Keeping Well

The counter is covered with chicken, soy sauce, honey, spices, flour, and a bag of rice I’ll eventually get to. I’m currently chopping fresh garlic and veggies on a wooden cutting board while glancing at my laptop sitting on the corner of the counter. It has the recipe on it.

Splatters of soy sauce and drops of honey are everywhere. My bare feet feel sticky as I walk across the kitchen to grab a frying pan.

Frugal Fit Mom, one of my favorite Youtubers, often says “If you’re not making a mess are you even cooking?” I totally agree with her!

Cooking at home most days is a non-negotiable for me. I feel better making meals from foods I know work best for me and are fresh. It helps me control the ingredients I consume, my weight, and how I feel. It also helps me reach my fitness goals that I’ll continue to work on when my broken foot is healed.

Everywhere I look there seems to be another food trend. Whether it’s high protein, keto, carnivore, low fat, Ozempic, blend cottage cheese with pretty much anything to make some sort of dressing, or videos dedicated to massaging kale. I’d like a massage.

After years of dieting in my 20’s and 30’s I have a new motto. It’s simple.

Just eat healthy.

 I don’t follow the trends, instead I eat what grows in nature - vegetables, fruit, meat and poultry, and whole grains. If you can grow it or raise it, I eat it. My best tip for you is there’s no Dorito tree or Oreo vine. You can stop searching for them. See, I just saved you a lot of time.

To my non-meat-eating friends. I get it and I see you. I really do. I tried many times to eat vegetarian or vegan and it did not work for my body. I have a lot of food allergies and some stomach issues which make eating this way almost impossible. I didn’t feel good following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle so I needed to listen to my body.

I’m a big believer that if you listen to your body, you can find the right way of eating for you.

When I was struggling with my health, I did some research on Facebook and Instagram. The only thing that shrunk was my wallet. The programs and products were not the answer for me. They were too one-size-fits-all even though they promised not to be. I was craving something that worked for my unique body. I found a brilliant nutritionist who was local to me and no longer let the reels and stories hook me.

If you can’t find me, 99% of the time I’m in my kitchen wiping up splatters and vacuuming crumbs off the floor. I cook most of my meals myself and no longer put a label on my eating habits. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Health is important to me. It took me over a decade to tune out the noise and into my own body.

My routine is simple, boring, and it can feel like a lot of work at times, but the payoff has been worth it. I’ve found what works for me. My skin is clear, my weight is stable, I’m not bloated, and I just feel plain old good.

That’s exciting to me.