I was catching up via phone with an old friend last night when the topic of bread arose. We ladies spent the next five minutes listing all the reasons bread is one of the top five inventions of mankind. The smell. The texture. The crunch of a dark, seedy loaf. The practice of tearing off a piece, then handing the rest to your dining partner to share. There’s brilliance of bruschetta. The genius of challah – and challah French toast.
I come from a family where abiding by magazine-like advice to request the waiter never bring the bread basket would be considered an act of blasphemy. I’m beyond grateful for that upbringing, as I know from my dad’s good example that reaching into the bread basket does not make anyone less healthy. It makes us human.
true story: i somehow recently ran out of chocolate and may have torn through two entire shelves of my pantry in a vain search for a forgotten bar. as a result, i rediscovered this bag of raw cacao nibs. serious new obsession.
People that know me generally have an idea that I am a healthy person. Some understand my concept of balance, and yet, it frustrates me that some are still surprised when I don’t fit their idea of health perfection.
I am a healthy person. I truly love my vegetables, my oatmeal, my yogurt, my fruit – you know, “healthy person” things. But I can also state the following, just to throw out a few examples:
- I drink wine nearly every day.
- I can’t remember the last day that passed on which I didn’t eat some type of chocolate.
- I always eat the cake when there is an office birthday.
- I never let a bread basket go untouched.
it’s officially ice cream season, and i’m happy to partake. above: cashew-based chocolate ice cream from lula’s sweet apothecary. sprinkles are a requirement.
I don’t believe a life without dark chocolate bars, warm Italian rolls, or summertime mojitos is a natural one. I know at one point, I would have felt self-conscious about proclaiming all this, and I would have been convinced that others were thinking, “Well, if she didn’t do all that, she’d be thinner.”
Now I can say: I’ve gone through that phase. I wasn’t any happier, and I certainly wasn’t healthier.
Last night, after a dinner including a guacamole-stuffed portobella mushroom, fresh asparagus, and cashew quinoa, my friend and I had a vocal celebration of bread. While we chatted, I poured a glass of shiraz and finished off my bar of Vero’s dark chocolate with cayenne. That doesn’t make me feel indulgent. It makes me feel human.
What makes you healthy and human?
Related posts:
All hail the breadsmiths! I second your proclamations… I do all of those things, too, and am a healthy woman.
My family is also filled with die-hard bread lovers. When my grandparents were in France one year, they asked the waiter for refills on their bread basket so many times that the waiter threw up his hands and said, “This isn’t a bakery!”
I love those things you listed that make you human. They really show how balanced and healthy you are. I hate when people equate healthy with perfect eating and exercise habits. Its the ability to NOT need to be perfect that makes someone healthy. Which is precisely why you are such a role model to me for healthy habits as I try to escape my extremist tendencies toward “health.”
I’m human because I enjoy drinking Mike’s Light Hard Lemonade. Maybe its not a fancy microbrew or “healthy” wine/liquor and is full of chemicals and junk – but its the only alcohol that I actually enjoy the taste of =)
Nicole G
Leslie, I swear we are friend soulmates. I look forward to your posts every day because they are always so in line with how I feel about life.
I think another part of being healthy and human is the idea that there will be times where I “let things slide” and rather than freaking out about them, I need to recognize the behavior, recognize why it’s happening and make steps to move in one direction or another. (I am mainly speaking of my exercise habits as of late – which are non existent!)
I think this all goes back to what my friend Kelly preaches often – it’s all about being mindful. I think being mindful helps me feel sane, healthy and happy.
Wine every night, yes! Its healthy and I am human. I enjoy it while I cook. Dark chocolate, double yes. Love your blog!
Mmm you’re lucky to have so many delicious options so accessible in New York, like cashew based ice cream!
I completely and totally agree. It makes me human to lick the cake or cookie batter bowl (salmonella shallmonella, for me personally).
Dark chocolate is no longer an “indulgence” for me either- it’s a non-negotiable part of my day, and I like it that way. And beer on weekends-REAL beer, not Miller Lite or Diet Coke and vodka. If I’m going to get silly drunk with all of my college friends, I’m going to enjoy what I’m drinking!
Ditto to what Rose said. It’s like you read my mind when you write these posts. I’m hoping to make a long overdue visit to some family in NYC next month and if I do, we must get together!
What makes me healthy and human… is eating hummus out of the tub with a spoon. Or my index finger.
I attempted to make a proper quiche this week. Fail. Due to monster foreign oven. And hummus with a spoon. A+
xo.
Gah I love this post too. You are such a great writer! I love that this post is short and too the point but conveys a great message very well. Yay for Lula’s and wine!
What makes me healthy? I almost always take a sample when offered. Class tastings.. the Whole Foods aisles… Costco.. yeah, samples are what make grocery shopping fun!
you’re amazing + an absolute inspiration! thanks for this post, leslie <3
gah, i've always wanted to go to Lula's. Jealous!