How To Spark Joy Into Eating For Life

plus a recipe built for summer 🥭

May 28, 2024

"I can’t imagine letting my favorite foods go …”

We all have attachments to food. Something that brings back memories of a time long ago.

When I was dating my now-husband, we both led incredibly busy lives. We were both in school, held full-time jobs that were often a lot more than full-time. He would show up at my door late at night, with a pint of ice cream in each hand. We’d happily grab spoons and plop down on the sofa, enjoying a movie and relishing our time together.

I can’t imagine sitting down and eating a pint of ice cream now any more than I could muster the energy for those busy days of long ago.

We change. We grow. We become different people. Better versions of ourselves.

I remember reading Marie Kondo’s book 📖 when it first came out. I think of her advice often.

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle. The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: Does this spark joy? If it does, keep it.”

Maybe we can apply the same thought process to what we eat.

Eating for life – moving forward

I hear people say, “I can’t imagine letting go of my favorite foods.” Those foods are a part of us. They are part of our memories. We feel like they make us who we are.

They don’t call it “comfort food” for nothing.

We remember “grandma’s” home cooking as the best of times.

We reminisce about heading out with friends and devouring an entire plate of greasy fried food.

We might even recollect scarfing an entire pint of ice cream. 😉

But here’s the thing – we aren’t the same people we were back then. And no amount of food is ever going to change that.

Let’s define eating for life

Most of us don't eat very well. The evidence is everywhere.

Trouble is, we can’t live without eating. So we muddle through, taking advice from everywhere.

That's where we get struck. We now have a vast population struggling to find a balance between creating eating habits that will promote healthiness from the inside out, while living with old habits on the foods we’re consuming.

Books are written every day trying to define the ideal diet.

Do a search, and you can find something to support any eating habit.

With a little critical thinking, it’s easy to sidestep some of the craziest ideas – does anyone really think you can remain healthy by consuming only fast food?

But there’s still a lot of wiggle room in between.

When my dad died nearly thirty years ago of a massive heart attack, I started asking: Why? It led me to food. 🌱

It also led me to the decision to be a healthy 100-year-old. If you're new here, I started dreaming of a 100-year-old me doing anything I please. Hiking, traveling, writing books, and playing outside in my garden. That's who I want to be at 100. It gives me direction, goals.

In order to get there, I have to treat my body today as if I was already there.

This one thought changed everything.

I ask better questions:

What foods will keep me healthy?
What foods are better for optimal health?
What foods will make me feel good?
What foods will ward off disease?
Do food requirements change with age?
How does nutrition play into overall health?
How is food produced?
Should we care about how food is created?
Should plants grow in better soil?
Should plants be modified?
At what point should you use pesticides and herbicides?
Is there a difference between regular and organic?
What about GMO?
Can we play with our food supply and not expect repercussions?
How does nutrition impact other areas of my life?
Should the doctors I trust understand foods and nutrition?

As you can see, the questions are never-ending.

And that’s by design. Who we were at 20 isn’t who we are at 40. So why should what we eat be the same?

We ask questions. We learn. We grow more thoughtful about our food choices. And it makes us healthier human beings.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life

I still love ice cream. It’s always been my go-to dessert. But how I consume it is a bit different today.

I’m cautious about what brand I choose. No more dairy for me. I look for plant-based ice cream choices. I often prefer sorbets.

And why not? It’s easy to make yourself. With a few fresh ingredients, you can easily create a summer treat:

Mango Sorbet

10oz bag of organic frozen mango
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place everything in a Vitamix or food processor and pulse until smooth.

You can enjoy it immediately, or transfer it to a sealed container and freeze until set. Make it on the weekend, and you can enjoy it all week! (If it lasts that long.)

Easy peasy, right?

And that’s the whole point.

I didn’t know this trick when I was in my twenties. Two pints of ice cream were so much easier.

But I am aware of this concept today. It makes me think before I take action. It gives me the opportunity to create a delicious treat that I know for a fact is better for me. And it keeps me on track for my goal of being healthier for life.

Hope this helps you too.

p.s. Did you like this message? It would mean a lot to me if you’d press the ❤️ below if you liked it, left a comment 💬, or shared it with a friend. I’m trying to grow this publication, and I depend on people like you to do so!