A Fresh Perspective

My husband has a thing for dandelions and by thing I mean vendetta. He jumps at the sight of those conspicuous feather like fronds and immediately crushes them to their death. Little does he know that just around the corner a little girl is picking a very similar little dandy, staring in awe of its perfectly round form and about to blow the seedlings while making a wish perhaps for a new bike or extra cobbler after dinner. Those wishful seedlings shall catch the wind and find a cozy nook in our yard only to produce yet another dandelion for my husband to crush.

Consider the despised dandelion and its unyielding determination to take over our lawns, but have a closer look and you will see that this outcast is a mere marvel with its flawless, cylindrical body formed by delicate tails of downy white. To the aforementioned little girl this is not a silly weed but a beautiful flower, one to wish on. But to my husband and many of us non wishing grown-ups we see the dandy as an ugly weed that plagues our beautifully mowed grass. So what is the difference here? Perspective.

We are just over two months of our dietary changes and we both have noticed some outstanding results. However,  the one thing I have most been challenged or convicted of is my perspective or lack thereof. I look back and see that food was an idol of sorts. I was never truly focused on nourishing my body but rather feeding it what it craved, which the majority of the time was an insane amount of sweets (and cheese!). Sure I ate organic, sure I had a salad with dinner, and of course I drank plenty of water....but only because I had to. These past two months have been so eye opening and humbling as I learn to nourish my body with foods rather than being in a constant state of indulgence. Now Im not saying that the occasional piece of chocolate is bad. But rather I challenge myself and you to consider: are the foods I put into my body life giving? Are they nourishing? Will they enable my body to thrive and function to the best of its ability?

Changing our perspective on food will unlock so much potential for our bodies. Eating how God intended us to eat, whole organic foods, should not be mistaken for eating what you crave or eating what will make you feel better, but rather you are eating to serve your body well, support health and ultimately life, which is indeed so fragile.

Now there is nothing wrong with truly appreciating a meal or its gracious chef, but when we find ourselves constantly thinking about food or running to the cookie jar when we've had a stressful day then we must change our perspective. One of the most precious liberties we humans have is the freedom to choose what we eat so why not choose wisely! My prayer is that we all can encourage each other to not take our bodies or the beautiful bounty of this earth for granted. Next time you see a dandy on your lawn or a bunch of kale at the grocery don't shutter in fear, simply look beyond your prejudices and try on a fresh perspective.

Comments

[ilovepom-poms]

Love this post and your insights. Sadly, I'm on the indulging side at the moment after a month of school holidays, World Cup soccer and celebrating with friends. My body faintly remembers the detox I was on for 3 months at the end of last year. How do I get started again?

[Dan (Melbourne)]

Oh what a fantastic post. Your honesty and heart has really come forth in this post and it moved me in a big way. You are on the path of such clear thinking and love. May we all continue to expand and appreciate what God has give us right from the begnining. Thankyou for your post once again.

[susan]

I just found your beautifully written and visually stunning blog. WOW ! I've added you to my favourite inspirational blog list. I'm SO sorry I missed out on the banner design give away what a fantastic gift. cheers from the other coast, far away Nova Scotia

[A. Benson]

Mine writing and pictures are not as fabulous as yours but I wrote a similiar piece a few months back and when I saw your first paragraph I couldn't stop grinning.

http://adesertbelle.blogspot.com/2010/04/dandelion-days.html

[A. Benson]

*My writing and pictures are not as fabulous as yours but I wrote a similiar piece a few months back and when I saw your first paragraph I couldn't stop grinning.

Geez louise, typos are embarrassing. :)

http://adesertbelle.blogspot.com/2010/04/dandelion-days.html

[Golubka]

Beautifully written! I've also had a similar change of food perspective a couple years back. It's such an eye opening time that I can only wish for everyone to experience. Thank you for sharing :)

[Missy]

Your words could not have been better said. A couple of days ago me and my husband had the exact conversation about food and the way it can become an idol. We had listened to a sermon by Matt Chandler, and he was talking about that exact thing. I think the greatest part of it all is the relief you feel once you really give that to the Lord, and eat with the mindset that your body is His temple. Plus, when you feel better, it's that much greater is the end!

[Carrie]

Your writing is so beautiful - a breath of fresh air. Your photos are an inspiration. And this eloquent post is another reminder to me to choose food wisely for myself and my family. I have been moving myself (and husband) closer to a cleaner diet (my husband is moving more slowly). Though when my first child was born I wanted only organic foods to touch her lips. Now with two growing children I want nothing more then their happiness and health. A healthful diet is not an option but a total necessity for my kids - though is hasn't been a total priority for myself and husband. Things are changing! Thank you for sharing your journey and teaching us so much!

[melissa]

such good insights, thanks. it's an interesting topic to think about. what about eating for pleasure or joy? i, myself, feel that god intends us to eat for joy as well as for life, but it's a hard balance to strike.

[Coco]

Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement!!!

Cornel ( Ilovepompoms) Believe me, I know it is hard in the beginning. My biggest piece of advice is to go slowly. Don't wake up one morning and change things cold turkey. I found that cutting one or two things out of my diet that I idolized (like sugary snacks) each week gave me a solid foundation to take more drastic steps in the weeks to come. Also, don't get discouraged or down on yourself if you find yourself bingeing on ice cream one night, just tell yourself that tomorrow is a fresh new day and I will try again. I think baby steps and moderation is key :)

Melissa, I totally agree. God gave us food to enjoy and find pleasure in. And that is the point I was stressing, we should find pleasure in the foods God GAVE us, not insane amounts of refined sugar, processed meats and chemical laden produce. Like I said, I don't feel there is anything wrong with enjoying a gastronomical meal especially with friends and family because there is so much good that comes out of meals shared with the ones you love. However, when we find ourselves obsessing or border line idolizing certain foods then there is a problem. I think the joy and pleasure we find in food should stem out of a place of gratitude and thankfulness rather than obsession and selfishness. I totally agree with you that it is a difficult balance indeed :) Thank you for your input!

[Kimberly]

Thank you for this, truly. It is both a blessing and a curse to have the means and location to eat pretty much whatever I desire. This has led to compulsive eating, a lack of energy, obsessive thoughts about food, mindless eating. While I do eat organic whenever possible and have been educating myself about food (mainly animal products), I need to challenge myself to make bigger changes on a more regular basis. This beautiful post (your blog is so lovely!) has once again pushed this issue to the forefront of my mind and for that, I thank you!

[Dawn (KitchenTravels)]

Lovely prose and photos. While you are considering the dandelions, you may want to consider eating them. I bet your husband might change his tune if served a dandelion green salad. The greens are also delicious sauteed. And I've heard you can cook/eat the yellow flowers, too, although I've yet to try them. Perhaps God has given you an abundance of dandelions not to choke your lawn, but to enrich your new dietary regime? ;)

[Cannelle Et Vanille]

this is beautiful coco. i'm going through the same. nourishing is the key word.

[Trish]

Thank you so much for this perspective. I think it is particularly easy these days to forget that food's main purpose IS to nourish us. America in particular is seeing a revolution of sorts in the way that we view food- and that has been both wonderful and burdensome. We tend to become obsessed-- how do we make the perfect pie crust, which is the recipe for the more decadent brownie, how do we constantly pump out the plumpest roasts and juiciest steaks. These are all wonderful things to explore, of course, because they challenge us to want to be better cooks. But how quickly we lose sight! I think many of us avid cooks feel pressure that every day has to yield something grander and more decadent than the day before. I have certainly fallen victim to that line of thinking. And I don't believe that that is a healthy relationship with food.

I adore food blogs. I love discovering new ones and standing by old ones. However, I also think that many people don't realize that there is a "disconnect" of sorts between food blogs and real life. What we as readers see are all of the tried and tested recipes, those that "make the cut" and which are then photographed to make the creations seem like beautiful little gems that we all should covet. It's wonderful to see things that others create, but I think we should also try to be mindful that this is not necessarily how everyone cooks all the time. We don't see the last-minute dinners or many of the more simple and wholesome foods because they don't necessarily make for great reading. I really thank you for posting your more wholesome recipes, and done in a true coco style-- that is, delicious and simple and unpretentious. Your site is a true work of art.

[aubrey]

love the fresh perspective girl. it's so true, our bodies are a beautiful, amazing gift from god. keep up the great work. you inspire me to try harder, to try new things and to savor my meals (which i find myself not doing very often with three little kiddos underfoot), but i need to and to teach my kids the importance of good food and nourishing our bodies. i'm curious as to what you all have been eating these days.. would you mind posting sometime? xo

[Coco]

Thank you again everyone!


Trish,

Thank you so very much for such a thoughtful note. I couldn't agree with you more about the somewhat "obsession" for perfection, especially in our kitchen. Recipes and dishes these days are so complicated with too many ingredients. The pressure to be an outstanding cook is not a yoke we should carry! Indeed how quickly we lose site of what our main goal is: to prepare nourishing AND delicious food for our family and friends. Sure we can find joy in painstakingly roasting a chicken but in the grand scheme of things it is so important that we do not put too much effort in the "appeal" of the food.

I really appreciate your encouragement and I hope that us cooks can all hold each other accountable and inspire one another to make the most of our time, our kitchen and the meals we prepare.

Aubrey,

You are in such a wonderful place in life where you have the opportunity to lead by example and teach your children the importance of health and nutrition. What a blessing and ministry to share your knowledge!

I owe so much to my parents for not allowing me to eat junk. Sure I ate candy and stuff every now and then but they were very strict when it came to making sure I ate lots of fruits and veggies :)

As to what I've been eating these days......we are eating about 90% raw foods which include A LOT of salads, fresh juices, green smoothies and lots of weird but tasty dishes using nuts, seeds and sprouts. Every now and again I bake something with almond flour like savory tarts or muffins. I will continue to post recipes and discuss further what we are eating these days:)