" WOAH!"
"I don't believe you!"
"Just checking to see if you are OK."
"Rebel!"
These were just a few of the comments that I received last weekend, when I posted this picture on my personal Facebook page along with the following caption:
"Those of you who know me well will appreciate what I'm having for dinner…if not be shocked by it."
People who knew me were surprised – if not amused – that I was having a slice of pizza with fries for dinner. As a matter of fact, it was one of the most commented-on posts I have ever had on Facebook.
Some other comments included:
"What unusual looking kale. Haha!"
"No way! It must be goat cheese pizza and sweet potato fries – am I right?"
"Is that part of your kale diet?"
I LOVE these comments, because it's a testament to how well my friends know me and how well they know my philosophy on eating, which is simple: Fierce Divas don't eat crap (for a full definition of crap, click here). I have made it known in both my personal life and on my blog how I feel about processed foods. They may taste good, but they are not your friends. Mostly, this is due to the fact that any nutrients that once existed in these foods are removed through the processing, such as the case with white sugars and four. Also, they are loaded with preservatives to give them a longer shelf life. Every time you ingest a food loaded with preservatives, you are ingesting chemicals that can have adverse reactions to your body and your health.
Although I am not 100% whole and unprocessed with my diet, I strive to eat this way as much as possible. I am also a vegetarian who has not eaten meat in over 20 years and who follows a "mostly vegan" diet. "Mostly vegan" means I avoid animal products, including dairy and eggs, about 85% of the time. I was a strict vegan for a few years, but have found a middle ground, which feels comfortable and affords me flexibility.
I don't preach about nutrition to judge you or to judge how you eat right now. I preach about nutrition because I want you to live the life you love. When you "eat clean," you will be healthier. When you are healthier, you will have more energy to pursue the things that are important to you. When you pursue things that are important to you, you are living the life you love. See, guys, it all goes full circle.
If I believe so much in clean eating, what was I doing with a slice of pizza on my plate last Saturday night?
Since pizza is not part of my daily life, it's a huge treat. It's a happy place, a celebration food, reserved for birthday parties and nights after road races. Last Saturday morning, I had run the Spring Lake 5. It was pizza time! However, if I'm going to eat pizza, it has to be the good stuff. It needs to be pizza parlor made versus frozen or from the lunch counter at the wholesale club store. It needs to be fresh out of the oven, with thin crust, and high quality cheese, or else why bother? And of course, moderation for me is the key.
I don't know when I will be eating my next slice of pizza, but it probably won't be for a while. Probably not this week, or even this month. I find that the less "crap" I eat, the less I crave it. When I am really craving a slice of pizza, I have one. Enjoying our favorite foods is part of living.
Although, true to my character, I left the pizza place and washed my dinner down with a kale smoothie.
A big thanks to all of my friends who were "concerned" when they saw the photo. I love you guys!
Namaste, Divas!
© 2012 Ilene Evans
