Yes, diet is a four-letter word - we tend to view dieting as a temporary state, akin to taking antibiotics for an infection, and frankly that is why the dieting mindset does not work for the long haul. And believe me, life is a long haul!
If we look at the changes in our eating and drinking habits that would be beneficial to our overall physical health as true lifestyle changes or even a bettering of ourselves - such as we do when pursuing higher education of any type - those changes are more likely to stick and become the good habits that replace the bad habits in the long-term. And the long-term is what we are shooting for here, not the short-term quick fix. Our bodies are going to last us 70-90 years or more, so we owe it to ourselves to take the best care of them that we can. And - as long as we draw breath, it is never too late to make these changes and live a better life.
Just like what we choose to read, listen to, or watch can elevate us or drag us down, so too can our eating and drinking habits.
Here are some rules of thumb I've learned over the years:
The more colorful the fruits and vegetables are, the better they are for you.
Darker lettuce is better for you than lighter lettuce (romaine versus iceberg for example).
Fresh and in season is better than canned or frozen.
Natural is better than processed or artificial (cane or beet sugar is better than high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners)
If you eat meat, a serving is about the size of the palm of your hand.
Home-made or home cooked is better than store-bought or processed.
The gist here is as close to natural as possible and portion control. Both help reduce the toxins we ingest. Also, drinking plenty of water over the course of the day helps the body flush out toxins and keep our digestive tract, well, on track.
Eating right doesn't mean giving up on sweets or treats either - again, as close to natural as possible and portion control.
One of the things I've done in the last year to help ensure I eat healthier is to subscribe to a service called Farm Fresh to You. They deliver in-season fruits and vegetables and organic eggs to my doorstep every other week. They do have weekly service as well, and you can tailor the list of items so you don't get food you know you won't eat. And, they provide recipes for what they deliver in the box, so you're not left wondering what to do with, say, bok choy, when you get it.
I also visit the farmer's market a few blocks down from my day job when it is in sessions (Wednesdays from May to October) to augment what I get in my deliveries and to get out of the office on a weekly basis for a nice stroll!
I know a lot of us say we don't have time to cook, however, I bet if we looked at the amount of time we spend eating out or engaged with either the TV or the computer we could find plenty of time to cook a delicious, nutritious meal at home. Even if you have an active life with school and sports and such, you can still prepare easy meals for yourself and your family with a little preplanning. For example, if you have leftover chicken, you can easily cook some rotini pasta and mix the chicken and pasta with cut up tomatoes, avocados, artichoke hearts, black olives, and other vegetables you like and a bit of dressing to make a quick meal of a salad.
The choice is ours - live a healthy lifestyle for the long-term, or go on the diet for the short-term over and over and over again.
Just like a well-maintained car will last much longer than a car that is only fixed when it breaks down, so too will our bodies stay healthier longer when we live a proper lifestyle instead of depending on diets for the quick fix to our self-induced weight problems.
And, eating right can help mitigate a host of other ills such as diabetes, allergies, insomnia and fatigue, just to name a few.
Remember the challenge I gave you last week of tracking what you eat and drink? Look at that list from last week and think about how you can change what you imbibe for the better long-term health of your body.
And, again, it took time to get where we are at, and it will take time to get where we need to be in this area of our lives - however, the long-term benefits are worth it!
Until next week, namaste!
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