Did you know that if you are on the caveman diet, you can’t eat the chicken at Chipotle because of the oil it’s cooked in? I didn’t. Until a friend pointed it out to me. And from that moment on, I knew Paleo wasn’t for me.
Why?
Because I envisioned myself standing in line at Chipotle
saying, “Which of your meats ISN’T cooked in SOYBEAN OIL?” And I knew that that
was not me. Can you imagine if there was someone from a third
world country behind me in line as I said that??? Someone who would do anything for any kind of protein??? I would be MORTIFIED,
embarrassed, and honestly, I would no longer be Paleo.
Not because it’s too hard or too healthy…but because it’s
too consuming. I refuse to dedicate my energy, time, or thought to anything
that is sure to become an unhealthy obsession in my life. And the way that the Paleo
diet requires one to be paranoid about what type of dressing goes on their salad
indicates the potential for an unhealthy obsession.
It’s kind of ironic actually, that in the pursuit of
healthy, it can be so easy to slip into “unhealthy”. I’m not suggesting that
Paleo is physically unhealthy, but perhaps in some ways, mentally unhealthy.
And that goes for all of these never-ending diet fads. GF, vegan, pescetarian,
etc. When is enough, enough?
Anything that consumes THAT much of your attention can
easily become an idol your life. I don’t want that for myself. And I certainly
don’t want that for you. Your goal in life should be balance. Not strict obedience to a privileged lifestyle eating plan.
So be careful. Don't glorify things that are so fleeting in this life. Strive towards a healthy perspective within everything. Leave room for grace.
My blog name is FREELY RONNIE, because I choose to live
freely. That might mean Chipotle chicken today, a donut tomorrow because I'm halfway through the week, and a couple
extra pounds here or there. But I’m free. And no diet or number on the scale
beats that.
ronnie
Well said, friend!
ReplyDelete-Courtney
After reading this, I wanted to put my fist in the air and say "If I wanna eat that donut, I'm gonna!" Really though. I agree with moderation and balance. :) I know I feel better when I don't eat gluten and dairy...but its hard to completely avoid it, so I eat it in moderation and try to eat healthy as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteRecovering from a not so severe, but still very scary eating disorder, this struck some sort of cord, while reading. I have to make the decision to be "free", and not become obsessed with something so trivial, so perishable. Every time I make that call and let God's grace take over I feel less and less chained, and it's too lovely for words to hold onto. Thank you again for the reminder. Blessings! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI love this!! I've been reading into some organic eating things and it becomes so stressful too me...I love this way of thinking about it.
ReplyDeletePREACH!
ReplyDeleteI can relate somewhat. I used to do low carb and though it was effective, it drove me insane. No matter how well I did, I always had a nagging carb count going in the back of my mind. I felt chained and I beat myself up over it more than I should. I always felt some sort of immense pressure to do better - to eat better - to be better. I've come to realize that beating myself up over something as trivial as carb consumption makes me feel bad and sets up a lot of negative energy within myself. I hate that. Striving for balance, moderation, and happiness have become my new goals. I try not to restrict myself in any way. Life's too short and I feel better when I can eat something without any sort of guilt trailing me along after! This post was inspiring!!!
ReplyDelete