For me, when it comes to food- I could really write about anything. However, when I’m being true to who I am and honest with how I feel, my favourite food to write about and eat (for that matter) are foods that are whole, fresh and organic (aka not sprayed with pesticides, herbicides or GMO & hybridized) Also, I tend to sway towards foods that would be considered low on the Glycemic Index (aka the ability that the food has to raise your blood glucose level, it’s concentration of glucose). Why is this? There are a lot of reasons. For one, I think it’s something which began as a mental thought-process, that is now a part of my being. Through practice I have developed the pattern of enjoying eating foods that are healthy.

This doesn’t mean that I like food that tastes like cardboard, definitely not! It’s frustrating when people hear that I am a nutritionist or a vegetarian and they immediately assume that I don’t enjoy food, eat bland food and don’t know how to have a good time. It’s almost completely the opposite! Although I will agree that a lot of people within my industry are a bit too obsessed with their health, food and controlling the two- however, a large majority of the people I work with and alongside are generally life-lovers! They love to eat and they love food. Not “fake” food like fast food and Mcdonalds. They love real food- colourful, bright, living food! Thus, through these patterns of practice and time, I have developed a palate that is more accustomed to higher nutrient foods that are simple in preparation (aka less things have been done to them in the cooking/preparation stages) and have a powerful, positive effect on the body.

When I was sick and was more or less controlled by my eating disorders, these are foods that I would refer to as “safe foods”. This generally means that I could eat them daily- when I was starving, and not be overcome with a fear of gaining weight. The difference is though, I wasn’t eating for nourishment or enjoyment- I was eating because I was either starving or I was filling a void with food. I was emotionally starved and touch deprived. This is something that is SO common in the world- food is used as a crutch to heal, cover and hide from emotion. This is something I have been working on for years- and I continue to work on. By loving the food I eat, I continue to learn to love myself.

Through years of eating, learning and sharing this, it has developed into a food lifestyle. Not to say that I don’t have some bad eating habits still- I think everyone has those moments of “falling off the wagon”. However, I try live my life in a way that “falling off the wagon” isn’t actually something I conceptualize in my mind. Why not? We all know that thought becomes belief. If you tell yourself something enough times– it will become something you believe. Example? With anorexia, I told myself I was fat and chubby and overweight and not good enough time and time again- until the point that I was severely underweight but still saw myself as fat. The strength of our thoughts is much more powerful than we sometimes conceive.

So, by saying to yourself that you have “fallen off the wagon” or you are taking a “cheat day” or you “messed up today”; you are telling yourself that when you have a sweet, a coffee, or a drink (alcoholic)- that it is not good for you and you are doing something bad. By thinking this way, chances are, you are creating an unhappy & stressful environment within your body. When your body is in a state of stress (as most of our bodies are now a days), it is unable to digestive and assimilate the food we are ingesting completely (or at all)- which leads to things like digestive imbalances, constipation, and toxic build ups in our bodies.

This is all a very general way of talking about digestion and stress- at some point in the near future I will write a way more detailed and informative article on digestion. For now, I want to encourage you to enjoy life, eat whole and fresh foods- and if you are going to have a cup of coffee or a donut (or whatever is your kryptonite in the food world), enjoy it! Soak it up! and continue to live your life with love & joy!

One vegetable that I recently fell in love with is not the prettiest of foods. When I was working at Whole Foods as a cashier I would come across this vegetable at my till and be a bit puzzled as to why so many people included it in their daily lives! How could something so ugly be so delicious? Don’t be fooled by it’s exterior! This is literally one of those circumstances when you should most definitely not judge “the book by it’s cover” It is a beautiful, wonderful vegetable. I’m am talking about CELERIAC or celery root! Yum yum yum!

I am still in the experimentation phase- however, I’m still stuck on using it in soups. I has a slight taste of celery, which is so appealing- and it also is SO creamy. People won’t believe that the soup is vegan and has no dairy in it! This recipe is one of Sherry Strong’s!

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