You’ve seen it time and again. Fad diets, health claims, new studies contradicting previous studies. 
To agave or not to agave. Paleo, Mediterranean, Vegetarian. High cardio, low cardio. The fads and beliefs are endless.
Just this week a study was published claiming that women who drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages a week are at a higher risk for breast cancer. Yet, these same women are encouraged to drink a glass of red wine each day to help prevent heart disease. The latter being a more prevalent cause of death. And any form of alcohol, including red wine, to have said effects on breast cancer.
It seems every time we turn around what we thought was good for us, isn’t. What we thought we were doing right, we are told we are doing wrong. See, the trouble is, or the benefit, depending on how you look at it… time allows for more in-depth research.
Take artificial sweeteners for instance. I spoke of it before here, so won’t get in-depth, however, in the beginning scientists really did believe they were better for you than refined table sugar because they saw instant benefits. What they didn’t see were the long-term effects. How could they? They hadn’t had the time to witness them. Some claim agave to be a “fad” and warn you stay away, while others, believe it to be a better choice than refined sugar or anything artificial. But of course sugar is sugar. It is always best to limit it’s intake. If you are going to use sugar for some things, my personal belief is to go natural. I would personally opt for agave over Sweet and Low, but would use honey over agave. Then there is xylitol, a sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables. It’s use is on the rise. Again, this is an altered substance – a refined sugar. A toxic substance has to be added and then removed to create it. Some claim it to be perfectly “natural” and healthy, but how can we be sure? There are said to be no ill side effects, well… except gastrointestinal effects like cramping, bloating, flatulence and diarrhea. But other independent studies have shown otherwise. Including it’s ability to kill a 100 gram rat with 1.65 grams of xylitol. See more here. Xylitol’s own promotional material says it is not safe for everyone to use.
Generally I write to the average person about realistic ways of viewing their health and fitness goals. Because that is who I work with. I am not speaking to athletes, body builders or fitness professionals. They follow a very different set of rules than the average person. What they are trying to accomplish is often not even something your average person cares too. And often their diet and training is far different prior to a competition than it would be at any other time of the year. These techniques are not used consistently. On average, someone just wants to feel as good as they can, look as good as they can and be as healthy as they can. But that doesn’t necessarily include a great amount of difficulty in weighing and measuring food, cycling carbs or even a hope for ripped abs. Those body builders might not all believe it, but not everyone thinks that physique looks good!
What one person hopes to achieve is very different from the next. Some prefer a runners long lean body. Others, like myself prefer quite a bit more bulk and muscle. While others want curves and something much softer. The world of training, nutrition and fitness is vast!
First you have to decide what your goals are and just how much effort you are willing to put in. Then, take it slow! Jumping in head first can cause more trouble than you might expect. If you take someone who has never been in a gym, eats poorly and has had very little ambition to do things differently and try to throw them into measuring food, eating a completely different diet and going to the gym 4/5 days a week you can end up with digestive troubles, pain and injury, and frustration that can lead to giving up entirely.
Eating a “clean” diet is the very first place to begin. But what is clean? There are so many options or ideas. A couple actually have valid claims. These are a few –
- Paleo – eat fat to lose fat, eat foods that were available to us through our evolution. Including animal products and a focus on fresh, organic vegetables. Excluding grains, sugar, oils, legumes and dairy.
- Mediterranean – based on fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, oils, whole grains and wine. Limiting unhealthy fats and sugar.
- Vegan/Vegetarian – Based on whole organic vegetables, fruits and grains. Excluding meats and fish.
- GAPS – heal the gut, repopulate beneficial bacteria and rid the body of toxins through food. Includes meats, fish, vegetables and fermented foods. Excludes refined or processed foods and sugars, as well as dairy and grains with some reintroduction later.
What do all of these have in common? Fresh vegetables and fruits and other whole foods. And the limitation or exclusion of sugars and refined or processed foods. It’s actually pretty simple when you take a moment to think about it. Did what you are about to consume undergo any kind of processing? Were any chemicals or preservatives added? Is there anything on the label you can’t pronounce? Was it created in a science lab? And if so, don’t eat it!!
If you think of your “diet” in terms of fuel for your body you are on the right track. Food should be enjoyable, but first it should be fuel. If you use dirty fuel in your car it is going to spit and sputter and probably stop working. If you use dirty oil, it will gum up and begin to break down. The same thing happens to your body. Feed it well and it will treat you well.
Whether you choose animal products or not, grains or not, one thing remains the same – Vegetables and fruits should make up the majority of your daily food intake.
- You should be eating a balanced “meal” every 3 hours that includes fruits and vegetables and a protein source.
- You should be eating within the first hour of waking everyday.
- You should be drinking lots of water!
- You should be conscious of where your food comes from. How it was raised, grown, prepared and delivered.
And then there was exercise.
Cardio? Weight training? HIIT? Yoga? Pilates?
Again, you must take it slow. You can’t strap on your sneakers and expect to run a 10k. Not even a 5k. And if you do, beware. You could very well end up flat on your back with an injury. Baby steps my friend. Baby steps. As a matter of fact, running isn’t actually the healthiest form of exercise! It can be very taxing to the body and is often not recommended. Jumping into any form of exercise can be harmful, however. Not to mention the risk of heading for the hills and giving up entirely because you hate it. Which is probably because you tried to go too far, too fast and feel like an utter failure. And it hurt because you tried to perform something without being in the proper shape to do so. This can have serious ill effect on the psyche… and lets face it, our psyche dictates.
You need to find a form of exercise that is enjoyable. Oh, come on. There must be something. Perhaps less painful then? If you start by trying to do something you are terrible at and loathe, your likely hood of failure is enormous. Start by picking something that, although it might seem less productive, is challenging yet fairly easily attainable for you and get good at it. Then progress to the bigger stuff. You can’t rush off to the gym, take hold of the 60 pound dumb bells and start repping out. It isn’t realistic.
You don’t have to go to the gym to get in better shape. I prefer some gym time of course. Weight training is the leading form of exercise for all body types and conditions with the highest and fastest results. But if you place it somewhere close to root canal or death, find something else. Perhaps joining a basketball or softball league. Playing tennis with a friend or taking your dog hiking. I have a group of clients who have an exercise matt and some free weights and me visiting them at home multiple times a week. All of which have seen tremendous benefit to their strength, endurance, physique and overall well-being.
My philosophy is find a proper balance for YOU. Stick with clean, organic – where you can, whole, natural foods. Find a form of exercise that works for you and challenge yourself to be a better you everyday. Never stop trying to do better. Never stop learning what makes you happier and healthier. Give up the idea of dieting and learn to eat for life. Think of exercise as a tune up. Part of your regular routine like cleaning the house, paying the bills and going to work. All of which might not be your favorite activity, but ultimately result in you living a better life. When you stumble, don’t wait until tomorrow or next week to pick yourself back up. Start now. And get proper rest! The body heals and grows while sleeping.
If you base your well-being around a large variety of clean foods and regular exercise the rest, the studies and fads, will matter far less. And your emotional well-being will benefit from less worry and frustration. Our emotional, psychological well-being is as important as our physical to our over all good health. Stop worrying because you know your clean diet and consistent exercise are keeping you on the right track. There are times, for some, where things like measuring food and cycling carbs are going to be used, even needed. If a person, after learning what a clean diet looks and feels like, is eating often enough and is still having trouble with portion control, then measuring out portions is necessary. Often though, starting with measuring everything is just too much. They are already doing so many things differently that this can result in frustration and confusion.
Lastly, I would like to speak of herbs and supplements. I love herbs. I grow a variety and use them for every ailment my family can muster. I make balms and salves, tinctures and lotions. But if this is all too much for you, if you don’t know rosemary from parsley, bergamot from basil, don’t worry. Although I truly believe them to be the best source of healing and that everyone should get to know them well, getting to know a few, or even just adding some to cooking will help. You probably already are getting some and didn’t even know how much you were helping yourself and your family by sprinkling them on your food. The best way to learn about herbs is to pick one you like and learn it’s benefits. When you feel you know it well move to another. Really though, you mustn’t need know that rosemary is good for memory or sage treats asthma to benefit. Simply start using as many herbs as you can and often. They will sort themselves out and continue to add benefit. If you have an aliment consider herbs before running to the pharmacy. There are many knowledgeable people who can help.
As for supplements, I prefer to get them in natural form over those packaged in pill or bottle. Some fitness plans and professionals will recommend taking a digestive enzyme supplement as well as others. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, they can be acquired through food. You needn’t run off to the health food store and stock up on pills to be well. Foods like pineapple, papaya and kiwi will do the trick most of the time single-handedly when looking for enzymes. Let’s face it, altering your lifestyle can be confusing, a considerable bit of work and an added expense. Using food for such things adds ease and nutrients as well. That is not to say that they are never necessary or beneficial, but start with food and go from there.
Recently Dr. Richard Besser, ABC news senior health and medical editor, spoke of his view on multivitamins here and here after a report from the University of Minnesota claimed some supplements could be linked to an increased risk of death. He does not take a multivitamin, nor does he suggest them to his patients. An article in the NY Times reported this month of studies showing vitamin E and selenium adding an increased risk of prostate cancer and that doses of vitamins are not helpful in fighting off disease. The best means of proper nutrition is still through a well-balanced, clean diet and the suggestion being to only take vitamins in pill form when they are necessary.
There are some things outside of your balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and proteins I do suggest as a must, however. Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, ginger, nutmeg, tumeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, honey and green tea. I suggest these for their health benefits as well as their ability to flavor food and make it more enjoyable. And then there are some that I would like to see you using. Cranberry, Echinacea, elderberry, astragalus, shittake, lavender and mint. They are all very easy to find and very easy to incorporate. They also will do wonders to keep you healthy!
Phew. Gasp. Did you get all that? I’ve come up for air. It really isn’t anything you can’t handle. I promise. Chances are you knew all of this anyway. Maybe you just needed a reminder?
Don’t let all the news segments and articles and fads discourage you. The reports and statistics will continue to change. Stick with the basics. The tried and true to live your best life! And follow along as best you can.
Live Well!
~S
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When planning a herb garden it is important to consider many things – space available, what each plant needs for care and room they need to grow, sun/shade needed and available for each plant, scent and texture and the use for each plant. One plant you should consider, but understand, is Comfrey.
Whole Living With Stephanie 