Food Is Your Friend

Here’s the thing, y’all. I’m tired of hearing all of these ads for quick fixes, magic pills, diet trends, and juice cleanses. I’m tired of social media glorifying the idea that the less you eat, the skinner you’ll be. I’m saddened by the fact that so many girls are starving themselves in order to get that ideal “model” body that only those with the genetics, trainers, and nutritionists can barely reach. I’m tired of girls and women being afraid of carbs, afraid of fats, and thinking that 1,000 calories is enough. I’m tired of food being viewed as the enemy.

Food is fuel. Food is energy. Food is vital to anyone’s health. FOOD IS NOT THE ENEMY. The other night when as I was in the shower being hit with inspiration for this post, I kept thinking of Bruce from Finding Nemo and how he says “fish are friends not food.” Anyways, it’s taken me a long while to develop a healthy relationship with food, and all I want is for you to do the same. Being flooded by the media about how food is the enemy doesn’t help, but I swear, once you start viewing food in a positive light, it’ll change your life.

Let’s talk about that “quick fix” bullsh*t.

Guess what?

There is NO magic pill, no magic diet, no new fad diet that is going to create permanent change.

Think about it. It probably took you a while to put on those extra pounds. It’s going to take you awhile for you to safely remove that extra weight. For me, I gained 15 pounds over the course of one year. And you want to know how long it took me to lose all of that? Over one year.

Don’t expect miracles overnight. They don’t happen.

Do you know what the only thing is that will create permanent, constant change in your body? Consistency with a healthy diet and exercise.

Quick fixes may get you somewhere in a short period of time, but you’re more than likely to gain back not only the weight you lost but additional weight on top of that. Plus, with crazy diet trends, you’re also going to mess up your metabolism, and let me tell you, that takes a long time to fix.

Now on to my least favorite trend in the diet industry today. Juice cleanses.

Juice cleanses are not good for you. Y’all I don’t know what you’re trying to “cleanse” your body of, but last time I checked, the human digestive system is already self-cleaning and it does a very great job at removing waste and toxins from the body.

I don’t know how we became a culture so obsessed on “cleansing” our bodies, but it’s a trend that needs to just go away. Yes, eating healthy is important. Including your daily doses of veggies and fruit into your diet is great and all, but I just have a huge problem with paying exorbitant amounts of money to feel like crap for three days and drinking only nasty tasting juices.

Yes, when you’re on a juice cleanse, you’re receiving lots of nutrients from all those fruits and veggies. But you know what you’re missing? Protein. Indigestible fiber from the fruits and veggies that actually aid in digestion. Vitamins and minerals found in the skins of the vegetables and fruits. What’s left behind is just a bunch of sugar and water. Mmmmm sounds delicious, right?

If you value your sanity, skip the juice cleanses.

1000 calories is not enough.

What?? Abigail, are you telling me that I’m allowed to have more than 1000 calories? Yes, yes I am, and I’m urging you to eat more than that.

Okay I’m not going to sit here and act like I didn’t limit myself to tiny amounts of calories in order to lose weight. I mean that’s what we see in the magazines and all across social media, right? I want to look like those models, and they only eat that much a day so if I eat that much a day, then I should somehow become a model, right?

WRONG.

Y’all, those models have killer genetics that allow them to look that way. We’re all not built the same. They also have full access to personal trainers, nutritionists, and chefs that prepare every workout and meal for them. Trust me, it’s a lot easier when you have everything done for you.

I eat a hearty 1,800 calories a day. I’m full of energy, I’m seeing growth in the gym, and I’m happier than ever. It’s amazing what food can do for you.

Here’s the biggest lesson I want y’all to get out of this:

Carbs are not the enemy. Fat is not the enemy. Calories are NOT THE ENEMY. Food is fuel.

Think of food as the gas you put in your car. Your car needs gas to run, and your body needs food to function.

I was watching a video the other day, and this girl said something that really stuck with me. She was describing how she goes about choosing healthy options over the unhealthy and it went like this: Whenever I’m in a situation where I have to choose between the healthy and the unhealthy I think about the food going through my body and how it’s going to affect me. A salad is going to provide me with energy and micronutrients and not weigh me down. A burger is going to make me feel sluggish, tired, and I just imagine all that grease clogging up my system.

I do want you to remember, however, that everything is healthy in moderation. Your overall physique all depends on what you do on a daily basis. You can have chocolate cake, you can have that burger and fries, you can have that ice cream. But all in moderation.

Make healthy choices on the daily, and you can reward yourself with the “unhealthy.”

We’ve become a society obsessed with demonizing food and praising those who eat close to nothing, drink detox teas, and make it though week-long juice cleanses.

Fall in love with food. Fall in love with what food can do for you. Food is your friend.

~abigail gray