Your Diet in Times of Adversity

I’ve been missing.  I’ve been away.  I’ve been dealing with adversity.  That’s why I have not written in some time.  I am grateful that I had been paleo-healthy for the 4 years before this past year, because last year was a doozy.  Had I not been so disciplined, had I not been so well established in my diet, dealing with adversity in those times would have been much more difficult and my body would have suffered.  And, had I not been as healthy when adversity hit, who knows what could have happened.  Many of us turn to food in stressful times.  Seeking comfort in food is nothing new.  After all, that’s why they call it comfort food.  Traditional comfort food never seems to fall into the category of healthy foods.  Nor would a bowl of carrots be considered comfort food.  We can also subconsciously punish ourselves by eating bad food, perhaps in a bad situation where we hold ourselves responsible.

As I look back over the past year, I can definitely see where I wavered.  I did stray from the straight and narrow, for sure.  But by no means did I “fall off the wagon”.  I am very proud of that.  I discovered that I was so well practiced in my diet habits that I continued to make good decisions in bad times.  There are some core elements to maintaining a paleo diet and some foods that I will never go back to.  If you find yourself challenged in times of adversity, knowing what that list of “absolutely not” foods is, will definitely help.  Here’s my list of foods that I will not eat, no matter what:  gluten, corn, soy (legumes), sugar, dairy, and anything that contains them.  Yes, there are some exceptions and gray areas that I established for myself.  I will have grass-fed dairy on occasion, and I do allow sugar through fruit.  If someone is toasting at a special event, I partake even if I know there’s some sweetener in the cocktail.  I will engage in life.  But, I will not binge, or allow myself to have a meal using any of those things, nor should you.  I will not go out for a pasta dinner or have pizza ever again.  Yes, I can have a bite of someone’s homemade dumpling, out of respect and gratitude, but I will never find myself at a dumpling house, drinking beer at 2 am.  Hold yourself accountable.  Trace amounts of crushed peanuts on a salad at an event shouldn’t make you crazy because you can push as much as you can to the side.  But if you find yourself buying a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, that has to stop.  Be aware, constantly.  Practice eating well, and after a while you’ll get good at it and it becomes second nature, and you will reap the benefits of healthy eating for a long time, and it will be at your side in times of adversity, like no other.

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