Have you ever had a friend that made you feel so good when they were around that they became like a drug? This friend was always there when you needed them… you could spill your deepest darkest secrets to them and they’d never tell a soul… or so you thought… Well I’ve had a friend like that. This so called friend made me feel like nothing else mattered at that moment except instant gratification. I was over come by it’s temptation and pseudo security… I gave in to it every time. Over the years this friend has been a bad influence on my relationships and my health. I loved it, but I hated it all at the same time. Every one of you reading this has met my friend… Hello, I am Sophia Ayala Gettys and my backstabbing best friend, my drug is food.
Food, how many things I’ve learned about this absolutely beautiful thing. This giver of life, pleasure, art and passion. I have struggled with my weight and I’ve always looked for reasons why food has always made me feel so good during a time when I need to be cuddled and protected… and after lots of soul searching I think I know why. I had always seen my family gathered and happy during a meal… holidays were excuses for treats and extraordinary dishes… dates and valentines included food… food has always equaled love. So I looked at food as my friend… food let me know that I was safe, that I wasn’t alone, that people loved me, that happiness existed, food brought me peace.
In college I remember a lonely night in my dorm room… I ate so much food I cleared my cabinet. I ate everything, but I still felt empty. Later as a newlywed I turned to food as a coping tool during a fragile marriage and then again after a losing a pregnancy. I began growing this shield of flesh around my body… and it helped to guard me from having to deal with my problems. I didn’t see the obvious change in my size, because I ignored it. I just didn’t care. It wasn’t until I had my children that I started to realize how important my relationship with food was for them.
As a Mother we are the ones teaching our children how to cope with life and stress. If I continued to share with my children my relationship, they may have followed in my footsteps. Fortunately for me, I had the extraordinary opportunity to learn about food with some of the best chefs in the US. Their passion has helped me to see my old friend in a new light! I have found that it’s not the food that was my problem… it was my relationship with it… and just like any relationship it can be fixed, all we have to do is take that first step in learning. Can I ask you this? When is the last time you sat and made a home-made from scratch meal? When is the last time you sat down and knew exactly what you were putting in to your mouth? Slaving over the stove for most seems a thing of the past… and even sometimes anti-progressive… but people I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is!
When I sit down to a meal that I have created, I feel like a Van Gogh. I am an artist and I have created a masterpiece to share with my family or friends… I have put my heart and soul in to a meal. When I cook now, I can’t enjoy a meal when I am the hostess… because all I can do is look in to the faces of the people taking their first bite and hanging on to that expression as they savor each bite! It’s the ultimate bliss to know that you have made a person “feel full”. It’s like finding a cure for sadness and spraying sunshine and rainbows in to a room.
Before I learned about food, I had only stuffed my face with things that I thought tasted good. Now, I look for things that make my heart happy… literally! I think about how these dishes will effect my children’s outlook on food in the future. I don’t abuse our renewed relationship, or take advantage, I appreciate it. When I need a hug, I go out and get one… when I need to de-stress I go for a run. It’s about redirecting the mind! I still grab a burger here and there, but it’s not to induce self love, it’s all about the pleasure of enjoying an amazing tasting dish! And you know what… I usually enjoy it so much I don’t finish it! Stop, smell, taste, appreciate and experience:)
PS- I’d like to send a shout out to the wonderful people at Schreiber Foods, maker’s of Weight Watcher’s new low fat spreadable cheeses! I received a shipment of samples and am honored to help dispel the rumors that low-fat cheese is an oxymoron! So far my faves are the Jalapeno and Garlic Herb! I’m working on some easy and tasty recipes to share for next week, so make sure to tune in… or log in! HA!
No comments:
Post a Comment