what we choose to put into our bodies. the value of real food.

food, real food, what we choose to feed not only our bodies, but our souls too. eating well is a constant choice. it is a moment by moment, meal by meal decision, and there are two ways to approach it. 

1. i know this will fill me up and give me energy. this will give me protein and fiber and sustain me. i know this is good for my body so i'm going to do this for myself every time i sit down to the plate or bowl in front of me.

2. i know this will make me tired but i want it and i'm going to eat it. i'll deal with the consequences later. the "dealing with" becomes denial becomes a runaway train of bad decisions. 

what this really boils down to is: i love myself enough to do this for myself. or i don't care enough to do this for myself. 

my life has been hectic lately. that is putting it mildly. i let myself slip. with taking care of myself i let myself slip. this happens. but we can make the choice to stop slipping, screaming, fighting, and crying. 

we can choose to forgive ourselves the slip and move on. i try to practice what i preach. i know that for too long now i haven't been doing this. part of the reason i get extra angry with myself is that i know myself now. i'll explain. i know what makes me feel good and what doesn't. i know what situations bring me joy and which bring me stress. 

i know what makes a difference: walking at lunch, using salad plates instead of dinner plates, using plates that are pretty! like our bodies, meals should be treated with respect. drinking water from straws (i drink a LOT more this way so i do it), keeping water bottles everywhere: fridge, car, work, purse.

these are small changes that change a lot.

baby steps. then bigger steps. the hurdles of life then become less and less scary.

i know what i need to do to lose weight and have more energy. and i know that when i have too much going on i lose myself a bit.

i am a better person when i go to bed at 9:00, sometimes 8:00 at night. this makes getting up early a whole lot easier.
i am a better person when i take naps on saturday afternoons.
i am a better person when i pack healthy snacks for myself: bananas, green apples, almonds, string cheese, carrots and hummus.
i am a better person when i take the time to plan.
i am a better person when i stop filling myself with the need to help the world. 
i am a better person when i get the natural vanilla bean gelato instead of the sugar-loaded mint chocolate chip.
i am a better person when i spend less time on twitter and more deep in a new book, an old book, the sports section.
i am a better person when i say no to the fried chicken being served at a party. 
i am a better person when i remind myself that one thank you, but no thank you is all that is required.
i am a better person when i listen to myself. do i want this chicken? do i want this pasta? no, i want to feel better in my clothing. i want to have more energy to run. i want to look good in that swimsuit. 

i am a better person when i take the time to make real food: spinach, salmon with lemon juice, black beans, and green peppers. this took two minutes to put together and was delicious.

i am a better person with less on my plate, literally and metaphorically.