Eating Well Without The Stress: A Foundational Guide

For me, eating is one of those things that makes life worth living. Maybe it's the primal instinct in me, or perhaps my sun ruling in Taurus, but I truthfully believe life should be as simple as eating, sleeping, and having out-of-this-world sex. I really think if people focused on these three things, we would be living in a completely different world.

As much as I want to talk about the beauty of sleep, and some of the steamy encounters I have found myself in, today's blog is all about food.

Where It All Started

If you can't tell by now, I love to eat.

Growing up in a Mexican household, food has always been a big part of my life. Our meals kept us connected to our roots, reminding us every day of the beauty of our culture. Between pan dulce (literally “sweet bread”) for breakfast, tacos for lunch (sometimes just cheese, or beans, or steak — honestly anything that fits in a tortilla), and mole for dinner (chicken in chocolate sauce… don’t judge it until you’ve tried it), Mexican cuisine has a very special place in my heart.

Lucky for me, or so I thought, I grew up always hearing about the “great metabolism” I had inherited from my dad — literally the only other person I know who can eat multiple pieces of sweet bread a day, everyday, and not gain any weight.

So of course, me being the gluttonous child that I was, I took full advantage. And I did. I ate, and I ate a lot.

Never gaining any weight, I didn’t see anything wrong with indulging in a bowl of ice cream with crumbled warm cookies, or the infamous bag of Cheetos (because I was definitely a Cheetos girl) drenched in lime juice and hot sauce. A lot of the time, I wasn’t even hungry — the food was just too good to resist.

The Wake-Up Call

And of course, like everything in life, it eventually caught up with me.

And no — it wasn’t weight gain. It was worse (at least to me): diabetes.

I was around 19 when I was told that if I didn’t incorporate more exercise and a healthier diet into my life, I would become diabetic. That was the moment I first truly understood the importance of food. And I know what you’re thinking — obviously food is important. But up until that point, I ate because I enjoyed it. I loved trying new flavors, new foods… it was never anything more than that.

It didn’t make sense to me. I was young, tall, and lean. Yes, my mom had been diagnosed a few years earlier, and it ran in my family (and let’s be honest, within the Mexican community as a whole), but I still couldn’t fully wrap my head around it.

But regardless, this marked the start of my nutritional journey.

Facing My Habits

The first thing I had to do was take a step back and really look at my relationship with food. Which, if I’m being honest, I had been taking advantage of. It didn’t happen overnight, but I started noticing patterns.

For example, I realized I would eat when I was anxious — and I was anxious a lot. Food was my comfort. When I didn’t know what to do with myself, I turned to what I knew and loved: eating.

Another pattern? I didn’t stop eating when I was full — I stopped when my plate was empty.

Part of that came from how I grew up. In a low-income household, we were always told not to waste food. But at the same time… there was no reason I needed to be serving myself those massive portions in the first place.

And as I’m writing this now, I can see how a little ridiculous (and honestly a little embarrassing) those habits were — but they were my reality. And it was time for change.

Rebuilding My Relationship With Food

Once you start noticing those patterns, you can actually work on doing something about them.

For me, that looked like finding other outlets for my anxiety — painting, thrifting, just doing something with my hands that wasn’t eating.

And don’t get me wrong, I didn’t completely abandon that beautiful relationship I had with food. I just made it a healthier one.

I started helping my mom more in the kitchen and going grocery shopping with her. I was determined not to make this journey feel restrictive or miserable. I loved food way too much for that.

Taking Control

When I moved out at 21, I knew things had to shift. I could no longer rely on my mom’s cooking and guidance — it was all on me now.

Instead of seeing that as pressure, I chose to see the opportunity in it. I could explore different cuisines, try new recipes, and cook exactly how I wanted. And with the pandemic in full swing, I had plenty of time to figure it out.

Now… was it perfect? Absolutely not. There was a time I almost burned down my kitchen trying to use an air fryer — don’t ask me how.

But eventually, I got the hang of it.

Building My Foundation

I would say the biggest thing that helped me was breaking everything down into smaller tasks.

I wasn’t building a completely new diet — I was taking what I already knew and improving it.

There were some things I knew I had to remove, like constantly having sweets around. And honestly, that became easier once I was the one grocery shopping. If I didn’t buy them, they simply weren’t there.

At the same time, I kept things I already knew worked. I knew veggie omelets were healthy, so I kept those. I knew how to make rice, so that became a staple while I learned how to incorporate different proteins.

At first, I was eating pretty repetitive meals — but that was okay. I was building consistency. I was practicing mindful eating and understanding how to create balanced meals with carbs, protein, and vegetables.

Once I had that down, it became so much easier to branch out.

Finding Joy Again

With consistency came confidence.

I started trying new recipes and exploring different cuisines again. And honestly, as much as TikTok has a chokehold on all of us, when used correctly, it can be incredibly helpful.

One search — “high protein dinners” — and suddenly you have thousands of ideas at your fingertips.

This is when I felt like I had truly found my way back to food. I was enjoying it again, trying new things, but this time in a way that actually supported my body.

Making It a Lifestyle

The last step is probably the most tedious, if I’m being honest — but also the most important. And that’s fully incorporating everything into your lifestyle. But also… this might be the easiest step.

Because at this point, you’ve already done the hard part. You’ve built awareness, created better habits, and learned how to nourish yourself.

However, life will life. There will be those days you don’t want to cook or deal with a messy kitchen — and that’s okay. That’s what DoorDash and UberEats are for. Don't even get me started on those much needed cheat days. Because you do need them, why else would we work so hard on our health if not to indulge here and there.

But the key is getting back on track the next day.

Because I truly believe there is no better alternative than nourishing your body with home cooked meals.

Evolving With Your Goals

Once you feel confident, you can start adjusting based on your goals.

Maybe you start going to the gym and need to increase your protein intake. Maybe you’re focusing on your skincare and start thinking about natural alternatives (something I personally swear by).

The truth is, what we eat affects everything — not just physically, but mentally too. And that’s something that took me way too long to learn. Like flowers, we need the right balance of nutrients to truly thrive.

A Gentle Reminder

Changing your diet isn’t easy, and it definitely doesn’t happen overnight.

But one thing is certain — for as long as you are alive, you have to eat. So no matter your relationship with food — whether you love it like I do, or struggle with it — you have the opportunity to improve it.

Take small steps. Be kind to yourself. Remind yourself why you started. And on those extra hard days, just remember: they will pass.

The goal is never to be perfect — just to keep progressing.