Happy #2: Eating Well

To me, eating well means two things: eating healthy and eating things that taste good. My name is Stephanie and I am a foodie!

The eating healthy portion is important to me for several reasons. I’m not really one of those people who eats only things to fuel my body (those health nuts are nutty). But I do subscribe to the belief that when I eat things that my body needs, I feel better physically and mentally. There’s nothing worse than eating a delicious glazed donut and feeling guilty and sugar sick after. Blah. Now, throw a few slabs of bacon on the plate with said donut and I’ll be good to go!

To me, eating healthy means things like eating proteins regularly to keep my blood sugar intact, having only a little bit of dessert just to get the flavor, drinking as much water as I can stand, staying away from fruit juices, and having something to eat every three hours or so. I’m not a dietician or a doctor, but I’ve found that those general rules help me feel like I’m keeping my body fueled for the day.

It actually really surprises me how unhealthy people eat these days…or maybe it’s just that I’ve encountered a lot of unhealthy eating habits at my previous jobs. Either way, I’ve noticed a lot of my coworkers (past and present) feel right at home having donuts every Friday, fast food most days for lunch, and sodas even in the morning. And the amount of coffee that is consumed in corporate America is astounding! Europeans would be appalled at the size of our coffee cups. When I started working at one of my past jobs, I asked if we could have something other than donuts every Friday since it was becoming harder and harder to turn them down each week. And I think I made an impression on them because they were certainly eating healthier the day I left than the day I began.

On a random note, living with my parents has helped me in the food department. Since my mom has given up meats for the most part, our dinners have become heavier on veggies and seafood. You know what they say: what momma eats, the family eats. :) Since moving home, we’ve tried tempeh, broccoli slaw, and hummus wraps, to name a few. And I can tell you with 100% assurance that I never would have tried at least the tempeh without the motivation of going meatless. When I do eat meat nowadays, it’s either in a cold cut (which I should stop doing since it’s filled with sodium and other bad stuff) or something truly wonderful like the odd cheeseburger. MMM.

I think that explaining why eating healthy makes me happy is more important than explaining why eating foods that taste good makes me happy. I mean, is it really a surprise that something like a pork belly artisan pizza for an appetizer would make me happy? I think not. Give me something with butter, bacon, and blue cheese and you’ll win my heart. And when eating things that taste good with things that are healthy collide? Ooh, heaven is a place on earth! I like to eat. I like to eat eat apples and bannanaaaas (and pate, and cupcakes, and cheese…never met a cheese I didn’t like).

I could go on and on about my love affair with food. But I’ll leave it at that. Food makes me happy. Do you think I could put that down as a hobby on my next application? “Likes to eat.”

Love,
Stephanie Marie

PS. I started thinking about this post today when I came across Hungry Girl’s mention of these seaweed snacks. I really want to grab some of these to add to my snack repertoire (e.g., almonds, beef jerky, yogurt, and, of course, cheese).

PPS. Taking about this makes me want to host a farmers' market party like Little Miss Momma.

Photo courtesy of pinterest.