By Adrienne Dawkins-Smith
Where do I begin ? If I were to truly think about it , I guess I should begin with my childhood . Family dinners filled with macaroni and cheese ( baked , of course ), candied sweet potatoes , smothered pork chops , collard greens with smoked ham hocks and butter pecan ice cream for dessert . Each meal accompanied by my infamous Kool-Aid which I made with what felt like 2 pounds of sugar … that was my contribution to our family dinner , and I was proud of it . Now , that wasn ’ t dinner every night , but not far from it .
In being an 80 ’ s baby and in the height of the aerobics era , I knew all the latest programs . My mother ’ s favorite channels were HSN and QVC ! That meant the latest workout videos , accessories and equipment were delivered to our doorstep faithfully …. for her to try to 2 weeks and then quit ! I , in turn , would pick it up and do the same .
If I am to share my journey with you about health & wellness , I must start with my relationship with food and fitness . How I viewed it and what I understood its purpose to be . It wasn ’ t about nourishment , fueling my body , or elevating it to its peak performance . It was about taste , comfort , large portions and making sure every last bite of food was off your plate before leaving the table .
As I entered young adulthood , I expanded my palate and became more physically active . An interest developed in fresh vegetables as opposed to canned , sautéed foods instead of deep fried , and farmer ’ s markets instead of supermarkets . I started making changes in the way I ate and moved . That was until years later when I started my own family . Suddenly I understood what it meant to have to “ stretch a dollar ” and unfortunately , the best way to stretch it was with heavy carbs , starches , canned goods and wasting food was not an option . Gone were the days of going to the gym after work . Those were swapped with daycare pick ups and years later by homework assignments . My time was no longer my own .
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