Progress > Perfection

As I’m sitting here trying to come up with a title for this blog post, I’m wishing that it could just be audio of the Backstreet Boys singing Everybody. Like the Backstreet Boys, I’m back 🙂

Since my last post, I’ve accepted a new job and passed my registration exam. I’m tempted to report that I’m finding an equilibrium but it would be a lie. Rather than hide the mess that my life often looks like, I’m going to share it with you. Because if I can find time (and enjoy it) to cook healthy meals, I know you can too!

Coming back to blogging, I went through some of my old posts. It was a fun way to see how I’ve progressed in cooking and communicating to you all about food and nutrition. Some of the habits I’d been working to kick to the curb, I’ve achieved (I’m looking at you coffee creamer)! What a beautiful reminder that progress is never linear, often slow, but absolutely achievable.

My focus and philosophy on food has changed a bit, too. The more I learn about food versus food like products, the stronger I feel about using my money to “vote” about what and how the food industry grows, makes, and distributes food. My definition of “processed foods” has expanded to cover a lot more than what it used to.

When purchasing food, I ask myself these questions:

1. Where did it come from and how far has it traveled? – A manufacturing plant or from the ground/tree/plant; another country/state or a local farm?

2. How was it grown? What chemicals were sprayed on the plant? Does the farmer that grew this food grow several crops or just a few?

3. Is this food going to benefit my body? Does it move me closer to my health goal or farther from it?

4. How does this food make me feel? Energized, content, healthy or sluggish and gross?

When I use these questions to make food choices, my pantry is filled with nutrient dense, often locally produced foods. Which means I’m supporting my local and state’s economy, reducing my carbon footprint, eating food at peak ripeness and often saving money.

And while I strive to make most of our food purchases that were grown not produced, have not traveled miles and miles, that benefit our bodies to leave us healthy and content – not all of them do.

Some packaged foods still make into the pantry and while my goal is to continue to reduce that, it’s totally fine that we have more than one bag of chips in the pantry. Because there are such things as moderation and mindfulness.

What I’ve come to learn and accept over the past year is that everything in life is about the process of progress not achieving perfection. I think this can be applied to just about any area of life. If we strive to continually learn and apply that knowledge to our lives, we will be setting ourselves up for success.

So, what now? Much of what I’ll be blogging about will stay the same. I love to cook and enjoy sharing the excitement and deliciousness of healthy cooking. I also love sharing how a healthy lifestyle, eating well and exercising, can dramatically impact and improve health.

I hope you tune in and join me on the journey!

Cheers,

Danielle