Food nazi

Saturday night I was at the Clocktower Brew Pub on Richmond Road for the friend of a friend’s going away party. A section of the first floor was reserved just for our group. There was room to walk around and talk; you could order food and drinks off the menu.

It was here that I had an encounter with a food nazi. I kid you not. That is the only term that came to  mind. I was sitting at a table eating  - horror of horrors - fish and chips! Places like this specialize in English pub fare, so I thought I would give it a try, as it is a favourite. I was pleasantly surprised it was up to my standards. 

So this woman, whom I know, has in the past fought with weight issues resulting from hypothyroidism but who is now on the other end of the spectrum (verging on anorexic!), saw what I was eating and she said, with no measure of control or modulation in her voice, “What! Are you eating fish?” Yep, I said, “fish and chips is my guilty pleasure, except I don’t feel guilty. “I thought you ate healthy?” she said. “I do, most of the time,” I said. "But when we eat out somewhere like this, I treat myself. It doesn’t happen often.” I don’t think she heard me. She was aghast. She went on to say that she felt guilty having fried kale. She and her husband had gone to another restaurant for dinner before coming to the party and they served fried kale.

Seriously, this is what I call being too uptight about food. If she doesn’t feel like eating fried food at a restaurant, because it wouldn’t agree with her, or whatever the reason, then by all means she should refrain from doing so. I have no problem with that. But to project her views onto me is not okay. She has no idea what I eat on a regular basis and for that matter, she doesn’t need to: it’s none of her business.

So now you all know what I had to for dinner on Saturday night. I am not proud of my choice, but I am not ashamed of it either. It is what it is. I am pretty sure I am not going to drop dead of a heart attack because of it. And I won't have it again for a very long time. 

I use the 80/20 rule: eighty per cent of the time I eat very healthy food; twenty per cent of the time, I indulge in less healthy food. The really bad stuff like the fish and chips, is becoming increasingly rare. If you feel guilty about what you are eating, maybe you shouldn’t be eating it. Make a conscious and informed choice and stick with it. Loosen up and eat what feels right for your body.

The ancient Chinese believed that in some cases, it’s better to eat the wrong food with the right attitude than the other way around. Eating should make sense and be simple. It should bring health and wellness to your mind, body, spirit, and your community. Be gentle with yourself, and those around you. And don’t be a food nazi!