Why I Call Myself a "Foodie"

I love food. I always have and I believe I always will.

As an infant I was categorized as, "a healthy eater," to the relief of my parents who didn't have to battle with me to eat. As I grew into a young child I would gladly partake in all of our home-cooked meals and be baffled by my brother's picky pallet. As an adult I have come to truly appreciate my food thoroughly - from its creation and preparation to its aroma, flavor and nutritional support.

Foodie, Defined 
 
For these reasons, I have considered myself a foodie, which is defined as follows,

Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.

So, in short,  a foodie is a fan of food. That's how I always thought of it. I am a fan of food. Perhaps you would prefer that I call myself a food nerd, as I am already a math nerd and book geek? To me, they are one in the same, except that "food nerd" has a term already developed for it: "foodie."

Foodie, Interpreted
 
However, it has come to my attention that this term foodie has a negative connotation to it for some. I guess it comes from that part of the definition that says a foodie is "a particular class" of food fan. It seems, when some people here the term "foodie," they hear things like:

• food know it all
• food snob
• blind follower of food professionals
• food elitist (I was inspired to write this post after reading Eric Schlosser in The Washington Post called "Why being a foodie isn't 'elitist'")

It makes me wonder: What do others hear when I am coined a "foodie"? Since it seems this term is subjective in meaning, I guess it is important that I state my intent of the term.

Foodie, As I Use It

I believe that food is the most valuable product on this planet. In my eyes, its value dwarfs that of the dollar, of gold and even of oil - strip all of those away and we can still survive because food and water are the keys to our very existence.

I value food.

I appreciate food.

I want to learn more about food because I think food is that important to my health, my existence and my family's future. I call myself a foodie for all of these reasons. In my life as a foodie I am learning, cooking, eating, gardening and shopping.

Do you consider yourself a foodie? Why/why not?

What does the term "foodie" mean to you?

Is there some other term, aside from "foodie" that you prefer to use? 

Transitioning to Healthy Eating

Sometimes, the hardest thing about making the decision to eat healthier is understanding that the rest of the world is not on the same path as you. You have decided to cut down on your sugar intake, to eat less processed foods, to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, but the television still inundates you with commercials for things you have concluded are not food. This is made so much worse if you are leading an easily swayed, or possibly resistant family in this transition.

So, how do you do it? How do you make it through every week of temptations and distractions and continue to eat healthy?

Michelle, from Organically Inclined, reminds us of how powerful it is to simply control what comes into the home.  I have always been a big believer in this one myself. Begin by thinking about the things that your family loves/craves and find a way to bring it to them in a more healthful manner. Here are some things we do in our house:

1. Drinks. This can be a danger-zone for so many families, as many have soda-addicted members in their ranks. Buy fruit juices instead and buy a seltzer water to make a juice spritzer for that soda effect. Just be careful of the sugar levels in the juices. Eventually you want your family on mostly water and juice as a treat.

2. Chips. This takes a while on your first shopping trip or two. Take time to really read the labels of the chips your family is eating. What's in them? We opt for Mulitgrain Chips or just plain potato or sweet potato chips when we do get them. Note: Do not buy chips on every trip!!

3. Cookies. This is easy. If the family wants them, then the family has to bake them - from scratch! When you do this, you know what is going into your cookies from beginning to end. Your family appreciates them much more (as long as you make sure they do some of the work with you - YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING THINS ALONE!) and perhaps won't inhale them at the same rate they do a regular store-bought bag of cookies.

4. Meals. This is similar to the cookie solution. You have to rally the troops to get cooking! Spend a weekend deciding what types of things you want to eat for the week - no rules - whatever you want, blurt it out. Write the list down and then decide if you can make these things. For the things you can't make yet, table them until the following week (have the family ask around, or search around, during the week for a recipe for the next week - here's some advice on how you can do that!). It becomes an ongoing foodie adventure!

Of course, in between work, life and all of your other obligations you are wondering, "When will all of this fit in?" Well, I want you to imagine this as you would any other large family project, for example redesigning your living room. There are multiple stages in such an endeavor, such as:

• a planning phase - What do we want to buy/not buy?
• a purchasing phase - (This is usually the longest part.) Finding the right store(s), the right products, at the right price for you and your family.
• an assembly stage - Putting all this stuff together to make meals, meal plans and a new lifestyle for you and your family.
• living the new life - Finally all your new stuff is in place, but as life moves forward you find new additions here and there, or things you thought you liked that need to be taken out. 

This is not a simple task. People should not give up at the first speed bump thinking they've done something wrong - there will be bumps, probably a lot of them, but that's ok - working your way to a healthy lifestyle (especially when you are battling for a whole family and not just yourself) is quite an undertaking. Take it step by step, take your time, and ask for help when you need it!

Five Must-Reads For Maintaining Your New Healthy Self

You made a commitment to yourself to eat better, lose weight, get in shape and/or just feel healthier.  It is a beautiful thing to do for yourself, but I know the hard work that really is! If you are feeling overwhelmed, out of ideas or just plain unmotivated, here is a list of some helpful reads to get you moving back in the right direction.  

1. You Are How You Eat

What you are eating is a very important part of the equation, but too often the how part is overlooked. This first read is a  reminder from Mark Sisson that what you eat isn't the end of the equation. Take a moment to read this post to see how you should be eating for the ultimate healthy meal. 

2. 13 Health Foods That Aren't

This is a really important article to check out if you recently started making changes to your your food purchases in favor of "healthier" options. Very often we are lured into buying things that are not so healthy, or at least not much of an improvement based on some wisely selected marketing tools. Check out this list by Michelle Madden of The Sweet Beet to make sure you are eating what is best for you!  

3. Bob Greene's 5 Ways to Keep Weight Off

How many amazing weight losses have you had? I have a number of acquaintances that can tell me exactly what they need to do to peel off 10 pounds once they "get back on the program." If it were just talk, I wouldn't bother mentioning it, but I have witnessed this happen year after year, season after season, whenever they "need" it, but I am always left wondering - why did they need it again?! As a recent guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Bob Greene came to present what he believes are 5 keys to success in maintaining weight loss. Luckily for us, the show decided to post the list online so we can continue to garner its wisdom.

4.  How To Afford Healthy Food  

One of the things that often has us all turning our backs on our healthier lifestyles is the damage is does on our finances. Unfortunately, it always seems that the unhealthy eating options are the more economic ones! We end up sacrificing our physical health for the sake of our financial health. Well, thankfully, Sophie Uliano of the Gorgeously Green blog has eight easy to implement tips to help us all afford to eat healthy.  After this, we are simply running out of excuses!

5. Check Out FitBlogger!

OK, this is cheating, kind-of. I really wanted to find one or two resounding blog posts from FitBlogger to send you to, to get you motivated in your workout, thinking about nutrition or just to keeping you running through the winter, but I couldn't pick! And, honestly, there is always great stuff going on over there, so whatever day you decide to finally check this out, I believe there will be something timely for you.

There you have it. I feel stronger already, don't you?
  

Did any one of the recommendations above resonate with you more than the others?

 What other ways do you keep yourself healthy and motivated all year round?
Do you have any tips you would like to share with fellow readers or myself?