I just returned from vacation in Florida. It was wonderful--beautiful weather, warm water and sun! I could have stayed there until the hot, humid weather drove me off!
I would like to share an interesting anecdote with you. One of the things I love about staying at the beach is having our meals outside within view of the gulf. Last week, every time we ate outside, we were stalked by giant seabirds! First it was a blue heron that the locals have named Charlie and later it was a great white egret. |
Quick quiz--say the answers aloud:
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We figured that someone must be feeding these birds for them to be hanging around so near to us while we ate. My neighbor who is a retired veterinarian once told me that people do a great disservice to the wildlife when they feed it food that is not part of a healthy diet for that species. In particular he was referring to ducks and geese that people in my neighborhood feed with bread. Bread can give a goose or duck a fungus that can eventually kill them. In this instance, herons and egrets eat fish--not bread. |
One afternoon, I came back from the beach to find someone feeding the egret some bread. I mentioned to the guy feeding the egret the bread that they don't eat that--to which he replied, "Well, tell him that!"
Do you eat what is convenient without making a conscious choice?
The thing about the egret is that if the man had not provided the bread, the egret would have stuck to its healthy diet. I think that people are the same way. Think about it--If someone hadn't come up with junk food, you would have never eaten it! Right?
What do you consider food?
When I was younger, I didn't eat what I now consider a healthy diet. I ate what many consider the Standard Amercian Diet (SAD). I ate white bread, boxed cereals, american cheese, Doritos, etc. About 25 years ago I got a systemic fungus known as candida and I needed to stop eating junk, bread, sugar and even fruit and was on an incredibly strict diet to restore my health. I didn't understand then how much my diet was impacting my health. I think that most of you don't understand it either because we are all used to eating what is placed in front of us or packaged for us at the grocery store rather than making a conscious choice.
Human beings are meant to eat real food!
The thing about the egret is that if the man had not provided the bread, the egret would have stuck to its healthy diet. I think that people are the same way. Think about it--If someone hadn't come up with junk food, you would have never eaten it! Right?
What do you consider food?
When I was younger, I didn't eat what I now consider a healthy diet. I ate what many consider the Standard Amercian Diet (SAD). I ate white bread, boxed cereals, american cheese, Doritos, etc. About 25 years ago I got a systemic fungus known as candida and I needed to stop eating junk, bread, sugar and even fruit and was on an incredibly strict diet to restore my health. I didn't understand then how much my diet was impacting my health. I think that most of you don't understand it either because we are all used to eating what is placed in front of us or packaged for us at the grocery store rather than making a conscious choice.
Human beings are meant to eat real food!
Now, although I still eat some organic chips and salsa at times, I no longer eat Doritos with MSG and GMOs. I aim to cook most meals from real food and to include a healthy variety of colorful veggies. To the left is a meal I made in Florida for lunch one day, containing only real food. Note that real food is food in its most natural state. |
Although this meal looks fancy, it really involves nothing more than chopping up a lot of veggies. It was the end of the week and I was trying to use up all of the veggies. The main course salad is sautéed chicken breast over a green salad with sweet peppers, kalamata olives, avocado, radishes, some left over chickpea salad and parmesan cheese. The side dish is a quinoa tabouli. It was the perfect meal for a hot Florida day. I made enough tabouli to last a few meals. We even had it with eggs the morning that we left.
Tip: Take photos on your phone of your meals for a few days...
- Look at what you are eating.
- Do your meals look like real food to you?
- What can you add in or change to move closer to eating real food?
A healer once told me that all positive, sustainable change and healing is a gradual process. It never occurs overnight. So what is your next step in improving your diet? I assure you, you do not want to end up like the egret--eventually filled with regret, by not making healthier choices!
Have a great week!
Lots of Love,
Karen
Have a great week!
Lots of Love,
Karen
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