I Counted Vitamins, Not Just Calories

I used to set timers for when to chop my vegetables. Thirty minutes before eating, max—any longer and the vitamin C would start degrading. I knew exactly which berries to freeze before they turned, which apples to refrigerate, when to harvest my container garden for peak nutrition. It started as wanting to be healthy. Get the most from every dollar, every nutrient. But somewhere between weighing my produce and timing my meal prep, healthy became another word for controlled. I'd stand in my kitchen at 6:47 PM, knife hovering over bell peppers, calculating the optimal moment to slice them. The irony wasn't lost on me—I was so focused on preserving vitamins that I forgot food was supposed to nourish more than just my body. Even now, I catch myself checking the clock before I cut an orange. #ControlIsExhausting #FoodOptimization #NutritionalOCD #Health #Diet