Growing up, like many, our family gatherings always seemed to be centered around food.  When the word food came to mind I felt comfort, joy and togetherness.  However, I didn’t always have such a positive attitude towards food.  After my first year of college I regrettably gained what is known as the freshman 15; only mine was more like the freshman 20.  Naturally, I did not feel comfortable in my body and realized my weight gain affected many other aspects of my life.  I felt depressed, unconfident and lazy.   How could this happen to me, I thought?   I started to then develop an unhealthy attitude towards food.  I convinced myself the only way for me to be healthy was to eat tasteless, mundane dishes.  Luckily through the years, I realized otherwise.  

What caused this change?  Self accountability was number one.  No one made me choose the food I was eating.  And, that is exactly what is so cool about food.  In most cases, we have the choice to eat the right foods to fuel our bodies!  You see, our bodies want to be healthy, although we sometimes challenge it by eating processed, greasy and/ or fatty foods.  When I knew what the food I just ate was doing inside of me, my whole perspective changed. I was getting fiber and protein from my morning oatmeal, Calcium from the green peppers I ate as a snack, and Omega 3’s from my Atlantic Salmon, to name a few. I began to get excited about the choices I was making and the results I was not only seeing, but feeling.  

There are five components of an optimum diet, according to a series of discs called The Guide to Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil.  He states that an optimum diet should support general health, taste good and provide pleasure, support longevity, and fit your social and cultural requirements.

   Here are a couple way I'd like to suggest we can make food exciting:

1.)    Let food influence not only your life in a positive way, but the environment around you!  You can support your local organic farmers by visiting www.localharvest.com.   Just type in your zip code to find out where the closest organic farm is to you.  Here you will find a list of colorful fruits and veggies, tasty recipes, and events!

2.)    Cook a healthy meal for your loved ones.  You do not have to be a chef to create tasty cuisine.  Substitute enriched flours with whole grains, eliminate sugary condiments by using flavorful herbs, and grill or bake your protein of choice.  For more ideas, check out The Whole Foods Market Cookbook, or Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole and Natural Ingredients to Your Cooking.  We all want our family and friends to achieve optimum health, right?  Preparing a meal creates a sense of fulfillment for you.  What a wonderful gift to give, a meal made with an abundance of healthy ingredients.  

3.)    Pick a favorite food and make it a different way every week!  For instance, black beans.  My mom’s black bean and corn salsa is a hit every time she makes it.  She incorporates fresh ingredients from her garden and the farmers market like, avocado, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice, green peppers, and black beans of course.  Its filling and very tasty!  Black bean burgers are quick and easy as well!  Mix Black beans, whatever spice you like (I like fresh garlic)  and an egg in a food processor for a couple seconds.  Then mix with whole wheat bread crumbs, sautee on a pan with olive oil and voila, a tasty burger!  Or, it could be as simple as tossing some black beans over your salad.  
I firmly believe that nutrition is such a powerful thing, and helps us live our life to our true potential!  It is up to you and me to change where America is heading.  To have choices in life is a good thing, so make the choice to fuel your body with healthy foods that satisfy and excite you!