Too Extreme?

A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be.

Moderation in temper is always a virtue;

but moderation in principle is always a vice.

 Thomas Paine

Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.

Saint Augustine

Moderation.

I use to preach it all the time. Plenty of people do. I hear a lot about moderation ever since embarking on my weightloss journey.

               Treat yourself once in awhile.                                

                                                                   Don’t go all or nothing.                          

                                                                                                                     Do a little at a time. 

I do agree with a little at a time. Changing your life by changing EVERYTHING at once is overwhelming, and not lasting.

However I’ve began thinking a lot about moderation lately. I’ve started to change my mindset about a lot of things, not just in the realm of food and weight but in everything. And some of those changes has me left wondering,  Is it too extreme? Should I be more flexible? Less rigid and opinionated?

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m okay with NOT going the route of moderation in some things.  As I am going to undoubtedly being posting more and more things both here and on Facebook  that might have people wondering who I am and whether I should be so far on one side or the other of things, I decided to put this disclaimer up with a little bit of explanation.

First, the reason I have posted and will post in the future, is to generate discussion, to make you think, and to get us all being more mindful. Today I posted an article about McDonalds changing their happy meals. This is what I hope that article does, I hope that it makes parents think about what they’re feeding their children. I hope it makes people weigh their options. I hope it makes someone be mindful about their choices. I am not trying to push my own opinion on someone else. I believe there’s too many people pushing ideas on others, and that is what I’d like to fight AGAINST.  My opinion is that nothing McDonalds serves is of any value to anybody. There’s nothing on their menu that is at all healthy. Buying McDonalds is spending money to load your body with unnatural chemicals. Some of that belief is fact (what’s in the food), some of it is opinion (it shouldn’t be consumed by anyone). I just want to pass on education to people. I want us to open our eyes to things and not just accept what we’re given, not just in the realm of food, but in everything.

Second, my choices are not about fads. I’m not going to become a vegetarian because it’s the thing to do right now. I’m going to become a vegetarian because I don’t believe that any of us need meat, I don’t like how the majority of the animals are treated, I don’t want to be consuming all the hormones that most animals are injected with, and because I have noticed in my own body I feel better when I don’t eat meat. For some, being mindful about meat means only buying local, from farmers who haven’t injected their animals with growth hormones and have treated their animals ethically. I fully support that decision. I’m not asking everyone to be a vegetarian. I AM asking everyone to be mindful.

Finally, I welcome people to comment, to discuss things, to disagree with me. What I won’t welcome is rudeness and hostility towards others’ opinions. (I’ve not had that here yet, I’m just putting the warning out there) Comment, Message me, write your own post to disagree with what I said (and send your readers to my page, I welcome the traffic 😉 )

So, what are the things I’ve come to view in an “extreme” way?

*There will be a day when I don’t ever eat meat again, consume soda, high fructose corn syrup, ingredients that aren’t natural, processed foods of any kind, etc. They will not exist in my diet. Clean eating all the way.

*I have no interest in traditional, conventional medicine. I am searching for a naturopathic doctor, and would like to go that route and educate myself more about non-traditional forms of medicine and treatments. This also means the desire to, in the future, have a natural pregnancy, natural birth, hire a midwife, and have a VBAC, most likely at home.

*And once I have those children, I will either selectively, (or potentially, probably , not at all) immunize. I am completely and totally for exclusive breastfeeding, babywearing, and my children will most likely never go to public school.  And hopefully never eat mcdonalds.

                                                   And never date a republican.

                                                                                                  One can dream.  😉

I think there are some things in which an extreme mindset is bad. I think there are some things in which a mindset of moderation is not ideal.

I think it’s about balance. Ultimately is really is about being mindful, having the facts and making a decision. Not a decision based on emotion or gut-reaction, but upon careful consideration of what your decision means for you and for your family.

Participate in your life, in all of it. Don’t just sit and let it happen to you.  Don’t let anyone else control your life. You’re in charge.