Control Freak

I have a confession to make that will not really surprise any of my close friends and family. I am a control freak. This need to control things manifests itself in many different ways in my life- from the need to have the Keurig K-Cup holder full at all times (no empty spots!) to my perfectionist , organizational tendencies (past and present).

Fault me if you must, but when it comes to eating right, control is a good thing (in the words of Martha- a fellow control freak). Since working on improving my diet (and my family's diet along with my own) and strictly eliminating allergens such as Balsam of Peru, I have seen great improvement in my skin (I really wish I had known about this allergy before!), my health and the health and general well-being of my family. We have more energy to get up and move, to focus and be motivated.

Right now, I feel like all I do is read food labels and monitor what we eat. Add in the fact that my daughter has a soy, nut, egg allergy and indeed, all I really do IS read food labels! I have never eaten a more healthy diet! After awhile, you start to get sick thinking of all of the JUNK you used to put in your body. Read some food labels and it will upset you- wood pulp with that cheese, anybody (it's true- Kraft adds cellulose to their supposed "healthy" low-fat shredded cheese)?!

Sometimes, I think that being the gatekeeper for our family's healthy eating habits is a full-time job and in some ways it is. It wasn't until I became aware of my Balsam of Peru food allergies and made the decision to seriously do something about it that our "new" healthy lifestyle came about. I'm doing the shopping, the chopping, the preparing of breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

About a month and a half in, and we ARE seeing results. Both my husband and I have lost weight and that is a great motivator. We are able to better hold and keep up with our very active toddler! My skin looks and feels much better with less flare-ups and redness. Had I known what I know now, back when I was pregnant and nursing, I don't think I would have had such a miserable pregnancy.

Along with the physical accomplishments, eating right has led us to exercise more and become more aware of what we put into our bodies. I'm starting to understand more of the "science" of how food works within our bodies. I'm also becoming aware of the staggering amount of JUNK, unnecessary preservatives and additives that we daily, willingly subject ourselves to by eating prepackaged, processed foods. I'm cooking and eating "closer to the ground. I'm getting back to my love of bread making. I'm learning how to do new things like make my own yogurt. I am far from a tree-hugger, and I'm the last person you'd expect to stand up and extol the virtues of organic-back-to-nature farming, but it is starting to all make sense.

So, maybe being a control freak isn't such a bad thing, after all.