There's one thing I won't be bringing with me on my trip next month to visit family members – 33 pounds of weight I lost when I participated in a food experiment set up to lower my blood pressure. The experiment was a huge success. I would label it life-changing. It turns my body responds negatively to certain foods, causing my cholesterol and blood pressure to spike. There now remains just one challenge on my food chart – peer pressure. What do you do when a loved one presents you with a labor of love all wrapped up in ingredients that will kill you if you devour it on a regular basis? It's the classic Kobayashi Maru, a science fiction no-win scenario. Beam me up, Scotty.
The last thing I want to do is offend someone because I'm rejecting their cooking. Most people don't understand the ugly truth about processed foods. One of my friends told me it's almost impossible to live in America and avoid processed foods completely. And if you have friends who try to bully you into eating the American way then you can relate to how I feel. Here's my response the next time someone tells me, "come on, have a small piece. A little bit isn't going to kill you."
"No thanks. Your cooking is so tempting that if I cave in to my desires, I may not be able to stop. I may become a food addict and eventually die from diabetes, a heart attack or stroke. I know what happens to me body when I eat what you're offering me. Thank you for understanding my situation."
My food experiment is now evolving into a social media experiment. Is it possible to convince loved ones to change their ways? The real test for me is in January. Have a great day.
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