I watched a documentary on Saturday night called Hungry for Change. (You can watch the first 20 minutes online for free here, and it’s available for free on NetFlix.) While much of the information in the documentary was not “news” to me (e.g., Don’t drink Diet Coke! MSG is bad!), the culmination of all the information in the documentary was wonderful. I highly recommend it for a few reasons.
First, a big part of the film dealt with healing and treating your body from the inside out. Genius concept, I know. But really, how often do we think about it that way? How often to do we really view our body as a machine? Something to invest in? Something to nurture? We wouldn’t put doughnuts or beer in the gas tank of our car! We wouldn’t shove twelve tacos and a Diet Coke down our three-year old’s gullet (well, shame the hell on you if you do!)… so why do we do it to ourselves? A question, I had apparently not really asked lately.
Second, I enjoyed all the experts who “weighed in” with their knowledge. The guy from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (Joe Cross), Jamie Oliver, Jon Gabriel, and many more all were interviewed and provided a great backdrop for the bottom-line message:
Stop killing yourself with food. Heal from the inside out. Don’t put stuff in your body that your body has no idea how to digest.
As you guys know, I battle food addiction. (I know, it’s really all I talk about.) I have had some very eye-opening experiences over the past two weeks, that I will begin to share with you guys once I know that they have truly helped me and aren’t just warm fuzzies. This movie was a good addition to what I am learning about food, about my relationship with food, and how to change. I have been continuing to eat methodically and metabolically as Ilana has taught me, and it really is feeling more like “the way I do things” versus “this is a diet and it sucks.” I just eat this way now. At least, I try.
It was tough making cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday at school today. I was putting on that goopy, pink frosting, and I felt terrible for sending stuff to my kid’s stomach that was going to literally wreak havoc on her insides… and the weird part, this was the first time I truly cared. Not because I didn’t care, per se, but because I just hadn’t thought about the chemicals, the nastiness that bad food has. I always thought — it’s bad calorically; but I had never considered how bad the chemicals were for actual functions of the body.
Things have begun to change in our family, and I can only hope for progress… not perfection. But every little bit of progress is something.
If you are looking for some positive reinforcement, this film was a great place to start.
My wife’s interest in following you led me to begin following you as well. What you’re saying. . . and doing here is great. Over the past two weeks I’ve made the decision to lead a mostly (not completely) plant based diet. While my wife was on her training ride yesterday I took my kids for lunch at Moes. As I ate my tofu bowl, which was actually quite great tasting, I watched my 7 year old daughter eat a taco that was so greasy it made the shell fall apart and left orange colored grease dripping down her face and chin. I felt awful, like I was being selfish with myself and poisoning my children. I had them taste my tofu to show them that they’d like it. My realization is that I can’t focus on my health and ignore that of my children. Starting yesterday, although not all plant based, my children will be eating MUCH healthier as well. Junk is a treat, not multiple times a week!
Good for you! This is something that has really been on my mind as well as I figure out how to “make peace with food”. I can’t wait to hear about those other eye opening experiences.
I have been feeling this way, too, since reading Bob Harper’s book The Skinny Rules. Sure, it’s a book about losing weight, but it’s also a book about not eating chemicals and treating your body well. It’s not easy to get the whole family on board, though. Maybe I’ll check out this film.
I am so interested in how your mindshift translates to your children’s diets since I am currently struggling with this. I eat “clean” 99% of the time (no processed food or sugar) but I still feed my kids some of the food they ask for (eg frozen pizza) because it is what they want and will eat. I am transitioning their diet to a cleaner version but it is so tough. I hate polluting their bodies with that junk but at this point, they aren’t eating enough of the good stuff to sustain them solely. Please pass along any tips and tricks because this is hard!
Thanks. Reading this helped me say no to the yummy fudge a co-worker brought in and yes to another glass of water and some blueberries.
Great timing for me too. I’m really struggling with this. I will get there. I swear. And maybe I can clean up what my kiddo eats a little too, although I have to admit that he does ok for a four year old. Just a little heavy on the junk…… One day at a time.
It’s all about strategy – you can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you have the right strategies! Keep up the good work!
What a coincidence, I recently watched this movie too! It’s awesome and really does make you think about what you put in your body. Now, as always, the tough part is translating that knowledge into practice! I would also recommend the movies “Forks over Knives” and “The Gerson Miracle” – both available on Netflix and both addressing how foods can be healing.
Another great entry. Especially regarding what we allow our kids to eat. Just a suggestion for the next birthday party, make the cupcakes and icing from scratch. It’s really not much more time consuming and you can control the ingredients. I’m not a vegan, but I do own the “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World” cookbook (Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) and the recipes are quick and easy to throw together. Almost too quick and easy as I usually have everything I need lurking in my pantry to bake a batch at a moment’s notice! And I often do… 🙂 Oh – and yes – they are absolutely delicious!!!!
I get where you are coming from. I noticed that since i had kids, I really use eating as a form of relaxation. It calms me down after a long day of saying “no” or “do this” or “stop that”. I am such a laid back person but realize with kids you can’t say “whatever” because then the house will look like a scene from “Animal House”! I have to find other ways to relax. I used to work out at night for stress but I have a hard time sleeping. Even when I’m reaching for that package of cookies at the store, literally in my head I am saying it’s not a good idea but they land in the cart anyway. It’s going to be a huge mental change to think differently about food and why I eat. And unfortunately I’m one who always likes to be full; not stuffed but more than just satisfied. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!