Boom boom, baby.
So. Here we are in a new year! I promised before life got flipped upside down that I'd take time to talk about health and wellness. Things are settling into a routine and at long last, I have time to talk about a much-maligned subject for me: food! After years of disordered eating, I realized the detriments my decisions were taking on my health. After undergrad, I decided to take time to learn about diets rich in whole foods. The more research I did on whole food and organic living, the more it made sense to me. Over the last few years, I've made some lifestyle changes to include more whole, organic foods in my diet. They finally opened a Trader Joe's closer to home, with a Whole Foods soon to follow. Me = happy grocery shopper!! But more on whole foods in a minute...
With the holidays past, all the hubbub in dietland is around a new year/new you philosophy. Standing in line at the grocery store this week, I think every single magazine boasted some article about fast weight loss solutions for this holiday season. These headlines reflect the attitude many Americans have about eating--all of the focus is on treatment vs. prevention. Treating the overeating instead of preventing it from happening. I could easily convert this to a theological discussion. There is the sin, the repentance, and in some denominations, penance. In holiday eating, there is overindulgence (dang those cookies), regret (DANG those cookies), and penance (DANG THOSE COOKIES!!)--for most people, the penance is a New Year's Resolution and accompanying gym membership that is used for one week, maybe two, before the winter blues. This cycle is repeated periodically with minimal results for most. In our fast-paced society, who has time to implement an actual lifestyle change when magazines promise quick and easy weight loss (diet plans always feature slim, smiling women in bathing suits without one ounce of sweat on their flesh.) Sadly, this cycle will continue until the choice is made to change the lifestyle and really dedicate oneself to a new year resulting in a new you.
It isn't easy, but to borrow an old adage, what worth having is? Having struggled to overcome an eating disorder, I know from experience that instituting a lifestyle change isn't easy. Some things that helped were a shift in focus and the support of those around me. I had to develop a more holistic view of caring for mind, body and soul; that included a focus on whole food nutrition. When I was in college, my mom got involved with a product called JuicePlus+. It is whole food based nutrition and while not a substitute for fruits and vegetables, it is a great complement to your diet. With some personal research I did on the product, I stumbled into a new world based on balance and organic living. I came to understand that our bodies crave things, and in a society of instant gratification, craving are typically satisfied with the easiest option. Fast-food, anyone? And while McDonald's most definitely qualifies, think of other on-the-go solutions out there. A lot of these quick and easy foods aren't going to be the best way to get your body what it needs.
Make sense so far? Bored out of your mind yet? Next time, I'll talk about some of the things I've learned about live enzymes, recommended servings of fruits and veggies, juicing, and other assorted topics. Also, hot yoga has finally come to Pittsburgh. Maybe I'll spend some time talking about that since I still can't run. And for those that are not health aficionados, I will try to intersperse some other random content. For instance, Adele. Great voice. Thoughtful lyrics. But...in "Someone Like You"...why does she want to find someone like the person that left her b/c he didn't want to get married...and then he goes and gets engaged to someone else? Or maybe I'm the only one bothered by that...
With the holidays past, all the hubbub in dietland is around a new year/new you philosophy. Standing in line at the grocery store this week, I think every single magazine boasted some article about fast weight loss solutions for this holiday season. These headlines reflect the attitude many Americans have about eating--all of the focus is on treatment vs. prevention. Treating the overeating instead of preventing it from happening. I could easily convert this to a theological discussion. There is the sin, the repentance, and in some denominations, penance. In holiday eating, there is overindulgence (dang those cookies), regret (DANG those cookies), and penance (DANG THOSE COOKIES!!)--for most people, the penance is a New Year's Resolution and accompanying gym membership that is used for one week, maybe two, before the winter blues. This cycle is repeated periodically with minimal results for most. In our fast-paced society, who has time to implement an actual lifestyle change when magazines promise quick and easy weight loss (diet plans always feature slim, smiling women in bathing suits without one ounce of sweat on their flesh.) Sadly, this cycle will continue until the choice is made to change the lifestyle and really dedicate oneself to a new year resulting in a new you.
It isn't easy, but to borrow an old adage, what worth having is? Having struggled to overcome an eating disorder, I know from experience that instituting a lifestyle change isn't easy. Some things that helped were a shift in focus and the support of those around me. I had to develop a more holistic view of caring for mind, body and soul; that included a focus on whole food nutrition. When I was in college, my mom got involved with a product called JuicePlus+. It is whole food based nutrition and while not a substitute for fruits and vegetables, it is a great complement to your diet. With some personal research I did on the product, I stumbled into a new world based on balance and organic living. I came to understand that our bodies crave things, and in a society of instant gratification, craving are typically satisfied with the easiest option. Fast-food, anyone? And while McDonald's most definitely qualifies, think of other on-the-go solutions out there. A lot of these quick and easy foods aren't going to be the best way to get your body what it needs.
Make sense so far? Bored out of your mind yet? Next time, I'll talk about some of the things I've learned about live enzymes, recommended servings of fruits and veggies, juicing, and other assorted topics. Also, hot yoga has finally come to Pittsburgh. Maybe I'll spend some time talking about that since I still can't run. And for those that are not health aficionados, I will try to intersperse some other random content. For instance, Adele. Great voice. Thoughtful lyrics. But...in "Someone Like You"...why does she want to find someone like the person that left her b/c he didn't want to get married...and then he goes and gets engaged to someone else? Or maybe I'm the only one bothered by that...
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