glitter and gravel

Something that I have been thinking about for a while now is whether or not eating healthy makes someone somewhat snobbish.

A food snob, if you will.

Let’s be honest. I should be grateful for whatever food I have in front of my face. I should devour it whilst thinking of all the starving little children in Africa and all around the world. But the truth is I’m not as grateful as I should be.

 Yes, I am thankful that I always have something to eat, and if I am truly starving (a sensation I have never had to feel) I would eat whatever you offer me, but that doesn’t stop me from asking, “um, is this organic?”

If you were to ask my family, they would tell you that I can be somewhat of a pain when it comes to family dinners, birthdays, and picking out restaurants to eat at. I have requested my own organic chicken, organic potatoes (or cauliflower substitute), my own “dessert” item, and many other things. During the summertime, sometimes I bring in our own organic tomatoes, cucumbers, and chia seeds for my salad at a restaurant.  Some people might call that spoiled or picky, I just call it “Orthorexia.”

“Orthorexia: an obsession with healthy or righteous eating”

A few weeks ago I saw an episode of True Life where they followed the lives of a few different people who claimed that they had orthorexia. As you can imagine, I was super excited about this particular episode, because, well, I had already diagnosed myself with this (typical hypochondriac behavior).

As I saw the way these people went about their days, I realized how silly it sounded to reject something because it wasn’t 100% organic or grass-fed.

I haven’t yet gone taken the Vegan or Vegetarian step. My concerns lie more with the sugar-free, grain-free lifestyle. There are times that my eating habits are worse than other times.  I can recall a few times when I have rejected food because it wasn’t made exactly how I would have made it. As bad as it sounds, I have even rejected food that was prepared specifically FOR ME. This sounds completely ridiculous, I know.

My question is this: is it better for me to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing to eat, or to reject someone’s gift?

I understand that I was born into a country where I have choices. I have freedom. I have been blessed enough to choose what I want to eat instead of being forced to eat whatever I can find in the dumpster or some other unclean place. I am also blessed to have people who care for me enough to be willing to prepare something for me to eat.

I understand that rejecting this food doesn’t sound like something Jesus would do. Somehow, I must learn to balance out my desire to live a healthy and natural lifestyle and my need to appreciate a servant-like heart and be thankful for everything I have.