Too Healthy Will Make You Crazy

I try to eat healthy, organic and nutrient-rich foods all the time so when friends and family invite me to join them for a meal, it makes me hesitate. I want to be social but I don’t want to overeat or consume any sugar or too much salt. I don’t want to be a party-pooper either so I say, “Yes, I’ll meet you there.”

At the restaurant, I look at the entrees in front of us on the table. My friend’s sushi roll is very pretty but the white rice has been bleached, and the fiber has been stripped from the outer kernel being removed. The rice has traces of arsenic, and white rice causes an insulin spike. Then there’s the fish. Is it really fresh? I cannot stand the slippery texture of raw fish and won’t risk the chance of tapeworm. I won’t grimace when he takes a bite.

Our friend’s spouse is eating the tofu miso soup that I bet contains MSG and the tofu is most likely from genetically modified soy.

My husband’s steak looks and smells scrumptious but I know that cow wasn’t grass-fed and was probably injected with hormones and antibiotics. The noodles look tasty but they too are bleached and coated in oil.

My salmon is farmed and full of contaminants. The teriyaki is loaded with sugar and salty soy sauce. My salad is washed but not organic and contains some pesticides.

These are the thoughts that go through my head whenever I eat away from home. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have all this knowledge about what is being done to our food. I can either refuse to eat out or enjoy the company of others while appreciating the flavors of my meal. The air I breathe, the tap water I use to brush my teeth, the carpet in the living room, and the paint on the walls all contain toxic materials.

I eat the farmed salmon and crisp non-organic salad. They’re yummy. I could go crazy eating perfectly all the time. Life was meant for living. My friends laugh at the greens stuck between my teeth. I’m going to enjoy this food and this moment.