Nourishment *Recently Updated*

I love food. I really do. And I really, really enjoy healthy food. I have a passion for nutrition, which made my year of bingeing all the more painful. I’m full of knowledge about what a healthy, balanced diet is… but I still couldn’t live it fully. It took months and months of guilt before I finally realized that my bingeing was not a dieting issue, it was a depression issue. Getting over bingeing wasn’t about learning about nutrition… because I know all that. Instead, it was about having a healthier relationship with food and better managing my stress. Food should be about nourishing the body and soul, not about stuffing the soul and silencing your feelings.

A few words about how I eat:

• I love whole grains and rarely eat simple carbs. I love the taste and texture of things like whole grain pilaf, quinoa, oatmeal, and sprouted grain breads. But nothing beats some fresh, crusty baguette or grilled pita from time to time!
• I love fruits and vegetables and a big part of my diet is fresh produce. I probably eat a lot more fruits and vegetables than the average person. That’s not to say that I think I’m any healthier than anyone because of that, or that my diet is “better” than anyone else’s because of that. I just really enjoy fruits and veggies. I highly recommend going vegetarian/vegan at some point in your life, even if it’s only for a month or two. I 100% associate my love of produce with my time as a “veghead”. Once I went vegan, I had to fill my plate with something, and that’s when I fell head over heals with fruits and veggies. After having gone back to eating meat & dairy, my diet has noticeably more produce in it than my pre-vegetarian omnivorous days.
• I recently went from vegan to vegetarian to “omnivore”. I still stock soy milk in my fridge instead of cow’s and would rather cook up a veggie burger than prepare a beef patty. But I’m obsessed with greek yogurt. I eat it almost everyday love every bite every time. Plus, with 18g protein in 100kcal, it’s practically the perfect food. I also stock reduced fat cheese in the fridge and love chicken breast grilled or deli sliced style.
• I still think it’s really important to incorporate vegetarian protein sources in the diet often for variety, fiber, and important nutrients. I love beans, lentils, veggie burgers, nuts, seeds, nut butters, and the occasional tempeh. I haven’t eaten tofu since leaving the vegetarian lifestyle behind, and I do not mind. 😛
• I try to eat as naturally as possible. I read labels all the time and try to only pick up foods where all the ingredients are familiar to me. I only eat natural peanut butter (peanuts, salts, done.), I try to get organic hormone-free chicken when possible, and if it says “Sugar Free w/ Splenda” on the box, I don’t even consider it.
• I have a killer sweet tooth. I keep things like skinny cow vanilla sandwiches, hot cocoa, and jello low calorie pudding cups (yes, I just said no fake sweetener crap, but I pass on it 98% of the time.. and every girl needs her sweets). I usually eat a dessert every night, because I want to. 🙂
• I do not measure food or count calories. I’m trying to eat using my intuition and by taking cues from my body. I do not have a daily calorie limit. I don’t feel like any one day is the same as the day before. So why should I always expect to eat the same amount of calories? If I eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full, then I am satisfying my body, and that is what matters. Some days my stomach will growl more, and some days I’ll have barely any appetite. It all depends. But I’ll never force myself to eat or deny myself food when I am hungry.