Growing up I had the luxury of never having to worry about food. I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, with little to no consequences. I never gained weight, I never got sick, I never felt bloated or gassy. I knew how lucky I was because people around me, like my Mom, always struggled with some of the things I love, like garlic for example. To this day, I’m still not sure if I could live a happy life without ever tasting the deliciousness of garlic bread ever again - hence the dilemma I’m in these days. I ate so much pasta, so many big bags of chips all to myself, so many pastries and sweets – it was the life.
Today I whipped together a homemade salsa full of anti-inflammatory tomatoes & olive oil, fresh onions and peppers, some chili powder, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. And then I enjoyed it with some 0 trans fat, gluten free chili-lime Tostitos. A decade ago, I wouldn’t have known what half of that shit meant, or bothered to care either. Oh how the times have changed. The other night my husband and I were recalling the days when the only vegetable we ever ate was onions, and remembering when we made the mature decision to expand our horizons by adding red peppers onto our grocery list.
I’ve recently become more aware of the relationship between the foods I eat and how they affect my body. Part of me wonders if I have the willpower to make the changes my body is so desperately calling for. Is it important enough to me cut out some of my favs like breads, pastries, red meet and pretty well all processed foods? What does that look like, exactly? So many unanswered questions.
That’s how it is with any decision that involves change though. It comes down to two things; is it important enough to you to make the change, or not? There are no in-betweens. Think about it for a second – people have conquered all sorts of seemingly impossible obstacles to make things happen, even against all odds. Why? Because it was important enough to them to find a way. The reason was tied to their identity; to their “why;” to their values. It’s a lot easier to make a change when those are all in alignment because you already have the buy-in. When your reason for doing something is tied to your identity, your chance for success increases 10x.
So here I am, a serial entrepreneur with endometriosis who has a decision to make. The little research that has been done suggests that certain foods cause inflammation and negatively impact symptoms, to the point that some days, I can barely walk. But, wait a minute… I’ve always loved food and been able to eat what I want! Is it important enough to make the change, and is the sacrifice worth it?
Well, if I want to keep kicking ass in the business world and being a good mom to my little guy, then I owe it to those identities to do whatever I can to feel physically better. It will take sacrifice, willpower and many small changes, but being a good business owner & mom is hard to do if you feel crippled 75% of the time.
I could get caught up in the “this isn’t fair” or “why should I have to make a change” mentalities, and don’t get me wrong – sometimes I go there – but I know neither of those attitudes is going to help me live my best life. So, it’s time for a change! I’m not striving for perfection, and I know I’ll sneak in the occasional garlic bread and danish, but from this day forward I’m cutting down on the red meat, increasing anti-oxidant foods on my diet, and staying away from the quick fix processed foods as much as possible. I may not have control over this disease, but I can control that!