Little by Little

Food and exercise are on my mind a lot because after the holiday season, I am recommitted to my fitness goals and hoping to slim down a bit more. 

Wow!-- I'm so original, aren't I?  Trying to slim down in the new year-- who has ever thought of that before?

Last night I began watching a health documentary on Netflix called Hungry for Change.  It focused on the addictive qualities of most processed foods we Americans eat in a regular diet.  Of course it was TRUE... and disturbing and frightening and depressing and induced me to make oaths of things I will never eat again.  Abe was listening in and swore to give up the Diet Coke and even went so far as to pour it down the drain. 
Hooray for us!   We're going to be healthier!!! 

This is the latest in several such health documentaries I've watched over the past couple of years, including Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, Forks Over Knives, and Food Inc.  After watching each one I am determined to make big changes.  Down with refined white flour!  Down with aspartame!  Down with MSG!  Down with soda pop!  Down with chicken and beef! (unless it's locally and organically raised)  Down with gluten! 

I am going to revolutionize my diet!!  TOMORROW!!!

I get up the next day and have oatmeal with a bit of honey.  Sadly it is not raw honey,  (that's supposed to be the really good stuff, right?) but it is honey and not brown sugar so I did well.  Then it's lunch time and I'm in a quandary.  I have no idea what to eat and I know I will have a riot on my hands if I try to feed my children anything weird.  I'm stuck.  So I make the kids sandwiches and then I grab a handful of almonds and a banana and some low fat cottage cheese and that's a pretty healthy lunch.  If I'm feeling adventurous I'll make a green smoothie (complete with spinach) and bribe children to try some.  Dinner is an even bigger dilemma.  I'm quite certain a casserole made from Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup is not on the "list of approved foods".  I'm sure it qualifies as a "food like substance".  After about 2 days of revolutionized eating I'm exhausted. 

As you can guess, I have not fully implemented any of these changes.   I think I should.  I totally believe my family and I would be healthier, but I haven't.  And yet I keep watching these documentaries.  I keep learning new things and my knowledge about healthy eating increases.  And although my progress is slow, little by little I am making changes.  Baby steps.  Baby steps to more whole grains.  Baby steps to more vegetables.  Baby steps to less processed food.  Baby steps to the elevator.