J500 Media and the Environment

I absolutely love brownies, especially when they are soft and gooey.  Man, they are delicious!  Even though I love brownies, I consider them more-or-less a “bad” food.  I tend to do this with a lot of different foods, that is labeling them either “good” or “bad.”  In my mind, I think of bad foods as offering no nutritional value.  I think of “good” foods as those that give way to a full feeling without packing on calories.

Because I have this mindset, I tend to stay away from foods that I have labeled as “bad” foods.  However, slip ups are inevitable.  You always want what you can’t have and in my case, these are “bad” foods.  I can only say no so many times to pizza, cookies, brownies, you know name it.  But then, it comes too much.  I don’t know if this has ever happened to you, but When I want to eat something so bad, but I know I shouldn’t, that one food begins to take over my mind.  That forbidden food is my only thought.

Instead of allowing myself a little piece of brownie, or what have you, when I want one, I may eat 2 or 3 after so many times of saying I won’t allow myself to have any.  The aftermath of eating a few brownies as opposed to one is uncomfortableness and sometimes guilt.

I can recall some early morning shows that blatantly say that “this” food is good and “that” food is bad.  The “good” food category in my head has been easier and “safer” to eat than my “bad” food category of food.  I am also a fan of Cosmopolitan Magazine, but I was not a fan of this article called “13 Healthy Foods That Make You Fat.” They failed to acknowledge that you can still eat these foods in moderation.

The categories of “good” and “bad” foods began to take a tole on my everyday life.  These two categories began to consume my everyday thoughts.

There is too much of life going on for food to be the only thing controlling a person’s life.  I finally realized that I needed to dramatically change my thinking, which would then change the way I lived my life.

I found out the tools I needed to start on my journey of a different thought process.  I started seeing a nutritionist whom at first I was reluctant to believe anything she was saying.  She made me write down a list of “good” foods and “bad” foods.  She then proceeded to tell me that there are no such thing as “bad”  or “good” foods.  My first thought was, “This is a conspiracy!”

However, after more sessions with my nutritionist, I began to see that there was no difference between “good” and “bad” foods.  No one should have to deny themselves a food that they like.  I learned that having a few bites of something that you are hungry for will prevent a major craving for in the future.

Since going through this experience, I have thought about the way I ate when I was a little kid.  I realized that no one really taught us in school how to eat.  For me, I think it would have been very beneficial to have some sort of nutrition class once a week in elementary schools.  The way I would see it bringing in a nutritionist or dietician and teaching kids how to get the nutrition they need as well as how to eat the foods they like in moderation.

I have totally transformed the way  I think and feel about food and can now enjoy the foods that I choose to eat.  It has definitely been a learning experience, but I think it has been the most rewarding and positive journey I have taken thus far.  I highly suggest to set up an appointment with a nutritionist or a dietician.  I think you will find that your eyes, and mouth, will be opened.

-Tess H.