It's a beautiful but brisk day here in Connecticut. Make it a good one wherever you are. I am hitting the gym here in about an hour and then going to the christening of my friend's baby later. And then my boys come home at 5:30. I am so excited. I can't wait to see them! :) And then later later is The Walking Dead which I am a HUGE fan of!
I read a quote by Albert Einstein that has me pondering a little bit this morning. He says " Information is not knowledge, the only source of knowledge is experience".
I have often said that educating yourself and understanding how the body works is a huge tool to lead to success in being healthy. So I do feel as though information does help you to be more knowledgeable. However, it was in my experiences and failures that I was truly able to understand why I was finally able to succeed when it happened. And there are some that aren't ready or simply don't want to acknowledge that being healthy lies in eating better, healthier and exercise. Yes there is more involved with that but at the end of the day, that's the key. Not the pills or other gimmicks that people hope will help it happen faster. As in any "get it quick" scheme, that's just not reasonable. So to those people not ready, they may need the failures and the experience that comes with these schemes to get to the point they are ready to hear the truth.
What does it mean to be healthy? There are so many different ideas out there of what healthy *is*. To some it means a dress size, to others it means ripped muscles and a six-pack, and others want that toned yoga body. Then the vegetarians and vegans are doing what they consider to be healthy for them. To some they just want to feel better and have more energy. And all the diets out there gearing towards a multitude of people who need different things to find success. Some say eat breakfast while others say don't eat breakfast and focus on intermittent fasting as our "ancestors" did. Some say "no carbs" and others say "good carbs". Some say no red meat and others say lean red meat is OK. Then you have the fish pushers but be sure not to eat too much mercury! Ay! Carumba!!!
What this tells me is exactly what I have said before. That we are all different and like our fingerprints our bodies are unique to us and we each need to put in the time and effort to discover what is going to work for our individual bodies based on who we are, genetics, lifestyles, how we think and how we live. I don't think there is necessarily a perfect, right way for everyone. The approach I want to take as a health coach is to work with each person and truly get to understand them. Get to know their schedule, personalities, how they live and then design a program based on that information. And what I plan for one person may be completely different than the next. There will be some basic, key fundamentals of nutrition based on facts I incorporate but the how and when and what will vary from person to person.
Some say to ditch the diet mentality. That it isn't healthy. And I agree to a certain extent because diet sounds temporary and to live a healthier lifestyle it has to be a permanent change. But that change is all about balance not deprivation or suffering and that is what people need to discover within themselves. The balance their bodies need and the confidence and faith in themselves to balance it out. To eat that piece of cake at a birthday party and then balance it with exercise or a lighter dinner. But if doing a diet such as Weight Watchers or low glycemic or South Beach works for YOU and fits into your lifestyle and makes sense and makes a difference and it's something that you have success with and can keep up, then by all means do it.
The things I will stick with and insist upon are forget if you're a size 2 or 12. If you are fit and healthy and your cholesterol and blood pressure is good and you are happy and like the way you look and feel...then that works baby! Stop making society and fake magazine covers determine your self-worth. And eat fruit and veggies! EAT KALE!!! Raspberries, berries in general, apples, bell pepper, cucumbers, spinach. Eat them. Eat a lot of them. You are doing your body a whole lot of GOOD by doing so. Drink that green tea! Antioxidants baby!! Shop in the perimeter of the grocery store or farmers markets. Stay away from processed food as much as possible. And if I were going to promote a specific diet based on the ingredients and what I personally think is going to make a difference for people it would be the Mediterranean Diet.
I bid you a good day. Have a listen to this. It's Neil Diamond again. No hating!! I am sure some will tease me for my love of Neil but shame on you! lol! All of his songs are like telling a story. I feel like this when he's singing! :D
Here you go. I give you The Story of My Life. You're welcome!! :)
God Bless! xoxoxo
Tami
People who hate Neil are only pissed because they aren't awesome like Neil. Good work on this, I'm gonna need some of your coaching before my trip to New Orleans...diet hazard times 1 billion! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!! And I will help. Eat the beignets but then eat Kale. Problem solved. Aren't I good?? :)
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