EAT food. But, not too much. Make it plant-based. Add supplements for healthy living.
I’ll try to keep this rant brief (maybe 10,000 words or less:) but, these days it’s darn hard to be “short and sweet” about the complex act of eating, right?
I had a call from a friend/client the other day and listened as she listed every single thing she was having trouble getting in during the course of a day. We didn’t EVEN get to kiddos, hubs, fur babies and the rest of a normal day!
It went like this …
“If I eat a little meat it won’t kill you, but it’s better if you use it as a side dish rather than a main. And, I’m better off if I eat fresh foods instead of those in packaging. Okay, but remember when we could eat food and feel pretty good about it. Maybe even enjoy it? Well, nowadays we have “incredible edibles” in the market. These are exciting, super-charged creations that come in creative packages which post warnings about all of the chemicals you are about to ingest. Should we avoid foods that claim to be healthy? Is that a “thing” today? Because a health claim on food is probably a good hint that it’s not really food….”
Just as you feel you’ve got the latest study memorized and put into action – in creeps confusion and stress because that new study done by someone somewhere is contradicting everything you once thought “sound and reasonable”.
How did a joyful thing like eating food become SO.DARNED.HARD.
It was impossible to simply say “hold on, it doesn’t have to be this hard.” It DID sound overwhelming..even to someone who has a pretty healthy amount of education in Nutrition and Physiology.
So, here’s my take and what I’m telling my clients.
Be reasonable.
Enjoy your food. Don’t enjoy 20lbs of pasta but, a serving is not going to make you fat and unfit.
Learn about the zillion different names for sugar. Try to cut down slowly. No overnight heroics needed!
Move during the day/evening. Not 3 hours in the gym or 2 sessions of 45 minute cardio. Just walk…smell the roses.
Get your lab work done. Science rules – see whats really happening. Learn your “numbers” and speak freely when meeting with your physician. They work FOR YOU. Don’t forget it.
Spend time laughing. Amazingly healing.
Read a book.
Learn how to make small tweaks to your favorite foods. One little trick I use is to substitute NUT PODS for cream or milk when I cook. It makes a huge difference in fat/sugar content BUT, not in the taste.
It doesn’t have to be hard. Be creative. Enjoy.
PS. Some great reads if you’re interested in learning more. CLICK ON BOOKS FOR LINK.
His writing is fun to read and very fact-based. Let me know what you think.