Baby Carrots Work For Me

As an aspiring holistic health counselor, I truly believe in walking the talk. A large foundational piece of the IIN program is being the change you're trying to effect in others. I don't think I could be an inspiring or effective health counselor when I weight 20-25 pounds more than I'd like to or when I still occasionally eschew dark leafy greens or use sugar or flour products as a quick pick-me up meal because I haven't prepared well ahead of time.

But like I've admitted on here before, I am not perfect. SHOCKING. I can only do so much so often. Another large foundational piece of the IIN program is the 90-10 rule. Eat healthy 90% of the time and the other 10%, do whatever you want. Eat a piece of cake at a birthday party. Order fries instead of the salad. Soak in the bath and drink a glass of wine instead of going for a run. Anytime, no exaggeration, ANYTIME we impose such strict regulations on ourselves, we are bound to disappoint. It is in our most basic nature to have desires and to have things that bring us pleasure and to satisfy those needs. If we are constantly denying those needs, we will a) be miserable, even if it's hidden under the surface and b) eventually need to fulfill those desires, anyways, and by then it might not be in the most healthy or direct of ways.

So my thinking, as a human being and as a future holistic health counselor, is to just do what works for you. I stick to a mostly no flour, no sugar eating plan. It works for me. I don't have an urgent sweet tooth and I really enjoy food shopping and cooking so planning meals that suit my plan ahead of time is usually a joy and not a chore. However, today is the day before a holiday, so I decided to forego my normal cup of coffee with stevia and a splash of organic half-and-half and buy a Peppermint Mocha Soy Latte from Starbucks. It was a total indulgence and full of sugar, I am sure, but worth it. I won't consume sugar in any amount like that for awhile and I won't miss it. But I wanted to today and I did.

Other examples of having expectations for myself and realizing they don't actually work for me are with grocery shopping. I'm all about farmer's markets and buying local and sustainable and purchasing items with the least amount of packaging, etc. But one thing I've been realizing is that I really love carrots (with hummus) as a daily snack, but I don't really love buying them whole and having to clean and cut them often. I eat carrots a lot but I'm much less apt to eat them unless I buy the beautiful, shiny crisp baby carrots. They're quick and easy and I need that. In essence, it's a really stupid idea because I'm incredibly capable of preparing them myself. I don't NEED a carrot that's been peeled and cut and shaped into cute little sizes, but I like them. In essence, I think the fact that people are so far removed from a carrot with its green top, pulled from the ground with its dirty peel intact is horrifying. I had a few vegetables growing in my backyard this past summer and I volunteered a couple of times on local farms. So I love vegetables in their pure forms. But I need to do what works for me, and baby carrots work for me.

I'm not promoting an unhealthy diet or lack of exercise or giving into every whim. There is a lot to be said for goals and healthy expectations and living a healthy lifestyle. I'm simply saying it's okay to allow yourself space and freedom from guilt to listen to your desires and to indulge yourself every now and then and to accept what works for you and what doesn't. Baby carrots work for me even though on an environmental and intellectual level they don't. My health is better for them. Find what works for you.