Today the diet started. Well, not diet exactly. Just a more conscious decision to pay attention to what I’m eating. Which means limiting the junk food. And if ya’ll are anything like me, the moment you decide to be good in terms of food, you immediately start thinking about potato chips and cupcakes and nachos and butter on everything. Wow, my whole mouth just filled up with saliva.
So I’m sitting at work, eating my applesauce, tuna fish, and crackers, thinking about all the things I’m eliminating. Here’s my basic system. For two weeks, I’m cutting out all crappy food, sugar, bad fats, junk, etc. Like hardcore. Then I’ll add back in a few things but focus on a priority where indulgences are just that and not a daily habit. Apparently this plus exercise is some weird thing called a healthy lifestyle.
But the idea of indulgences (and my mind playing a food parade on a loop) got me thinking. An indulgence is technically the gratification of desire. So I thought, okay if I had to narrow down the foods I love the most, what would they be? And why do I love them? Take potato chips. I enjoy potato chips with either French Onion or Ranch dip. But they have no special meaning for me. Yes, I understand that most people wouldn’t attach special meaning to potato chips. So take tortilla chips & salsa instead. That holds so much more meaning to me. Chips & salsa make me think of long poker nights with all of my extended family during holidays. It brings to mind late fall evenings at Joe T Garcia’s in Dallas. Add guacamole to it and I’m instantly thrown into memories of football games, where my mom always has guacamole whipped up. And getting a bag of Mexican Inn chips in the mail from family is one of my favorite things in the world. So you see, there’s junk food and there’s comfort food.
