One of the top New Year’s resolutions is always to eat healthier. And yet one look at the USA population in particular and you know we’re not doing that. We can’t improve unless we know WHY this happens. So, let’s look at what’s keeping us from eating our best.
Every year at the holidays, I give myself an out because I know I won’t be eating my normal level of healthy meals. In fact, several meals I won’t even be the cook so how can I be responsible for what I’m eating?
Then at the end of December, I feel awful and vow to go back to a Whole30 to reset. When that turned out to be more difficult this year, I started digging deeper to find the reasons.
Tradition
Tradition in southern USA households is to have black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day to guarantee a prosperous New Year. Old wives’ tale/superstition for sure, but tradition for me. My family likes to have our peas in Hoppin’ John soup (shoutout Leanne Ely at savingdinner.com for a fantastic recipe in this book), which unfortunately for my January Whole30 includes not only legumes but also rice.
I did include compliant sausage and didn’t eat the sweet cornbread so at least I was mindful! But did I REALLY need to eat this meal on what I had promised myself would be the first day back to eating better and feeling better?
Frugality
One of my favorite childhood meals was Pigs in a Blanket…a beef/bacon recipe made in the pressure cooker. I LOVED the tomato/onion gravy it made and would eat bread smothered with that gravy as long as it was left.
I made this meal for my daughter-in-love’s birthday and was still eating the leftover gravy on bread into the New Year (though I knew I shouldn’t). Why did I keep on? Because it was there, and it would be wasteful to throw out food.
Similarly, there were two servings of the Hoppin’ John left over. I sent one with my husband for lunch but ate the other one myself…on what would have been the 2nd day back to better eating. Why? Because it was there, and it would be wrong and wasteful to just throw it away.
Here’s where Gretchen Rubin would call my bluff and say those were false choices (if you don’t know her work, you really need to read her book Better Than Before to get the whole picture).
There was another option I didn’t acknowledge. I don’t live alone. My husband certainly could have eaten the gravy as well as the last serving of soup. I didn’t HAVE to throw it out. I needed to know WHY I had to eat it myself.
WE keep ourselves from eating our best
Let’s be honest, I wanted that gravy. It was my favorite childhood food! And I love that soup…very fond memories of eating it on New Year’s plus it pleases me to honor tradition and offer my now-grown son one of his favorite foods. So, I guess I ate that one for emotional comfort.
But is “because I wanted it” the answer to helping ourselves eat better and thus FEEL better physically? Of course not! But it takes some thought and negotiating with yourself to face the options.
First, let me be very clear…that soup recipe isn’t unhealthy. In fact, Leanne is very careful about making sure her recipes are good fuel for your body. It simply doesn’t follow the rules of Whole30. I made a promise to myself I would reset with Whole30 in January, and I broke my promise. That was the only thing bad about that meal.
What about the gravy and bread? I could still have the GRAVY as it was Whole30 compliant (see here for how I make it that way). So, this morning, I put it over eggs and ate the rest like soup. It was just the bread I shouldn’t have. And I really shouldn’t as gluten isn’t my friend.
What’s keeping you from eating your best?
Which holds you back? The tradition of certain foods at certain times? Feeling like you’d be wasteful to not finish something that didn’t serve your body well (particularly when it might serve others better)? Or just simply the fact that you WANT that food that doesn’t make you feel your best?
In case you don’t know this, YOU are WORTHY of having food fuel your body properly and leave you feeling strong and capable for all the activities of your life. I’m back on track for my healthier eating. Is there some way I can help you with yours? Let me know in the comments below. I’m on YOUR team!
