Healthy Eating

Every family struggles with something; whether it's getting along, being on time, or getting things done, I think it's safe to say that we all feel overwhelmed with family sometimes. I also think it's safe to say that every family struggles with eating healthy. It's so easy to come home from school or work and sit down on the couch with a bag of potato chips or cookies and watch mindless television.

My family has never been lazy, but I wouldn't say that we have the best eating habits. I often come home from school and grab a cookie or five before starting my homework. We always have sugar in the house and whenever I tell myself "no, I'm not going to eat that today" another baked good comes out of the oven and onto my plate.

In the book You'd Be So Pretty If . . . by Dara Chadwick, Chadwick talks a lot about how she would watch her daughter sit on the couch and mindlessly eat. So she decided to do something about it. Chadwick never had the best body image. She remembers watching her mother nitpick everything about her body as she stood in front of the mirror. Because she was an athletic child, Chadwick wasn't bothered by this until her teenage years when she started gaining weight. Wanting to change her outlook, Chadwick became the Weight-Loss Diary columnist for Shape, a women's fitness magazine. She began this journey because she wanted to feel healthy and strong and wanted to set a good example for her daughter.

As Chadwick struggled to lose weight and eat healthier, she was able to teach her daughter how to strive for healthy-ness instead of striving for weight loss. She also notes that they began eating together as a family. This might not seem very significant, but eating together as a family teaches children life lessons that they wouldn't learn otherwise. Studies show that adults who ate meals with their family as children, eat more fruit and vegetables, nutrients, and drink less soda.

I came home from school the other day and the house was empty. So guess what I did? I ate. A lot. A piece of cake, two cookies, and a handful of Hershey's kisses. Later, I decided that enough was enough and I got up off the couch and went for a run.

It's so easy to keep shoving cookie after cookie into your mouth. In the book Operation Beautiful, Caitlin Boyle says that it's okay to enjoy something sweet every once in a while. But while eating, turn off the TV and enjoy every single bite of your food. This way, you'll feel more satisfied and won't feel the need to go back for seconds, thirds, fourths, you get my point.

Instead of feeling bad about your eating habits, do something about them! Switch out your french fries for a salad or your cookie for an apple. Go for a walk after dinner. Eat your veggies and get moving. You'll be surprised how big a difference such little changes can make.

And remember to be proud of yourself! Because you did something to strengthen your mind, body, and soul. You are beautiful.