"Food is love and it's sexy & delicious. No willpower is needed. Just a desire to eat a variety of quality food, eat wisely, in moderation, and don't give it so much attention as far as worry goes. Food is meant to be enjoyed in a respectful and delectable way. It's not a cause to feel guilty, to abuse, to assuage emotions. It is meant to fuel our bodies and to be enjoyed - pure and simple."
Above is an entry I made in my journal while staying in Firenze last May. I recently came across it, almost by accident, but I know there are no accidents and I needed the reminder. Here in the U.S. we have a love/hate relationship with food. We put so many rules around it...what to eat, what not to eat...what is good...what is bad...We then eat it all and feel guilty about it, beat ourselves up, and get angry about it. I think this takes away from the very simple rule that we should all follow: eat a variety of good quality food and do so in moderation. Period. I realized during my stay in Italy that even though I was eating prosciutto, cheese, meat and drinking lots of Prosecco and vino, I was losing weight. The inflammation in my body ceased so much that my shoes and rings were big on me! In doing some research, talking to people, and paying close attention, I realized that all of the food I was eating was seasonal, coming from local resources. It wasn't flown in from far away lands. It was grown locally, thus reducing the need for pesticides, antibiotics, preservatives, etc...
I've tried to maintain that back here in New York City. I am fortunate to have easy access to healthy and sustainable food, with a wide variety of choices. Since I've made this effort I've managed to keep the weight off and continue to lose some more. I still have a way to go, but I'm doing it in a healthy and loving way.
I wanted to share this personal story with you because I want more people to break away from the guilt that we attach to food. I'm not saying one should eat prosciutto, etc... every day (although I would LOVE to) but I am saying to choose your food wisely. Educate yourself. Read labels. I recently did a blog on food labels "What's Up With Those Pesky PLU Stickers?" Check it out if you haven't. Don't just absorb what advertisers are telling you. Read..educate yourself by doing some research. Believe that you can attain your perfect weight and have a healthy body. It all starts in our mind, then the choices we make, then take the right action. It is our body, our health, our responsibility. Now go have a guilt-free gelato or some Frutta Erotica!
Happy/Buon Weekend. Big Love, PatriciaG
If you feel inspired to share, please do so in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you. Grazie! Most of my photos are available for sale on my Etsy shop. If you see something on this site that isn't on Etsy, just shoot me an email and I'll make it available. All rights reserved. Copyright 2015 Patricia Geremia