I love this! I recently traveled to Greece and ate and drank to my heart's content with full expectations of having to diet when I got home to the good ole USA, only to find I had lost three pounds! How is that even possible? I do find the more joy we feel in life, the better we feel physically and in every other way! Thanks for this reminder!
Well said Brenna and over several trips to Europe I too have witnessed similar observations with European’s sunbathing in the nude and wondered how they can be surrounded by all this cheese and bread and pastries 24/7 and be so thin! This got me thinking about how I presently feel in my own skin and the healthy lifestyle I want to live! My kitchen where my family lives has a sign on the wall that reads “Food is Love” as my one grandmother believed in enjoying food with family & friends as often as you can as it truly brings us closer together. She never dieted, always over indulged, loved to eat out often and never exercised. My other grandmother was always watching her calories, exercised daily and was very conscious how she looked in her clothes and was never ever in the sun. Both lived until they were 89. As an athlete all my life by default of my father’s genetics, I truly loved exercise and could eat anything I wanted and never seemed to even think about my weight. ( ok, maybe before I got married for a month). My mother still eats healthy, mini meals all day and night, has never sat still with more energy than anyone I ever met and stayed the exact same weight without ever trying. As I have entered menopause over the last couple of years, the weight gain has taken me to an unhealthy place physically. I continue to over indulge but still exercise because I just love to do both and eating and exercising are a part of who I am. Am I getting uncomfortable? Oh Yes! Am I having harder time playing tennis n Pickleball , swimming and even walking? Oh Yes! So what should I do about it? At 55 I am coming to a crossroads if I need to fuel my body with more healthy foods so I can continue to do the sports I love but I do not ever want to deprive myself either of going out and enjoying food. Balance, portion control, less stress, more vacations are my goals for the next decade. Brenna, I can’t wait to come visit you and EAT! However, there is no chance I will ever change my American ways and start sun bathing in the nude or not have that towel wrapped around me I the locker room! You are living the European dream as an American! Indulge, be happy & healthy! Xoxo Aunt Jill
I laughed so hard on the towel comment 😂 I love how you are always gathering people together around amazing food 🥰 growing up I always thought you had a magical talent that you could open the fridge and make something amazing out of anything.
Yes, I’ve had piles of cookies in my house all week (birthday + holidays) and was being overly conscious about how many I was eating each day. A friend told me: it’s the same thing if you eat them today vs tomorrow, why not just enjoy it!
I love this! I recently traveled to Greece and ate and drank to my heart's content with full expectations of having to diet when I got home to the good ole USA, only to find I had lost three pounds! How is that even possible? I do find the more joy we feel in life, the better we feel physically and in every other way! Thanks for this reminder!
Yes 🙌🏻 I’m going to Greece soon myself. Can’t wait.
I love Greece! Enjoy yourself!!
As an occasional visitor to Italy, the experience blew my mind each time.
This essay represents to me so well some of the sense of why that was. There is just a different approach to life…
For me, it felt quite visceral… even thick in the air, as soon as I said foot there.
In short it felt like home for me. Even with the language barrier and other differences.
Thanks for reading John!
Well said Brenna and over several trips to Europe I too have witnessed similar observations with European’s sunbathing in the nude and wondered how they can be surrounded by all this cheese and bread and pastries 24/7 and be so thin! This got me thinking about how I presently feel in my own skin and the healthy lifestyle I want to live! My kitchen where my family lives has a sign on the wall that reads “Food is Love” as my one grandmother believed in enjoying food with family & friends as often as you can as it truly brings us closer together. She never dieted, always over indulged, loved to eat out often and never exercised. My other grandmother was always watching her calories, exercised daily and was very conscious how she looked in her clothes and was never ever in the sun. Both lived until they were 89. As an athlete all my life by default of my father’s genetics, I truly loved exercise and could eat anything I wanted and never seemed to even think about my weight. ( ok, maybe before I got married for a month). My mother still eats healthy, mini meals all day and night, has never sat still with more energy than anyone I ever met and stayed the exact same weight without ever trying. As I have entered menopause over the last couple of years, the weight gain has taken me to an unhealthy place physically. I continue to over indulge but still exercise because I just love to do both and eating and exercising are a part of who I am. Am I getting uncomfortable? Oh Yes! Am I having harder time playing tennis n Pickleball , swimming and even walking? Oh Yes! So what should I do about it? At 55 I am coming to a crossroads if I need to fuel my body with more healthy foods so I can continue to do the sports I love but I do not ever want to deprive myself either of going out and enjoying food. Balance, portion control, less stress, more vacations are my goals for the next decade. Brenna, I can’t wait to come visit you and EAT! However, there is no chance I will ever change my American ways and start sun bathing in the nude or not have that towel wrapped around me I the locker room! You are living the European dream as an American! Indulge, be happy & healthy! Xoxo Aunt Jill
I laughed so hard on the towel comment 😂 I love how you are always gathering people together around amazing food 🥰 growing up I always thought you had a magical talent that you could open the fridge and make something amazing out of anything.
You are amazing in all you do, don’t worry too much and keep doing what you love 💕
Yes, I’ve had piles of cookies in my house all week (birthday + holidays) and was being overly conscious about how many I was eating each day. A friend told me: it’s the same thing if you eat them today vs tomorrow, why not just enjoy it!
Hehe I just went to a really fun cookie exchange and I “hid” the box from myself. 😂 it didn’t work