For The Love Of Food, Just EAT

From a young age, I've always been the black sheep who actually enjoyed vegetables (who's with me?!) But like all of us, we all have our story that has brought us to where we are today, and my story is that my love for vegetables and all things health actually stemmed from an eating disorder in my earlier days.I went from strict-calorie counting, restriction and excessive exercise – 50 calorie Source yogurt breakfasts, 5 Wheat Thin lunches and minimal dinner portions. I was able to get help sooner than later, which helped get my weight back up (and up and up and up – we'll save that story for another time though). But I truly thought the mental effects would be something I would be stuck with forever.I can still remember being in university, after having finished yet another explosive binge session, the feeling of the wall of my stomach protruding out of my belly, alongside feelings of agony, pain and shame. I had done it again. I can still remember those feelings of helplessness as I curled up into a ball on the ground, allowing the meltdown to ensue.That's when I decided I never wanted to feel this way again.And I never did.I can't recall when it happened, but it did. I was now on my way to paving my new path to health.From that point forward, I avoided everything "diet" related – diet beverages, aspartame-filled treats, "low fat" and "low-calorie" snack packs. I began eating more whole foods and move away from processed foods altogether. I looked at food as fuel, other than treats or a way to numb myself as a response to stress or emotional situations. Most importantly, I finally felt like I was in control and food was no longer controlling me.Gone are the days when I would groan, “Ugh, I’m so full!” as if it was the food’s fault and it did something to hurt me. We are responsible for making our own decisions and have complete control over the way we feel. So why not feel amazing every single day? Learn about yourself and the inner workings of your body in such depth that you're able to identify exactly what it needs at that time. Instead of reaching for that coffee, drink some water, get some fresh air, do spinal rolls or crack some jokes with a pal. If you listen to your body, you will subconsciously be able to give it the nutrients it needs.What's the point in me sharing my story? I believe we can all learn a little something from each other and I hope that in sharing my story, you can find ways to relate and cope with what you may be going through as well. With that said:EAT the colourful fruits of the Earth. DRINK so much water that bathroom trips become a part of your day job. ELIMINATE processed foods, artificial ingredients and health washing-filled packaging. EXPERIMENT with different vegetables and fruits and learn something new with each bite. Most of all, ENJOY and be grateful for every nourishing bite.