Food is a funny thing. It's something we can't live without and yet so many people have such a horrible relationship with it. These bad relationships can manifest themselves in a number of ways. Binging and restricting are the two main difficulties, but most times people aren't at an extreme, they're somewhere in the middle. I was in the middle, and I'm still working my way out of it. For the past few years I've been very hard on myself for the foods I would eat. I would beat myself up for eating pizza, candy, anything. I didn't like the way my body felt and I was starting to hate the way it looked. I would look at pictures on Instagram of "beautiful" people eating greasy food and tell myself "They're eating it, so you can too". I had to find excuses for myself to justify my actions. I had always liked the idea of healthy eating, but it always seemed like too much work. And how sad is that?
Eating the food that is meant to sustain our bodies, and make us feel our best, is seen as difficult because of the plethora of shit we have at our fingertips and are made to feel like we need. The more I looked into things the more I realized how much I really didn't know. I didn't know why I felt like I had eat meat and drink milk, or why I didn't eat fruit daily. I discovered that I was never properly taught what our bodies run their best on, what's natural, what's necessary. Have you ever really thought of that, what are human beings, as a species, actually supposed to eat? Not just what Dr. Oz or a trainer says. Take the time to really learn and you'll be amazed with what you find. I started to look into this (and still am every single day) and that's why I'm vegan and I always will be.
It shouldn't be a challenge and you shouldn't be praised when you eat healthy. We've turned the simple act of eating into something that deserves motivation and resilience. That's twisted and shows just how advanced we've made our lives that something so basic and natural has become a feat. We look up to people who eat well, not because it's the right thing to do, but because they "look good". We think, "Wow, I could never do that", when we CAN do that, every single one of us can do that because we're supposed to, that's how we're created.
Seeing others eat healthy can be motivation for some and turnoff for others. If the person I was a year ago saw what I eat now, Kylie last year would hate Kylie of this year. And why is that? We tend to see those who eat well as thinking they're better than those who eat like crap. While I don't believe those who eat clean, plant-based, vegan foods think they're better than others or are better than others, I do believe that they EAT better than others. If you eat clean and pure foods you're obviously eating better than someone who eats fast food and processed junk all the time. Doesn't mean you're an all-around better person, just that you eat better.
I've also become more aware of a serious problem on social media, and that is people joining forces over a mutual acceptance of bad eating. We try to shrug off our discomforts with the way we eat by laughing and making jokes instead of taking the simple task of changing what we eat. These memes and jokes are starting to bother me on a deeper level than before. Stuffing your body with junk should never be a joke, and just because we're humans and think of ourselves as superior beings who deserve whatever makes us "feel good" doesn't mean we are or that we do. Torturing, exploiting, and slaughtering sentient, living beings for a few minutes of taste isn't funny at all.
So I've preached, but do my actions back up my beliefs? My vegan lifestyle is probably the only thing I have not done half-ass in my whole life. I believe in it with every fiber of my being because I made the connection between food, health and the planet. I follow a HCLF (high carb, low fat) vegan lifestyle, so lots of fruits and vegetables, rice, legumes, potatoes. I don't worry about calories or sugar. Everything I eat is simple, easily digestible, doesn't make me feel bloated, greasy, uncomfortably full, or gross. I drink a gallon (or more) of water a day, and I feel good. Eating foods as they should be, without added this and added that, is what makes sense. HCLF makes my body feel good, and the farther along I get the less I rely on processed and boxed foods. Do you need to follow HCLF? Not necessarily, but I truly do believe everyone should be vegan or at least take steps to educate themselves on and let go of their scary dependence on animals. If you do this you'll go vegan.
The most effective way to change your eating habits is by making a connection between your body, food, and the planet. Every action of every human effects the planet. Becoming aware of your impact, taking the time to learn about the ugly side of animal agriculture (there are tons), and how animal flesh and byproducts react in our body all help bridge understanding and compassion to make our food choices nothing but simple and pure.
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