Gotta look at the Big Picture

Good morning Friend. The BIG PICTURE. In business we hear this a lot. In personal lives it's the same. We don't make a budget on just one bill, so how can we look at anything else that way? One single human being is a giant picture. Not only is there are physical health, but our mental health, emotional health, and even our spiritual health. Each of these components are also a Big Picture unto themselves. And, here's the clincher, all these work together. If you are ill (physical health), and feeling bored (mental health), and crying "why me!?" (spiritual health), and then you might feel sad (emotional health) because you had plans for the day that you can't do, your body is going to have a hard time healing. On the other hand, you wake up feeling good, ready to tackle the day, won the lottery, and just overall having a great time with life (it can happen!), your body will be strong and invigorated and HEALTHY. 1. Make a conscious decision to change. Big or little, giant leap or a small baby step, change an unhealthy habit. Maybe you'll stop soda (this would include diet), or that high calorie coffee drink. Switch to mostly water, unsweetened iced tea, and/or unsweetened, unmilked coffee. Maybe it means taking a walk after dinner. How about skipping the mealtime bread? The important thing is to make a CHOICE. That evil little voice in the back of your head is saying "I can't give up XYZ." "Drink black coffee, eww gross." "But BREAD is the cornerstone of the USDA's recommended daily allowance!" Except for the coffee one, I have said the same exact thing. Remember, I am using the words "DECIDE TO CHANGE", not alter your lifestyle, but CHANGE. Change doesn't come easily, and if you are wishy washy about it, it won't come at all. 2. You are responsible for YOUR choices. As much as I would love to blame the USDA and their stupid food pyramid for my being fat, they didn't force any of the processed crap that I ate down my throat, neither did the advertisers for Dunkin' Donuts, McDonalds, or Little Caesars. Nope, my own choices. No matter how many clubs, bars, or parties your friends invite you to, you don't have to drink or eat anything that you don't want to. YOU CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF. 3. Educate yourself about nutrition. There are TONS of books out there, including the Internet, plenty of information to sift through. I personally choose the materials that had nothing to do with the Standard American Diet (SAD). I have done everything the USDA, the doctors, and even common wisdom (CW) said to do, with little/no results, and when I did get results they were short-lived at best, completely unhealthy at worst. Notable reads: Real Food by Nina Planck The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson Primal Mind/Primal Body by Nora Gudgaudas Notable Websites: Paleo Non Paleo (www.paleononpaleo.com) The Clothes Make the Girl (www.theclothesmakethegirl.com) Jen's Gone Paleo (www.jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com) The Primal Parent (www.primalparent.com) Those are just a few. The web is bursting with plenty of info on all diets and types of eating. When you do start your research, keep in mind that you aren't "starting a diet", you are CHANGING your eating habits. Find something that you can live with. You will be eating this way for the rest of your life. A quick fix diet hasn't help so far, so why even bother. Instead, put your energy into something that will last. And remember, the more you learn, the more you will adjust the information to fit your life. It's OK, to wander off the path a bit. There is no one diet fits all. I am going to stop here. This is a lot of info to absorb. You have your homework, Friend. This is your life, your health, be obsessive about it for a while. Until next time...