Eat well and be well

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” ― Julia Child [You just gotta love Julia!]

Whenever I think of the American winter holidays I think of food. Food associated to fond memories, many trips and travels, and culture.  Being part of a multi-cultural couple and growing up with part of my extended family still with one foot in Portugal (even it just virtually) I am cognizant of the fact that people celebrate the holidays in many different ways with many different foods. Embracing them isn’t always easy but as I moved deeper into adulthood I have started making my own traditions, picking and choosing in order to create a new painting, the canvas a reflection of who I am now.

Very often I re-read this really great article from Huffington Post in May. In “We Are What We Eat: Putting the Cultural Back Into The Global,” Jamie Schler doesn’t necessarily write directly about the holidays, but in her beautiful essay she speaks about raising children who are citizens of the world. Food plays a big role in rooting her family’s identities.

In my opinion, holidays do the same.  Certainly because food is nearly always associated.  I know I have said this before, but food is life. It is more than what is merely on your plate. It is passion, it is sustenance for your body and your soul.  And when you can share food with friends and family the effect is tenfold.

So on this day of the American Thanksgiving holiday I say to all my family, all my friends and bloggers (especially the expats far from home):

eat well and be well.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.