What's Your Definition of A Diet?

Today was one of the most joyful days of my career as a professional speaker. I had the honor of presenting my workshop, "Taking Care of Yourself...Eating Strategically" to a group of eleven year old girls and they were beautiful. Truthfully, I was nervous about this speaking engagement because most of my work is with teenagers and adults.

However, these sweet cheribs embraced me and enjoyed learning about healthy eating, portion control, and good food choices. The highlight of the presentation, was when I asked the girls to define the word: diet. I was stunned by the responses, which were: calorie restriction, nasty food, and a way to lose weight. My heart sank as I worked to re-educate them with the truth to understand that the dictionary defines diet is, "food and beverages consumed."

Therefore, some people have a healthy diet and others have an unhealthy diet. Unfortunately, these sweet girls have been misinformed and so has America. As a result, the obesity epedemic is running rampid in the lives of adults and children. The innocence of these girls taught me why so many men and women have looked at my STRANGE when I make healthy food choices, cut my food portions in half, and abstain from unhealthy foods. The perception is that I am on a diet, but the reality is that I just have a healthy diet.