Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Real vs Imitation

Because people and circumstances are so varied, and because I know darn well that there are many ways to skin a cat (yuk, where did that expression come from?) I try really hard not to tell people what to do. I share information and my views and experiences and then people can make their own choices/decisions. And I am open to hearing how others do things and why. And let me tell you - the "why" part is CRITICAL. It is easy to dismiss something out of hand if you don't know the "whys".  If you know the 'whys' it just may change your mind!

So - real vs. imitation. Which is better?



Well, that depends on what we're talking about - right?

I know some jewelers who only use 'imitation' or lab grown stones now because of mining practices etc. I suppose that can be a good choice although I don't know what all goes into the lab growing process, so really I can't intelligently address that.

But what got me thinking about this today was my breakfast. Yep - bfast.

This morning I got to thinking about what I was making and what I was getting ready to ingest. I've been thinking more and more over the past couple of years about what we put in our bodies (from ingesting, inhaling, and through our skin) and how many chemicals we are exposed to each day.  And as I was making my  'oatmeal' this morning I thought about those little packets of 'flavored' oatmeals that people sometimes use. I wonder what is actually in those?? I am sure there are 'imitation' ingredients and I'm not so sure that's a good thing!

really bad cellphone photo of oats and fruit
My version of oatmeal is oat groats (or on occassion oat-meal, the steamed rolled kind available in most grocery stores) with fresh fruit (whatever I have on hand) and sometimes a tiny splash of milk, almond milk, or water. Sometimes I will add a dash of honey, agave, stevia, brown sugar, vanilla, or cinnamon. 

That's it. It's REAL food.

Nothing 'imitation' - why use imitation fruits or flavorings when the real deal is so accessible!? (and yes, for MOST of us, its accessible).

Why add chemicals and preservatives? It took me about 6 minutes at home to cut the fruit and toss it in a bowl to take to work. Another 15 seconds to dump some oats in.

Sometimes I eat it cold. Sometimes I warm it a little in the microwave.

Either way - it's good food. Tastes good. Feels good. IS good.

No pretend blueberry tidbits (and those always taste weird, right??) , no preservatives or coloring added. Just food.

Don't get me wrong either - I eat PLENTY of stuff that isn't great for me. It just occurred to me this morning what a SIMPLE change this particular choice is to make. And I want to encourage others to think about what changes they may be able to make in their lives to get rid of some things that may not be that great for you.

And, I'd love it if you'd share something in the comments that you've changed, something small (ok, or big) that someone else reading might adopt or be inspired by.

GO FOR IT!