Live Life Healthily/ The SoCal Adventures

Yep, the title says it all. Are you feeling doubtful that your efforts on working at your health are really actually working or even necessary to focus on? Feeling discouraged because you haven’t seen results? Or are you feeling that you’d rather eat what you want and settle for the consequences because life is too short to be bothered with health fads? Well you’ve come to the right place!!! (in my salesperson voice) ha!

For the discouraged and the doubtful:

At least know that from my experience, it is possible to transform into a healthier, more self-confident, fit, and happier person!

Don’t let time, or others’ opinions bring you down friend! The feeling of knowing that you are doing something good for yourself is indescribable and worth the journey. The journey really is more important than the final result. During the journey, use that time to accept yourself as the amazing and beautiful person that you are-inside and out, but most importantly on the inside. You are destined to do great things that nobody but you can accomplish. Don’t try to rush the journey, instead learn how to have self-control by being moderate with what you eat and how much activity you commit to. For instance, don’t deprive yourself of foods that satisfy you, and don’t over-exert yourself. Don’t be extreme! It’s gonna take time so don’t rush the process. Let the magnitude of your self-worth really sink in- don’t brush the idea that it is important to analyze how you feel about yourself off. Take the time to really think about why you want to be different. Is it superficial or do you really want to feel better about yourself- unconditionally? You can at least start with the fact in knowing that you are already unconditionally loved. By who? By me and by The Lord Almighty. (I’m serious! This love is soo serious).

Don’t give up, because you deserve the best FOR yourself, so that you can BE your best for the good of others.  

For the ones in denial who became settlers:

Man, I feel where you are coming from. Life does get busy, there are so many other things to focus on, life is short, health fads are fleeting, and never really work so gosh darn-it why even bother?!

 I have to admit, becoming conscious of the fact that our decisions on what we do, whether it be drinking ourselves to a stuper, gorging ourselves on foods that we know are menacing to our bodies, or going weeks or even days without ever getting our hearts to a beat above resting for more than just a minute or two is difficult- at first, especially if it is not on your mind.

Lets take what I call a reflection realization. I know a lot of ppl can’t stand/avoid getting all touchy-feely, but just ponder this! Are you in-denial about what you see when you look in the mirror? If there was a mirror right in front of you and you were to stare at yourself is there something that your eyes would automatically avoid? Are you unhappy with what you see? If so, it’s time to change that. You gotta love yourself no matter what, and when you say you love yourself, you gotta treat yourself with respect. You have to take care of what God gave you- regardless of what the results may look like on the outside. My only hope is that you feel pure joy and satisfaction simply from knowing that you have done your best to keep your body lively, exuberant, pure, strong, powerful, able, and unimpaired. Don’t settle if you know you can do better. Just remember that the transformations you will see are indescribably rewarding.

Now I know this is an extreme example, but how far are you gonna risk your life until a change happens. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with this particular woman, but Monique is a great example of a lifestyle turned good as a result of coming to terms with an unhealthy situation.

I’ve played the “this-is-all-I’ve-ever-known-and-grown-up-with card,” but there has to be a point where we say enough is enough. Monique, a person who I honestly never thought was going to say those three words, has said it. FitSugar.com says “In 2006, at 262 lbs, she was diagnosed with high blood pressure and doctors warned that she was on a fast track to a short life. In late 2007, Mo’Nique made the decision to lose the weight. A decision, she says, that has alienated some of her fans who looked to her as a symbol that being big is OK. She still thinks that being big is beautiful, but says that being healthy and alive is even better.”

So Monique has stepped off the “being big is always OK bandwagon.” And she lost some fans, most likely because they don’t want to come to terms with their denial. It’s a hard thing to do- to step out of the security blanket, but it’s so necessary. You cant hide under other people’s approval. You can’t let other people give you false security about a lifestyle that isnt good for you, just because you’re afraid, too busy, self-negligent, or overwhelmed. Take a risk and change it up!

Now, how about Precious film star Gabourey Sidibe?

Here is what her mother had to say, “The truth is Gabourey would like to lose some weight but the reality is that she would not have gotten the role of Precious if she had not been heavy,” Alice Tan Ridley told Radaronline.com. “As her mom I would like to see my daughter healthy but if she didn’t lose weight that’s not a problem either - it runs in our family.”And her response to Howard Stern’s comment about her being “the most enormous, fat black chick I’ve ever seen.” was “She’s a big woman, so what’s wrong with that?”

I have to say that Howard Stern’s comment was totally out of line and rude.

But I also have to say that, if anything, the fact that being large runs in your family should worry you more than if it didn’t.  Genetic pre-dispositions are many times the leading causes of chronic disease that can lead to serious complications and even death. I can understand that her large size made her a unique and ideal suitor for her role in the movie, but should it continue? How long can it continue before a harsh wake up call in the form of a diabetic seizure, sleep apnea, a heart attack, a stroke, cancer, depression, and premature death arises?

Is settling just an end result of discouragement and doubt and basically another form of being in denial? It may be so in this case.

I am all for embracing your true shape, but there’s got to be a balance. There has to be a boundary. Allow yourself tasty and satisfying foods, but know your limits. Don’t forget the wholesome foods- the ones that provide a variety of nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, and a good mixture of carbs, fats, and proteins.

Please don’t give in to fads that require foods that you cannot prepare yourself or find in a local grocery store or co-op or farmer’s market (i.e. shakes, pills, creams, miracle juices and powders, special delivery meals like nutrisystem you see on commercials), and don’t go on diets that don’t require work (exercise and self-control)- the results wont last if you have to constantly rely on a product to maintain your health. Look at most of the contestants from the biggest loser show- a lot of them gained their weight back. The mechanisms they used were too extreme to keep up for a lifetime.

And you know, I think that when we see how our decisions manifest themselves physically and outwardly our mental state of acceptance is more in tune with the reality of our situations in contrast to when we can’t see how our lifestyle habits affect our health. In other words being big could be a curse and a blessing at the same time, because, at least, we can see the harm-check out this article:

An example of denial on the other side of the spectrum…

Thin people can be fat on the inside

excerpt:

Without a clear warning signal — like a rounder middle — doctors worry that thin people may be lulled into falsely assuming that because they’re not overweight, they’re healthy.

“Just because someone is lean doesn’t make them immune to diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease,”

Internal fat around organs can increase diabetes and heart risks

AP

This MRI scan image provides a detailed look at where fat is stored internally in the human body. The image is of an average-sized man who is 6-foot-2, weighs 174 pounds and has a normal index of 21.7. Internal fat is shown as yellow, external fat is green and muscles are red.

LONDON - If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.

Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas — invisible to the naked eye — could be as dangerous as the more obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin.

“Being thin doesn’t automatically mean you’re not fat,” said Dr. Jimmy Bell, a professor of molecular imaging at Imperial College, London. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.

******NEW***** flash back from the past. A friend of mine so graciously posted this picture (i’m being sarcastic), and I couldn’t help but stare, and ponder “dang, that was really me.” The Lord has brought me so far; so I’m re-blogging this post as a reminder to myself and anyone else who reads to stay strong and know that anything is possible if you trust in Him, seek Him for your affirmation, and stay true to your inner beauty. Enjoy!

So here it goes…

I promised quite a few people that I would scrounge up some old pictures of myself, and as difficult as it is for me to show these, here they are! Lol, Enjoy (I’m sure you’ll get some great laughs in)!

This was back in middle school when I was so out of shape I thought I had asthma.I didnt…

1. I thought I was pretty cool with my  overalls and butterfly clips arranged in my hair (you have to stare kinda hard to see them).

Just another picture day…

And last but not least, 8th grade graduation… I look so depressed!

I may not look that big in this last picture, but in actuality, I was creeping very close to 200lbs. I always chose baggy clothes to hide my true shape.

Everyone around me told me it was just baby fat, but I’m pretty sure that those who lived with me and knew me better knew that I had a problem. A problem with food, a problem with being inactive, and a side effect of those problems was a deeper problem manifested in my self-esteem.

Growing up, in my childhood years, Saturday morning soccer games, and neighborhood street games after school with the kids from around the block were foreign to me. Instead, it was Saturday morning cartoons on the couch with a triple size mug of hot cocoa (3 packets), and a box of cheeze-its! After school, some homemade fried chicken, with sour cream mashed potatoes would do for a snack, and an hour or two after that “snack” when my mom came home, I would still ask her what was for dinner. 

After finishing a Chipotle-sized burrito, I would go looking in the fridge for something more to eat, while also trying to avoid the watchful eyes of my mom, who just shook her head at me because I think she knew that no matter what she said, I would still eat until I couldnt breathe. On another occasion, I remember telling my pediatrician at a physical that my favorite food was cheese, and that my favorite drink was orange soda (probably hugely influenced thanks to Kel!).

I had no idea that this was wrong. That was a huge problem—  I basically lived like this for 14 years of my life. I remember competing to see who ate the most pizza slices at dinner with my dad… my dad! My mom warned me, “you know, if you keep eating like this, you’re going to end up with diabetes, and in really big trouble with your health.”

I dont think that I really understood what bad health was until middle school, where they forced us to exercise (for the first time in my life) in this torturous class called… P.E. I dreaded that darn class. I was always the last kid to finish the lap, and I would cry because I thought I was having an asthma attack. My thighs burned, my lungs burned, my whole body burned! It was embarrassing.

In efforts to be like the other kids, I decided that I really liked basketball and would try out for the team. I experienced the same pains, and aches, and was even more convinced that I had asthma. You’d think that my eating habits would have improved after becoming an athlete, but I ate even worse than before I became a ”basketball player.” My excuse was, “well, I worked out so hard during practice, so I deserve it…” For a before practice “energy snack,” my ride home would stop at burger king, and I’d order some fries, a double wopper, and a chocolate cheesecake. Smh

As said earlier, for most of my life up until the end of my middle school years, i thought that living like that was completely normal and completely okay. But as the girls around me started shaving their legs, experimenting with make-up, and wearing tighter and shorter clothes I started to feel a little different about myself. I knew that I was different from them in the areas of fashion, never really popular, and I will even admit that I was socially awkward, but something that seemed to really bother me even more on the inside was the fact that I was subtly noticing that I was larger than the majority of these girls; not just larger though- I ate more, struggled to breathe when doing activities, and girls were afraid to play games like thumb war with me b/c of my large size and maybe out of fear that I would crush their fingers or something. I tried to convince myself that I had asthma and a slow metabolism, but I could only go so long in life lying to myself. (literally!)

I got by in middle school by playing basketball because I was big and could push the other girls around, and I also got by with a little kindness towards others and some smarts and hoped that those would be enough to make sure that no one had any excuse or desire to tease and make fun of my size/weight.

When high school came along, they had this overrated and scandalous social gathering called the homecoming dance. Lol. I went shopping for dresses with a couple of girlfriends, and I remember not being able to find anything that fit me and looked nice and pretty at the same time. It was a harsh reality. I never really cared about clothes before and so it was a shock to my system. In middle school my daily wardrobe consisted of some gap, or old navy XXL sweatshirt, some jeans and a pair of sneakers. I was awkward looking!

One night, I remember having a traumatic experience with not being able to breathe properly because of all the weight on my chest. In order to ease my breathing, and fall asleep without worrying about sleep apnea occuring (stoppage of breathing while sleeping), I had to prop my pillows into a position that tilted my upper body up to about a forty-five degree angle. This was another scary reality—I had to do something about my health. You do not have to be morbidly obese to experience the same health issues that morbidly obese people face!

Those were some of the type of experiences that catalyzed my life transformation-

I guess middle school was the year where my weight issues really caught up with my life, but it wasnt until high school where I began to realize that I was in a bad predicament. You see, there was a trend. I look back at my wardrobe and pictures of myself in elementary school, and I wore dresses, and colorful clothes, and shirts that clung to my sides. But, as my weight increased, my clothing size double increased (an insecurity attempt to hide my true size), and the color/creativeness effort in/toward my clothing wardrobe decreased. I truly believe that to some extent the clothes that we wear is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves on the inside. And many times, our outfit choice could even be a subconscious decision— especially if we are used to feeling a certain way whether it be crummy or fabulous, you decide! Call it shallow or materialistic, but in this culture, clothing is in many cases an expression of personality.

I had to take a deep look at myself in the mirror. I did, and I did not like what I saw, and I didnt like the way I felt. I had extremely baggy clothes on, a look of sadness in my face, a slouched posture, and some food on my cheek. Lol, j/k about the food! But it was evident that the quality of my health and the state of my esteem was on the low end of the spectrum.

For me, my clothes, the feelings I got when looking in the mirror or even puting lotion on, and my performance in P.E. class was my wake up call, my red flag, that I needed to step it up. What is your red flag? Sometimes its not all that bright, especially if we are in denial about our health or if we look “fine” on the outside; our flags could be camouflaged into the background of our atmosphere. I was in denial for 14 years of my life. Well, part denial, and part ignorance, because I never considered my repercussions—I ate and lived blindly.

The transformation began when I realized that I really needed to love and care about myself as a person on the inside first in order to take that first step in treating myself better so that I could have healthy and lasting rewards.

So what did I do? I first thing in the morning dragged my butt out of bed and ran. I huffed and puffed my way around the block. My thighs chaffed, my lungs were on fire, I had tears in my eyes many times, I had pains in my knees, but I was motivated to save my life. I said no to the extra slice of pizza. I chose the apple instead of the apple pie. I drank water instead of high sugar drinks. It was progressive. I eased my way into it. I pushed myself to go further each time. It was hard. Very hard, but so rewarding. Not just physically rewarding, but emotionally and spiritually I felt happier that I was treating my body better and I was beginning to see my self-worth. I started seeing my potential as a person; I felt like if I could beat my health issues, I could do anything. I even ran a marathon!

Now everybody has a different shape, and size, and weight, and even response to food and exercise. Some people can eat more and workout less than others, and I know from experience that it is hard to not compare!

A lot of girls (and guys) resort to starvation and extreme diets to make themselves feel better about the way they look and who they are as a person. A lot of people try to work from the outside in. Starvation or cutting large amounts of calories from our diet is not the key! (Keep an eye open for a future blog on this topic with dependable scientific research to support why this is very harmful on the biochemistry of our bodies… coming soon!)

Some people will see results when they work from the outside in, but most of the time, the results and regimen wont stick, because they dont get the factor that involves feeling great on the inside first— How you feel has got to be unconditional—without regard to what you look like as long as you are being good to your body. Or if the results/regimen do stick, but the inside is insecure, it’s because the outward results have become an addictive security blanket— blankets cover up. Its almost like a catch-22. You’ve got to feel good about yourself by treating yourself right, but you’ve got to treat yourself right so that you can feel good about yourself— Basically, the two go hand in hand! Treat Right, Feal Good-Feel Good, Treat Right.

Everybody has a different road map, and I went through a lot of exploring my body to find the weight, and calorie intake, and exercise regimen that worked best for me! I want to motivate you to explore your body, health-wise! Its a rejuvenating, life-changing experience when you find that near perfect fit (because truthfully, we’ll never be perfect)! 

Its not about being supermodel-esque or for guys imagine that celebrity heart-throb that all the girls are swooning over. Its about being healthy. It’s about making sure you feel good about the person that you are on the inside. It’s about treating your body right.  

I’ve been on the too-skinny-for-me size! And you know how I knew that it was too thin and hence unhealthy for me personally?? … I was always, let me repeat, always… hungry! It was horrible! Food was constantly on my mind and I was always concerned about my next meal. 

I want to inspire people to find their happy medium, their near-perfect balance. Balance of self-worth, balance of peace, and balance of self-esteem. Once you achieve that balance and really feel good about yourself, you will start to effortlessly care about taking care of your health inwardly and outwardly! It will become second nature.

Find your strength, your passion!!!

My strength, motivation, and self-image came from a source that was not my own. I had to tap into something greater than myself. I knew that if it was up to me, my self-image would be extremely conditional. Conditioned on whether I had a good day, or whether someone looked at me funny, or conditioned on my accomplishments or lack thereof. Thanks to the Lord Almighty, He sees me the same every single day, every minute and in every situation of my life! He loves me unconditionally. Whether you agree with that or not, you should still know that there is great power in knowing that someone out there (or up there) knows that you are amazing! I already know that you are amazing!

I want whoever reads this to think and meditate on how you really feel about yourself. Do you love yourself? Do you treat your body like a temple? What are things that you do that act as a security blanket to cover up how you really feel about yourself?

You, your mind, your body, and your soul are emotionally, physically, and spiritually precious. Treat yourself well!!! You’ll see your life change if you do!

And that’s my story, My goal for this blog is to post fun, inspirational, and reliable/truthful tips and stories and articles to help those who care be the best that they can be as a person— from the inside out!

 Hopefully you’ll find yourself saying, “you know, I’m gonna head to the gym or go for a walk (fast-paced, lol) tomorrow after class/work/lunch, because I can feel that my body deserves some good-lovin in the form of a good workout!”

Now I’ve ran into another type of judgment from a certain type of persons. These persons have a preconceived, yet rightfully so, notion regarding how eating healthier many times means sacrificing pleasurable delight and taste when experiencing food. The reason why I say this preconceived notion is rightfully so is because I can’t blame them for feeling that way when the push for eating bland salads, rice cakes, cheese-less, fat-less, salt-less, sugar-less, calorie-less and hence tasteless and furthermore not-really-all-that-healthy types of food have been promoted as the way to be healthy. I myself have to admit that I fell into that impending and inevitable trap of dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction is dangerous; it can lead to food addictions, overeating, and binging.

Time to get deep…

Food addictions and binging are extremely depressing situations to go through. I have experienced the obsession and constant thoughts that revolve around the pressure to eat and not to eat as I experimented with all the fat-free, sugar-free, and tasteless foods in hopes of trying to find the proper way to become healthy and lose weight. The obsession can be an overwhelming oppression and it crept over my head like a gloomy rain cloud and followed me all throughout my day and rained on me when any word revolving around food was mentioned. I’ve also experienced the dangerous binging that results from depriving oneself from eating properly.There were late nights of consuming multiple bars of chocolate all in one sitting and in private as a result of not properly nourishing my body and cravings during the day.  This obsession with food can control your life if you’re not careful; it starts affecting your actions and interactions at social gatherings, and can cause fear and prevent you from wanting to eat with those most close to you such as your family and friends. I used to dread dining out from fear that I would instantly and permanently gain the weight equivalence of my “not-up-to-my-fat/carbohydrate/calorie-standards meal”- which would technically be somewhat true; however, our bodies are great machines and while maintaining an active lifestyle, that meal would eventually be burned off.

Many times these issues start with an inward insecurity that gets manifested through outward actions that are life-controlling.I’ll say it again, improving outer self-image works best when the inner self-image is strong first. My fear was of gaining weight and regressing back to my old overweight self and being subject to rejection and judgment. I had to learn to know my limits, stay active, stay confident in who I was, and make sure that I focused on being healthy and not so much on being skinny. I lived with this fear for a few years, and assuming you’ve read my life story entry, I want to reiterate that I never was truly healthy until I learned to love myself the way that God loves me; which is unconditionally! No matter what the circumstance or situation. As I’ve matured, I’ve decided that I really don’t feel like living on an emotional roller coaster called self-insecurity. I strongly believe that one will never be truly satisfied or content in life as long as they live in fear based on materialistic intentions.

So getting to the point…

I had the enjoyable experience of putting a couple of my guy friends on a “lifestyle transformation” for the past few months. Yes, guys too can become concerned and even obsessed with what they eat and how they look. I’m not saying these guys were, but it was nice to see that they were not afraid to speak out about how they cared about their diet and lifestyle. They wanted me to tell them what to eat and basically to completely revamp their diet. And while I would love to enforce my crazy eating style on them, I knew it would not last if I did so. Yeah I tried telling them to eat this, don’t eat that, but what it comes down to is the individual. Everyone experiences food differently; this means that everyone enjoys different tastes, and everyone’s body has different responses to certain foods. One can only last so long when dieting- there’s got to be a progressive lifestyle change. In order to successfully maintain a healthy status you’ve got to find foods that coincide with what satisfies you personally.

I’ve thankfully reached the point where I don’t crave certain foods anymore, so when I “treat” myself it’s not with something like cake, or a piece of candy,  but instead it may mean adding a few more dark chocolate chips to my frozen yogurt. In order to transform your lifestyle, it’s all about finding alternatives not so much about making reductions. Instead of consuming 100% pure ground beef, try preparing lean ground turkey; it’ll still taste good! Or choose a wheat bun over a white bun and say no to the mayo and cream cheese sloppings- ask for a little bit instead. You can still find your favorite flavors and meals in healthier versions. As you become accustomed to these alternatives, your body’s craving style will change. It’s a process. It’s really hard to jump into a “diet” that someone else has deemed as delicious but is initially tasteless to you. I also admit that it can be hard to find healthy choices when dining out. So, how is this solved? You can’t change the restaurant menu, but you can ask for substitutions, eat a smaller amount before or after the meal where you will be dining out, maybe add a few more minutes to your daily workout, and ENJOY your time out; don’t go overboard, but have a good time- without the fear and without the oppression. Don’t overcompensate the next day if and when you feel guilty, just try to stay consistent. If you’ve been maintaining a healthy lifestyle, your body will adjust to just one meal that is a little off from your normal routine. However, if you haven’t been keeping up a healthy lifestyle, I recommend running at least 10 miles the next day after a bad meal…

I’m kidding! Take it easy. Don’t be so hard on yourself. That extreme way of thinking was the way I used to rationalize, even on an already limited food intake! It’s not healthy.

You also don’t have to go broke and empty out your savings account trying to find healthier foods. The guys I worked with say that they had a hard time and became discouraged with keeping up with the cost of groceries in order to eat healthier. Yes, some fresh items may cost more than processed items, but many times fresh produce and poultry will cost less for a larger quantity than frozen preserved items ex: fresh chicken breast versus frozen hot wings or pizza. In the grand scheme of it all, I always say, “you either pay for good food now or pay later for medication as a consequence of eating the foods that weren’t so good for you.” In some cases, a money sacrifice here and there and there may be needed, but it’s for your well-being! On the bright side though, alternatives many times can be cheap, simple, and easy to find if you know what you’re looking for. Get creative, not discouraged!

Now as the weather starts to get warmer, and people start becoming more concerned about their shape, figure, and image, I encourage you all to choose foods that are natural, have a short ingredient list of items that don’t sound so much like chemical compounds, but instead items that came naturally from the earth. Dieting is extremely temporary and your body will eventually catch on as you get older and start to counteract the dieting phases which will then essentially lead to very discouraging body weight battles. It’s okay to have some healthy fats such as avocados, fish oil, and a little olive oil to your dishes. It’s okay to sprinkle, not shower, some cheese on your pasta dish for flavor. And it’s okay to have a small slice of cake at that special event. If you’re craving it, have a little bit of it. Letting a food craving go unsatisfied is very harmful. It’s all about knowing your limits. Stop eating when you know you’ve had enough. You will know when it is time to put the fork/spoon/knife/bag down. Our bodies have the God-given ability to tell (with the exception of very few of those who have medical disorders that prevent their ability to detect fullness) when they have had enough. It’s good to slow down and let our bodies have the chance to read what’s going on when we eat. What I’ve noticed is that over time, your mind and body will start to reject foods that don’t line up with your goal of being healthy. The temptation will fade away if you are persistent with fueling your body with the premium stuff! Treat your body right. Experiencing food is meant to be pleasurable and exciting.

Don’t let the pursuit of “happiness” through achieving a certain body weight, shape, and figure control your life by obsessively controlling your food intake. We as humans are meant to feel pleasure when we eat. Robbing our bodies of that pleasurable experience can lead to harmful and compulsive behavior.

Love yourself unconditionally first, and Treat your body (and taste buds) well!

List of Simple Alternatives for when at Home or Dining Out:

use applesauce or any other fruit puree instead of butter/oil in your home-baked goods

low-fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream

100% whole grain pasta (or bread/flour/cereal/) instead of white refined pasta (or bread/flour/cereal)

brown rice instead of white rice

tomato sauce instead of alfredo or any other cream based sauce

lean ground turkey instead of ground beef

skinless chicken breast instead of chicken breast with skin

low-fat milk/soy milk/almond milk/rice milk instead of whole milk (cow’s)

self-serve frozen yogurt shop instead of the ice cream parlor

if you’re into making/blending your own protein shakes or smoothies try sneaking in some superfood greens like dinosaur kale or red kale.. promise you won’t taste them!

sandwich shop instead of traditional burger shop

clif/odwalla bar instead of candy bar

100% fruit juice instead of anything less than 100% juice or soda

low-fat milk instead of soda

hummus with your veggies instead of ranch dressing with your veggies

you can also try ordering your salads without dressing (have you looked at that ingredient list on the nutrition label?… Can somebody say unnatural!)

baked potato or any other type of chips instead of fried chips- this can apply to making homemade french fries as well

organic ketchup/maple syrup/or any produce whose skin you eat instead of the regular product

fruit and yogurt parfait instead of milk shakes (or even products similar to milkshakes such as the McDonald’s McFlurry or Dairy Queen’s Blizzard)

last but not least, olive oil is always a good choice alternative

“… the way we eat represents our most profound engagement with the natural world. Daily, our eating turns nature into culture, transforming the body of the world into our bodies and minds.”
— Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals)

Pollan even goes as far as saying that the correlation between poverty and obesity can be traced to agricultural policies and subsidies.

So, how we eat and carry ourselves health-wise affects the world? Hmm…Food For Thought

So…I ran into a few people who were getting on me about being so much of a passionate advocate of good health and nutrition! Mmhmm, yes I did. They would say things like, “Oh, I don’t wanna live for ‘hecka’ long anyways, that would be depressing,” or “Imma just enjoy my life for what its worth-without the worry.” And you know, for a minute they almost had me convinced that I was obsessed and “missing out on life,” but after recollecting myself some deep thoughts came to mind: Staying healthy so that we can be alive for excessive amounts of time should not be the ultimate goal. Our focus shouldn’t be on prolonging life (although, this hopefully is somewhat part of the goal), but instead our focus should be on being healthy for as long as we live- whether it be 45 years old or 80 years old. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be chronically ill or in any kind of health-related pain even if you’re only 50 because you decided life was too short and ate whatever you wanted and didn’t feel it was necessary to treat your body to exercise, physical activities and meaningful rest. Every decision, every action, and every bite has a consequence/outcome. Now whether its a good one or a bad one is up to you! I know this may sound a little dramatic, but it’s true.

Its easy to say that life is too short, especially for those who have not had any life experiences that have made them question their outward, and maybe false pretense, of “good health,” because the outcomes have not been foreseen. People of ages young and old, large and thin, short and tall, black and white are dying to their leading killer- heart disease, which is indeed a health related illness.

Now as said earlier, every decision, action, and yes, even every bite has direct and indirect consequences that not only affect our own lives, but also affect the lives of others. That’s where Michael Pollan comes in…

So, lets take the focus off of ourselves for a second, and be a little selfless. Life is indeed short, but should you be blessed with prosperity and relative longevity, live healthily so that you can live the life God has given you-which is full of purpose- to the fullest. Purpose means we are meant to do something that is great and beyond ourselves; to change the world, by touching other people’s lives and contributing to making the world a better place. Just imagine how many lives, and not even how many, but how effectively, you can influence when we make sure that we are at our maximum energy capacity as a result of taking care of ourselves first. We can be so much more easy-going, approachable, full of life, and willing to take on tasks of all sorts when we treat our bodies well. We’ve got to have energy in order to be the salt and the light of the earth. We’ve also got to have energy to be genuine. Many people sometimes have the heart to make a difference in the world, but may find themselves overwhelmed with their lives, which are probably fast-paced which many times leads to unhealthy eating and exercise habits which then leads to feelings of obligation and ingenuity rather than joy when it comes to their commitments.

We are blessed each day with life and a body. How we treat our bodies and how we integrate nature and natural foods into our lives is important. It builds culture. As you may or may not have noticed, the Western Culture is in the fast food- shoot, make that fast living period- type of culture. The Western Culture is fast and self-absorbed. We have lost touch with nature, natural health, and hence lost touch with how to be personable- in general. Health foods are now convenient and many times not very natural or healthy. Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of people know how to be personable without necessarily focusing on maximizing their health status, but how long will that last before their inward and unforeseen outcomes start to catch up with them? And again, not everyone will struggle with health issues regardless of how they live their life, but who wants to take that risk only to be sorry and find out that they were not so lucky in the end as they lay in their hospital bed?

So many students and even many adults into their careers are tired all the time and don’t have the energy to properly interact with people; they don’t get enough sleep, they eat empty calories, don’t energize their bodies and muscles through exercising and stretching, drink excessively, and then call themselves pre-med or pre-health majors. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a tasty “empty calorie” meal once in a while, or even drinking in moderation.The problem is when there is no moderation and these things are done on the regular with no intention of improvement while at the same time advocating a lifestyle that you yourself do not model or follow. There is also a problem with being obsessed and excessive about exercising and eating “healthily.” There should not be a disregard for health, but there also should not be excessive and many times conveniently unnatural substitutes for health. Be natural. Reconnect with nature. Nature is tasty and refreshing to explore via exercise.

We in each of our own generations have the power to influence lives. For many of us, we are the up and coming generation that will be in the workforce. It is scary to think about the people who will be writing our health policies and doctoring patients. How we live our life will effect how much genuineness we put on postulating and thinking up better ways to improve the health of other people in our lives- whether they be patients, clients, or those in our communities.

So, whether you agree or don’t agree with with the belief that your life has a purpose, or even that your life was a gift from God, it should still be important to remember to take care of yourself first so that you can be even more effective in relating, reacting, interacting, loving, committing, and communicating with others. Use your body to change the environment that you love and are immersed in.

Remember that Health is more than just how you eat and what you do. It is a state of your physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Love yourself unconditionally on the inside first. That is the best place to start being healthy.

You can change a life by changing your life

You wont be missing out on life- you’ll be living it to its fullest

Be Healthy

Here are some carrots, kale, and fava beans that some students helped me harvest (yes they taught me how to pick and rip a dang carrot out of the ground… it was exciting)!

So I have the pleasure of working with some wonderful elementary,junior high, and high school students. A group of 4-6 graders come to Grant Hight School once a week and Grant High has a garden… a garden!!! There are carrots, bok choy, collard greens, tomatoes, kale, kiwi, apples, broccoli, fava beans, and so much more. It’s beautiful.

So anyways, the kids come after school, and they learn about nutrition, and eating healthy, and gardening. On one particular afternoon, the kids were to make garden grilled cheese sandwiches. Sound interesting? Some kale, collard greens, carrots, and onions were harvested (picked) from the garden. All the chopping, peeling, preparing, seasoning, sauteing, and grilling was done by the students themselves. It was so exciting to see the students excited to learn about vegetables and laugh and joke around as they were cutting carrots and demonstrating how to roll a collard green and chop it. During a green leaf lesson, the kids were so excited to try the leaves raw- they were fighting over the last collard green! Now I dont know if I would jump at the idea of throwing a piece of raw kale in my mouth.

As I was walking around and throwing around fun nutrition questions, I took a little break to observe the atmosphere. I was so amazed by what I was seeing that I had to step away and grab my camera and pen. It was magically beautiful to watch young children help each other cook and laugh and try vegetables and just be happy. They don’t usually get to experience these types of joys at home because their socio-economic background makes it difficult for their families to buy and cook certain foods.

When they tasted their final product, they all discussed, “Ooh! I can taste the kale,” or “Wow! I can taste the smoked paprika that you let us smell!” They were having so much fun experimenting with flavors and seasonings.

If only we could have a child-like approach to our health. Child-like in the aspect of being excited to try new things! We can learn to change our food preferences and acquire different tastes. When we get older, I understand that it is hard to change our preferences; we convince ourselves that they are set in stone- we like what we like, and we don’t try what we have already decided we don’t like. If these kids can make cooking fun and try new things, then so can you! Play some music if you’re by yourself, or just simply have fun trying new flavors. Flavor can do a lot for a meal. It is the difference between feeling satisfied and feeling unsatisfied. Usually, when we feel unsatisfied we eat more than we should in order to compensate our palate’s desires. So add some flavor to your meal, and you’ll probably eat less than you would if your meal was bland. Flavor also helps accommodate the bitterness of vegetables for all you veggie-haters out there. I myself have a hard time getting vegetables in because I am a super-taster (meaning my taste buds are sensitive to bitter flavors; non-tasters are people who have no problem with bitterness and also probably love coffee :)

Smoked paprika tends to add a meaty flavor to foods, and for those of you who don’t feel satisfied unless you have a lot of meat in your meal, try adding smoked paprika to get a satisfied palate without food coma and excess calories!

It is very easy to add fruits and vegetables into our diet via our favorite dishes. For example, the kids added veggies to their grilled cheese sandwiches. Think of your favorite dish to cook and you’ll most likely be able to add veggies to it. Homemade pizza with low amounts of cheese is a great way to add vegetables!

Be curious, be excited, be mentally energetic, and be creative when you cook! Cooking is such an aesthetically-pleasing art to be enjoyed and shared with others. Try new flavors, especially with your vegetables, because most people have trouble getting their 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in.

One girl, I noticed, had a cold. I pointed to a kiwi that was in her salad and said, “You know, this kiwi has more vitamin C than an orange slice?! And vitamin C helps you fight your colds by boosting your immune system so that you can get better faster!” She grabbed that slice of kiwi so fast and chewed it up right before my eyes! It is so rewarding to our bodies in the long run to learn our specific needs and find foods, rather than medicine and prescription drugs, that can help us achieve a healthier status.

Here is a head-start on a veggie recipe for you and some health benefits of a couple vegetables used in the recipe! Enjoy!!

Garden Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

1 cup freshly chopped kale

1 cup freshly chopped collard greens

1 cup freshly chopped carrots

1 cup freshly chopped broccoli

add paprika, sea salt, garlic, oregano, and chopped onions to taste.

100% Whole Wheat Sliced Bread

Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese of your choice

Directions:

Saute the vegetables and seasoning until soft. Add cheese and vegetables to taste on your bread. Grill bread with cheese and veggies until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown. Prepare with a salad on the side if you want!

Kale

Contains glucosinolates that can help reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Also contains carotenoids that help protect against UV light damage, and helps maintain and protect eye vision-especially night vision.

Broccoli

Contains the phytonutrient sulforaphane which can boost the body’s detoxifying enzymes that  cleanse our bodies, and remove carcinogens and other harmful compounds. With tomatoes, broccoli can efficiently reduce the risk of prostate cancer as well! Detox with broccoli!