Shape, Age, Health, Food

Last week, I read this blog post, and it really made me think.  The blog is one that I read regularly, and like most blogs (about anything) that I read, sometimes it "speaks" to me more than others.  The particular post I'm linking to was one that I thought made a lot of good points, and was accessible to most people.

I was not necessarily the world's  most well-adjusted kid, but I have to tell you, it never, ever, EVER occurred to me as a tween, teenager, or a young adult that I was somehow *supposed* to look like models or celebrities in magazines.  I would maybe like what they were wearing, or their hair and makeup, etc., but I truly never felt inadequate because of my body.  So although I can intellectually understand that it can be/is a problem for women of all ages today, I can't really relate to the whole issue.

As I got older, and became responsible for feeding, dressing, and being completely in charge of myself, my biggest desire was to be healthy and fit.  It didn't necessarily translate into me treating my body as the temple that health fanatics do, but it made me more aware that my overall health and fitness was my own responsibility.  I have been fortunate to be a person who is comfortable in my own skin.

So anyway, back to the post mentioned at the beginning of this post.  She points out that genetics and privilege make a difference.  Unlike the writer's mother, my mother was not one who made sure that we always had whole grain breads, and fresh vegetables.  We always had some kind of fruit, and there was always milk in the refrigerator, but my "deprivations" growing up were a result of my parents' coming of age when having convenience foods was such a wonderful luxury, that opening a can of vegetables, or cooking frozen foods were desirable ways to feed your family.  The other reason was budgetary.  We didn't have money for much, and although we were fortunate to always have something to eat, many of our meals would likely make people today gasp in horror.  Milk was rationed to one glass for each of us a day, since it was seen as necessary but not easily affordable.

Having said that, I thought a lot of the points raised in the aforementioned blog post were worth stating.  We all need food to survive, but in today's world, food and your individual relationship to it is such a sensitive subject that it can be hard to do what really works well for YOU and not feel that somehow you are wrong.  My relationship with food, exercise, and just life in general has been an ever-changing one, and I've always been fortunate because there has never been pressure from anyone who mattered to me to be any different than I am.

So yes, I directed you to one person's way of doing things, and talking about it, and it may not have any relevance to anything about your existence.  But when I read it, I really started thinking about ways that I try to "maintain my shape" and why I do what I do.  In my case, I have had so many health problems that were beyond my control, I want to do my best to be conscientious about the things I can control.

Just like in clothing, one size does not fit all.  It never will, and never should.

I do firmly believe though, that YOUR one size/shape/activity level should always work for you, and make you a happier and healthier person.  I hope by reading this post, as well as the one that started me on this topic, you will be able to feel good about yourself, and decide what you want to try for your health.  I truly believe that if you feel good, you look good, no matter how old you are.

Ready Set Go!

I truly love this time of year.  I love the weather (yes, even though it's 27 degrees today), the anticipation, and the fact that - in spite of what everyone on TV and in the media want to tell me about calories - this is the time when some of the best and most special foods are painstakingly prepared, and happily received on the table.

Our season starts slightly earlier, as this past Monday was The Tim's birthday, so there was cake, presents, and a day off work.  Some years, we have barely finished the birthday cake before it's time for pumpkin pie, but this year there was enough time difference to savor one and look forward to the other.

One thing I don't love though, is how people have begun to let the holiday shopping season encroach on Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's because I am  not usually interested in the things that are marked down on sale, or because shopping at any time in a big crowd is not appealing.  One of the reasons  I have always loved Nordstrom's (even though I can seldom afford to buy anything there), is that a) they do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving (which if I were in charge would be the law!), and they stay closed on Thanksgiving.  It was bad enough when a lot of the "big box" and/or discount stores started opening in the evening - and now many of them, much earlier - on that day, but this year Macy's has joined in.  So very disappointing.  One of my friends posted this link on Facebook, and I think it's a very thought-provoking piece.

However, I am an expert at ignoring things like this, as well as places that start playing Christmas music or put up decorations way too early, and now - it's Thanksgiving time!  It will be here in just a few days.  I can already smell the stuffing, and the baking pies.  I am already thinking how nice it will be to have a day when the only real expectation is that it will be cozy and relaxing.

Only after Thanksgiving weekend will it be time to gear up for December.  But as far as I'm concerned, it's all good .... REALLY good.  :-)

The Experience of Food

On my other blog, I occasionally participate in something called Ten on Tuesday, where you are given a topic and you share 10 things related to it.  This past week, the topic was:  10 Foods You Eat Regularly Now That Were Exotic (or unheard of) When You Were a Kid.

This was a lot of fun to think about, and my list is here.  But even more fun than making my own list was reading others' lists.  Though some things seemed pretty common - i.e., eating only white bread as a child, now eating different types of bread all of the time - there were some big differences as well.  Mostly based on people's ages, I think.  For instance, my parents were products of the Great Depression and the "modern food" (convenience, processed) revolution.  So we seldom had anything homemade.  We also wasted very little, if any, food.  We were poor, so there were some things we ate regularly because they were cheap, and other things (pineapple, for instance) that were rare and exciting treats.  But other people had grown up eating healthier foods (for instance, fresh vegetables), and their lists contained primarily ethnic foods they had recently learned about.

I find this fascinating.  Food is such a personal thing, though a universal necessity.  But it is also part of what forms each of us.  For every person like me, who ate canned vegetables regularly, there were people growing up in families who ate foods that are still considered ethnic, even if more well-known to people now.  One of the biggest events growing up in one place we lived was an annual summer festival known as the Syrian Picnic.  Of course, it was a lesson in "unusual food" like grape leaves, hummus, etc.  Everyone would talk about what new things they had tried eating there for weeks, and it was considered daring to have tried more than two or three things.

I know there are foods both local and international that I have never heard of or tried, or perhaps would not even want to think about eating.  Those are the "exotic" foods to me now.   

But every summer I wish I could go back to the Syrian Picnic ...

What about you?  What are your food choices now compared to those you grew up eating?