“Did you just eat a bag of Cheetos?”

That is what my nurse said as he swabbed my hand trying to clean my finger, ready to test my blood.  I looked down and realized for the first time,  “Wow, my hands really are orange…”

To give a bit of background: I only eat plants, and that has been my diet for almost two years.  I have never been healthier, my blood counts are the best they have ever been and I never get sick.  Before changing my diet I was sick for a week every month and in college I had high cholesterol.  I am a happy plant powered yogi and runner, but I am still working on creating the best on-the-go meals for a busy individual that only has a few minutes to eat at their job.

Flashback to a few weeks earlier:  My solution – eating carrots for every snack and meal!  I was sure to purchase organic, and they were more affordable than having other organic veggies.  Plus I could easily carry them, eat them, and they didn’t always have to be refrigerated.   I enjoyed the crunch, and I was so pleased with my savings on the grocery bill.  I proudly showed my husband the empty bag, declaring I ate over 5 lbs. of carrots in less than a week!

Now lets get back to talking with my nurse:  “I guess I shouldn’t eat over 5 lbs. of carrots every week.”  He looked at me with great concern, as if I told him I consumed over 5 lbs. of ding dongs, “Oh, I don’t think that is good for you.”

We were at a work event, a biometric screening for employees, and I was the person that organized the event.  While waiting for my numbers I became a bit frustrated.  What on earth is wrong with eating a bunch of carrots??  Seriously, it isn’t like they are bad for you!  It was then that I realized my issue – I was attached to my solution for a quick healthy meal, that even when my hands turned orange, I wasn’t able to see that maybe it was too much of a good thing.

A few minutes later the machine beeped and my results were given.  The nurse took a look and said, ‘Wow, maybe you should keep eating a ridiculous amount of carrots, your results are amazing…” We had an awkward chuckle as I sat on my hands.

How many times in our life do we do something that is really good for us to the point where it throws other parts of our life or body out of balance?  Sometimes even our best intentions can be too much.  Perhaps we always need to go to a powerful yoga class, missing the other essential parts of the breath and being aware of our body.  Maybe we are too caught up in being healthy, that we refuse to let go one night to enjoy a nice meal with family or friends. 

The opposite can be true as well.  We feel that if we are going to be fit, we need to be a size 2, and if not, why bother going to that yoga class, or eating healthy 80% of the time. 

I am not a perfect example of balance (and I will never be a size 2), but that isn’t the quest either.  Awareness and action to find a bit more of the middle, while still finding peace and health is.

I am holding off on eating carrots for every meal…maybe broccoli ever meal will do the trick instead, until I write my next blog post about beano. :)