Something Happened on the Way to the Finny Farm

Hello old and new readers!  For those of you who followed me on Cookbook Confessions... thank you, and it's still me!  But, I am in the process of turning into a new and improved me.  I still have the insane collection of cookbooks to the dismay of my husband, and I still have the two turkeys who love nothing more than to eat sweets and junk food.  And, I am still going to make and post plenty of delectable, sinful, stick to your ribs and fill your belly with sunshine and rainbows dishes here.

However...

Something happened between creating Cookbook Confessions and I Burn Rice.

My husband and I realized that we are skinny fat, or as I call it, "Finny".  We have both always been thin, and have eaten whatever we wanted, when we wanted it.  There have even been times in both of our lives when we have tried to put on weight.  For example, eating a Snickers Bar a day under doctor's orders.  Where did those days go?  The two of us also managed to pass our way of eating onto our children.

So, why is this changing?  One of is turning 40 this year (hint... it's not me!) and the other got a wake up call during her last doctor visit.  Do we need to worry about our weight?  No.  Do we need to worry about our health?  Absolutely.  Cholesterol numbers have been sneaking up, and one of us has been on cholesterol medication for the past few years now. 

And to put the nail in the coffin, my mother, tall and thin, picture of health, exercises every day... got diagnosed with type II diabetes last year to the utter shock of everyone who knows her.  My father-in-law is in fantastic health, but has type II diabetes as well.

Bottom line in our lives right now is this... my children now have type II diabetes on both sides of the family.  They have two parents who should take better care of themselves.  And, they live in a country in which most of it's inhabitants eat like crap.  Sugar in everything, processed this and that, farm-factory meats, pesticides... the list goes on and on.  And, it scares me.

Is that to say I will never have bacon or a chocolate chip cookie or maybe even a bacon chocolate chip cookie again?  Heck no... I am human, and as of right now I love food too much to give certain things up.  There will be a balance though, and I hope you all stick with me as I learn to incorporate that balance into my kitchen and our daily lives.  Please feel free to share your favorite healthy living tips, or even your favorite sinful recipe in the comments.  Today, I am happy to receive both!  Repeat after me... balance.