Have you ever noticed our culture’s obsession with losing weight?
TV commercials, magazine ads, billboards and more are constantly telling us that they have the answer to help you lose the weight finally. Sometimes, these ads seem way too good to be true…that means they usually are. Day after day, we are bombarded with the concept that being skinny, losing that last 10 lbs. or trimming our waistlines will make us happy, confident and more.
Sure, there are situations when weight loss is needed, I am not trying to say otherwise, but our culture’s obsession has also pushed those with perfectly healthy bodies to think that they could stand to lose that 5 pounds even when they are perfectly healthy.
Women especially are targeted by many health and wellness facilities that they can help them lose weight. Wear this, use this, try this, and you will lose the weight you have always been dreaming of. Heck, you don’t even have to exercise! Come on in and we will magically take the weight off for you! Again, I am not talking about those who are in dire need to lose weight to actually impact their well being. I am talking about her instead. She is the woman who tries to eat healthy and exercise. She enjoys a glass of wine or a piece of rich chocolate. She is the one that is impacted by these constant ads. While she is absolutely perfect, she begins to doubt that her body is enough. She starts to think her self worth may be more than who she is inside. And there she goes, she is sucked in.
Obviously, she does not need to lose any weight, but so much of what she sees and hears tells her that being thin is the key. So she strives to be thinner and thinner. She loses the joy in her life and then slowly blames it on the fact that she is not thin enough. If I just lose 5 more pounds, then I will be happy… But 5 more pounds brings none of that.
Why is it that so many around us aren’t pushing for things beyond just losing weight? Why does the focus of our exercise or what we are eating have to be constantly connected with losing weight? What if the push was for strength, confidence and just feeling good? What if the size of our bodies was taken out of the equation?
Since we are heading into the New Year Resolution season, I just wanted to bring this up so maybe you can be a bit more aware of this. When you turn on the TV or listen to the radio on January 1st, maybe you will think back and remind yourself that your health and wellness are so much more than losing ten pounds. Maybe you will not be so hard on yourself to lose the “holiday weight” we all seem to strive for in January. Perhaps, your focus will be to take care of yourself, and that such a thing does not have to be reliant on losing weight.
Your body has a place it naturally wants to be. If you live in moderation, your body will find that place. If you exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet, your body will again find that place. There’s no need to force it to be what it’s not or to live in a place that is in constant hate because you can’t push it beyond it’s natural form. Your body’s natural place is the one that will allow for that glass of wine or that rich dessert.
So don’t let your life be led by the concept of weight and the pursuit of losing it. Again and again and again, the answer to the weighted question is never going to be the fact that happiness lies in being thin.
It’s always a bit interesting where some of my favorite recipes come from. I am a very impulsive person. It gets me in trouble quite often, but it has also brought a lot of good in my life. This recipe in particular simply came from a picture. It was a photo of some holiday decor that included pears and pomegranates. That was all it took for this salad to become more than an idea. I instantly thought, okay, that’s what I need to make today.
And that’s how this Roasted Pear Salad with White Balsamic Dressing was born. This salad is so stinking easy to make. It would be a great addition as a side at your holiday parties this season. The key is the roasted pears. They add a warm coziness to the salad. The white balsamic vinegar offers a bit of a different flair than your typical balsamic dressing. To be honest, regular balsamic will work. I was out of it and so I went with the white. In the end I was quite pleased with the choice.
Make this into a dinner as well by adding some baked or grilled salmon or another protein you enjoy. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
For Salad
- 3 Bosc Pears almost ripe
- 12 oz. Spring Green Mix
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- 1 T pure maple syrup
- 1 T coconut oil melted
For Dressing
- 3 T white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp cracked pepper or more to taste
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut pears into thin, bite sized pieces.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss pears, coconut oil and maple until pears are evenly coated.
- Place pears on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until softened and slightly browned.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- In another small bowl, combine all ingredients for the dressing and whisk thoroughly.
- In a salad bowl, combine pecans, pomegranate arils and greens.
- Add the pears on top.
- Add dressing about 10 minutes before serving and toss to combine.
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