Habits

Before the holiday weekend, I posted a small section from John Robbins' book The Food Revolution. What I posted struck me personally, the more I read it. We grow up eating a certain way, thinking a certain way, and living a certain way. Day after day, year after year we develop habits that stick with us and become part of our identity. Some of these habits are positive and health-promoting. Some... not so much. Habits are very difficult to break, especially the yummy, sugary ones. It can take a profound shift in thinking to change a habitual pattern, certainly when it comes to food.

On our recent trip back to the east coast, I was struck (as I always am) with the difficulty of changing my eating habits. Let's face it, New York and New Jersey have some of the greatest tasting food options in the country, many of which I grew up eating and enjoying. There is nothing on the planet like a slice of pizza from Sal's or a salt bagel with cream cheese from Ronnie's. (Moose Tracks ice cream from the Tuck Shop also comes to mind). My grandmother's various and assorted pies are so delish and make me long for my childhood when we go home to visit family. And that's just it... Thinking about all these delicious foods makes me think of more than just what they taste like. They give me a sense of identity. Believe me, living in Kansas, I just love boasting of the east coast's fantastic regional treats--bagel shops, diners, pizzerias. When I think this way, I realize that more than anything, these foods help me connect to where I grew up and am proud to have come from. There is such an emotional connection to food, and this is where a lot of people have problems. These foods comfort us, as John Robbins says, when the world may not be there for us. Several months ago, during a particularly stressful time for our family, I gave up the vegetarian lifestyle for a month because I felt like I needed the comfort of, for example, a cheesesteak. Food can provide much needed emotional comfort... or it can also just, well, taste awesome.

When you get away from the habits of eating sugary, fatty foods, however, you can become more clear. Your thinking becomes more clear and the overall feeling of well-being helps you sever your emotional connection to food. I'm not saying you have to be perfect (God knows, I certainly am not when it comes to eating!). You just have to try the best that you can to value yourself through what you put into your body. Realize that (if you are eating to "comfort" yourself) those foods are not going to do it in the long run. Just some food for thought...