Sleeping Dogs Lie

I like food. I like the fat, the gluten, the sugar, the carbs, the salts, the whole nine yards! I enjoy my fair share of burgers, and I don't shy away from ice cream. I'm not saying I'm addicted, or that I go over board. I just think that there is something to be said for food that tastes good. I see no problem in people wanting to eat healthier. I have no problem with my friends who are vegan, or my friends who are stout believers in the Atkins diet. I just think that we put WAY too much thought into the food we're eating. People are borderline obsessed with it! Not the good " oh my goodness this is delicious I've got to figure out how to make this!" kind of obsessed. I'm talking about the kind of obsession that takes the fun out of food. Yes, I know, it's rather incredible that there could be fun in food. Just trust me on this one;there really is. Most of us can agree that we enjoy eating over being hungry. We like the way it feels when our bellies are full. Some of us have adverse reactions to certain foods and feel "sluggish" or "icky" after. I am always amazed when I start talking about my favorite Hamburger joint that I get interrupted with an "oh yeah, I can't eat that stuff. I just feel so disgusting inside. I mean, how could you put that in your body?!". . . really? seriously? I'm raving about how much I LOVE the place and you're going to try to make me feel guilty? ( as a side note I've been known to respond to stuff like that with a " how could you NOT put this in your body?!!") I just think that people need to back the heck up on the fad train here and respect people's taste buds. I'm not asking you to 'actually' go try this place. I'm not telling you that you'll spend the rest of your life regretting having never been. Ok I might tell you that, but I don't care if you don't go. It's no flavor off my palette! I am a fan of eating what feels good. I will go for weeks in the summer eating nothing but vegetables. I will eat fatty fried foods for a few days in the winter when I'm feeling extra cold. Reality is that if you listen to your body you're usually going to be just fine. Most of the "health problems" related to food come from an obsession with denying what is needed for the body to function. there are certain amino acids you NEED, there are lipids, and carbohydrates you NEED. Then there is the rest of it. Learning to feel hungry for a food and recognize what you're NEEDING is part of being a balanced person. I'm aware that I don't NEED a burger every time I crave one. I'll be a hot mess if you tell me I shouldn't eat one ever again though. I'm using common sense with my bodies communication system to recognize that I need lipids. COMMON SENSE. I know it's incredibly mystical and all, but I swear it works. You don't even have to be a nutritionist, or have a Phd to know how it works. Seriously! People tell me that nothing curbs the appetite like a salty snack of fries. well, uhm… salted peanuts do. My mom used to eat those dry roasted almonds with light seasoning. Though believe me I will be the first to grab my car keys if we haven't had fries in a while and you make the suggestion.

I bring all this up because people keep commenting on how I'm "not that big" for being 7 months pregnant. I mentioned that I paid attention to what I was eating. I've been able to stick to the 25 recommended pounds. Meaning I've got 2.5 months to go, and I've still got 8lbs to gain. I feel like I'm doing alright. I could be more active, yes, but I chose to focus on what I'm putting in. Paying attention and using common sense. Though I don't obsess over the newest craze diet, or health scare. I eat vegetables, I eat proteins, I even enjoy over loading on sugar and then talking my husband into going for ice cream sundaes. I'm a fan of food! All kinds of food! I think that eating meat is a good thing. I like my saint louis style ribs. I like my burgers. I like Hot wings, and I LOVE my mothers pot roast. I love apple pie, and cream puffs, and doughnuts, and deep fried apple fritters. I love strawberry and spinach salad, and fruit kabobs, and grilled nectarines with brown sugar and butter glaze. I absolutely LOVE food! I think a healthy human being is not a size, but a feeling. Healthy people feel alive. If what you're eating makes you hate life. . . dude, change the meal plan. If what you're eating makes you want to enjoy the people and the world around you; Keep it up shoog! You've got a good thing going. Bottom line is that food should be a part of LIVING, not a part of surviving until our next birthday. I will go to my grave having enjoyed that butter on my toast regardless of what you say it's doing to my cholesterol. Why? Because food is awesome.