Do you have an unhealthy relationship with food? Are you living well in a world that doesn’t?  Do you realize that you can enjoy food (yes, even vegan food) without being captive to it?  Does Bad Foods call your name?

Once we have made a decision to change our lifestyle, we must include a change in attitudes and relationship with our food.  Perhaps we have turned to food for comfort when we’re feeling a bit down.  Perhaps we have used food to punish ourselves.  Perhaps we have just given up “trying so hard” to “get it right” so we might as well eat what we want – when we want it.  Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

This requires a new mind-set that enables you to make new healthier choices.  We need to understand that a major lifestyle change like this requires – First a DECISION.  We must decide that we ARE going to change.  Then we must follow the rules and we must learn what those rules are.  I think it’s important to determine WHY we want to change.  Are we motivated by a horrible death sentence by our physician?  Are we motivated by seeing a loved one pass and begin to realize that life is short?  Or are we sick and tired of being sick and tired?  These are all important questions to ask ourselves as we delve into our emotional psyche to figure out why we behave the way we do.  We need to take a serious look at WHY we have an unhealthy relationship with food.

Here’s a remarkable concept!  JUST SAY NO!  That’s right – just say NO to those nagging and powerful cravings we sometimes get.  We try to teach our children to just say NO to drugs – but we can’t even say NO to a chocolate chip cookie or the drive-thru at – hmmmm, McDonald’s French fries.  We must practice the art of saying no.  It’s really not that hard – look into a mirror, put your tongue up to the roof of your mouth, pucker and extend your lips to form a “n” sound, breathe out and say NO.  See it’s not that hard!

Many of us feel that when a bad food is offered to us by an in-law, a well-meaning friend, a spouse, our children or our church, that we must not offend them so we eat it anyway.  We do not need to offer an explanation about why we won’t eat certain foods – most people know our efforts to change.  A caring friend will respect your desire for freedom and will understand the word “no. thank you.”  We cannot expect all our acquaintances to be supportive of our decision to change our lifestyle and become a vegan.  The temptations and comments swirl around us, “Come on, a little won’t hurt.”  “I think you are in bondage to this new nutrition thing.” Or “The Bible says we can eat meat.’  They may not understand or have been taught what you know.  Give them time to adjust.

What is a person to do?  Well, a lot of people like to express their love to someone by preparing rich, wonderful, fatty and delicious foods for their guests.  You are trying to gain freedom from feeling that food equals love.  Once a person realizes that you feel this is a positive thing in your life and not a life of deprivation, and you convey that you appreciate their efforts, but you would like to pass, they will grow to accept this change in you and respect your decision.  This does take practice and time!

Running the race to food freedom takes a lot of pacing, consistency and endurance on the part of the runner.  If you jump out ahead and try to take short cuts, you will either burn out or be disqualified.  If you stay determined to finish the race, you may fall down a few times, but your persistence will pay off and you have a chance of winning the race.  Your sneakers must be a good foundation to keep you running.  Keep your eyes focused on the goal – TO WIN!  Keep moving one foot in front of the other until you cross the finish line – and by the way, usually a few sizes smaller.

Usually our bodies respond very quickly to this new vegan regime.  It starts to respond very quickly with improvements that you actually see or feel and that encourages us.  Be assured that one set back in your newly improved way of life does not ruin all the efforts you have put forth up to that point.  Don’t get into the normal dieters mindset of “Well, I’ll just begin again on Monday (even though it is now Tuesday)!  So you’ve made a less than wise or ideal choice but you have made progress.  Look forward – not back.  The problem is such only if you repeatedly have a relapse and another and another.

Know this, you will walk through difficult times as we adjust our thinking and start making pro-active choices that will turn our lives around.  The daily cares of this life; fatigue, stress, too many obligations, family, work, etc. may try to draw you back to your ‘old ways’ but we must learn to live one meal at a time, one day at a time, one month at a time and after usually after 30 days a new habit is born.  The joys and rewards of all your efforts will start to show and it will motivate you to continue on your “new path.”

Find a Lifestyle buddy.  Someone who will hold you accountable.  Join support groups that will help to educate you and go to classes held at the local colleges or health food stores.  Surround yourself with people who think positively about your new lifestyle.  If you do not have a group around you – start one!  Start a weekly “healthy dish” night in your neighborhood.  Idle hands and self focus will break you down very fast.  Then thoughts of “this is too hard” start to enter the brain waves.  We can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us – and that includes changing your diet & lifestyle.