Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Why is it so danged hard to make healthy choices?

For me, I mean. I'm sure that there are zillions of you out there that find it relatively easy to eat sensibly, exercise routinely, keep your checkbook balanced and bathroom shower spotless. I'm just not one of those zillions.

I try, I really do. But it's so easy to veer off track. All it takes for me to abandon any resolve is for a friend or family member to say, "How do you feel about __________ (insert any high-calorie/wheat-filled/non-organic/sugar-laden item here)? and I'm a goner. Or while in the process of starting my yoga DVD, to settle back and watch some trash TV instead. Ooooo - Gilligan's Island reruns.......

Sometimes it feels just hopeless.

But I guess to quit trying to live healthily would be, well, really stupid. And I do pride myself on occasionally having at least two functioning brain cells. It doesn't take a great deal of intelligence to slog along and keep trying to do my best, knowing that any effort I make is better than none at all.

So I was shopping at my favorite local organic nuts and berries type grocery store today, in an effort to get myself back on track. And I wasn't particularly happy about it. As a matter of fact, I was pretty grumpy.

Blam! Into the shopping basket went the economy sized box of unsweetened organic gluten-free cereal. Wham! A head of cabbage. Shlook! A gallon of organic low-fat milk. Clank, clank, clank........and clank! Four different varieties of low-sodium organic canned beans. I was prepared to avoid the snack aisle altogether, until - until -

Until:

*Sound of heavenly angels singing in perfect harmony. Ahhhhhhhhh!*

A shaft of brilliant, pure sunlight illuminated the perfect snack. There, at the end of the row, hidden on the bottom shelf, glowing in the sunshine like salt-encrusted golden brown jewels, was my dietary salvation for the day. Wheat free. Low fat. Organic. And one of my all time favorite munchies.

I stood stock still, astonished. I reverently chose a bag, gave it a careful examination - yes, it really was what it claimed to be - and gently placed it into my cart atop the organic mini-carrots. And head bowed, paused a moment to give thanks.

Then whipped my cart around in a U-turn to zip over to the condiment section because nothing is better than pretzels dipped in dijon mustard.

One healthy choice made easy. I hope there's more to come.