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The Hunger Diaries: My (Brief) Take on the Matter

If you haven’t already heard about the major blog drama going on, here’s the scoop: Marie Claire published a rather scathing and one-sided article criticizing “The Big Six” (six popular healthy living bloggers). The author, Katie Drummond, accused the six girls of exhibiting disordered behaviors and being bad role models for their readers. I have lots of things to say, but I’m going to keep it brief and ask for your thoughts.

I happened to blog about what I usually eat in a day today; good timing. Read my “Non-Hunger Diaries: Part 1” if you didn’t check it out already.

The Hunger Diaries: A Second Look

  1. The Big Six have definitely been inspiring for many, including me. If you are struggling with some of the behaviors the article talks about, like overthinking food and exercise, feeling guilty for not eating right, and having poor body image – I know first-hand that these blogs are helpful. These girls put themselves out there and have been incredibly honest and open with their lives; they were role models for me and others. Now that I am in a place of moderation I honestly don’t read those blogs that much because I don’t need them anymore (!), but I do not think that they were harmful. Instead, they were inspirational.
  2. Everyone struggles. Don’t judge before you walk 2 moons in someone else’s moccasins. When someone admits on the internet (the internet is written in INK, by the way, so it is hard to retract things) that she is having trouble with something, that is not an excuse to take that problem and blow it out of proportion. These girls were just being honest and opening up a discussion.
  3. Yes, there are some concerning issues brought up in the article. But instead of attacking the girls, why not offer some constructive criticism or some freaking compassion! If you are struggling, the last thing you need is someone yelling at and condemning you.
  4. Blogs are SUPPOSED to be obsessive. You aren’t going to blog about something you’re not passionate about, so there is going to be a level of obsession in any blog about anything. Do people criticize Stuff On My Cat for being obsessive about stuff on cats? No! Because that is what the blog is about.

    5. Source

That’s basically it.

The reasons that I blog the way I do (not everything I eat, not everything I do at the gym, and not every detail of my life) is because it’s not helpful for ME to blog that way, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad for others to do it. I don’t need to give all the dirty details to set a healthy example. My hope for people reading THIS blog is that they will walk away with some nuggets of inspiration, and hopefully…

  1. Tools to practice moderation in life.
  2. Some yoga tips.
  3. Ideas to be chillax about both food and exercise while staying thin.
  4. Ways to learn to eat intuitively (again).
  5. A bunch of New York healthy restaurants to try.

There are different ways of inspiring people and I think that most “healthy living” blogs out there are just trying to help (themselves or others). See the other bloggers’ responses here. These ladies are beautiful and fabulous.

What are your thoughts?

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Why I Am A Food Blogger {Project Food Blog}

This fall one of my favorite organizations, Foodbuzz, is putting on a contest called Project Food Blog. Over the next 12 weeks a group of 2000 bloggers will be whittled down to one lucky winner based on different food blogging challenges. The first challenge:  to create a post that defines me as a food blogger and shows why I have what it takes to be the next food blog star. The post should come from the heart and be true to me and my blog.

Every single post I write comes from the heart. I am passionate about food, and about sharing food, and about creating new recipes. I’m also passionate about being healthy. For me, being healthy does not mean eating salads and tofu all day and running every morning. To me, being healthy means practicing moderation in all things. So when I am craving a cookie I have it, but if I have been eating cookies every day, I know when it’s time to take a break. I may use a lot of butter in my cooking, but you better believe that that butter is (usually) used for roasting veggies and making stir-frys. Intuitive eating is all about moderation.

Check out: Some Of My Favorite Stir Frys (each word is linked to a different recipe)

Roasted Veggies for Organic Bi Bim Bap

I haven’t always been good at moderation – it’s been a long journey. Now you won’t find fake stuff on my blog – I don’t do Splenda (anymore) and I am certainly not a fat-free yogurt kind of girl. I eat real food, and I share my real food adventures. I eat intuitively but I’m honest when that is hard for me. The most important person in my life taught me a lot about moderation and intuitive eating.

Marriage and Food Intuition

So why do I have what it takes? I think first I have to answer the question, “who am I?”

I am a food blogger. I am also a wife, a daughter, a sister, a mother to 2 fat cats (aptly named Couscous and Kabocha), a social media strategist, a marketer, a web developer, a singer, a yogi, a writer, a linguist, and a person. And other things.

My blog is a food blog, but it is so much more than that to me. I have always loved food. I will always love food. I love healthy food, but I also love things like butter and whipped cream. A day does not go by that I don’t enjoy dessert in some form or another. My blog records things that make me happy and things that I enjoy. My blog is about trying anything – which means eating everything from chunky natural peanut butter, to firm squeezed tofu, to rich and satisfying steak and bacon, to crispy fall apples, to fluffy pancakes, to fresh summer salads, and even some fast food (occasionally); and it means walking a lot, because that’s what our bodies were made to do; and it means working passionately; and it means living and loving passionately.

My Apple Picking Adventure

My blog is about practicing moderation in all things, whether that is moderation in chocolate, moderation in broccoli, moderation in exercise, or maybe just moderation in being moderate. Moderate eating = intuitive eating.

I blog out of passion, not to be successful (though that would be nice someday!). I love food and sharing food. I’m just me and I am happy if just one person finds a recipe of mine that they like, or if I inspire someone. Blogging is exciting for me. I work hard on the blog and I enjoy it. I hope you do too! Over time my blog has evolved (as have I), and I have learned so much – all of which I try to share with you, dear readers! Every time a comment pops into my inbox I smile; when I hear that you tried my recipe and liked it I get warm and fuzzy inside.

My blog is raw and honest at times, just like me. It’s about my life and my life through food, and life is not always perfect.

Nothing is perfect, nor should it be.

Tomorrow I will share a healthy recipe for coconut breakfast cookies in typical Monday fashion. Have a lovely Sunday. (I will remind you how to vote for me tomorrow too!)