Food Philosophy

Though my food philosophy is still evolving, there are a few key things that have shaped it.  In 2005, my mom began seeing a trainer, Marc, on occasion. It was due to his insights that I began to become obsessed with learning about fitness and health. This is when I started thinking of food as fuel and about its power to change the way our body’s function and behaved instead of merely calories in – calories out. I began researching everything I could about nutrition and fitness, then about organic foods. That same year I delivered a persuasive speech to class about why people should go organic.

As I began to read more novels and studies, my nutrition habits changed and my body reacted differently in response.

It began with…

Then came…

As it stands today, I currently do not eat any meat unless I am positive that it is the ‘grass-fed, cage-free whole bit’, free of antibiotics, and lived a happy and healthy life. I only eat meat on occasion, but when I do, it must meet these requirements in order for me to feel good about what I’m putting into my body. This means often having to buy it directly from the farm. (woo local economy!) I have not yet applied this to all fish, but its something I hope to phase out in the future. (though I don’t think I can ever give up crab. I am a true Marylander at heart, hon)

I also try my best to never drink milk or eat cheese made with rBST (bovine growth hormone). I try to buy local and organic, but I’m not perfect and sometimes convenience wins out. There are times when regular milk makes it into my coffee or a conventional tomato appears on a sandwich. I don’t beat myself up for this, just like I wouldn’t regret having fried food on occasion.

What I eat is not only an ethical decision. I eat it cause it tastes good. I just so happen to like vegan cheeses and faux meats. Sometimes I do not realize it till the end of the day that everything I ate was vegan or vego.

I feel the best when I take care of my body. I eat the foods that make it feel best. Fried foods are often accompanied with headaches, and sugar-free foods result in stomach pains. On the contrary, avocados make my taste buds happy and my hair shiny and mushrooms give me good ‘ol vitamin D.

Our bodies can tell us a lot and I believe we should respect it and treat it accordingly. (That sounded very yogi, no?)