I love those “Eat This, Not That” books because, sometimes, it’s not about the Best choice. Sometimes, Better is all you have. Well, okay, let’s be honest, sometimes Good or Least Horrific is all you have! I say this like it’s not July 5th and you didn’t spend all day yesterday dodging cupcakes whose only real flavor was sweet, high-fat burgers loaded with cheese and bacon, cookies, ice cream and all things sugary, fatty and yummy.
I have a friend who is altering her food attitude, composition and consumption. By that, I mean that she is thinking of food more as a source of fuel, choosing foods that are good sources of energy and eating less of it so as not to fuel more than she needs. Yesterday, she sent me this text: “Forgive me o great Positive Thinker for I have eaten too much! LOL Actually, I ate less than anyone at the table but I am stuffed! 3 short ribs, potato salad, corn salad, small amt of baked beans [too spicy] and homemade vanilla ice cream.” I received her text just after consuming a Hardee’s mushroom Swiss burger and small onion rings. She was at a cookout; I was preparing to board a train bound for downtown Nashville. Which one of us made the better choice? Ummmmm, since my meal contained just under 1100 calories, prolly not me.
Still, neither of us did irreparable harm. It was one meal on one day. The rest of our day was full of good choices. In addition, our today, tomorrow and tomorrow morrow will be full of good choices.
We have to live. Eating and feasting together are enjoyable events and we should allow ourselves to enjoy those things….in moderation…unless you’re a monk or it’s Lent or something. What are we doing if we don’t allow ourselves to experience joy? Sure, we exercise, lose excess weight and make healthful food choices so that we can live longer, healthier lives; but, if we don’t have joy in those lives, what’s the point?
So, on that note, I say: make the Best choice most of the time and the Least Horrific one all of the time. Live. Love. Laugh. Be joyful.
Now, about that peach ice cream……
The Daily Doty 
I am glad you posted this. Remember those garlic cheese grits some dude in a trailer cooked when we were in college? Well, those were by far the the best cheesy garlic grits I have had since – so forget those cooking shows and expensive restaurants. Sometimes you have to live in the moment, and that means living. I once had someone tell me – you cannot live every day like it is a celebration. True. And that is how I was living. Not every day is special, or an excuse to gorge. Make those days truly special. Don’t make them an excuse.
🙂