Follow Up on Yesterday's Post...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I personally strive to maintain healthy eating habits, and (as many of my family members and friends will tell you) I sometimes attempt to impose those habits on the people close to me. I won't bore you with a laundry list of items that are included in my diet, but here's a basic overview: I don't eat red meat. Instead, I get my protein from hummus and tofu. I am also overly obsessed (and willing to admit this fact) with strictly watching my intake of unnecessary fats. Pretty much everything I cook or bake (including desserts) is either low in fat content or fat-free. I enjoy trying new, healthy recipes and then testing them on my loved ones. For instance, one of my specials is Tofu Spinach Lasagna...but when I serve it, I fail to mention the tofu part until they've eaten it. (Cruel huh?)

Thinking back on it, I guess my awareness regarding the importance of a healthy diet came to full bloom during my senior year of high school. In my agro-ecology class at governor's school, we spent a decent amount of time focusing on nutrition and healthy eating. Assignments for this unit included reading Eric Schlosser's eye-opening novel, Fast Food Nation, and viewing Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me. Then, with a newfound interest in the subject, I chose to read Spurlock's book Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America. Let me just say that after being exposed to all of this disturbing information, I had never been happier to be a semi-vegetarian! Now, don't get me wrong, the occasional enjoyment of unhealthy food is okay as long as it is done in moderation. However, based on statistics, it seems that many Americans choose unhealthy foods more often than they opt for fruits and veggies.

So, I hope this gives you some background on why I choose to advocate healthy eating habits.

Thanks for reading!