Hullo and happy Monday! Hope it was/is a great one for ya.
I was originally going to write up some kind of “summer recap” or “what I’ll miss most about summer” post, seeing as it’s the last real weekend of summer and all, but your comments on my last post really got me thinkin’, and pushed my thoughts in a completely different direction, so I’m going to roll with that instead.
Very quickly, though, I will definitely miss this…
Writing down ideas while enjoying the sunshine and an iced latte? Bliss. But anyways…
When I mentioned that I had gone back to the basics and given up on trying to replace things like butter, milk, sugar, cheese, etc. with their “healthier” alternatives, a lot of you admitted to doing the same thing and experiencing the same results – an overall increased feeling of wellness. We’re constantly being bombarded with ideas like: almond milk is healthier than cow’s milk, egg whites are healthier than whole eggs, butter is bad, red meat is the Devil, etc., so we replace or eliminate these foods in an effort to be healthier, but are we really healthier as a result?
I ask because for years I had somehow convinced myself that the way I was eating was right for me… I didn’t need meat. I didn’t need whole eggs. I didn’t need milk. I didn’t need butter. After all, I had my almond milk, egg whites, protein powders, and soy-based butters; I was feeling great and making healthy choices!
But lo-and-behold, I was wrong.
When I thought I was feeling great, it was only because I had forgotten how great really felt. That feeling of true health declined so gradually, that I didn’t even notice it. Looking back now, though, I would say that I felt fine; I didn’t feel bad, per say, but I wasn’t exactly thriving either. It wasn’t until I started reintroducing the basic, real foods that I grew up on back into my diet that I realized things hadn’t really been as good as I had led myself to believe.
It didn’t happen overnight, but I can’t deny the fact that eating real foods made a huge positive impact on my health. My energy increased. My mood improved. My skin, hair, and nails grew stronger. And I stopped obsessing so much over food and health. In short, I felt 100 times better eating the supposed “bad” foods than I had when I was eating all of those “healthy” alternatives. And let’s not even talk about how much my stomach appreciated the change…
So why am I mentioning this?
Well, based on my own personal experience, I really encourage you to take a step back and consider why you replace real foods (if you do) and how you feel as a result. People have allergies, intolerances, preferences… I get it, and there’s nothing wrong with substitutions/eliminations in those cases. But for those who can eat the real thing but don’t, why not? Why choose almond milk over regular milk? Why choose soy based products over dairy/meat ones? Why try and fool yourself that “cheese” made from nutritional yeast is anything like the real thing? Oftentimes we don’t even have answers to these questions… we just fall into the habit of doing them and don’t bother questioning it.
Is it because it’s what everyone else is doing? Because we’re told that it’s “supposed” to be better? Is it because we just don’t want to believe that eating and food really can be that simple? That we already figured it out thousands of years ago and no longer have to come up with crazy new theories, replacements, and what-have-yous? Do we have some kind of innate drive to complicate our lives more than we need to?
Seems that way, unfortunately.
. – . – . – .
Do you have any similar experiences to share?
What’s your opinion on replacing real food with these “healthy” alternatives?
Are there any that you use or like?
There is irrefutable evidence that animals products have a negative impact on your health (not to be confused with a negative impact on attitude). Not to mention the impact it has on the animals’ health– after all, they are dead!
Being healthy, and having a desire to be healthy, is not a disorder in of itself. When a real obsession is present, it doesn’t matter if you are binging every day or it you aren’t eating at all– it finds something to attach itself to. I have found that is is not the food you eat, but the attitude you eat it with. I am a super healthy eater– raw vegan, as a matter of fact. I eat about 2500 to 3000 calories a day and I feel better than I ever have in my life. But that didn’t happen until I saw the abundance and felt the joy from what I was eating and how it was making me feel. If I “slip up” I try not to think of it as a mistake– because it wasn’t, the mistake happens when I let myself get concerned about it. I only feel the good the food is doing my body when I don’t have the pesky ED in the way!
I’ll admit, I HAVE kind of developed a fear of butter…but as far as my almond milk, nutritional yeast, and tofu is concerned, I buy it because I like it. I actually don’t even think of them as a “replacement” in my diet….well, maybe the almond milk, but I do have a bit of an intolerance when it comes to dairy products. And I’ve also pretty much eliminated refined sugars, but ONLY because I hate how they make me feel. I don’t feel “deprived” in the least…I actually LIKE plain unsweetened Greek yogurt with only the natural sweetness of fresh fruit! What I HATE to see is the people who substitute sugar like CRAZY! It’s always Splenda this, stevia that, and DONT’T even get me started on that whole Walden Farm’s calorie free bs! What do these people think they are putting into their bodies? I mean, c’mon, there is NO WAY that is good for you!
Amanda, thank you SO MUCH for writing this as it perfectly describes what has been floating around in my head for ages. I sometimes find myself “healthifying” recipes to unnecessary extremes and then asking myself
“why?” Just like you, I realized that my body absolutely thrives on fresh, wholesome foods such as meats, dairy, and butter. When I eat these foods, my stomach and digestive system love it. Amazing. I hate to say this but I sometimes suspect that many people accuse certain foods (gluten, dairy, meat, etc.) for their body woes, when in reality the absence of those foods is the root of the problem (of course, many people also have true intolerances but that’s not what I mean!) We need to stop over-thinking about every meal and eating what our bodies are begging us to eat!
Great post Amanda and it’s a feeling I have been experiencing as well in more recent months… and expressed a few different times on my blog. Basically the influence from the media, blog world, magazines, etc, is just too much for me, and unfortunately I am too susceptible. The goal of finding what really and truly works for you is the ultimate goal if you ask me.
Ahhh I can’t believe you’re blogging again! So nice to add you to my reader. We have such similar ideas regarding diet, exercise…. well, life in general! I’m sorry we haven’t talked in so long. I cancelled my WoW account so I haven’t been seeing you around.
Definitely in agreement with you on your recent posts. I’ve found the more relaxed with my diet / exercise I am, the healthier I look AND feel. Go figure.
Hope we can chat again soon!
Very true! I love how you brought this up, and I honestly don’t know where I stand on this. Probably because I still base things off of “fear” and even if I do “indulge” I can still trick myself into thinking I like diet versions better, so I don’t know if I actually like them or not. Plus when people think almond milk is healthier than actual milk I don’t know if I buy it…I mean look at almond milk ingredients vs. say plain goats cheese, or 2% milk. Lots less ingredients in those things.
I also got really caught up in “healthifying” everything. The number one thing that I have done a complete 180 on is my stance on fat. Back in the day, everything was always fat free and I wouldn’t consume anything with fat, not even so-called healthy fats like avocado or almonds. These days, I can’t imagine living without fat. In fact, the majority of my calories come from fat. Egg whites make me sad now. Whole eggs, avocado, almond butter, and coconut are some of my favourite foods, and full fat yogurt is a million times better than fat free. I haven’t gained any weight from eating so much fat, but I do feel a lot healthier and my brain is actually able to function now. I think people fool themselves into thinking they love certain foods or that they feel great eating a certain way, when really their habits are all based on fear. Or at least I know that was the case for me. I hope other people can learn from your experience and hopefully find a way of eating that makes them feel their best.
I think that fat is something that a lot of people get caught up on, largely due to its unfortunate name. I know that I definitely went through the same kind of thing, but I couldn’t imagine going back to it. Fat just makes everything taste so much better (heck yes to full fat yogurt over fat free!), and helps keep me satisfied a lot longer. Plus I think my hair and skin kind of have a crush on it 😉
I DEFINITELY relate to you on this 100%. Don’t want to type out all the details, but you know what it’s all about 😉
I love this post. I think this is a HUGE issue throughout the “blog world”. Most people (including me at times) get sucked into what everyone else is doing, eating, exercise, etc. I had to take a break from the WIAW posts just because I found myself comparing my food to others and not feeling like I was eating as good as others, which was not true at all but sometimes it’s hard to really do what is best for yourself when everyone around you is telling you “oh this is good” or “you should be eating this instead”. I try not to replace real food with alternatives unless I clearly like them better. I love red meat and real bread, but I’m not so much a fan of cow’s milk and would prefer almond but I have come to realize that nobody’s perfect and you can only do what you know works for you. I think you’re posts are awesome btw! You’re such a great inspiration!
I do have a similar experience. I was never into the nutritional yeast and soy milk (never heard of nutritional yeast until the blog world) But I introduced meat and whole eggs and fish into my diet again this summer and I feel SO much better! It is my trip to Europe that showed me what real food was all about and how well if satisfied me. I used to make huge serving of low calorie foods because I wanted more. Now I am happy with a normal serving of good, whole food that I love. My physical AND mental health is so much better for it!
ps what kind of pizza is that?
Going to Europe always influences my views on food as well; they have such a refreshingly different approach than we do! Oh, and it’s Amy’s pesto pizza.
I love this post! And I love how you are courageous enough to talk about something very controversial among health food bloggers!
I, personally, agree with you 100%. Just out of curiosity, is this why you took a hiatus from blogging? To re-familiarize yourself with basics, and step away from the “healthy alternative” hype that goes on in the health food blogging world?
I didn’t really intend to take a hiatus, but life happened and I was caught trying to sort through a few different things at once so blogging kind of took a back seat. It probably didn’t hurt to step away for a while, but at the same time I was still periodically reading a lot of blogs, and keeping up with the current trends and what not.
I love this, Amanda! It’s great that you’re bringing up this topic now because I’ve been experiencing the VERY same results over these past couple of weeks. After 12 YEARS of eliminating red meat, I’ve reintroduced it to my diet, as well as butter, eggs, coconut oil, etc. These are all foods that became fearful to me, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my cycle came back as soon as I started eating “real” again. (TMI? Sorry haha :D)
I’m so glad to see that you’re experiencing the same results. Go red meat!
I already expressed my thoughts on this in my comment on your last post, but basically I want to say “DITTO” to this entire post! I started the transition back to real food about a year ago when I realized that eating all these healthy substitutions was just a way for me to make my ED thoughts happy. Even though I considered myself recovered at the time, I came to the realization that I couldn’t be truly recovered until I felt comfortable eating real food again. And so I started to do that. And as you said, I’ve never felt better! Also I love being able to just eat normally again instead of constantly feeling like the healthier choice is to substitute with “healthy” replacements. Now I truly feel like the real food is the actual healthier choice (for the most part) because often these replacements don’t contain as many nutrients as the real thing! Where is the protein in almond milk? Where is the vitamin D in egg whites? Where is the calcium in nutritional yeast? That’s not to say that I don’t sometimes eat these “healthy” foods, but I eat them in addition to the real foods – not as a replacement.
Also I just want to say how glad I am you’re blogging again! You always have such insightful and thought-provoking posts! 😀
Amanda – again, love the post. i think it is a balance for sure. and each person can find their own. a balance between what your body needs (depending on biology, exercise, etc) and what you crave! isn’t that the magic word anyways? balance. a concept that always feels like it can solve all of our problems, but is still so elusive…
Hey Amanda! I’ve been reading your posts for a while (LOVE) but haven’t gotten a chance to say “hi”! This is such a great post, and one that really hit home for me. For a long time, that person you described used to be me: margarine for butter, throwing the yolks away, staying clear of red meat, eating lower calorie options wherever possible, avoiding avocado like the plague ETC! Looking back makes me cringe: what was I thinking! The amount of time and energy I wasted on something so basic as eating is crazy! Now that I am not actively trying to always find the “healthiest” option (if u can even call it that), I am so much more at ease with myself and I feel immensely better…and what do you know? I haven’t gained weight either! My workouts have never been better, I feel better, and am not constantly worrying whether eating a few meals out/not enough veggies etc is going to be detrimental to my goals!
That being said, i do sometimes chuck the yolk away mainly with hard-boiled eggs- hard yolk makes me gag! I love protein powder but that’s more to do with taste as opposed to getting in crazy amounts of protein into my diet. As for nutritional yeast- don’t even get me started…that’s one blog trend I can’t buy into…bring on the feta/chevre/parmesan, please!
Hi Khushboo! I remember you back when I was blogging before, and appreciate you taking the time to say hi and sharing your story 🙂 Glad to hear that you’ve found out what works for you and are feeling better for it! It’s such a learning process, but definitely worth the effort.
This is quite a hard topic to discuss, as Andrea already mentioned: a lot of people do not just abstain from “real” animal based foods out of health reasons, but also out of environmental, ethical, moral motives. Hope you don’t mind the criticism – in my opinion you are a little to harsh claiming that animal based is the “real food” and plant based not. What is unreal about almonds blended up with water giving you almond milk? I mean – it is probably nothing that you are used to since your childhood, but it is a natural, healthy food source, which has surprisingly it’s roots in monasteries that used almond milk during fasting periods.
I am totally on your side regarding all of the artificial replacements, Frankenstein versions of faux meats and cheese – but there is a lot of good plant based stuff around people can choose to eat out of health reasons and use as a replacement for animal based sources (which nowadays are by far not as healthy as in grannys and grandpas childhood days, since a lot of what breeding animals get to eat is artificial and disgusting). Don’t get me wrong, my opinion on that is not black and white – but when I do consume animal based food I try to get it from a source I know (I mean – I see the chickens running around and picking on fresh veggies, and then I buy their eggs) or at least in a good organic store, that’s ‘real’ food to me.
I tend to agree with this. I guess I’m on the other side of the fence with regard to this post and the one prior to it because ‘real’ foods don’t satisfy me at all (mentally, physically, ethically) and when I stop exercising I gain even more weight than when I follow my heart and run. I don’t think that animal products are ‘real’ foods from my perspective; I don’t force my beliefs on other people but I cannot get behind the idea that consuming the breast milk of another animal is ‘real.’ Honestly, I believe totally in a live and let live philosophy, but to an extent I feel you’re inclined to be overly defensive of your new lifestyle. If a person is secure in their way of eating, they don’t generally write about it in such depth and with an evangialistic tone. I appreciate you do make concessions at the end of each post that you’re simply sharing your experience, and I applaud you for taking a stance so different from most blogs. However, even if you are one of the lucky ones to maintain a desirable weight by following your definition of ‘real’ foods and not working out formally, there are millions of us out there for whom this is all a myth; I honestly eat for volume and that’s the only way I can even attempt to manage my own eating disorder (binge eating alternating with compulsive overeating). I like any food that I can eat for volume and I don’t think it’s necessarily right to judge people with uber-slow metabolisms or problems with being overweight when you’ve never been that way yourself. Some of us need as much bang for our caloric buck as possible, and if that comes from almond milk, Truvia, pumpkin and the like, then that doesn’t mean we’re lesser people for following those preferences. Personally, I feel awful any time I eat ‘real’ food. I went through a phase of trying such foods for the wrong reasons in the same way that you ate ‘fake’ foods – I wanted to be like the skinny, popular bloggers who were all suddenly going down the chicken-and-whole-eggs route. And I not only suffered the physical consequences (I have IBS) but the guilt (ethical) of what I was eating tore me up inside.
I can’t help but wonder why you feel the need to be so defensive? Particularly after suddenly returning to blogging – it seems like a case of ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’ I apologise if I am projecting with this, I’m just a bit upset by all of the anti-vegan/veggie ‘I feel SOOOO much better for eating animals again!’ posts out there :/
I apologize if my post offended you, as it wasn’t my intention at all to step on anyone’s toes. I think you may have misinterpreted the message of my post, or perhaps I just wasn’t clear enough in my writing, but I was in no way trying to imply that one way of eating is superior to another, nor was I defending the way I currently eat, as I don’t feel any need to do so. I simply wanted to share my experience for those who are going/went through the same thing, update people on where I currently stand since I’ve been gone for so long, and stress that it’s important to figure out what really works for you as an individual instead of trying to follow the mainstream without really knowing why, and then feeling worse as a result. Different things work for different people, and if you figured out what works for you then I think that’s great – there’s absolutely no judgment or criticism, and no reason at all that you should change it. I’ve been slowly figuring out what works for me, and I just wanted to encourage people to do the same without being afraid of going against mainstream beliefs, that’s all.
Hey, no need to apologize. I didn’t find your post offensive, I just have to question any paradigm shift in a bloggers’ habits. Then again, my querying ‘voice’ sometimes comes off as aggressive, so I might well owe *you* an apology on that one.
I think to an extent I was voicing some frustrations that occur outside of your post and I had no place doing that; it’s just hard for me to take the backlash going on against a movement/lifestyle choice I care a lot about (veganism) and perhaps my own inferiority complex about liking protein muffins etc. It’s so hard to be taken seriously as a vegan anyway, and when so many bloggers are posting that they weren’t doing it for ethical reasons and only felt ‘pressured’ to it makes me sad – did anyone really care about the animals? I am by NO means a ‘perfect’ vegan at ALL – I’ve binged on animal products before and I am horribly ashamed to be a bad example of a vegan by being the size I am, but I hate having my sincerity questioned because of so many other people backtracking on their supposedly ‘ethical’ choice. No one’s going to believe that veganism isn’t an excuse to restrict one’s food/inherently ED orientated if people keep abusing it that way and I wish bloggers would be clear about their intentions, and be more honest to begin with.
Then again, hindsight is a wonderful thing, I suppose. And I was after honesty, which you have conveyed in this post anyway. I should not have let my ire for the movement away from veganism influence my comment to you so much, and I am happy that you’ve found a better place with your eating. I think my issues come from how ardent and fierce some of the ex-vegan posts I have read are but, again, that was not your particular post.
And thanks for having the guts to post my comment despite it being overly critical/harsh – I know quite a few bloggers who would have deleted it!
xxx
I don’t mind the criticism at all, and I appreciate your input! I think perhaps I didn’t come off as clearly as I wanted to, because I wasn’t trying to imply that plant based food isn’t real food at all – it certainly is and it’s definitely healthy. The things I had in mind while writing gravitated more towards faux meats and cheeses, and a lot of other alternatives that are made with hydrogenated oils and preservatives. I realize that people abstain from animal products for ethical reasons, but like I told Andrea, I was more so referring to those who do it for health/pressure reasons and end up feeling worse as a result but are afraid to go back to what actually works for them. The message I was trying to get across wasn’t that one way of eating is better than another, but that finding out what works for you is the most important thing… perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to tone the intensity down a notch though lol.
I am so with you on this! I’ve done vegan, vegetarian, low carb, no carb, no gluten blah blah blah and it is exhausting! When I find myself getting caught up in a food/diet trend, I go back to what I truly believe: Eat what you want, when you want and stop when you’re satisfied. It’s really that simple. I’m all about good bread, nice cheeses, great salads, some meat and the occasional froyo. I still prefer almond milk, though! 🙂
Aaand that third paragraph wasn’t supposed to publish! Whoops! I started theorizing, and then realized it was going to turn into a novel (nerd alert!), so I went back and wrapped up my comment, forgetting to delete what I’d written. Haha! I think it’s time for bed. ;-p
Hehe I’ve definitely done that on a good number of occasions as well… and your last paragraph left me curious to read more! 😉
Gosh, these words go straight to my heart. This post is exposing all those food fears and insecurities that I think we (healthy living bloggers) often attempt (successfully in most cases) to mask in the name of health. I’m definitely guilty. The verbal/written encouragement and inspiration exchanged between healthy living bloggers is the reason I LOVE this community and continue to blog; however, I think the unspoken “expectations” and trends that influence our thoughts/behaviors can reinforce the unhealthy habits(or introduce new ones) that we’re trying so hard to break away from. I know that this has most definitely been the case for me. Before I began blogging, I drank real milk, baked “normal” foods, and had never heard of nutritional yeast. Now I buy almond milk, bake “healthy alternatives” to my favorite treats, and…well, I actually don’t like nutritional yeast, but I spent a long time trying to convince myself that I did! This isn’t to say that I never enjoy the foods that I once loved (I still eat real chocolate and real ice cream regularly), but I do so somewhat apprehensively. Or, I think twice before broadcasting the fact that I enjoyed a slice of American cheese on my hamburger (I know this isn’t REAL cheese, but I DO enjoy it–it’s what I grew up with and it can’t be beat on a cheeseburger). 😉
The wheels are once again turning…in such a good way. Thanks, Amanda! <3
I think our society has adopted replacement foods with gusto because real foods were deemed the villain by our government in the 80's. As a result, people began buying highly processed healthy foods in order to replace them
I completely agree with you – reintroducing animal products in my diet was one of the best ideas in a long time. Yes, I was eating “heatlhy” before (or at least I thought so), but was I happy? No. I was constantly feeling deprived, unhappy, overstressed, I was unable to go to a café or lunch with my friends, I was unable to indulge in things I actually craved… Now I feel much better, healthier, happier. My hair has started growing again, my nails stopped being brittle and ugly, I haven´t gain any weight, I have more strength to go through my daily life and I can really enjoy meeting my friends. I don´t want to say that animal products are the way to go or the best solution for unhappiness – I just want to say that everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another. Someone may experience the best with a vegan diet, but someone just needs those eggs and cow milk and none of this is worse or better. It is just food, that´s it. Take care girl!
I used to do the same thing, thinking I was so much healthier because I was eating low-cal this or sugar-free that but I wasn’t healthy or happy! Now I only sub things like almond milk and nutritional yeast because of my taste preferences and ethical stance but I don’t feel deprived anymore because I can eat the real deal–nuts, coconut, etc–and enjoy it.
One argument [not argument in a bad way!] to eating real butter, milk, cheese, etc. would be that many vegetarians are vegetarians for reasons other than health. Animal welfare, the environment, the future, religious/spiritual beliefs, etc. I think that those kinds of foods can be healthy for many people, but as long as people who choose not to consume them can “replace” the spots in their diet where those foods would be for someone who does eat them, with other real foods that offer the same nutrients, then I think that is O.K.
I think this is a great topic to discuss! Just thought I’d offer another perspective 🙂
That being said, I am very glad that you found a way of eating that really makes you feel good, and not like you are missing something. I am all for anyone being truly happy and satisfied with their diet.
Mmm you’re absolutely right that there’s an entire ethical side to the story, but I was mostly referring to those who do it for health reasons, or because it seems like the “in” thing to do. I don’t see any problem with people eating a certain way because of ethical beliefs or because it truly makes them feel their best; it only becomes problematic when someone doesn’t feel good and refuses to change things out of fear or pressure.
ahh yes, the REAL INGREDIENT diet . It’s like we never knew. haha. No you are so right. These calories are real calories. We FEEL them. We feel…. FED. Am i right? I could never waste a yolk. it’s the best part.
Unfortunately, i have a gluten allergy. yes, it’s not the greatest, but thank Goodness it’s not dairy. How does one live without cream or butter? jk.
Great post friend. An awakening to the FEEDING senses.
Yet again, I love this post– you always get my thought gears spinning!
“That feeling of true health declined so gradually, that I didn’t even notice it.” <— I can relate SO MUCH to that. While mine was more induced by stress over the summer with my o-chem classes, I have been affected by blan, so-called health foods, too. Like fake, low cal pb? umm no, it just can't compare to the real deal 😀 Why should we fake our bodies/brains out and deprive them of something they crave in the first place?! Nothing beats the taste of REAL, true food 🙂
I'm so happy to hear you're in a better place about it all now, your journey has been nothing short of inspirational! <3
i love that you wrote this post because for a long time i was doing just that. replacing everything with a ‘healthier’ alternative. but in reality, they weren’t even unhealthy to begin with. everything is okay in moderation and its become so much more freeing and satisfying to eat as i please 🙂
I can totally relate to this post because my own personal diet has done a major 360 degree turn over the past year. I finally decided to just let go and eat real foods like whole eggs, chicken and milk – and turns out I have never felt better – I too have more energy and my mood has improved immensely! It also makes going out to eat with other so much easier now that I have so many choices! I also think that the “real”thing actually tastes better – to me nothing beats a glass of cold milk or real cheese on my pizza! I admit it did not happen overnight but I am so happy that I made this change for myself. I’m glad to see how happy you are now!
🙂
Again, another brilliant post, Amanda! I’m glad someone is saying this. I wrote a post on this some time last year and I did get some negative feedback but those people were in denial about it.
My Grandad has been eating real foods all his life. He didn’t exercise excessively, he enjoyed family dinners, he eats real sugar, butter etc and he’s now 92 years old. I wonder how old our generation is going to live to if we keep up this substitution nonsense.
<3
Thank you SO much for this post. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s so easy to get caught up in diet trends that convince us we MUST replace ‘real’ foods with their low-calorie imitators. I’ve been there and found that I constantly felt unsatisfied and half-full. It’s not a fun place to be and we should never let an obsession with food and fitness take over our lives.
Life is all about a balance. Our bodies are fragile and need proper nourishment. Not to mention, they’re smart- they can tell when we’re feeding them preservatives and processed low-cal foods.
I’m so happy that you’ve been able to find a healthy place and re-discover your love for real foods. I know the feeling and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. (:
I have trouble commenting on a lot of your posts. They are always so insightful and give me so much to think about. And unfortunately I’m not as good at getting my thoughts down in an amazingly coherent manner, like yourself. So even though I doubt I have much worth to contribute, I do love reading:).
Ultimately, I strive to eat ‘real ‘ foods . But sometimes worry it has boiled down to me actually fearing processed, packaged or less ‘real’ foods. Which I guess is a bit of a problem in itself.
Xxx
Is that a moleskine notebook you were writing your thoughts down in? I am obsessed with moleskin notebooks have so many (more than 5). I should not have grown up in this generation, because I am a pen and paper girl through and through. On another note: I think it’s great that you bring up these questions. I am definitely guilty of making substitutions without proper reasoning. On one hand I would choose cheddar cheese over nutritional yeast any day. However sometimes I use both so that I can get more sauce, which isn’t quite a substitution. That pizza looks great! 🙂
It sure is a moleskin! I love it and it basically goes everywhere with me in case I ever need to jot an idea down. I know what you mean though about being a pen and paper girl… sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era, but then I know I’d probably miss computers and the Internet if they weren’t around…