Kashi, Change and Brownies

Beba SchlottmannOther Writings Leave a Comment

For the past several months I have been on a quest to learn as much as I can about healthy living. I have been purposely including more organic or market fresh items and preparing healthier meals for my family. It has become frustrating at times but also interestingly fun to welcome new changes in that area of my life. You see, my biggest weakness is sweets…I love cakes, pies, cookies and brownies, you name it! if it is dessert, I am there!

Besides the fact that I am a diabetic, I know that if I just eat every pie and brownie I can get my hands on, it will definitely show in my physical body and it won’t be pretty. That is why I have for some time tried to incorporate changes to my diet “slowly” – I mean very slowly. I’m sure I am not the only one who struggles with changes to her diet…

Last month when I went to the supermarket I had decided I was going to try the healthy cereal isle. Now, I know what you’re thinking; cereal is right up there with ice cream, you can just do the sugar free-low fat kind, is just not right! But I have to tell you, I purchased a variety of high fiber, wholesome brand cereals and I liked them all. One of my new favorites comes in a purple box, is made by the Kashi Company and it is called Good Friends (High Fiber Cereal with flakes, blossoms, granola and raisins). I liked the contents but what drew me to the item in the first place was the box itself. It has pictures of real people-not cartoons. It also has quotes that made me smile. Their logo says “day of change…7 whole grains on a mission” and then there were quotes like, “I will savor my broccoli”, and “I will make friends with whole grains”, and “I will make someone smile”. At the bottom of the box it leaves an empty line for you to write what you will change today.

I felt like saying; “you had me at hello!” Most people dread change because they have this preconceived idea that change has to be painful and hard. But in all honesty, change doesn’t always have to be bad. We all have to make changes in our lives periodically. some changes are bigger and tougher than others, but change is change and where it really hurts is in the way it forces us to deal with our habits. If a cross country runner who goes for long runs every morning suffers an unexpected accident that leaves him paralyzed, a change in his life is inevitable. For a Realtor who is at the top of the game and is suddenly hit by a crumbling housing market and a crisis in the economy, change is inevitable.

And for a person like me who has always been healthy, active and fairly young, having to deal with an illness like diabetes required a lifestyle change.

The truth is, was forced to go to the core of my problem; my habits! Although, I had been told my situation was inherited from my parents, I knew I had to take some drastic measures and tackle some bad eating habits. It has been one of my toughest battles, honestly. For most of my life, I have cooked and shopped a certain way and didn’t have a clue I was making unhealthy choices for myself and for my family. I had to see a nutritionist to learn how to read labels and understand what good foods were and bad foods, etc…This was the best thing I could have done to educate myself and get rid of the bad habits I had acquired through the years. It has literally taken me three years to make the necessary changes. But the benefits far outweigh the struggles.

Change is not so bad! It may not be easy, but it could save your life. The Kashi Company writes in their ad “We can all make changes to daily habits to live a healthier life. Little or big, each one helps us live happier, healthier lives.” That is a good word, even if it didn’t come from the bible. So, my friends, I’ll leave you with the same question that sold me on the cereal box; what will you change today?

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