National obsession…and National denial…

 F O O D

What did you think I was going to say?  I thought about this posting because I was at my grocery store this morning. Remember that I always write this post the day before, because I am kind of slow in thinking things out, and I need at least 24 hours to come up with something to talk about.  Let’s go back to the title…I saw a woman and in her  shopping cart there was so much stuff (I am still trying to find a synonym for animal discards, but still need to buy that book) that is not good for you.  That confirms the fact, I am talking about the stuff in her cart, that we on this planet, because it is not only the United States of America,  are on denial.  We have in our country alone a 35% of the population in an obese status. 

I know that our age group population is on the “I am having a good time” syndrome, because every time we see or talk to our friends, one of our circle or somebody else’s circle has converted into faster energy.  That should not be an excuse to eat crapola.  There you have it.  A new word to get it across, without being crude.  I think vulgarity is like pollution to the eyes that read it and to the ears that hear it.  Life’s short, make it pretty.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  My house is not a “crapola free zone.”  There is the usual junk in case I get really desperate before midnight.  No ice cream, cake, bread, butter, and other regulars in my fridge though, unless it is given to me.  Then I indulge in having some heart palpitations because of the sugar intake.

Recently my brother and sister-in-law took me to Whole Foods.  I love that place.  Good food, and a feast for the eyes.  We had been talking about some individuals that are sick, or some of them that have joined our Creator.  After that conversation, the rebellious in me was acting up, but I didn’t know how to deal with it.  Because every time I converse with my friends, that’s where the conversations end up with.  So after we had dinner, I went into the supermarket area to grab my favorite olive oil, the 356 house brand, cheap and good also.  But suddenly I felt like I deserved better, because you never know when that moment is going to hit you and when it happens it is too late to do anything.  So I thought,  I am going to get the most expensive olive oil in the store, because you never know and I deserve it.  I felt liberated and very, very happy.  I felt fabulous!!

So going back to our National dilemma, our food intake is a choice.  Do we want to send greasy stuff down our pipes that is only going to stick to our vessels, or do we watch what we ingest.  Healthy eating habit is a deliberate choice we make every time we put our hands or forks into a piece of “this looks so good.”

I am from the school of thought that just as “they” put that stuff in cigarettes (Ron died of lung cancer) to hook you, so “they” are putting stuff in our food to make us crave the crapola in the aisles of the grocery stores.  I try to be selective, even though it is not that easy. 

The ultimatum I give myself is “it is either the addictive stuff or my skinny jeans.”  A shout out to vanity.  It is very good to keep away from becoming a statistic and joining the heavenly bodies before our time is due.  Or worse yet, schlepping around an extreme amount of weight.

I know that there is not guarantee that because I try to eat healthy, I will live longer.  I know that.  I can evaporate tomorrow, but today I am doing my best for my skinny jeans. 

I will leave you today with a picture of my local library as it looked this morning when I went in for a moment to volunteer.  Magnificent, isn’t it.  Beautiful tree and a beautiful looking day.  It is good to be here and in the now.

Make it a happy one and enjoy the sights and sounds around you.

Your Happy Contessa