WIAW- Just because I should

There are certain foods that you eat because they taste good–they make your heart happy, your taste buds dance, and your happiness soar. Like pizza, brownies, frozen yogurt, etc.

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Then there are foods you eat because they are good for your body. They make your tummy happy, your hair sparkle, your nails strong, your eyes bright, etc.

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And, there are foods that you think you should eat. Foods that you don’t particularly like. Foods that might be, so called healthy, but ones that also make you want to gag and are really hard for you to get down. But you SHOULD be eating them, so you have to like them right?. Wrong.

After I started to mend my relationship with food, I started researching powerhouse foods and foods that everyone should be eating for optimal health. I tried to include most of them in my diet, no matter how much or how little I liked them.

This did not help mend my food relationship. I am all for trying new things and incorporating variety into ones diet, but I do not think it is necessary to eat foods you don’t necessarily like just because somebody said they will make you a superhuman.

For example, I REALLY want to like sweet potatoes. They are all the rage in the blogging world, and have tons of nutrients that white potatoes don’t. But…I don’t like them. I have tried them roasted, mashed, as fries, sweet, savory, and everything in between. They don’t do anything for my taste buds, and quite honestly are very hard for me to get down. The same goes for butternut squash. Nope. Not happening over here. Pumpkin on the other hand is something I LOVEEEE. So, instead of forcing myself to eat something that doesn’t make me happy or satisfied, I replace with something that has somewhat of the same nutritional value to it.

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Blueberries are another food I cannot stand to eat….plain. I solve this problem by incorporating them into other foods. Muffins, pancakes, waffles, smoothies, etc. There is just something about the texture of a fresh blueberry that makes me irk inside. Because I know they have so many health benefits, I try to incorporate them. Just in other ways.

Fish is also supposed to be a superfood that all experts say you need. Since I don’t eat fish, I used to think I would just miss out on those nutrients. Thats not true. Nuts and seeds have omegas just like fish does as well as healthy oils and avocados.

Instead of eating a food because the trend (blogging world, celebrities, magazines, etc.) tell you to follow, eat based on what you feel like, while also keeping in mind what makes your body happy as well. Of course, it might be nice to eat pizza and ice cream for every meal, but that wouldn’t make our stomachs all that happy, even though our taste buds might think it was okay.

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There are tons of different ways to get nutrients. One food is not the end all be all. If you find one thing doesn’t really do it for you, try something else with similar benefits. Listen to your body instead of everyone else.

Have a great rest of the day.

Check out the other eats.

What are some foods you LOVE?

What are some foods that are not your favorite?