Jan 15-Inspirational thought

The title of today's thought is "Embracing Simplicity". 

"Once we take stock of our lives and let gratitude begin to transform us through the appreciation for how much we already have, we feel the urge to pare down, get back to basics and learn what is essential for our happiness.  Less can mean more, just think about how appealing simplicity can be. Sunlight streaming through sparkling clean windows, the glow/fragrance of a scented candle, time just watching our loved ones enjoy their activities. Through simplicity our weary soul can discover the place it ought to be."

While I was reading through this thought, it reminded me of some changes my own family has undergone in the last couple of weeks.  Our family has always participated in a bit of a holiday food "detox"  (like most Americans) after the first of the year.  Most Americans will make "resolutions" to lose so much weight, implement more daily physical exercise, etc...when the New Year begins.  However, our family has always just tried to come down off of the "high" we've gotten from all of the over abundance of food/sweets that we eat beginning with T'giving through the New Year.  This year, we decided to go a step further.  We decided to return to more "simple" foods while detoxing.  That has meant eating fish twice a week which my family has found that we actually enjoy very much.  This has also meant my grocery cart has been half full with fruits/vegetables the remainder being nuts, poultry, fish and dairy. So what has been my family's response to this simple eating? Rebecca loves to eat this way-she is the health conscious member of our family.  I'm proud to see Rebecca find a "niche" that has brought her so much joy-interest in healthy lifestyle choices w/regard to eating simpler and exercising has lead her to the decision to become a dietician/nutritionist.  John is the "exercise" guru in our family. He, however, LOVES to eat lots of rich/lavish foods, but even he seems to enjoy this new simpler way of eating. It has certainly made things easier for him-eating 6 times a day-smaller portions-allows him to remain fueled for his run each day and more easily prepare/pack the things he needs for meals/snacks each day given that he has class 3 nights/week after work.  Michaela has found this to be quite an adjustment. However, I knew that she was turning a corner and being "converted" when she remarked that, "wow, it's hard to believe that such small portions of food can actually be so filling."  For me, this has been challenging for SO many reasons. Reasons that go way back to the beginnings of my life. I was NOT raised eating simple/whole foods. I have spent most of my adult life trying to adjust some of my eating patterns by implementing more of them into my day. I remember the first time I ever had broccoli (that I could remember) and say that I liked it was in my late 20's. The way I was raised, a salad was iceberg lettuce (yuck!) with a bit of tomato, imitation bacon bits and loaded in ranch dressing.  Now I can't stand this type of salad!!!  I prefer the very dark green mix of salad greens-particularly w/spinach and romaine in it and of course load it with fresh mushrooms, broccoli, tomato, carrots, etc....you get the picture. Typically, the more flavor food has and more variety that is in my daily food, the more I like it! I've already made huge strides in eating/enjoying more healthy choices since my childhood.  Fish-that simply was not something I ever ate/enjoyed (except the southern style fried catfish I was raised on) until the last couple of years. I am so grateful that I've had the opportunity to go on cruise ships that have offered me the blessing of trying fish in a variety of ways and finding out that I really can love it! You see, on the cruise ship, if I don't like it-I can send it back and order something else-FOR FREE!!!!  As we know, fish is VERY expensive to try in restaurants, particularly here in the south.  Not to mention the fact that getting "good quality" sea fish here in the south is virtually impossible.  So, I have always resisted trying it because the few times I did, it was absolutely terrible:(  I'm thankful for the commissary that actually brings in some frozen salmon, shrimp, tilapia, mahi-mahi, etc...that is actually decent quality.  Of course not the quality of fresh that I've had on the cruise ships, but good none the less.  Here I sit, with my experience in the culinary school, loving to "cook", being a foodie, etc...adjusting my entire way of thinking/eating.  I'll have to say that I have enjoyed this change.  The negatives for me-1) I have to go grocery shopping every week because the amount of fresh produce you need for a "grown" family of 4 is just too much/disappears to quickly to do otherwise  2) The huge sticker price shock of buying whole/simpler foods-wow! 3) The amount of time it takes to plan 3 meals 3 snacks for 7 days for a family of 4. This has greatly increased planning time and is a job in itself.  The positives for me-1) I feel more energetic/healthy  2) I know that you can't put a price on good health-I look at my Dad's state of declining health and think about the loss of my Mom because of poor health decisions and know that investing $$ in my family's healthy living practices is totally worth it 3) One of the many roles I'm blessed to have as manager of our home is the meal planner/shopper and readjusting my schedule so that I can make this a priority is a privilege.  I'm thankful for the biggest loser club online which has helped make this task a bit easier as I adjust my life to fit this planning into my schedule/routine. You may be asking yourself,  what does all of this have to do with the inspirational thought for today? Simply put..."simple IS better!"