The Epidemic

As anyone who knows me will attest, I have strong opinions and when I am particularly excited about something, you will have a hard time shutting me up. Well I am at this moment building up anger over the matter of the, “obesity epidemic”.

I am sure you’ve heard of it. It’s all one can do to not hear about how fat is killing us, and our children and how it’s worse than the plague. Apparently fat causes diabetes and high cholesterol, and shot knees and high blood pressure and even death.

Well I disagree.

What exactly is overweight or obese? The only medical factor that determines if a person is overweight is the BMI. The BMI is an archaic tool that was invented in the 1800’s. According to the BMI, most professional athletes are overweight. Other than the BMI, we determine if a person is overweight by the medical problems they may have (diabetes, high cholesterol) or by the way they look. But can’t you have high cholesterol or diabetes and not be overweight? Yes! And can't you be medically overweight and still be extremely healthy? Yes!

We also determine if a person is overweight by what we, in our heads think is “normal”. Most people have a number. A number in their heads that they feel they should weigh. Great, that’s fine, I have a number too but I feel compelled to remind myself, and you, that we made those numbers up. We made them up in our heads based on society, our driver’s license or what we weighed in high school. It’s a made up number!

Being overweight is relative. Overweight based on what? What you used to weigh? What other people who are the same height as you weigh? Or what you think you should weigh?

There are a million unhealthy “thin” people and there are a million healthy “overweight” people. The real epidemic is un-health not over-fat. Unhealthy is not synonymous with overweight.

It sucks when a 7 yr. old kid gets winded walking to school. But what’s the problem? It’s not fat. It’s health. That child needs exercise not a society telling them the way they look might kill them someday. It is so much easier to add something good than to take away something “bad”. Add exercise because it boosts our mood and lowers our blood pressure. Add green vegetables because they keep our heart healthy. Add whole grains because our brain needs them.

I am not sure what I hope to change with this article. I suppose I am hoping you will think about it next time you hear a news story about “the epidemic” or have your BMI measured or judge someone on the bus. Or worst of all judge yourself. Strive for health. Not un-fat.

Fuel for Life

Everybody has heard the term introvert or extrovert and I am sure most people have labeled themselves or someone else at one time or another. “Oh, she’s an extrovert, she’ll be fine at the party.” Or, “he’s an introvert, so very shy.” Until recently I had always thought of myself as an extrovert. I am social and loud and friendly. I have no fear of talking to strangers and I love being the center of attention. Extrovert, right? Not so fast.

The true definition of an extrovert is a person who gets their energy from other people and an introvert is someone whose fuel comes from being alone. Most people are a bit of a mix of both.

Take the BF and me: I love, love, love to be alone. I can take days in row where I don’t leave the house, and all I do is read, sew and watch cheesy movies. I like to take walks by myself and go to the movies alone. I like long hours spent doing nothing but daydreaming, alone in my pajamas. Sometimes I become overwhelmed by all the activity and social engagements of life and I have to actually schedule alone time in order to recharge the batteries. It’s not that I don’t like being social but sometimes it’s too much for me.

The BF is the opposite. He gets his fuel from the energy of others. He likes to entertain and have people round for supper and BBQ’s and pool parties. He spends long drives chatting to family members and friends on the phone (Bluetooth of course). It’s not that he can’t or doesn’t like to be alone, it’s that he gets his energy from connection with others.

And yet if you met us both at a party you would think I was the extrovert and he was the introvert. He is much less chatty than me and definitely less dramatic (thank goodness, right?)

Have you ever thought about where your fuel comes from? I mean you get energy from the food you eat and the exercise you take but is your life giving you more energy or is it depleting you?

I spend most of my day being pretty social. I am always around people and so by the end of the day I am fairly depleted. Because I know that I need extra alone time for refueling I make sure to give myself that time. Today I am going to take a walk in the park by myself. If you are the opposite and stare at a computer all day with v little interaction but you happen to be an extrovert, you might find it helpful to schedule time for lunch dates and after work events.

Take a look at yourself and discover if you are an extrovert or an introvert or both. When you know what pumps you up, you can make sure to fill your tank with the correct type of fuel. You wouldn’t put diesel fuel in a gasoline only car. If you did, it certainly wouldn’t run as well or at all.

Let’s all give ourselves the premium grade this week and notice how it affects our ability to drive.

Time Tested Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

–Sam Levenson

Breaking Bread

I recently finished reading the book, Eating Well for Optimum Health, by Andrew Weil. I found it on a shelf in a used book store and thought, “why not?” It was the best purchase I have made in awhile and it was only 75 cents. It is a great book! Dr. Weil has v few opinions in the book; he just tells it like it is. “This is what we know, and this is what we don’t know.” He goes through the most common fad diets and explains exactly what the scientific pros and cons are and he never recommends any of them. There was lots of practical information for me regarding autoimmune diseases but there was also a lot of really interesting information for anyone wondering a little more about nutrition and how our bodies use carbohydrates, fat and protein. I highly recommend it.

What had to be my most favorite part of the book however was a story not by Dr. Weil but by Ronald Koetzsch from Camaraderie is the Best Diet.

Mr. Koetzsch tells a story of his time visiting friends when he chose to abstain from the frivolity of the meal because he wanted to “be healthy”. He fell asleep listening to the sounds of laughter and chatter and awoke not feeling triumphant or self-righteous but feeling left out and groggy.

Did you know that the word companion comes from the word panis, which means bread? A companion was someone with whom you would “break bread”. There is also a Japanese phrase for intimate companion, which translates to, one who eats rice from the same bowl.

Mr. Koetzsch explains, “When food is blessed by being shared, by being eaten in fellowship and laughter…all food is health food.”

I agree!

How many times do you eat your lunch sharing and chatting with your friends? Is it more likely you will spend it checking emails? How many nights is dinner in front of the TV? How often is breakfast a rushed and hectic affair?

I say, “Turn off the TV! Log off the PC (or MAC if you’re like me) and share your meal with someone close to you or someone you’d like to be closer to.”

Savor the experience of eating instead of trying desperately to get it over with. Granted this is a lot easier at suppertime but I have faith that we can make it happen for other meals too. Maybe you can pal up with a friend from work and offer to bring lunch for the both of you. The next day they can do the same. You will get the opportunity to try something new and enjoy a mini party mid day.

Even if you live alone (me) and there is no one to share breakfast with, you can still savor the enjoyment of eating by paying attention to your food. Actually taste it and chew it well. Put on some music or enjoy the silence and relish the first meal of the day. This is what will fuel you; give it the respect it deserves by focusing on it and remembering it.

“He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise.”
— Henry David Thoreau

Play Hard

This weekend I watched the women’s world cup soccer game between the USA and Brazil. It was amazing. I really mean that, I loved every minute of it. I was up out of my seat and screaming at the TV. I sat on the sofa on a gorgeous mid-morning while the sun was shining outside and I stared at a television rapt with awe. This is not normal behavior for Sarah. I am not a huge sports fan. I mean I am becoming one more and more each day because of the influence of one BF but I have yet to start watching it on my own. This is what made Saturday morning so bizarre. And there is something even more crazy. I watched the game twice. I watched it once live and then later some friends who had taped it were watching it and I watched it again. Who am I?

Last night I was talking to the BF and trying to sort out what made it so exhilarating for me. I came up with a few ideas. Firstly, it was the USA. I don’t have a team really. I like watching sports live and I will always pick a team to root for while watching a game but I have yet to buy the wallpaper for a particular team, except the USA. There is never any doubt that they are my team.

Secondly I have never been more impressed with the ability to soldier on than I was watching the US. They had so many things go wrong: a vindictive or just out of it referee, 10 players against 11, the fakest injury by the Brazil team I have ever seen, and the amazing skills of some really awesome players on the Brazil team.

The ladies of US soccer never gave up. They played with so much heart and so much gusto that I was literally blown out of my seat. When in your life have you ever come across some obstacles? When have you felt like life (or a rubbish ref) was out to get you? Today I feel like RA is out to get me. I hurt. I feel pushed down and exhausted. I can either give up and say, “F it! The ref gave me a red card, the game is over, how will I ever overcome that?” Or I can say, “Hell no RA, you will not take me down because I will never stop giving my all and I will never stop fighting to win!”

No matter how many fouls have been thrown your way, you still have the power to stay in the game if you give it your all and you never give up!

Be Good to your Body, it's where you Live

Nobody puts baby in a corner

As the days creep closer to the 4^th of July I tend to get pretty excited. I love, love, love fireworks and I’m also quite partial to BBQs, pool parties and the general merriment surrounding such an important holiday. But of course as I am wont to do I find myself thinking about the significance of the upcoming day in history. We celebrate the 4^th because it is the day when the declaration of independence was signed and America declared itself free from the rule of Great Britain.

Now I am not going to get into a history lesson but I do think that the notion of independence is a really important one when it comes to our health and our habits.

Have you ever heard of the term emotional independence? I heard it a lot when I was dating. “I want a man with emotional independence etc. etc.” I thought it meant that a person knew what their issues or baggage were and could talk about it like a grown-up. I certainly believe that’s a valid skill to have but I no longer believe it’s called emotional independence. I have come to think that EI as it shall now be named is the ability to feel what you’re feeling regardless of what someone else is feeling. Example: I wake up and it is a great day. The sun is shining, birds are singing and little mice have made me a beautiful dress to wear, this day is perfect and nothing could go wrong. As I am walking down the street in my lovely mouse-made frock, a friend comes up to me who is in a v bad mood. She says, “Ugh, this day sucks and your dress is ugly.” (Not a great example of a friend really) Emotional independence would be my ability to not let this un-friend get me down. I am happy. Just because she chooses to not be happy does not mean I will. If I did not have EI, her mean and grumpy mood would wipe away my smiles like Windex and I would spend the rest of the day in a funk and not know why.

Another form of non-EI can happen when you base how you feel about yourself and your behaviors on what someone else thinks of you. Or even worse, what you think someone else thinks of you. Example: Me again in my critter designed creation happily walking down the street when I am confronted with an old friend. She doesn’t see me, even when I wave. I get a little anxious. Did she ignore me? Have I done something wrong? Oh my goodness I wonder if I have somehow upset her. Non-EI is you jumping to conclusions and then having those conclusions affect your wellbeing. Even if she walked right up to me and said, “Sarah, you are a laundry list of awful. “ It’s still only her word against mine and my EI says, “No, I am a laundry list of rad.”

Now of course, the caveat: There will always be moments when you cannot help but have your emotions swayed by the likes of others. If a friend is ill or you are at a stand up comedy show you may feel compelled into sadness or joy, but you have the power to decide that you will let them affect you. That’s the big ah ha with EI. You have the power to control how you feel, no one else does, only you. And that is some awesome independence.

This weekend as you celebrate the independence of a great nation, why not also celebrate the independence of a great person. Don’t let anybody tell you how you can or cannot feel. Only you can make yourself feel small. So make yourself feel grand!

Growing pains

I have this lovely little book that I read every morning. It’s just a page per day and it’s full of little stories or affirmations or ideas for how to lead a more lovely life. Lately the pages have been filled with anecdotes on gardening and flowers and the blooms of summer. The author recommends that every one would benefit from kneeling in the dirt, digging a hole and planting some seeds or flowers. I am not a gardener. First off I live in an apartment. Secondly, I am impatient. But I am also an avid follower of self-help goals so I decided to stick my hands in the dirt.

About a month ago I bought a package of seeds and some little pots and decided to make an herb garden. I filled the pots with soil, I planted the seeds, I sat them in the sunshine and I watered them. They never grew past the seedling phase and eventually they died. They died because I stopped watering them when I lost interest in the fact that they weren’t growing. I wanted them to grow faster.

Have you ever felt this way about your life? Has there ever been something you have been interested in, something you’ve been working on to better yourself or to grow and when you don’t see results, you stop tending to the project?

I see it happening all the time. Maybe you’ve started a weight loss program and when the scale doesn’t budge you give up. Perhaps you have been learning a new language and when you can’t understand the guy speaking Italian at the coffee shop, you quit, just like that. Is there anything you’ve started and stopped because it just didn’t happen fast enough?

Think about my herb garden. Those little seeds sprout from practically nothing: the tiniest grain of sand. All they have is dirt and water and hopefully some encouragement. They have to push their way through all that dirt and pierce the top of the soil and still they have so far to go but they won’t give up (not unless you do). They keep growing and blooming and breathing. But if you stop watering them, if you take away all their sunlight and their dirt and their encouragement, they will die. Well the same thing happens to us.

What is your current goal or project? Are you giving yourself the nutrients and oxygen to flourish? Are you adding kind words of encouragement on a daily basis? Are you practicing patience? The seeds will grow, they just need a little time and so do you. Take a sip of water. Take a deep breath and whisper to yourself. “I am growing right now.”