Comments (15)

By kilax, October 26, 2009 7:43 am

I distinctly remember spending the night at my grandma’s house as a kid, and having her ask me if I wanted butter on my food – my toast, my (plain) pasta, my pancakes in the morning, etc.

Because of this, I grew up thinking butter was healthy for you. I figured, with my kid logic, that you added it to your food because it contained vitamins that you needed. I mean, why else would Grandma be asking me if I wanted some?

I also thought that fresh broccoli could only be served with melted cheese. Because every time I had broccoli at her house, it had cheese on it! Who ever knew these two items could be served apart!

Of course, now I realize those meals were just treats! And my grandma loved to treat us! And just so I don’t tarnish her name, I will let you know that she always made us eat a salad before dinner (loaded with ranch dressing – my choice, ha!), and that the food she cooks now is actually much healthier… uh, sometimes too healthy.

I think of this story every time I hear someone say something like “I don’t know what foods are healthy and should be in my diet” or “I can’t eat carbs!” Because my immediate reaction is surprise that people don’t have a general idea of what is healthy to eat, and that they fall for food myths like “carbs are evil” and “you can never have treats.”

But then I remember – I once believed butter was a health food! So, we only really know what we are told or witness first hand as we grow up. Some people probably end up with really distorted views about food, depending on how they are raised.

And even as we do become adults and try to do our own research and live a healthy life, who really knows what source we can trust? It seems like different “findings” come out each week, contradicting one another. Get 2-3 servings of fruit a day versus Limit your fruit intake! Too much sugar is bad for you!

Even when you eat a somewhat healthy diet, there are people telling you to eat raw, eat organic, eat less of this, eat more of that!

I think we all just need to do the best we can, with the tools/resources we have. Sure, you want to nourish your body now, so you get the most longevity and comfort out of it throughout your lifespan, but food shouldn’t be stressful. Too much stress can be just as unhealthy as a bad diet!

Hmm, this post took a strange turn! I actually wasn’t planning on those last few paragraphs. That is what happens when you forget your filter. I just meant to ask – did you have any silly food beliefs growing up? Or even as an adult?

Comments (14)

By kilax, January 10, 2008 5:43 am

How do you deal with the declining health of a loved one?

It’s so easy to start to shut someone out as their health declines. At first, you are trying not to be bothersome to them, so you leave them alone, or only make small talk when you visit.

This becomes habitual though, until you have a completely different version of yourself that you present to the ill person. You are cautious, you are careful, you are worried… and eventually you are acting distant towards the person without even realizing it. You start to seclude them, which isn’t good for anyone, ill or not.

Of course, I am speaking of a specific circumstance, but perhaps you can relate.

My grandfather has Lewy Body Dementia. Honestly, I am not sure how long he has had it, but I am old enough to have witnessed the decline in his health.

God, it scares me.

He has had an up and down battle. He was well, then he got shingles. He got better, then he broke his hip. He had to spend months in a nursing home, because my grandma could not take care of him on her own. He’s finally home again.

But the disease is not physical! It affects his alertness, his memory, his speech. It’s so frightening to see this happen to someone I love so much.

There have been times when I visited him and he thought he saw things that weren’t there, or said things that didn’t make any sense. Then there are times (like last weekend in Iowa) when he is the sharp and clever grandpa I remember. I can say “Grandpa, remember when…?” And he responds, “Yes, I do!”

It just feels so tense to me when we (my family) are all around him. Some of us don’t know how to act. Some of us are too nervous to say anything. Some of us are completely at ease.

I try to act myself, be normal, and tell my “funny” stories (my grandparents humor me), but it is so easy to avoid topics that you think might be upsetting or confusing. And then you are starting to shut someone out.

I feel so bad for not being able to spend more time with my grandparents.