Mother Knew Best – Eating Like a Kid Again

So continuing on this quest to harness the energy I once had as a kid, I am proclaiming another goal. Eat better. As a 26 year old, who’s on the go all the time, occasionally living paycheck to paycheck and who, to be quite honest, fears her own cooking, my eating habits are not the best. In fact I usually expect a weekly lecture from my mother asking me if I’m eating well and reminding me to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables everyday. But what can I say? I don’t have the time nor the desire to grocery shop or cook. Usually I grab a granola bar for breakfast or skip it altogether, I eat out almost every lunch and my dinners usually consist of cheese and crackers or a frozen pizza.

Let’s compare this to when I was 10. At that age, my mom cooked for me. She always made sure I had three complete meals a day – healthy, balanced meals – and that I had snacks in between. I always got enough protein, fruits and vegetables. I never overdosed on sugar. Never touched alcohol. And certainly never went near coffee. No wonder I had so much energy.

So why have I let myself succumb to the vices I am a prisoner of now? Convenience, laziness, heck, maybe even a tinge of rebellion have caused me to change my eating habits so drastically from when I was a kid. Well I say, the bunk stops here. No more excuses. I am going to start changing my consumption habits not for any dietary, weight-loss reasons, but simply because I want to feel better. They say you are what you eat, so I have got to stop putting garbage into my body. My mother never let me do it when I was a kid; she knew better, And now I know better too. I am going to make a conscious effort to grocery shop for healthy foods, not just what is convenient. I am going to conquer my fear of cooking and try new recipes. And I am going to try to kick my caffeine habit (this last one may be the hardest). There are so many other healthy energy drinks that I can try instead, like Vitalyte for instance.

This is the year to get that childhood energy back. Now that I’ve got two steps to work on, I’m sure I’ll start feeling some changes soon. So, are you in it with me?