I’m Feeling Triumphant: Eating Well While Traveling and Visiting Family
Recently, my wonderful wife surprised me with a round-trip ticket to Utah, where my family lives. I left home with a budding sinus infection, and wasn’t too happy with the prospect of fighting a cold throughout my week-long visit with my family. I experienced for the first time the painful experience of clogged sinuses while riding an airplane (believe me, it’s not too fun).
I always try to eat healthy, and I have actually felt very triumphant lately. The real success lies not in bloody duels with cravings– no– it actually lies in the absence of cravings for excess food.
Here’s the essence of it: I, like most people, gained in life a habit of eating while celebrating. That’s what humans often do at celebrations. Being with my family is fun and celebratory, and at our past reunions I have often wanted to overeat. But haven’t we all?
This time it was different, though. I didn’t find myself overeating, or even really wanting to. Desserts didn’t interest me much like they have in the past. I really enjoyed the food my family served me. Aunt Jacque gave me some fine chili, and Grandma Hundley made a wonderful meal of Salmon cakes, asparagus, and baked sweet potatoes. My kind mother took me to an upscale pizza restaurant where I had pizza with sausage and leeks. The salad was amazing: mixed spring greens with gorgonzola, pecans, baked squash (yum) and vinaigrette (very impressive).
I think the reason I was able to enjoy my food so much without overeating, having cravings, or feeling deprived was that I had been eating rather healthy prior to the trip. My wife packed me plenty of low-glycemic snacks like Kashi brand cereal bars, Larabars, and an apple. The banana bread she gave me was not particularly low on the glycemic scale, but it was free of sugar and corn syrup, with a relatively small amount of honey. She gave me some good muesli cereal for the road as well. As a result, I felt “even-keel” and healthy despite the head-cold.
I think she saved my life (as she often does).
Well, to make a long story short, by eating regularly, not getting too hungry, and eating healthy, I have managed to not overeat and not even want to. In fact, as much as I enjoyed my food, I always stopped before eating too much and always had plenty of energy. My cold is going away very quickly, thanks to keeping hydrated and consistent doses of water-soluble vitamins and minerals.
I feel triumphant! Eating healthy is worth it!