In yoga, my intention is usually a focus for my practice for the day, but what about in life? It's almost the start of a new school year and it is time for me to set an intention for myself and my well being.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I both listened to much of the real food summit and that I'd picked up the book Wheat Belly.
Both things have got me thinking about a few things. Allow me to ramble just a bit...
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| Etsy |
First, and maybe most importantly, who can you really trust? For the longest time we'd been told that low fat diets were going to make us healthy. Now, they are killing us and fat isn't the enemy. I believe it, because I've read a good amount of research/books that seems to explain it. But, honestly, I'm sure there are books and research suggesting the opposite. Who do we listen to? Who can you trust?
I don't have an answer. I'm just curious. I listened to many people during the real food summit talk about healthy, nutritious whole foods and I was so inspired. Meat is not an enemy, vegetables still reign supreme and processed foods are always going to be bad for you. Anything that can sit that long on a shelf shouldn't go in our bodies, I get it. I'm choosing to believe this side, I think that's fairly obvious with my desire to eat unprocessed foods.
But, here's my next thought, we live in America, in the 21st century and most of us are fairly social people who enjoy a meal out once in a while. Some of the presenters suggestions depressed me. No eating out, no sugar- not even honey, very limited fruit, no wheat, make it all yourself always, don't trust anything, ever. Yikes. Eat raw foods, including milk and eggs. How realistic is this to expect?
Side note: I looked up raw milk in our area, because I am curious, and I can get it delivered to a cooler in front of a strangers house. I would go and pick it up from the cooler outside their house, how fabulously creepy does that sound? Dylan didn't go for it.
I wanted to call in and ask how to do this realistically, but I heard one of the presenters mention that if this was too hard then he felt sorry for us, because we were slaves to convenience foods. Eek.
Here's the thing. I'm no slave to convenience foods, but I do go out and I do go to other people's houses and I do enjoy a treat once in a while. And, and this is a big one, during the school year I work a lot. A lot. I need easy breakfasts and lunches and I need to relax and have someone else prepare a meal once in a while. Many presenters focus their whole lives around this real food and I admire that, but I don't live that life.
I live my life, so how can I incorporate what I've learned with the restrictions I know exist in my life?
I'm also reading Wheat Belly, and I'm not gonna lie, it's awfully dull. But he has some seriously interesting points to be heard- did you know that bread increases your blood sugar level more than table sugar? more than a snickers? I think he is suggesting I make all my sandwiches with snickers in place of bread (ha! dreaming!).
It's made me rethink my love afair with bread, but.. I do love bread. But I also love feeling good and not feeling bloated.
I've been slowly eating less and less wheat over the past year. Around this time last year, I noticed that I ate wheat at every meal: muffins, sandwiches and pasta- yikes! No room for vegetables!
So, what to do? How to live a healthy life but a realistic one with work and friends and stress and time limits on lunches?
Another good question.
I'm going to aim for balance and preparedness, but here's my plan as I see it..
- limit refined sugar intake:
- This I can do. I don't have a serious sweet tooth. I have like a cheese tooth or something. Cheese. That's my vice. I'll allow a treat here or there, but I'm thinking like once a week or so.
- limit/restrict wheat intake:
- Whoa. Really. I'm aiming for about 30 days wheat free, followed by limited wheat with one meal a week with wheat allowed (you know it's going to be a delicious wood fired pizza pretty often, that's cheese and bread. oh heaven). I get so bloated and gross feeling when I eat wheat, even though I love it to pieces, it obviously doesn't love me back.
- eat tons more veggies and protein
- up the protein intake- more eggs, more meats, more beans, more nuts. Can do.
- enjoy more vegetables, with every meal including breakfast and lunch!
- enjoy my meals, savor them
- this is hard with breakfast and lunch, I seem to inhale them. Last school year, I got about 20 minutes for lunch if I was lucky and I'm hoping for something better this year but I can't be sure. I just have to savor what I can get and bring good, delicious foods with me.
Why am I sharing all of this? You might notice it without reading this post, but I doubt I'll be posting a heap of bread and cookies like I had before. I thought it was worth a warning!
Why in the world am I doing this? I don't feel very healthy. Really. My hair and nails stink, I have a gross itty bitty ganglion cyst (his name is Bruce, be nice) on my wrist, I don't sleep well, I have a super sensitive stomach and I gain weight when I just think about nachos. When I eat junk, I feel like junk. While junk for me isn't fast food and soda, more like frozen Trader Joe's foods and tortilla chips, I still end up in a bad place. I want most of all to feel good, to have energy and to sleep well, and if I lose some weight well, I won't complain. But if I just feel fabulous, but don't lose an ounce, I'll be happy as well. Life is too short to focus on the size of my pants, I want to have the energy to focus on the things that really matter. That's my intention.
What's your intention? Making any changes soon? Got any delicious recipes to share that fit this intention? I'd love to hear it!
Wish me luck!
-m
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