of eating.
Can we eat whatever we want and be healthy? If that means living off of soda, cheesy fries, and hamburgers, probably not. When I was young I really didn’t have an understanding of what eating healthy looked like. My dad used to say, “If it tastes good, it’s probably not good for you and if it tastes bad then you probably should eat it”. I certainly understand his way of thinking, but thank goodness I’ve found that doesn’t have to be the case.
Choosing to eat healthier started by determining to do it. I had to come to a place where I was willing to give up some of my favorite things like Dr. Pepper, creamer for my coffee, ice cream, and a few other things. It was really hard at first. I didn’t want to give up my favorite “pick me up” snacks. But when I made the decision to do it, I realized I could. After a while I started to feel better and I didn’t crave those things any more. Now I enjoy my coffee black. My taste buds have changed. I crave icy cold water with freshly squeezed lemon now instead of Dr. Pepper. Confession: I used to not like to drink water at all.
There are great alternatives to snack on if you are willing to make them. I make my own ice cream (from frozen fruit) and chocolate shakes, and they taste amazing and are a much healthier choice. Check out my YouTube channel, The Ginger Optimist, for my easy-to-make ice cream and other recipes.
Do I always eat completely healthy? I wish I could say yes, but I don’t. However, I am doing so much better than I was a few years ago. I do allow a cheat day every now and then. Before starting to eat healthier my triglycerides were 198 and now they are 130. That’s a huge win for me.
I’m always looking out for healthy recipes to try at home. One of my favorite meals is salmon, roasted red cabbage, and spaghetti squash. You can go to TheGingerOptimist on Pinterest and find some of my favorite recipes. I will be adding more in the future.
We are what we eat. If you want to feel better, look better, and have more energy, you need to choose wisely what you eat. Many people have expressed to me that they can’t change. My thoughts are, “You can do whatever you set your mind to.” God gave us the ability to choose and that even means what we eat. Tired of being sick and tired? Start fueling your body with healthy smoothies, fresh salads with Olive oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled on top instead of a creamy ranch or blue cheese type of dressing. Want a yummy hamburger? Why not order it without the bun? You don’t have to change everything at once. Choose a couple of items to begin with and go from there. Do this for your health. Do this for your family. Do this for you. You are so worth it!
I recommend you find a like-minded community through Facebook or somewhere that you can be encouraged. Also, there a ton of great recipes on Pinterest.
One last note: Guard your thoughts. If you say you can’t stop drinking soda, you are setting yourself up for failure. Don’t say things like “I can’t lose weight” or “It’s to hard.” You just might be surprised what you can do when you set your mind to it. I believe in you! Let’s take this health journey together.
One of my favorite salads with organic spring mix, avocado, tomatoes, grilled chicken, mandarin oranges with Toasted Walnut Oil and Balsamic Vinegar as the dressing.
What are some of your favorite healthy recipes?
The GO! Kitchen 