Eat. Live. Be. and Eating Whole Foods

Last night, we were sitting around the dining room table, just chatting, long after the plates had been cleared.  Somehow the topic of Twinkies came up, though, for the life of me, I can’t remember why.

“Twinkies?  What are Twinkies?” Nick asked.

I looked at Mystic and said, “My nine-and-a-half-year-old doesn’t know what Twinkies are.  I don’t know whether this means I’m doing a good job as a Mom or not.”

“I think if Nick doesn’t know what Twinkies are, you’re doing a great job as a mom.”

Oh how I love that man.

And it’s true.  Although I was surprised Nick didn’t know what they were, I have to say, I was pretty proud of that too.

While it is sometimes hard to get the kids to sit down and focus on eating a meal, largely because they both fall into the “grazer” category more, I don’t often complain about how or what they eat.

The snack drawer is filled with organic applesauce, packages of goji berries and pomegranates, and granola bars.  Fresh fruit or cherry tomatoes makes it into Madeline’s lunch box nearly every day of the week, and she usually eats that first.  Homemade hummus is an oft-requested lunchbox item for Nick.  The amount of yogurt we all eat is ridiculous.  More often than not, they make the right choices on their own, with no prompting from me.

Do we have processed foods in our house?  Yes.  Without a doubt.  There is a package of Oreos or two.  An occasional foray into Cheez-Doodles.   Ice cream from the local dairy.  But it is the exception, rather than the rule.

And that’s just the thing when it comes to treating yourself right.  Whether you’re an avid Eat. Live. Be’r.  Recommitting to a new exercise routine.  Or finding a new one.  Revamping your eating habits or getting comfortable with what you already do.  If eight times out of ten, you make the right decision for yourself, and do right by you, it will be ok.  It will all fall into place.

Although we focus on “clean eating” and whole foods, I don’t consider the occasional processed snack falling off the wagon.  It’s a moderation thing.  The bulk of what we eat is made from fresh ingredients.  From our own kitchen.  And is just the fuel we need.

If you indulge once in awhile, own it.  My old trainer always used to say, ice cream sometimes is ok.  Just make it the best damn ice cream you can buy.  And then the next day?  Go back to the overall game plan.  Don’t beat yourself up about it.  Don’t feel guilty.  Just keep on keeping on.

Decide what your plan is (whether it’s related to health, fitness, an eating plan, a new career path, what have you), and follow the 80/20 rule.  Eighty percent of the time, be rigid and stick the the plan.  If you deviate, get it done with and hop back on the train.  It’s all good.

I actually spied Twinkies in the store today when I ran out to pick up a few things, and picked up a package.  I debated about buying them.

“You didn’t want to mess with a good thing, did you?” Mystic asked me tonight.

Nope.  I think it is A-OK that the kids don’t know what Twinkies are.  And if they sometimes have one, that’s ok too.  They can enjoy the heck out of it, and go back to something better.  After all, one of their grandfather’s favorite old-school indulgences is a Hostess cupcake.

Be sure to check out my fellow Eat. Live. Be. girls and see what they’re up to this week … Joanne, Patsy, and Sarah.

January 25, 2012 – Bonus Photo

The Big Miracle movie previews were seen by the kids many months ago.  And Madeline, being an equal opportunity animal lover, has been counting down to its opening weekend.  We see the signs when we go past the movie theater.  It’s marked on our calendar.  And she dug out her dolphin ring to drive the point home even further.  It opens next Friday.  The kick-off to her birthday, double party, weekend.  Perfect timing if I ever saw it.