Minimalism and healthy eating go hand in hand

Part of looking for and living as simple as possible, is also to consume as simple as possible, to look for foods that give you the nutrients you need or food that is as natural as possible is for me, to make it simple. So part of having a minimalist lifestyle is to be able to let go of everything that ties us down and unhealthy food, at least for me, tied me down a lot.

These last few years I learned a little about the damage caused by ultra-processed foods, sugars, flour and harmful fats and soft drinks. Foods that in my country it is cultural to consume, in fact, I grew up eating flour, pasta and rice accompanied by protein with juices that usually were not natural, but packaged, and very occasionally a salad to accompany.

This diet from the point of view of a person who has always eaten this way has nothing wrong with it, and in fact as I mentioned, it is something that I didn't see wrong either. But there is a saying that "you are what you eat", referring to the fact that what we ingest, if or if, affects us in the body and sometimes even in the mind. For example, my body after a long time consuming soft drinks, for about 4 years that when I drink them, they generate anxiety, especially cola.

The fact is that the food we eat can be part of whether we are well or not and it is not necessary to be an expert on the subject to notice it in your own body. My family on my mom's side for several generations has suffered from type 2 diabetes, my mom unfortunately also suffers from it and this has been a difficult issue to deal with.

So I decided to eat as well as possible, it took me a long time to do it because there is much more ease in processed foods, it is easier to take out flour and prepare some arepas (corn flour tortillas), than to prepare vegetables, or any food that you have to cook for more than 20 minutes. Plus, these unhealthy foods are usually more satisfying. So deciding to eat well in a world where everything goes fast and you need to save as much time as possible is complex.

In spite of that, last year for several months I managed to dedicate a lot of time to take care of my diet, I tried to lose weight and although I didn't lose much, I felt so good that it was totally worth it. Due to time constraints I abandoned it and this year I resumed it again, determined to make it the way I will always eat. Obviously I don't go to extremes and if at some point I consider it appropriate to eat something unhealthy I will.

But to make it simpler from a minimalist point of view, is also to avoid medical complications, to avoid being tied to junk food or sugar, which here among us, was the hardest thing for me to stop consuming so much. Saving my body from feeling bad about what I eat is for me an act of love and I am obviously seeing the benefits. The minimalist lifestyle allows me to not leave what I consume to chance, but to take care of myself, physically and mentally by being mindful of what I will eat or what I will watch or listen to in order to nourish my mind.

Obviously it is a whole process and it will require time and a lot of willpower too but I can say that thanks to the diet I am currently following I feel much better physically and I hope to feel even better.