The annual roaming fair kicked off here in Winnipeg this past Friday. Along with the great rides, the fair also came with the intoxicating smells, the dazzling sights, the familiar sounds, the crazy carnies and of course the food, oh the food. My recent efforts to live a healthier lifestyle were going to be put to a very major test. In years past I have not be good at resisting the allure of the carnival food and it's flashy ads and overwhelming scents. Once to the extreme of creating a serious and painful medical condition at the young age of 20. So this year I had my work cut out for me...or did I?
For the past 23 years I have worked/volunteered at the fair raising money for charity with the Knights of Columbus. The fair usually marks and unofficial start to summer fun in Winnipeg. I arrived opening night, Friday, to many familiar sights and sounds and I did my usual tour of the grounds before my shift started and I was surrounded by the regular carnival excitement. I began to look at the food I have come to love way too much (do we see the problem with that sentence, "love" food, not a good idea). But I had a much different process going on my head this year. I was taken by surprise. I was wondering what type of oil they used, were there trans fats, how much salt, and do they have as many calories as I think they do?
I was finding I wasn't overwhelmed by the tasty treats, I wasn't rationalizing why I need to try one of everything and I wasn't planning my week based on when I would eat what! I found myself a little uneasy with all the poor choices people have. I have worked hard to make lifestyle changes which included a major over haul of how I think about food. It appears to have actually made an impact on my approach to eating at the carnival or should I say NOT eating at the carnival. At a place where the temptation is high and many emotions are tied to the big exhibition. I was feeling a break through coming on!
Then I came across a sight to behold, I didn't think the wide variety of terrible food choices could get any worse. With very few choices to maintain a grip on healthy eating I stumble across this abomination. Deep fried Oreos!! I kid you not; they take an Oreo cookie dunk it in batter and then deep fry the little critter! Are you kidding me? The all mighty dollar strikes again. Screw the health of North America let's deep fry some cookies! UGH! The employees in their fake straw hats proudly displaying the Oreo logo. Since the logo is so widely known it draws your attention. Oh the humanity!
Further on down the way we find Pizza on a stick. Yup, some marketing guru thought they should take a calzone and jam a stick up it's (BLEEP) and serve it. Naturally this guru was right, people will eat anything if you stab it with a stick and/or deep fry it! Take the carnival staple; the Corn Dog. A heart stopping hot dog with a stick in it, battered and deep fried. Basically, with pizza on a stick you get yourself a whole pizza to eat and conveniently it can be carried around on a stick like a Popsicle. Wanna lick? Doesn't anyone understand that they are eating enough food for three people? Just wait, what was that...I think I heard some arteries crying out in pain. Society is making us fat is an understatement with the out of control serving sizes people are given to cram into their over stretched stomachs.
Last night (night 3 of the fair) I was on a break and out for a walk around the grounds, when I began feeling I was hungry. I tried to decide what I wanted to eat and discovered one good thing has come from my unwillingness to eat garbage for the sake of eating garbage and that is the extra walking I am getting in during the evening. As I was saying, I was looking for something to eat. I just could not find my way through the signs proclaiming the awesome goodness of "FRIED DOUGH" and "MONSTER DOGS". I decided popcorn was the only viable option; not great but manageable. As I came to my decision I found myself being amazed at the fact they advertise a sweet treat as fried dough, with no thoughts of calling it something fancy to entice more buyers. Nope! Straight up, here it is, fried dough people, COME AND GET IT!
Another amazing thing occurred to me...I have turned a corner. I was not consumed by the atmosphere of the Exhibition; my brain spoke to me with logic. The education of how the body manages food has empowered me to live within a sea of temptation and not give in to the emotion of the moment. My choices about food were being made with clarity and devoid of emotion unlike so many times in the past. I know what I have done in the past few month is something special, I believe it can work for anyone. However, I realize just because it worked for me it may not work exactly the same way for another, BUT I would like to think that my successes would inspire others to believe they too can do it.
Now I have worked on a list of things to change for the rest of the week during the fair. Bring my own food, walk the whole circuit twice each night I work and be proud of what I have accomplished thus far, knowing full well that more work is needed. We all need to continue growing, we have to be constantly looking for ways to improve on who we are. Sometimes baby steps are all we can manage, but baby steps will get you closer to your goals A LOT faster than waiting until all the planets are aligned to take action. Baby steps are forward motion whereas no steps are stagnation.
Take some time to review your action plan and be sure to ACT on the plan you have. I believe everyone who wants something can achieve with some work and determination. Get to work!
My Two Cents
Jamie
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