Being that it is currently January, I know that the nature of this topic may not be the most popular. After all, isn’t January supposed to be the month of New Year New You, which all begins with the latest fad diet!? If you have ever taken a ride on the diet roller coaster, you may already know that the results produced from a diet are just that; A high, (cue: yeah I’ve lost weight)…followed by an inevitable low, (cue: oh no, I’ve gained the weight back and then some).

There is a reason that the diet industry produces billions of dollars every year. The sad thing is, the money invested into them is often coming from well meaning people that simply don’t know a better way...except for what they have been promised by these companies.

If one of these well meaning people who have tried countless diets before and ‘failed’ is you, I have good news for you! I am here to share that that is a better way, and it all starts when you decide to make war with diets and finally make peace with food!

Now, before I go any further, I want to start by saying that I am not against the having a plan. In fact, I believe that planning and setting goals are beneficial and necessary when we set out to make a change!

I also want to clarify that I am not against diets that people must go on in regards to food intolerances, allergies, etc., and I am certainly not against programs or tools that help people live a healthy lifestyle long term (ie: Weight Watchers and My Fitness Pal). The very fact that I have gluten free, grain free, dairy and peanut free options, as well as nutrition facts and Weight Watcher points on my recipes demonstrates that I support lifestyle changes that pertain to health! What I am in disagreement with however, is the latest diets that promote an unhealthy and unbalanced approach to losing weight.

Why am I personally so against diets? There are many reasons, more than I could write on paper. But one of the main reasons is that I have seen the vicious cycle of defeat that they have produced in countless women, some of whom are very close to me. I also can also speak from a place of personal experience when it comes to dieting, because I myself bought into many of the unhealthy trends and mindsets that go with them when I was battling eating disorders.

One example of this was when someone innocently shared the false (and incomplete) theory with me that bread makes you gain weight. In a desperate attempt to be skinny at the time, I decided that if not eating bread would make me skinnier, then cutting out carbohydrates all together would be even better, (and you can only imagine the mess that this got me in!)

This example demonstrates how one theory that may have some truth to it can be take to an unhealthy extreme in an effort to produce quick results. I believe that this is how many diet trends begin. There may be some truth to a principal, which is then taken to an extreme in order to produce instant gratification. The reality of all unbalanced theories however, is that they are all bound to produce failure and defeat in the long run.

After years of battling an unhealthy relationship with food on a personal level, I decided that there must be a better way...and guess what, I discovered that there is!

It wasn’t until I started getting serious with myself and decided that I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle that I started to experience the better way. What I will tell you is that the better way may not be the quickest way, the easiest way, or the way that comes without any effort… but it is the way that will produce long lasting results, and the effort is worth the health and contentment that comes with it.

I started by educating myself on nutrition and the importance of eating real food (aka clean eating), and I started to shift my focus from weight loss to caring for my body. I can now say that investing in my health is one of the best decisions i’ve ever made. I now see my body as a wonderfully complex gift, and I want to treat it with respect because it is just that; a gift from God that I only get one of!

I also can say that making the choice to live a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean that I have given up everything that I once enjoyed. In fact, I can honestly say that I am more balanced and enjoy food and everyday life more now that I ever did before! Another misconception that I have seen to be false is that living a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be overwhelming, expensive, or time consuming! These truths are all ones that I have (or hope to) share with you here!

I recently got an e-mail from a friend about Dashing Dish that really encouraged me! In that e-mail there was something that she said that really stood out, which was this:

“America is so deceived (especially women) to look a certain size. Girls starve themselves or try the latest fad diet and end up binging because of the calorie restriction. Then they end up feeling guilty and worse than before they started dieting. It's a vicious circle. I want to work to impart healthy eating habits among the young women in America. I want them to know who they are in Christ, not what the world says they are.” - Danielle Frontiera

This statement is truly inspiring and straight to the heart of why I started Dashing Dish! There are so many myths out there about how to drop 10 pounds in a week, and what foods are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for you. While I may not be perfect or have it all figured out myself, I am someone who has tried many diets, fads, and unhealthy routes of losing weight... all to see that them backfire and end in failure.

If you feel like you are in that place today, I want to encourage you! I know what it is like to want to lose weight and not understand why, (despite the best of efforts), you feel defeated and frustrated! On the flip side, I now know (and have for many years) that living a healthy lifestyle can and should allow you to enjoy the foods you eat on a daily basis and never feel deprived! That my friends is why I have created Dashing Dish!

On that note, I do understand that not everyone loves to cook, or has the time for that matter. Which is why I design my recipes to be incredibly simple, and only require a few basic ingredients to prepare. I also work hard to provided content and tips that inspires and educates. In addition to the practical tips and satisfying clean eating recipes, we have also worked hard as a team to create tools and resources that simplify living a healthy lifestyle!

I also understand that not all weight related issues stem from a lack of knowledge, or the inability to cook… which is why we provide the ministry resources that we do. I know from personal experience that in order to properly care for our bodies, we have to get God involved, because He is the one who created them! God is also the only one who can get to the root the problems that produce disordered eating and mindsets, and He is the only one that is able to heal us from the inside out.

My ultimate goal in sharing this information with you today is to share that there is a better way. It comes with finding a way of eating and caring for your body that works for you long term. I love nothing more than when someone makes the choice to invest in their health and educate themselves for a life change!

Here at Dashing Dish, we hope that sharing one tip, one truth, and one resource at a time will eventually provide a greater sense of knowledge to all who visit. We desire to empower you with the resources you need to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle that is enjoyable and maintainable long term!

For our the sake of our health, minds, and bodies...Let's join together and decide once and for all to make war with diets and make peace with food! xo Katie