The Bean & Seed

In my last post I talked about making “Conscious Decisions”. The concept here is going through our decision-making process and doing what makes sense rather than falling into habit or simply doing what is expected of us. Today I want to extend this further into bargaining with yourself. I’m tying these two concepts together because I think making a conscious decision can frequently require some type of bargaining. The simple act of buying a car requires you to make an informed decision on the model and then you’re required to bargain with yourself about how to make the payments. In order to have a new car you will likely have to give up spending money that could have been used for other things. A bargain must be struck; one thing has to be sacrificed for another.

Since this is a food and health blog, I want to consider some small-scale examples where I’ve introduced bargaining for the health benefits. I LOVE potato chips. Mary and I can literally eat an entire bag in one sitting. As a way to control how many chips we eat, I try to combine a vegetable any time I serve them. If either of us wants more potato chips, then we have to eat more vegetables. This bargain benefits us because we’re not filling up on chips, and we’ll stop going back to the bag because we can’t bear any more peas and carrots! Another example involves exercising. If we want dessert, then what amount of exercise are we willing to do before having that dessert? Note that I said “before” having dessert. Frequently we’ll talk about stopping for dessert but decide to go to the park for a walk first. A lot of times we find that getting in our exercise first results in us not wanting to give up what we just accomplished for the extra calories. Additionally, we frequently find we’ve already found fulfillment in the exercise and no longer desire dessert. In other instances, the heart wants what the heart wants, and we still get our ice cream! Any way it goes, we’re definitely better off having gone for a walk!

In my “What is The Bean & Seed” post I noted the importance of bridging the gap between an unhealthy lifestyle and a healthy one. Making conscious decisions and bargaining with yourself in healthy ways are great concepts that can help you to start making positive changes. In the above examples, we’re still eating potato chips and getting ice cream, but we’re eating less of those unhealthy foods while simultaneously getting more vegetables and exercise. What are some foods or activities you know aren’t entirely good for you? What healthy foods or activities could you introduce as a counter measure in order to lessen their negative impacts? Is there a healthy bargain you can strike?

The outcome of my chips for peas and carrots bargain is actually one in which I feel better because I’m eating a more balanced diet. I still get the food I love, but I also get the food I need. I’m learning lessons in moderation, but I’m also learning the beauty of combining flavors instead of just pounding a bag of chips.

Thanks for reading, Matt

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