Food porn

You know what I'm talking about.  I LOVE social media as much as all of you, that's why you are here now.  I have something that I've noticed that really has started to grate on my nerves a bit.  Not enough that it's an unfriendable offense, but something that I think needs to be addressed.   All of the photos and recipes that I see in all of your Facebook feeds of baked cakes, cookies, cheesy casseroles, pies and breads that you are liking and sharing.  STOP IT.  You know which of you are guilty of this and it's not just one.

I have been known to tell people to surround themselves with good people because you are the company you keep.  The same goes with food.  If you surround yourself with good food..... you will eat it.  Looking at the pictures of the Butterfinger pie that contains enough calories for the entire day will not help you be healthy and it won't help me either.  It will just make you want Butterfinger and pie which is ok in moderation but often we are not eating responsibly. Why can't we just go back to eating an Butterfinger?  We need to supersize it into an entire pie because that is the American way.... eat more, spend more, weigh more.

But Jenn, you say, I'm not trying to be healthy.  Ok I get that.  Not everyone is a neurotic food freak like me but I am tired of seeing them in my news feed.  I know my battle isn't your problem and no I'm not trying to push my agendas on you, I'm simply trying to help change your way of thinking.  If you don't like it you can stop reading now. I'm going to start saying "Eat responsibly" since I've stopped drinking and smoking.  You are LITERALLY killing yourself with food. 

Look at the ingredients that are on the labels.  If you don't have labels on your food then you are probably ok because that means it's something fresh.  Research the chemicals that are being put into packaged foods and on some of your fresh foods.  The cancers and other health issues they cause are sickening.... literally.   I picked up something the other day, A YOGA MAT,  just to look at it and the warning label said something about contains a chemical that has been known in California to cause cancer.  WHAT??  Why is it on the shelf?

Eating healthy and liking it often takes time.  When I first started living on my own at 18 I didn't now how to cook and I hated everything.  Clear up into my LATE 20's I wouldn't touch a pepper, onion, lettuce, spices, many condiments, spinach... all of the things that make food taste great.  My mom was not, in my opinion, the best cook.  She had a very old school approach to making food.  Bland, boiled, unseasoned... ick.  mackerel patties, tuna noodle casserole were the bane of my existence.  As an adult I've come to realize that I'm freaking ALLERGIC to fish.  She would boil brussels sprouts and spinach.  DISGUSTING.  No wonder when I was on my own I ONLY wanted to eat junk food.   I had SO many food rules and they were all ridiculous.  I guess now I have new food rules but in a more healthy, balanced sort of way.   The more you see it and taste it.... the easier it is to break the bad habits and replace them with new good one. 

For me seeing a picture of apple pie vs. a super vibrant plate of fruit or greens wins over any day.  It wasn't always like that but  and some days it's a struggle but the more I remove it from my life the less I miss it.  If it's not in my house I won't eat it.  If I'm not constantly looking at it I won't crave it.  Any time you see something that you like google how to make it healthier.  That doesn't mean it will be HEALTHY it just means that there might be ways to make it better for you... and just eat the Butterfinger and don't make the whole pie.  You'll thank me for it later. 

Let me know.... am on the mark here or way off? 

Hypocritical rant in 3....2....1

As a teenager and a twenty something I did a lot of stupid shit.  Even to this day sometimes I might not make the best choices.  It's all part of life IMO. One thing I did learn is that the older you get (typically) the more educated you are on certain aspects of life.  That's the way it is meant to be otherwise we would all be born knowing everything we need to know.  I know that not everyone will appreciate my life experiences or advice.  I'm not sure why though because OBVIOUSLY I know everything.  Clearly, I do not.

I typically don't participate in any type of forum discussions online for many reasons.  First no one is ever going to agree.  Second you have many different types of people from different backgrounds at different stages in their lives and different maturity levels.  Even if your "opinions" are backed up by facts or just being stated someone is going to flame your ass.  Believe it because it happened!

I recently "let" myself get dragged into a conversation, and I use that term loosely, in a thread about tanning beds.  I really threw myself into the conversation fully knowing that it would cause issue.  I must have been feeling confrontational that day.  I know, really?  Yes. I swear there is a point to this that IS health related.  The end result was me being called an idiot.  Probably not the first time that's happened. 

Living in Ohio as spring approaches everyone rushes out to get their glorious orange glow of fake tan. It's almost like a competition to see who can get the darkest and look the LEAST natural.   As a younger individual I spent my fair share of time in the tanning beds.   Some people like to have a tan for summer - I get it.  Until a few years ago I would sunbathe.  Last year I was pretty brown from vacation and I use sunscreen EVERY DAY but my skin tone tans easily.  I've learned with age that this probably isn't the best health choice to make.  As a 35 year old adult you can now see the damage on my face from those decisions.  My freckles are larger and more pronounced, I have a spot on my forehead that is sun damaged and when I get really tan it's darker than the rest of my face.  My life choices have taken a toll on my overall health and appearance.  Smoking, drinking, being sedentary, not eating right.... all of the above.  Some of you will argue to death that it's my genetics and they have tanned for years and have no damage or their family member has smoked for years an no one has cancer.  I call bull shit.  At this point in my life it's just not a chance I want to take.

With all of the dumb shit in life that COULD be bad for us or MIGHT be bad for us why would you want to subject yourself to something that WILL be bad for you?  It ranks right up there with smoking for me.  I'm not saying that EVERYONE who tans will get cancer or everyone who smokes WILL get cancer.  I won't get on that rant.  As an ex smoker you know I'm the biggest bitch about smoking. 

The moral of the story is we should TRY to take care of ourselves while we can.  It seems like the majority of the population is overweight or obese, on a medication, a smoker or has some health issue. Maybe I'm the one behind the times but it seems like we are all on our way to being the characters from the cartoon Wall-E.   I wish I could rewind life and have a do over for some things but it can't happen.

Do you tan?  Don't worry I won't call you an idiot I just want to hear your thoughts on it and why you do or don't use tanning beds.

Let the flaming begin... I'm prepared for it being the idiot that I am. :)