Eat, Pray, Love

Food rule #2 is absolutely my favorite, and I think it is the way everyone should look at food. This may even be the solution to solving family problems and the obesity epidemic.

So, without further ado: Rule #2

"You don't get fat on food you pray over.

This is from a friend who points out that meals prepared at home, served at the table and given thanks for are more appreciated and more healthful than food eaten on the run."

-Carol Jackson

AMEN! I take for granted that I am blessed with the luxury of knowing I will have 3 meals a day. I admit it. I think if we sit down to every meal with an attitude of thankfulness, it will change not only how we eat, but also how we conduct the rest of our days. 

Although I'm still in college and don't have a family of my own, I hope to conduct family meals in this way. I want to teach my future children not only that God provides for us, but that we should enjoy His blessings (including the food in front of us AND time spent with one another). 

Michael Pollan's Food Rules

*Image and inspiration from Rules to Eat By

Michael Pollan, NY Times author of In Defense of Food, posted a request asking for people's rules about eating well. The 20 rules he highlighted will start a series of posts about a healthy eating lifestyle. Some have to do with the nutritional value of food, while others with the social or holistic values.

I like this, because although it is a list of rules it is not a "diet." When looking at these rules, I am also going to take the Harvard food pyramid (not the U.S. government's) into consideration.

So what does a healthy eating lifestyle look like?

Rule #1: From Marta Larusso:

"My parents are both form Italy, and one of our family rules was that you could not leave the table until you had finished your fruit: "Non si puo lasciare la tavola fino che hai finito la frutta." It was a great way to incorporate fruit into our diets and also helped satiate our sweet tooths, keeping us away from less healthful sweets."

The pyramid recommends 2-3 servings a day. Some fruits that fall under the "super foods" category for great health benefits include:

• Cranberries: Contain compounds that block bacteria that cause urinary tract infection, ulcers, and even gum disease
  
• Blackberries: Full of antioxidants (including Vitamin C and E)
• Strawberries: Have more Vitamin C than any berry
• Raspberries: High in antioxidants
• Blueberries: Highest level of antioxidants and high in fiber
• Oranges: Full of Vitamin C (helpful for healing wounds and brain function, as well as staving off colds)
• Cantaloupe: High in beta-carotene (converted to Vitamin A in the body)