Food for thought...

    So it has been over a year since I last wrote a blog post on this website. Which is insane really. But you know, a bunch of crazy stuff happened like we moved twice, our dog had two surgeries, I was pregnant, had a baby….NBD. I’m sure I’ll write more about those things at some point but for now I want to share a few of my thoughts about food - yes food. If you follow my instagram posts (@mygrattitudeattitude you’ll see that the things I post most about are Quinne (our 6 month old baby girl), our Maltese-Poodle Jean Luc and .....food. 

    I personally have been incorporating way more vegetarian and vegan options into our diet for a few reasons…. The first reason is that ever since I was a kid I felt super connected to animals (even when they didn’t feel connected to me - sorry Munchie) and I always had to make sure I couldn’t think about it when I ate meat. This not thinking about it meant that I was never really mindful about what I ate. I couldn’t be! I would be too sad! (I’m not going to get into the unethical treatment of factory farmed animals here because quite frankly I can’t handle it emotionally but if you’re interested there are tons of resources on Netflix and google but don’t say I didn’t warn you…) So, this non-mindful eating led to a very unconscious state of eating and a disconnected relationship with food (ever shove a handful of something into your mouth and not even really taste it?) Ask my husband about how many bags of mini eggs I ate while pregnant - we have different answers! And I’m sure that this is due to being so thought-less around eating.
​
         Lately I’ve been able to bake and cook a lot more while the baby is asleep or playing in the kitchen watching me and I have been having a LOT of fun with it. With this new love of experimentation the coolest thing has happened….I have learned that I don’t shove a handful of biscotti down my throat the same way anymore! You know why? Because you have to bake the biscotti TWICE. TWICE dammit. It takes time and effort to make delicious and wholesome food! I didn’t know that when I bought biscotti that someone else made so I ate it super fast not even thinking about the time it took to make it. And now, I appreciate the process more than I ever have and it allows for more mindful eating. Because I know for sure that I am NOT pumping biscotti out of THIS kitchen every week, so I better damn well savour it! Super cool. 

    Another reason that I have been incorporating a more plant based diet is due to family history. My family has history of hormone based breast cancer and I’d like to avoid adding any unnecessary hormones to my body - Lord knows I don’t deal well with the ones I already have thankyouverymuch.

    So, I am trying to eat more mindfully, ethically and avoid excess hormones and therefore a more plant based diet seems like the natural choice right now. But here’s the truth - we are heading to Germany and Switzerland in December and you can bet your fresh baked buns that I will be eating cheese fondue and schnitzel. If we are invited to a friend’s home for a meal  (any takers?) I don’t make a big deal and not eat what they serve - no way! In fact I am more thankful and mindful for having a meal made for me. In this way I feel like we are balancing an 80/20 diet where the bulk of our food at home is plant based and on special outings it’s okay to have whatever we want! Mostly, enjoy the food that we are experiencing! And also the point is to find what works best for what YOU feel is a healthy balance, and for now, this is what works for me. But it may change - just like bell bottoms and skinny jeans, butter - margarine - butter! So, as my sister says “I refuse to be put into a box!”. Anyways, I’m going to keep sharing fun food recipes among other things that I deem interesting for a little bit of a “me” outlet while the baby naps! 

Here are some of the amazing cookbooks that I have been using lately in case you are interested. 

---