Making Dinner for Others - and overall wellness

Dinner last night went well! We brought a shepherd's pie (with mashed sweet potatoes, you've seen me make this several times on the blog!), a loaf of bread from a local bakery, and strawberries and pineapples with a yogurt dip for dessert.

When we make dinner for others, who obviously don't eat primal/paleo in their day to day lives, we try to make little compromises. We want the bulk of the meal to be primal/paleo (so that we have lots of options that we feel good about!), but we also sometimes add things that are more "standard" in the American diet, like bread.

Often times, we actually do manage to get a completely grain-free meal made when we make dinner for others. We like to do it in such a way that they don't even notice! We'll make beautiful salads, have a great protein, lots of veggies, and serve a side of roasted or mashed sweet potatoes that is the starch. Sometimes we'll choose quinoa (I know it's not paleo, but I think it's a really great, nutritious seed grain with lots of protein... we don't keep it in the house, but it is something I eat once in a while) as the side.

But, always, when I make dinner for others - my main goal is provide them with a nutritious meal.

I like to know that I am not adding to the problems of the SAD diet. I try to have the bulk of the foods I serve those I love chemical-free, preservative-free, whole, fresh foods. Just like I do for myself :)

I want them to be healthy for the long haul, so we can all be around till we're old people, gray and laughing about old memories, and still able to make new ones!

I don't force my beliefs on others, I don't shame anyone for what they choose to eat or what their lifestyle is. All I do is create an example by how I live. I discuss how and why I do what I do when asked. And, when faced with social situations, I try to incorporate activity, steer away from creating events that are focused around food, and when I can have a hand in the food - I bring a nutritious (and still delicious!) option!

So that's my input on sharing food and making meals with others.

I also wanted to briefly address Katie's comment on my last post - that I should not focus so much on the physical and worry more about my emotional/mental state. Well, the truth of the matter is that this is a weight maintenance/physical health blog. That's what I started it, to help me work through the reasons why I gained weight and why I was having trouble maintaining the loss!

But I am more than aware that physical health, mental health and spiritual health are intimately entwined. I do not ignore any facet of the whole picture. I want to be healthy and happy in ALL ways! And I think I am very honest about my struggles with all three of those aspects of health. And while I try to make progress with all of them, the physical aspect is the most VISIBLE and, for me, the easiest one to succeed at right now. But that doesn't mean I am ignoring the rest of me :)

I bring this up because I don't want anyone who does read this blog to think I am obsessed with the physical... because I don't want to set that example. Being physically healthy is a key part of overall wellness, but it is not the only part. In fact, when we are truly sick in any of the three areas (physical, emotional, spiritual), it seems inordinately hard to keep wellness in the others. They are so intertwined, that we must pursue progress in all three at the same time!

Just a thought I had, because if I have any influence over any person ever... I don't want them to think I think it is okay to focus solely on your physical body. We are much more than that.

Namaste <3