Words and Art by David Finley. Photo by Nicole Finley
I've been eating healthier lately and changing my relationship with food. I've even lost ten pounds over the last month and a half. As I've mentioned in previous articles, one of my stress coping mechanisms has been to take comfort in yummy delicious food. But, things in my life have calmed down enough for me to be a little more responsible in my eating choices.
Of course, I've been taking the usual approach of eating more vegetables and fruits, monitoring my protein intake, and reducing my sugars, but this time around I wanted to be a bit more balanced. That means on most days, I eat more things like cauliflower and green beans while pizza and pasta wistfully wave to me in the distance, but I do indulge from time to time without guilt. It's not all about health food and deprivation, nor is it just about weight loss results.
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| Some Foods Don't Always Have the Best Intentions |
In the past, when I would decide to diet, it would involve a strict regimen of nutrition observation, carb + sugar reduction, and calorie monitoring. It worked really well and I would even shed ten pounds in as little as a week sometimes, which stomps the pants off of my current weight loss trends.
I think, however, that approach is all very modern American. European countries like France, Greece, and Italy, although not perfect in dietary choices and health tend to have a more, for lack of a better term, "loving" relationship with their meals. The food isn't there for a quick thrill. There is a ritual of courtship, where time is taken to enjoy and respect the food for what it is, and meals are enjoyed more often at dinner tables than on sofas.
So, I've committed myself to eating good food. No more scarfing down a hotdog on the run without even tasting it. I am pledging myself to respect my food more, to exercise restraint, to put together meals with higher quality ingredients, and to slow down my meal times to better savor what is plated in front of me.
Thanks for reading! I would love to read any good recipes that anyone has. Also, if you haven't please consider following my Visual Art of David Finley Page on Facebook. There's a link to it on the right side of my page and of course, I would greatly appreciate it.
-Dave, Grand Poo-bah of Scofflaws
