About Me
So you’ve stumbled across my blog Oatonomy and I’m glad you did! I’ll tell you a bit about myself while you’re here, and maybe that will inspire you to live a simple, healthy life, or to continue making the great choices you already make.
I’m 23 years old, recently graduated from a master’s degree program and I live and work in Canada’s capital city. I have lived here for six years and in that time, I have placed varying priority on my health. Now, I am choosing to live the healthiest life I can.
In my first year of university, I lived on campus and took full advantage of an all-you-can-eat buffet for two meals a day, all year long. Pizza, pasta and a baked potato (with a tiny side salad) was common – all in one meal. Combining a massive amount of food with little sleep and a hectic schedule lead to a cold-ridden, weight-gaining, health-ignoring first year.
I did manage to pick up one healthy habit that year: exercise. I was active in high school but had never gone to a gym. Once I was introduced to the university gym, I was hooked! My workouts have changed drastically over the years, going from lazy to over the top strenuous, but I have found a balance in my exercise routine that allows me to push my body without putting myself in jeopardy of injury or burn out. For me, exercise in its various forms (whether that’s weights, running, cardio machines, walking, yoga…) helps me stay focused and keeps me feeling strong.
My relationship with food, however, is a bit different. After first year, I gained about 10 pounds (just squeaking under the freshman 15) but it didn’t bother me. I didn’t look or feel overweight and didn’t mind the extra pounds – it is cold here, after all! I can’t remember saying to myself that I needed to eat healthier; I think it came naturally after I moved out of residence. I detested cooking at first, but have come to love preparing and cooking what I eat. It’s something I look forward to and has given me a new appreciation for fueling my body with healthy, yummy food.
Unfortunately, despite a new found love for cooking, my body decided it wasn’t fond of some of the food I was eating. Dairy was ruled out because I struggle to digest dairy products, especially fattier ones. In the last half year, cane sugar has also been eliminated as much as possible because my body can’t seem to tolerate that, either. For that reason, you won’t see tasty melted cheese on my meals, greek yogurt topped with granola, ice cream or sweet treats. I should say that this is not a permanent restriction for me; rather, this is a temporary dietary change I have made until doctors can provide a solution to the digestion problems.
All that said, in the last year or so, I have lost over 10 pounds and have kept it off. I did so by being mindful of what I was eating, moving my body more and trying to look at the connection between food and exercise and my health in a positive way.
I still struggle with some aspects of eating healthy, namely, striking the balance between eating to fuel my body and eating out of enjoyment, or eating that’s triggered by emotions. I believe that food is meant to be enjoyed and eating can be a way to connect with others, to spend time with people you love, to celebrate and to mark special occasions. There is something about mom’s home-cooked meals or going out for breakfast on a Saturday morning that extends beyond the nutritional value of food. With that said, the connection between emotions and eating can be manipulated, where food becomes an unhealthy addiction and eating for pleasure crosses that boundary line. I admit that I’ve eaten out of boredom countless times, or eaten because I’m stressed, anxious, annoyed, and on and on… But I’m learning to appreciate food for what it is: a God-given gift to sustain my body and another way to connect with people I love.
Now, I am the healthiest I have ever been. I truly believe that being healthy is a choice and as individuals, we have the autonomy to make the right choices. It is up to us to govern any healthy decisions – and unhealthy decisions – we make. Living a simple, healthy life has taken me time but I learned that I owe it to myself to strive for that. I love the verse that says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To me, that means treating my body with utmost respect and choosing to make the healthiest choices I can at that moment.
Thanks for stopping by – I hope you’ll enjoy reading Oatonomy and maybe, just maybe, you’ll feel inspired to practice the right to choose a healthy, simple life.
Adi
