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Eating Pasta for Food & Body Image Week by The Kitchen Witch
This picture isn’t really remarkable in itself…except it sort of is. That’s me, eating pasta. For many years, I avoided pasta. I’ll go so far to say that I broke up with pasta. Finito. Gone. Off the menu.
There were other foods I broke up with during that time: red meat, french fries, cake. But none of them were as sorely missed as pasta. I love pasta in all its forms–baked, red-sauced, laced with butter and Parmesan. But for years I denied myself the pleasure of eating it. Pasta was the sacrificial lamb to my altar of bodily perfection.
Then a funny thing happened. I got pregnant. I also got horribly, horribly sick. Foods I’d consumed religiously, like salads and fish and fresh fruit turned my stomach. I was panicked. If I couldn’t keep anything down, how could this baby–a baby I desperately wanted–grow?
Pasta came to my rescue. Tossed with butter and a dusting of salty cheese, pasta fed two growing bodies, and fed us well. As my body grew, so did my respect for what it could accomplish. My body–so long my nemesis, the hated thing, the object of my scrutiny and my scorn–suddenly proved itself amazing and powerful.
After the birth of my first daughter, I decided to keep pasta in my life. And while I’m still aware of its imperfections and its quirks, my view of my body has softened. I’m a little more generous with it now, more tolerant. My body is not my enemy. My body gave me my daughters, my greatest gifts–for that, it deserves my compassion.
So pasta, my body and I call truce. My life is richer with you in it.
You can find my favorite pasta recipe here.
Dana is a former teacher, writer and personal chef. You can find her blogging over at The Kitchen Witch. And you should. (okay alex wrote that last part)
Author: Alex @LateEnough
Alex Iwashyna blogs at LateEnough.com mostly about life, parenting, marriage, politics, culture, religion and her inability to wake up in the morning and not hate everyone. Expect blog appearances by aliens, alienation, fire and rude Southern people who offend her Yankee sensibilities. Find her on her blog, Facebook or the Twitter.37 Comments to “Eating Pasta for Food & Body Image Week by The Kitchen Witch”
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Love that picture. I think I started to make peace with myself and food when I was pregnant for the first time too. Still working on it…but much better than way back then!
What a cute picture! It is truly amazing to see what a body does while pregnant. I’m still shocked that mine can stretch this much without bursting. Pasta has definitely been my friend this week when the morning sickness came roaring back with a vengeance and brought heartburn along just for fun.
Love the picture! Unfortunately, pasta and I are still broken up. It does a number on my backside and my front side and every side in between. But, I still long for thee…
Cute photo….I am not a pasta freak cause I’d put all sorts of bad stuff on it!
Love the pic, love the post, love you!!!
Kitch, I think you know my attitude about pasta…especially when it comes bathed in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Since I can’t go cold turkey, I limit my pasta encounters. Otherwise I’d be as big as a house.
Oh my. We’re not gonna talk about how we aren’t friends with our bodies are we? I can’t tell you how mean I was to mine. I’m 5 foot 2 on a tall day. I weighed in at 82 pounds the year of carrots and Tab cola. Man I love Tab cola. Except I don’t. Ya know how it goes.
I threw out my scale long ago.
I try to taste everything I eat.
I love visiting you because there’s always a story and food seems so friendly.
Thanks, Kitch! I love pasta…going to check out your fave recipe!
You make pasta look hot.
Kitch, I agree with subWOW – I’ve never seen a sexier picture of pasta consumption.
Like you, I’ve struggled with this body thing but my pregnancy changed everything. I am in so much awe of what it can do (creating, sustaining, and giving birth to life) that I no longer “punish” my body with my own unrealistic expectations of what it should or should not do. And now that I’ve let go of my more stringent ideas, my body looks and feels better than ever, and I love it – Imperfections, softness and all!
That is like the best picture of pasta ever. Love it. And you.
Pasta is yummy. I’m glad you reunited.
Amen to that, sister! As a fellow former body-hater, and a fellow pasta lover I say Hooray to this profession. I’ve learned to limit my portions of pasta over time because I love it all the more when I don’t hate myself for it afterwards. Can’t wait to check out your favorite pasta recipe. Lately I’m on a Cacio e Pepe kick.
I give pasta up for no one or no thing!
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Oh Pasta. How Iove theeeee. So glad you made the peace Kitch – and what we would do as MOM’s without pasta? My kids pretty much only get the whole grain stuff but we eat it a lot! Yum. Yum. YUM!!!
MILF
Love the picture. I like pasta and am off to check out your recipe.
That’s talent. Eating pasta/posing with pasta/taking picture of self eating and posing with pasta.
Ok, the picture is adorable…
I went through a not-liking pasta phase, and realized recently that I just don’t like intense red sauces very much.
Which opened the world back up.
There are a zillion things you can do with pasta that aren’t red sauce.
I love the Kitch Witch. She is one of my favorites. Great post, great picture!
Thanks for having me, Alex and friends! It was an honor.
I’m so glad that you and Pasta made up. You guys *totally* look perfect together.
Don’t resist the pasta, as it is futile. But moderation in all things is a good thing too.
Ahhh, Kitch. You know my general relationship with carbs. And body. This was a timely reminder of how making peace with our forbidden foods can be a very good thing. It lets us make peace with ourselves.
THANK YOU for rocking that picture and supporting this project. your story is inspiring and i’m so grateful you are sharing it with us all.
Count me in as another who thinks the pic for this post is adorable – kinda like you! We had pasta for dinner this evening, as a matter of fact. It’s one of my 10 food groups I can’t seem to deny!
I can tell by the photo that you and pasta have a very intimate relationship. I’m so glad you got back together.
Oh Kitch – Woman after my own heart! For years I ate very little pasta, and I’ve had much “leaner” years when I have eaten it!
Love it love it love it. And a nice heart-healthy glass of red along with it.
(Great pic by the way.)
Great picture. Captures your relationship with pasta perfectly!
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Oh lady loo, how I adore you.
That picture makes me miss you even more.
As for breaking up with pasta, I don’t think I could ever do it. Ever. I’m a glutton. And my ass isn’t so happy. But oh well. Life is short. Real, real short.
Great post. I too, made a desperate attempt to break up with the food of the gods. I couldn’t stay away. Now, we get together for small, tiny portions. And my ass isn’t the size of a house.
I agree with everyone–that picture is simply adorbs.
I also really re-thought my body image while I was pregnant. Seeing what the female body is capable of in pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding gave me a new respect for this ol’ shell. I still struggle with that “compassion” piece in my current post (ok, post-post)-baby state.
Huh. Suddenly I could go for some penne.
Pasta is my best friend. Truly. I’m not brave enough to ever give it up. My thighs can attest to that. But I’m okay with it. In the interest of my mental well being.
Loving that shot of you my friend!
xo
I’d rather exercise more than give up pasta!
You look adorable, girlfriend.
Love that picture. This post surprised and amazed me. I guess we all go through weird times. I went 4 years eating “no added sugar” because I thought I was addicted to sugar. Maybe I am. I seem to have fallen off the wagon.