You’ve probably heard the saying, “Eat to live, instead of live to eat.” Well, that has always been one of those anecdotes I thought sounded cute and catchy, but one that I definitely do not live by. However, today, something we heard in church caught my attention, and I believe my world is about to change in a big way.
The Lord has brought people into my life throughout the years who have taught me new and healthier ways of eating. Starting about 4 years ago, my husband and I researched a few different things we were hearing from some friends of ours, and took the plunge into sea salt and fructose. A little while later, we abandoned the fructose for honey and raw sugar, and added in whole wheat. In the past 4 years, we have slowly made subtle, healthier changes to what we eat, but still many of the things we eat make us unhealthy.
For instance, I have a serious soda addiction. A friend of mine with the same addiction says she feels like an alcoholic when it comes to soda. I do not disagree. For her, it is a means of putting pep in her step and getting through her day. For me, it is a means of disengaging from my day and unwinding. And for both of us, the thought of doing away with soda seems daunting. The STUDY on caffeine and miscarriages was enough to cause me to buy caffeine-free soda, but I know deep down that soda isn’t good for me no matter what form it takes. I was reading through Mrs. Catherine’s blog, when I came across her weight loss tips…one of which being, “Eliminate colas-even the diet ones. They are full in sugar and are empty of any nutrition. Your body can not use any of it.” It was yet another epiphany…one of those “duh” moments if you will. I knew that, but I needed someone else saying it, for me to really consider leaving soda behind.
My husband…Mr. Willpower himself, does not have this soda issue. He quit drinking the stuff 17 years ago, and hasn’t had one little sip since. His food issues are more a matter of sweets, eating out, and quantity. I cook very few convenience foods, but I bake a lot. I make sweets a lot. Therefore, we all end up eating…you guessed it…A LOT. My husband has many business trips and lunch meetings that require him to order off a menu full of super-sized portions and not-so-good-for-you choices. All this, along with a job that has him sitting in an office or in a car, has brought him to a place where he wants to live healthier, eat healthier, and be healthier.
Once again, God has placed people in our life who are teaching us about healthier eating, though I’m not sure they even knew we were listening. There is a family at church who’s joy is utterly contagious. They have been so good to us throughout our baby’s illness because they have been there; they know the agony of watching a child endure multiple surgeries. During our hospital stay, they brought us healthy snacks. These were not cardboard rice cakes and other tasteless delicacies, these were unbelievably yummy organic, healthy foods. I found myself asking questions on what types of foods would help our daughter recover. I listened for every tidbit of information I could get. I soon realized that our semi-healthy eating was really not as healthy as we liked to tell ourselves it is. We needed to do more…we needed to be more proactive. None of this did our friends ever say to us outright, or even imply…it is something I concluded myself as I listened and learned.
So, onward and forward…time to make some new changes…more drastic ones this time. Ones that help us to leave those “living to eat” days behind. Ones that will hopefully teach us to EAT TO LIVE.
Amy @ Raising Arrows says
Baby is doing great! She has a weight check on Thursday, so we hope to be able to see in numbers the improvement she has made.
MamaArcher says
Making my rounds, I have been lax in doing so as we have had illness around our house. I hope all is well!!>Kristine >http://www.mamaarcher.com
Inglesidemom says
Blessings as you embark on this new thing. And I TOTALLY get the soda addiction, too. >>How is the baby doing?>>Jen
KathyG says
Amy, dear…I’m so sorry to hear of your sweet Emily’s death. My heart is so broken and sad for you. We know she’s in the presence of our Saviour who loves her the most, but I cannot imagine your deepest sorrow. Praying for you and crying…love and hugs, KathyG from momys.