I eat a banana (or 3... kidding, kind of) everyday, usually with almond butter smeared all over it. That's just how I roll. So now you can imagine my reaction when my friend Sarah (name changed, obvi) told me her diet didn't allow her to eat bananas (or apples, or grapes) because of the sugar content. Blasphemy. To that I say give me bananas with almond butter, or give me death :) This scenario played itself out as I stuffed my face with a fruit bowl and oatmeal at the local diner, while she ordered bacon and eggs- but "hold the bread. I'm on a diet."............... QUE?!
All jokes aside, it made me sad. Not because she was eating bacon and eggs (because even as a vegetarian, I'll admit bacon is yummy) and not because she turned her back on bananas (lol), but because of the all of the easily accessible, mainstream, false information available out there. Sarah is encouraged to eat all kinds of food laden with saturated fat, but has to limit her fruit intake... As a trainer, I've been asked more times than I care to count if fruit is "okay to eat." I also recall an encounter in the staff room at the gym where another trainer (while scarfing down beef jerky) questioned me eating a bowl a fruit, "considering it's high sugar content. That kind of sugar turns directly into fat!" What a numnut :) Fruit contains the most natural, easily recognizable and digestible sugar out there. Sugar content aside, fruit also contains vitamins and enzymes that are essential to your body! Doesn't it make sense to fuel your body with natural food sources instead of chemically processed ones? Don't believe me? That's fine. I'd say definitely do some research, and always consider who your resources are. Also, I suggest reading opposing arguments, and deciding what works best for you. Once you find what works for you- roll with it ;)
Clearly this post is not about bananas nor is it about whether fruit is "okay" to eat or not. Rather, its about educating yourself before you allow yourself to start any kind of diet (a word that makes me cringe, by the way, but that's a completely different kind of post!) I really and truly encourage you to research how things work, and pay close attention to how it affects your body. Ask yourself if it's something that you can healthily maintain for a lifetime. Also, consider if what your doing seems natural and healthy for you. After all, you only get one body and only you can decide what you feed it, right? Make that decision an informed one! I, too, tried almost every diet under the sun. Want to know the one that worked best for me? I believe it was the "I did tons of research on nutrition, stopped focusing so much on the nutrition facts, focused more on the ingredients list, and decided I wanted to fuel my body with wholesome foods" diet. I'm sure your nearest Barnes & Noble carries it ;) hahah
Let's talk about: changing food habits. It can be an extremely difficult process (process is clearly the operative word here people)! Often times, it's an emotional journey as well. Some people can go cold turkey and turn bad habits into good ones. That's cool, but for the rest of us, it's a gradual learning process. Take your time, don't try to be a superhero. Make small changes. Those small changes add up, and when they do, you'll have an easier time maintaining a lifestyle conducive to your goals. Plus, if you take it one decision as a time (each meal, each workout, each resting period) the final goal will not seem so far away. Those seemingly "small decisions" eventually result in some mayjah progress, and who doesn't want that?!
Questions? Feel free to ask me!
LifestyleFitnessConcepts@gmail.com
<3,
Stace
No comments:
Post a Comment