Holiday blues!
Hey now,
With the Holiday season in full swing here are my thoughts on what's happening around you. Remember if you don't know what happened before you, you don't know what's happening around you.
"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."
- Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill was not just known for his years as a leader he also had a healthy appetite and a wonderful sense of humor. In most of his quotes, there is a tinge of truth mixed with a bit of that English dry sense of humor. For this reason, they hit you right between the eyes, yet retains a subtle gentleness that does not offend anyone. If you look at this in the context of a good diet, you see how it isn’t something with a beginning and an end. Being healthy is a lifestyle, not a stepping stone to a great figure. You need to see it this way so you don’t get depressed or disappointed with the ups and downs of a fluctuating weight problem.
Cher once famously said if:
“Fitness - If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.”
Cher - a woman made for the stage. She is a wonderful actress, a great singer, and a beautiful person. Her story inspires others because she knows how to look at herself and find humor. Of course, Cher, with her amazing figure will never need a magic potion, but she does admit that she works out to keep fit. But not only working out you have to put some effort into an effective eating strategy.
The verdict has been out for years - processed foods are not good for you. It’s another term for preserved food. One graphic example that’s often talked about is looking at a jar of fruit that has an expiration date indicated a year from now. Would you eat a fruit that’s been harvest over a year ago if it were not in a bottle? The only reason we have food products that can last long is that they have an ingredient like sulfur dioxide, also identified as E220. This substance has side effects that can trigger allergic reactions and respiratory issues like difficulty in breathing.
And yet, so many people still wonder why we are experiencing new diseases and medical conditions. Could it be that by eating processed foods, we are actually killing ourselves slowly? Charles Schwartz once famously said, "exercise is a dirty word, when I hear it I wash my mouth out with Chocolate."
The creator of Snoopy, the most lovable beagle in the world sure sounds like he never worked out in a gym. Maybe this explains why Snoopy’s such a laid back kind of dog. Exercise is only a dirty word if you refuse to have anything to do with it. However, just by walking or climbing stairs, you’re already exercising. Yawning is a form of stretching, and we do it willingly. The point here is that if you can find some form of exercise that will not appear to be work for you, you might actually stick with it. Charles Schultz died recently, and in spite of what he said, he did exercise. He worked and used his hands to draw, his mind to create, and his spirit to move us all.
Chocolate does taste good, and it is extremely hard to
resist. We can try to convince ourselves that we won’t gain a pound from
indulging ourselves with chocolate daily, but the truth is, chocolate has
sugar. If you work out daily, you may be able to get away with eating a lot of
sweets. Or, you could save the chocolates for special occasions, and then
really get to savor this delicate dessert.
To avoid using chocolate as an escape from your problem, and
then regretting your actions after, you should face the problem head-on. Why do
feel the urge to comfort yourself with food? Will it solve your problem? Often,
the answer is “no.” Practice some disciple, but avoid keeping it around the
house. Why tempt yourself if you know your resolve is still weak?
My final point is
Eating is a
necessity, yes, but we don’t have to rush through our meals. There is nothing
wrong with enjoying immensely good tasting food, as long as no excesses are
indulged.
Did you know you can avoid gaining weight by eating slower?
Chewing your food properly will also allow your body to digest the food better,
and lessens the risk of a bum stomach.
On the other hand, lingering at the table without removing
the food will increase the chances of gaining weight unnecessarily. It’s very
difficult to not reach out for another piece of Southern fried chicken or a
slice of decadent chocolate cake when it’s right in front of you. As soon as
everyone is done, why not move to another room for dessert and coffee?
Food is the ultimate trip for most adults except maybe a
quarter or half of these adults prefer to indulge too much. As a result, we
have a major obesity problem in the country today. And we are teaching our
young ones how to eat more than needed.
Being able to think, love or sleep well cannot be measured
by the food we eat. These things are better gauged by the company we keep and the people we love. There is a real weight in gold. Let’s enjoy food, but only to
feed our bodies, and not rely on it to give us the motivation to live. If we do,
then we defeat the very purpose of life. Spend time instead of doing things that
don’t involve always eating.
Either way, I hope your holiday season is safe and enjoyed by you and your loved ones and family.
Coach Clarence RTSm, CMTA, Pn1, CES
Coach Clarence Fitness and Nutrition
P.S. Make sure you grab my Healthy Holiday Eating Guide
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