Kicking the Habit

For the past year or so, I've had a growing interest in diet and how it affects both the human body and the world. I've watched documentary after documentary on the U.S. food industry and how it campaigns for the billions of dollars spent on food annually by Americans. I've read websites and magazine articles on the ways that different foods can affect the human body both positively and negatively, and how each of us can greatly influence the way we feel day to day as well as how that can impact us in the long run. I have yet, however, to make any serious, long term changes in my own personal diet and can only consider myself to be a hypocritical health nut.

While watching "Foodmatters", a documentary about diet in the way of vegetarianism, veganism and raw foodism, I was struck by something that one of the many scientists stated: "you're not supposed to be tired in the afternoon. You're supposed to be alive and vibrant." For some reason, this idea really said something to me about the way most Americans (myself included) live and eat. Nowadays, there are so many cures for midday drowsiness: 5 Hour Energy, caffeine and B-vitamin supplements to name a few. But what if you could get rid of this drowsiness as a whole and not have to worry about your midday energy level just by eating right and getting enough sleep? Sure, you can eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, but what if that wasn't enough?

About two weeks ago, I purchased a book by John Robbins called "The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World." Far from being a weight loss diet book, the pages are filled with facts and information about how diet can encourage so many diseases and conditions that affect thousands of United States citizens daily. Statistics about how meat consumption is linked to both heart disease and cancer and how dairy products can elevate the risk of prostate cancer are surprising, to say the least. I never would have thought that meat and dairy could possibly be considered part of an unhealthy diet.

So I took a look at myself and how I treated my body through what I eat. Let's just say I lived a college student lifestyle with a college student diet. Between sleep, class and work, I found it most efficient for me to pick something up from Whataburger or Taco Cabana on my way from one activity to the next. There were times when I would struggle internally about what fast food joint I was going to stop at for this meal, and when I realized fast food was more of a chore than a treat, I knew I had a problem. Little can be blamed on the financial aspect of my college lifestyle, however, because there was a time near the end where my income was much greater than it had been in my entire life and still I would stop at fast food restaurants on my way to or from work. In the end, I have no one to blame but myself for my inability to make healthy eating decisions, and that's why it's so vital that the decision to change my lifestyle come from within. In "Food Revolution", John Robbins states that "when it comes to food choices, habit is stupendously powerful". Much like a smoker, I'm just trying to kick the habit.

I've made little attempts at this concept throughout the past few years but nothing has stuck, nothing has been made permanent. The knowledge that I've gained over the past couple of weeks, however, has been the catalyst for a major change in my diet, and I'm excited about the possibilities of health and happiness that this change can bring. When I started writing this article, I thought I'd add a part about how I'd love to change my diet, but I could never see myself becoming a vegetarian. As I learn more and more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, however, I can't help but second guess my initial reaction to the thought of vegetarianism. Perhaps it truly isn't that hard to cut the meat out of my diet, and maybe that change will introduce a new energy and vitality that I've never felt before. All that being said, I think that Chicago is going to bring about more changes for me than I had previously envisioned, and I cannot wait to get started.