Posts Tagged ‘healthy eating’

In our world, “diet” has become a four-letter word, a dirty word connected to deprivation and starvation.  But did you know that the word “diet” comes from the Greek word, diaita, which means “way of living?”

Hhhmmmm….something to think about!

What if you believed, “healthy body healthy mind” and diet didn’t just refer to losing weight?  What if, it wasn’t a go-to plan that was implemented only when pants fits too snugly or the scale began its upward creep?  What if, instead of deprivation, you began to embrace diet from its true meaning…a way of living…a way of life….a way to live?  What if, you could use your mind to support your goals?

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Reading a story on the Yahoo home page today reminded me of a funny-not-so-funny story that happened to me a few months ago.

As a (98.5%) vegetarian, I am always looking for protein sources that at one time or another didn’t have a momma. I was visiting a local grocery story that I normally don’t frequent, in search of tofu (“do soybeans have momma’s”? my then 5 year old once asked). After making a concentrated effort to locate it on my own, I gave up and asked for help.

You would have thought that I asked for snitzerpickles or seaweedsurprise or something just as crazy. She clearly didn’t have any idea what tofu was. You would have thought I had suddenly grown two heads or had a protruding eyeball from the look I received after attempting to explain what tofu is and what it consists of.  Her gag reflex was juuuuust at the point of gagging when another sales clerk arrived upon the scene.

Guess what?

Same thing happened with clerk number 2. And number 3.

By then, I’m trying very hard not to laugh and am proud of myself for not launching into my best “California Valley Girl” voice (I live in East TN remember). Then, the manager saves the day. Yes…he has heard of tofu and yes, they have some in the produce section and he will be happy to assist me in locating it. And he did….to the one lonely block of tofu gracing the section.  Sigh.  You know I HAD to buy it, right?

As funny as this story is…to me anyway…I remembered it when I read the yahoo story. The story speaks about how certain communities simply don’t have the resources to empower their residents to choose healthy. Some communities don’t have biking trails. Some don’t have health food stores. And, yes, some don’t have tofu.  Yet fast food resides on every corner.

With limited resources, what’s a community to do?  Read here what some communities are doing to curb the growing trend of obesity and disease. I find it heartening to know that there ARE actions being taken to create healthier communities.

And…I find it heartening that that same grocery store now has a selection of four different types of tofu. See…one person can make a difference….(grin).

Luckily, I always have other protein sources on hand so that I don’t have to get funny looks from sales clerks. In my purse, at all times, are Medifast meal replacements. As a busy mom, I’m always on the run. Having meal replacements keeps me (and my kids) eating healthy when greasy burgers would otherwise become the only other option. I’m a tremendous fan of meal replacements, whether you are actively losing weight or working to keep it off. Check out my favorites here.