Diet and Wellbeing

I know what you’re thinking after reading the title of this latest column:
What does diet have to with Wisdom and Life?

This column is not without precedence here as I’ve written about Health and Fitness here in the past.  Diet can have a profound impact on your wellbeing and wellbeing can also impact your spiritual health.  Last month a new G+ friend, Kris Ten posted content about what we eat and it set my mind running.  I left a comment at the post.

I’ve changed my diet a few times in the past few years. And when I attempt to eat in the old way:
Burgers
Fried food
Sweets like chocolate, cookies, ice cream
Chips, Doritos
All soda

I find it extremely challenging to digest.  Typically, these foods wreck havoc with my stomach, causing nothing but aggravation, pain and more.  Because I’m human and sometimes still think:
Oh one time won’t cause TOO much trouble so I succumb to temptation.

It NEVER works out.  I ALWAYS regret eating like that.  I THINK it is because I’m used to eating healthier now that my digestive system says:
Oh you’re putting THAT into me.  Well I’ll show you.  LoL!  I CERTAINLY hope I FINALLY heard the message.

Kinda odd; this coming from someone who up until two years ago was in love with Five Guys Burgers.  Would travel there at LEAST twice a month to get my fill.  Can’t do that anymore though.

My diet now consists of:
–More fruits and vegetables
–Salads
–Nuts and grains
–Yogurt

Not so much vegan but certainly I’m leaning more in the vegetarian group.

Maybe it has something to do with my getting older as well and as I age I have to treat my body as the temple it is.  I certainly can’t eat the way I did when I was twenty, twenty five, or even thirty.  In actuality, I probably shouldn’t have been eating the foods I did then.

With age comes wisdom, correct?  Hence why I’m writing about diet at WISDOM and Life.  The entire point behind this blog is to help us move forward, correct?  And as I’ve said multiple times here in the past, if I can help just ONE person with what I write, then I’ve done my job.

Well, here I am putting forth my suggestion to those of you who are eating unhealthy.  I no longer drink ANY soda.

Soda is simply a diuretic.  For me, soda reacts much the same way as all sweets do.  It causes digestive issues.  Water is my drink of choice now.

My new diet can sometimes cause another kind of aggravation however:
With family.  When we eat together as family I have to be very conscious of what is being served.  If there is anything that can cause issues I have to choose NOT to eat.

My friends understand as I spend more time with them.  I have an amusing story to share here regarding my friends and my new diet:
Over the Fourth of July weekend, I was invited to an annual picnic.  All of my close friends would be there.  I brought my own veggie burgers because I knew there wouldn’t be any there.  That’s what I have to do now when I’m invited to cookouts, as I can longer eat beef.  As it turned out, other friends were thankful that I brought enough for many people because several others had also stopped eating beef.

Of course I can’t show up with friends without taking some good natured ribbing about my change in diet.  My friend, Jeff B introduced me to Five Guys Burgers and when he saw my veggie burgers he laughed out loud and called me a girl.

That’s alright.  At least I’ll feel better after eating healthier.
Have you done something to change your health recently?

Let me know in the comments below.

Be Happy!  Be Well!  Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
–
Chris

Feel free to comment here on Patch or jump on over to my column:
Diet and Wellbeing