The process of eating well can be transformative. After all, we're continually told "you are what you eat." But what they don't tell you? It isn't the sole catalyst for lasting change. In the past, I thought modifying my diet would change my life. That eating clean meant not only a clean body, but also a happy mind and satisfied soul.
As I have found out through much trial + error, that's only half true . . . at best.
Still, I think a lot of us use our diets as our
adult report cards. There aren't too many other ways to grade how our lives are going, how we're dealing with physical and emotional contentment or, in turn, turmoil. Diets are
(somewhat) easy to change, track, and control, too. They allow us focus on something external -- food + drink -- to lay blame outside our inner selves. To celebrate successes or, ultimately, punish failures.
Unless there's a large amount of weight to lose or some other quantifiable, measurable goal, the changes a diet provides can range from significant to imperceptible. And that's where the focus on food fails to deliver. Even if we
"eat like adults," we can remain in a funk. Unfulfilled in so many ways.
What's even more perplexing is how we can be privy to all of what I just wrote and
still choose to harp on diet every time our lives get out of control or we desire big change. I'm writing to myself here, can you tell? Understandably, it's a kick-start. After, that's when the "lifestyle" component factors in, which I'll get into another time. What the term encompasses, though, we typically interpret to mean exercise only. There are still multiple pieces of the pie missing.
Enough food for thought.
Now time for some actual food.
BASIL HUMMUS
What you'll need . . .
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
// Place all ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth. Add more/less water depending on how you like the texture of your hummus to be. Then use as a dip or spread. I topped toast with it and added slices of heirloom tomatoes that looked quite a bit like lox, no?
Slice!
Have you been frustrated when a diet hasn't provided the change you needed?
Or perhaps quite the opposite?
Still, I believe taking the time to cook gives the mind more room to think. A critical slowing down that we're often taught to overlook
(I skipped enough lunches while working my desk jobs, for example). And keeping recipes simple and full of nutrient-dense whole foods can help lead us in the right direction, wherever that may be.
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