I've always been interested in food.

...Wait, aren't we all? 

Let me start over.

I've always enjoyed eating. 

Eating when I'm happy.

Eating when celebrating.

Eating while driving.

Eating while watching TV.

Celebrating and well, eating.

Food is love.

Really,  food does equate love to some extent in our culture and I don't think there has to be any shame in that.  However, in the sea of "love" I somehow forgot to stop eating 

for just the love of it....

 and the important fact that Birthday cake should really only be enjoyed on the occasional Birthday.  

(Not because it was on the discount rack at Wal-Mart and 

LOOKED really good as a night time snack to go with my favorite show.)

It was easy.

Food was convenient.

The BEST food was food already processed and cooked and packaged.

Then one day, I realized the food I thought was bringing me such joy was really causing me pain, sickness, depression, and poor health.

I decided I COULD make better choices.  I decided that I SHOULD have a say in how my body felt. I needed to fuel it properly.  

Fast forward 10 years.

A marriage.

3 children.

A teaching career.

Life.

I started to fall back into my old ways.  I forgot how GOOD I felt when I choose whole foods to fuel my body instead of chicken nuggets from McDonalds.

All the THINGS I SWORE I'd never let my children eat (knowing they are junk)...

They were in fact (gasp) eating!

Soon, we were hitting the drive through up, eating boxed convenient "meals," 

and LESS and LESS real food.

I knew better.

I wanted better.

They ALL deserved better.

The husband, the 3 kids...

and ME.

I've been SO blessed to have the opportunity to learn and grow this year through Healthy U.  I'm especially grateful for all of the volunteers who are spending their time investing in my (our) health.  I want to share what I learn as I go.

Tonight we visited about Mindful Eating.

Mindful, meaning intentional.

Even though I was sure I was the only one there who had these horrible eating habits, it was ultimately not true.  We all shared in some of the same struggles:

Finding time to prepare.

Limited time to eat. 

Overwhelmed by choices, recipes, options.

Equating food with comfort (emotional eating).

Poor eating habits such as eating in front of the TV, on the go, or overeating.

I could relate to all of these.

I'm sure we all can.

We were challenged to be more mindful about our food choices and eating habits.

So, I invite you to begin being more mindful with your eating.

Try to check in with your self (is this a thing,...yes..I think so!)

Think about why you're eating, what you're eating. 

Find time to SIT and enjoy what you have prepared.

(if possible DO IT AS A FAMILY)

Remember, "Don't make change too complicated, just begin!"