Relationships with Food and Their Impact on Nourishment
For a while now I have had different encounters with food and for sure am now enlightened on the different outcomes one might have from its consumption. In numerous instances, we ingest foodstuff without really caring about the aftermath. Adversely, this makes our bodies vulnerable to some of the health problems we experience today. Further, the current generation is ignorant to some of the dieting facts (Weston 262). They should thus strive to obtain relevant information from such sources as books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. For these reasons, this paper looks to discuss the different relationships people have with food and how different encounters have changed their attitude towards nourishment.
Love for Junk Food: A Craving Developed
To begin with, as I grew up, I became a gourmet and always had a craving for junk food. In most cases, my weekends would start off by taking a stroll in the nearby streets just to make a stop at Popeyes Chicken Tenders. As usual, I would order fried chicken which would be accompanied by a soda and sauce. The fact is that every time someone visits a fast food outlet, they walk out less healthy and more so unattractive than they entered the facility. Aside from always having a great love for all foods, my mother’s side of the family has always struggled with weight. Also they have for a long time had issues relating to poor metabolism. My mother even asked her parents if she could go on weight watchers while pursuing her second grade. At this rate, she had already become concerned with my eating habits, and would always make me eat the healthier foods at home. She did this so that I could reduce the yearning for innutritious stuff. Junk foods can be harmful since they are not high in satiation value. What this means is that people tend to overeat since they do not feel satisfied upon eating them (Chiu 235).
Becoming a Vegetarian: The Struggle for a Perfect Body
However, after carefully considering my increasing weight and my mother’s advice, I decided to become a vegetarian. This bold step was motivated by the fact that I needed to change my food preferences and go for dietary options that are much healthier. Stereotypically, if vegans make the right food choices, there are low chances of having nutritional problems (Craig 16280). I practiced this for a while but, unsurprisingly I seemed to have a less than favorable metabolism, especially in middle school in the thick of puberty and the wake of a debilitating back injury. Notably, it is during this period that one wants to have a perfect body. All my friends at the time were thin and I would constantly liken myself to them. Also, I started watching what I ate and counting calories strictly. I would always feel guilty and dreadful whenever I ate something less healthy, even if it was not necessarily harmful. After a while, I realized that it was hard for me to be a pure vegetarian. I struggled a lot with my food preferences and as time passed by, I decided to be a pollotarian or a vegan who consumes chicken (Craig16332).
Regulating Daily Meals and Finding the Right Balance
Consequently, I resolved to regulate my daily meals to restrict food intake to a particular time and set my body on a proper schedule (Bull 26). It is evident that trying this takes much time to adapt. It is, therefore, advisable to have a plan which best fits one’s lifestyle. Subsequently, I split up three mealtimes to six regular eating intervals. Watching on calorie intake is believed to be the primary active way of losing weight (Bull 42). On the other hand, what one consumes may affect how your loss of weight carries on. I tried to occasionally avoid brunches I would eat a lot of food on an empty leading me to overeat. Consequently, skipping a meal could often lead to the deprivation of nutrients in the body (Bull 61). With time I realized the fasting and overeating habits during brunch made me have long breaks before taking the next meal which led to additional fat buildup. Before long, I learned to love myself despite the weighing scale reading and put my happiness first. Also, I began working out at the gym in my hometown and focused on balancing healthy as well as indulgent food (Atkinson 97).
Conclusion: The Importance of Choosing a Healthy Lifestyle
In conclusion, it is of much importance to know that different foods present different reactions to our bodies. Therefore, one needs to identify the type of food that will work best for them to prevent the embarrassing moments of gaining weight (Chiu 240). Since I started going to the gymnasium, I realized better results physically and mentally. To this day, I still engage in the workout. My trainers have without doubt changed my life for the better, and I continue to have a deep love for food without feeling guilty. Notably, one should go for what is healthy to avoid lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, stroke, cancer as well as other conditions like obesity.
Works cited
:Craig, W. Health Effects of Vegans Diets. American journal of clinical nutrition, (2009):16275-16335.
Chiu C.J. et al. Informing food choices and health outcomes by use of the dietary glycemic index», Nutr Rev. 69(4) (2011): 231–242.
Atkinson F.S, et al. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: Diab Care 31(12), (2008): 96- 100.
Bull, N.L. Studies of the dietary habits, food consumption and nutrient intakes of adolescents and young adults. World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics. (1988 ) 24–74.
Weston, Price A. Nutrition and physical degeneration. Keats Publishing. CT (1989), p.256-281.
