Are you Feeling Guilty?

I was walking back to my desk last week and my coworker who had just purchased a coke, was trying to hide it from me in his jacket as a joke. I told him that he didn't have to hide it or feel guilty.  He replied, "You ever notice how no one ever changes how they eat around you, they only feel guilty?"

I have been thinking about that a little bit the last few days. I don't eat healthy to make people feel guilty when they eat junk food around me. I don't give people a hard time about their diets. I feel like people give me a harder time about my diet.  Why is that? Is it because they feel guilty and they don't even want me to think about harassing them about what they eat, so they make a preemptive strike? Or is it that they cannot comprehend that someone would be happy without junk food?

I will give dietary advice only when it is asked for. I have learned not to push health on anyone. I just feel sad when people are struggling with health issues and they will not consider that their diets have anything to do with their health. I usually just sit in silence trying my best to ignore what to me is the elephant in the room. 

Where does guilt come from? It has to come from outside knowledge but if the guilty person felt like they were doing nothing wrong then they would never feel any guilt or at least they shouldn't. The only other option is for me to not eat healthy so I don't make others around me feel guilty and that just seems a little too messed up for me.  Sorry if I have made anyone feel guilty but I have to stick with the way I eat because I would feel miserable otherwise.

Eating healthy for me is a love story of sorts. It isn't always easy to love the things we should. I was talking with some friends about what I like to eat and I said I really liked Brussels sprouts. She started to gag and said that was the food she always hated growing up. She dreaded the days when she had to eat them for dinner. Sure, to people who are used to heavily salty, sugary or fatty foods, they aren't going to love them. To me they are like candy. If only all other areas of my life were like this. How would it be to love studying, to love exercise, to love righteous living, to love all of the things we know are good for us but they are also hard. Life would be a lot easier, that is for sure.

People just need to find other reasons to love healthy foods, like the fact that they are packed with nutrients, that you feel good after you eat them and that they can improve your overall health. It is like just falling in love with the hottest guy/girl you can find; they may look great but perhaps that is all they have to offer you. For me good health has much more to do with a much bigger picture that leads to long term happiness. I am very grateful that I have fallen in love with my veggies. It makes good health so much more enjoyable.