I eat pretty much anything. I’m not about to make a fuss, especially when people go out of their way to prepare me a meal. Despite my somewhat tumultuous relationship with food, I love a good meal shared in good company – that’s my idea of a good time. At my wedding (sometime in the distant future), the food will be what I spend the most on.
I fully believe you can appreciate – love, even – food without having an emotional relationship with it. That’s not to say that eating and emotions shouldn’t mix; they absolutely do. Carrot cake with cream cheese icing stirs up memories of my grandmother – it never fails to stir up feelings in me, and will forever remain my favourite cake. I have trouble eating crackers for the memory of devouring entire packs of them after school in high school – the discomfort of it all throws me off. My morning feels off without coffee.
Nowadays, I don’t eat my feelings. Mostly, I eat when I’m hungry; sometimes, when I’m not (stress zaps my appetite, and I will nibble somewhat at the few parties I go to). I have trouble recognizing when I’m full; I feel hunger signals clearly, but have more trouble distinguishing when I’m full. It’s something I’m working on. It’s nothing I plan on worrying about.
I’ve been paying attention to the way my body responds to my eating habits. A few observations:
– Wheat and oats give me relatively severe digestive cramps. Oats are worse than wheat, for some reason.
– Too much sugar and processed carbs make me feel ill while simultaneously craving more
– An excess of raw vegetables gives me digestive trouble
– I don’t need a huge amount of protein at every meal
– I feel best with four mid-sized meals a day (upon waking, during lunch break, after work, and in the evening)
– I enjoy desserts with a fruit component far more than those without
– I tolerate dairy well, but it might be causing me acne (I might experiment with an elimination period sometime)
– I feel best on a high-fat diet, including healthy amounts of saturated fat
– I need a moderate amount of starchy carbs in a day to ensure adequate energy and prevent hypoglycaemia
– Preferred starchy carbs: sweet potato, bananas, white rice
I find that paying attention to the way different foods affect me is extremely interesting. My primary motto when it comes to food is “Everything in moderation” (with the obligatory “Including moderation” following this – thank you, Oscar Wilde!). With this in mind, I don’t restrict my eating whatsoever. If I want dessert (always), or a bagel, or salad, I’ll have it. In general though, I eat in a way that makes me feel my best, savouring the less usual foods on the occasions they arise.
With that said, I’ll be enjoying my fair share of “treats” today. It’s Canada day, and we’re all feeling a little “extra-celebratory”. Happy first of July, everyone!
Northern demoiselle 