Every Bite Matters

Week 3

The most exciting part of protocol has been when I find something new that I can eat, whether it’s a clean snack that I can keep handy or discovering that I really like a type of food I have never eaten before. The real treat this week was being able to check out a local restaurant which Jami recommended, that is rooted in clean eating.

Herban Market has given me something back. It has given me a place where I can be myself nutritionally and actually eat out.

It was only one meal, but the break from cooking, cutting, and planning was a nice respite.

And this is so important because every bite matters.

When we eat something we know isn’t good for us, we figure, it’s ok, it won’t hurt me one time. But it’s never just one time. It’s many times, which turns into a habit. Habits are what either make or break us.

Good habits allow us to live as we should, while bad habits give us nasty things like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression.

I have had moments over the last three weeks, where I have wondered what it looks like for my body to heal. I can’t see it all, but I know changes are taking place. And every bite impacts that.

It’s easy to give into temptation and say I will just eat this donut today, but every time you introduce toxic foods to your body, you are throwing a punch at the healing work you have been doing. Protocol is about giving the body time to heal, time to regenerate, and time to establish new habits. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is not a diet that will come to an end once the goal is achieved. It is a conversion of the heart and mind to a permanent lifestyle change.

I use this quote from Dolly ironically because I resonate with that type of behavior. I have always used food (and men) as my anchors to this life. Bad day? Get a burger and fries. I have never known how to be alone and just be with myself, so I have turned to the wrong men over and over again.

The healing journey I am on is so much more than food, but the food is the foundation. It will be the first step that makes or breaks any healing journey.

Today, let us all remember that every bite matters, so pick something that will give you the foundation for a great and healthy life.