One person. One person do I offer my greatest thanks for the hunger for health I now walk in. I wouldn’t have this intrinsic value for health, a healthy lifestyle concept, or the inheritance of grace for discipline if it weren’t for my mama’s life and her investment in mine.
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She served me and my brothers different food groups on one plate, always including a vegetable. She cooked with whole ingredients and baked from scratch. She taught us to stay hydrated and eat several times a day. She let us choose ONE small treat from the “treat bowl” after dinner. She packed our lunches every day in brown bags. She kept our home stocked with fresh fruit. She prepared for us lean, clean, diverse protein options. She taught us that sweets are a privilege, not for casual or excessive consumption. She cooked meals at home, nightly.
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She taught me a nutrition lifestyle where discipline and enjoyment co-exist. The freedom within her relationship with food gave me an in-home model of someone who could enjoy food and drinks while continually making nutritional adjustments along the way for health sake. She didn’t allow her food consumption to source her body image or perception. She balanced her consumption of quality food with her commitment to daily movement. My mama showed me a woman who ate her food without shame, guilt, or anxiety. Because this pressure wasn’t upon her she didn’t rebel with greed, control, or overeating.
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My mama showed me how to enjoy food and not be controlled by it. And I’m so thankful! This is my foundation for why I can sit at a table today and be a woman who enjoys her meal alongside others. Parents invite their children into their freedom or lack thereof. My mama is my friend; she is a strong woman who I cherish sharing life with. Mama, Wholly Healthy is a harvest of your life. I love and celebrate you mama.