They say there are two types of eaters.
Those who eat to live.
Those who live to eat.
I didn't understand that until I got married.
I am by nature an "eat to live" lady. I grab the fastest thing and scarf it down just so I can check it off my list and basically not die. Bowl of cereal, PB&J (crunchy + grape all the way), random leftovers, handful of almonds. Done. Then I met Ryan. He definitely is a "live to eat" type of guy. He doesn't snack, he doesn't scarf, he waits until a meal is prepared where he can sit and savor. He's actually quite European in this manner. Eating is an event to be enjoyed. Our first few dates I felt like I had food revelation watching him eat. I thought he was eating slowly because he wanted to stretch out our time together. Nope. He just loves food. (Although, he really is one of the slowest eaters in the world. Sorry Love, but it's true.) My relationship with food after meeting Ryan went to a whole new level. I'm so grateful for that. I too begin to appreciate food and flavors and my palate opened to many new types of food to enjoy that I didn't know existed.
With the busyness of a new baby, we’ve eaten more fast food and sandwiches than I want to admit, and last week I had a draw-the-line, enough-is-enough, this-isn't-okay moment. The tipping point was a day where I constantly found myself saying ”I need ...” (caffeine, chocolate, Chick-Fil-A, a cookie... you get the idea.) My taste buds, cooking skills, and mental dialogue about food needed a reset so we decided for the month of October we’re going to be giving #Whole30 a go to fill our bodies and kitchen with REAL delicious, nutrient rich food.
If you don’t know what Whole30 is, here’s the overview :
No Grains
No Sugar
No Dairy
No Legumes
Does that sound like deprivation to you?
ME TOO.
Which is why I knew I needed to do this. The reaction I had to the thought of not having sugar for a month proved I needed to do something like this. I don’t want eating nutrient rich food to feel like a terrible, dreaded thing. Eating healthy food is a PRIVILEGE many around the world don’t have.
Please note, this is not a forever thing. I very much plan on bringing my favorite cheesy dishes and sweet desserts back into my life. But I want to train my brain that healthy food isn't to be the last thing on my list when I think of "what should I eat".
Ryan and I are about a week in and yes, we’re already mourning our cheeseburgers and carbs but it‘s just 30 days. We can do it! We control our lives, not our appetites. (Well, actually Jesus controls our lives but you get the idea here.) Sometimes it's good to tell yourself no. So cheers to doing things that are uncomfortable. I hope this inspires someone to evaluate their patterns with food. Food should be a privilege, not a prison. ***Don't forget, The Cirkles are cheering you on!