Guys, we live in a processed, artificial world. We eat processed foods, listen to processed music, receive processed news and information, pursue processed educations, use artificial lighting, live with processed self-images, and are fed processed ideals. It’s a processed life.
First and foremost, I should state that I am NOT a woman of science. I don’t know much about science at all – in fact, I don’t even have a college education. I am, instead, a firm believer in the power of common sense and, above all, intuition. Intuition is one of the most wonderful and powerful remaining vestiges of human instinct, and one which, I feel, is under-valued and even under attack. Our culture is a science-based culture. We want studies, we want facts, we want doctors and specialists. We are also a consumer-based culture. We want products with flashy, expensive advertising, we want a product to give us a quick fix, we want celebrity and expert endorsements to lend them credibility. After all, a stellar advertising campaign costs money, and where there is money, there must real, proven value…right?
I’m not qualified to offer any of those things.
One thing I can assert, though, with the full support of the scientific community, is that we’re not all that healthy these days. Obesity, cancer, diabetes, depression, and a whole host of other bad things are affecting a huge quantity of the population. As a science- and consumer-based culture, we naturally turn to science and the latest new products for answers. But what about intuition and common sense?
Let’s take food, for instance. Due to the incredible array of affordable, tasty food products available and the ever-present barrage of advertisements, we look at eating in a completely different way than we did, say, a hundred years ago. For many of us, eating is no longer something we do with the satiation of hunger and nourishment of our bodies in mind. Eating is now an activity charged with emotion. We see eating as a form of entertainment and of comfort. Does it look good? Does it taste good? Does it feel good? Are the cool people eating it?
Common sense, however, tells me that eating is an activity intended to fuel my body. That’s not to say that it shouldn’t be a pleasurable activity, but enjoyment is not the primary objective here. Health and functionality are the priorities. And my intuition tells me that if I mean to pursue good health and full functionality, I need to eat real food.
What I mean when I say “real” food is food that would have been recognizable to people a hundred years ago. Food that grows in the ground or on trees or meats that come from animals, and are still recognizable as such by the time we consume them. Food that is made up of ingredients – familiar, recognizable ingredients. And my intuition tells me that the closer to the natural source those foods are, the better they will be.
The majority of the things we eat were once alive. And here’s where I get a little hippie-dippy, folks, but bear with me. Food, as an energy source, uses the energy and nutrients from those living things to, in turn, provide our bodies with energy. That energy from those sources, in my completely non-expert and uneducated opinion, dissipates over time and with processing. Science may disagree, but my intuition is adamant. So, if I have to choose between a food that has been canned, preserved, dried, frozen, or tampered with and a food that is fresh from the source, my instincts tell me to go with the fresh food. And while the processed product still may have the vitamins and the fiber and all that other good stuff, fresh just feels better to me. So next time you’re about to buy the thing in the can, the cardboard box, or any other kind of fancy packaging, consider whether you might not be able to get it fresh instead.
I’m not saying that we should all buy a pair of Chacos, go vegan and start drinking wheatgrass kombucha. Just think fresher.
And, by the way, if you happen to believe that buying fresh food is more expensive than otherwise, you’re doing it wrong.
And yet the world cries out: “But then I’ll have to rinse it and chop it and cook it and stuff!” “I don’t know how to cook!” “I don’t have the time!” and “I just don’t have the energy to cook!”
Yes, there is more preparation and work involved in using fresh foods, but it’s not as hard as you may think it is. Like any new skill, it just takes practice and persistence. Keep doing it and trying new things until cooking becomes easy – because eventually it will. At the age of twenty, I didn’t even know how to fry an egg, but I looked up recipes and learned, and at 26 I’m a damn good cook. It’s not that hard, especially when you have the entirety of the internet at your disposal to answer your questions. As for the time issue, trust me: it’s worth turning off the TV twenty minutes earlier or staying up a little later to make the time. And if you don’t have the energy, try eating real food for a while and see how long that lasts.
Another facet of the “real” food issue involves the thousands of “health conscious” products on the market today. It’s “diet” or “fat free” or “sugar free” or “only 100 calories.” While there are some notable exceptions, most of the time when a product makes a claim like that it also means that the product contains more artificial, processed ingredients. And most of those ingredients are NOT REAL FOOD. We focus so much on what isn’t in our food that we don’t bother to see what we’re actually consuming. Science and advertising assure me that they’re safe, but my intuition tells me that if it’s not recognizable as real food, then God, and perhaps more importantly, my own biology does not intend me to eat it. So when I’ve got that craving for a soda, I’d rather take the one with the sugar. At least I know what the sugar is doing to me.
And hey guys, DRINK LOTS OF WATER. SERIOUSLY. It’s easy and it makes a huge difference.
Common sense also tells me to be careful about supplements. Taking a multivitamin is great, I’m sure. Maybe your highly artificial and processed protein shake or that diet pill is helping you, too. Perhaps that wacky cleanse product or energy booster really does it for you. After all, science/advertising says it will! There is, however, a tendency to see supplements and products like these not for what they are – a supplement – but as a replacement. There is no replacement for good nutrition, guys. Do your research and use your supplement, but if you’re not eating real food, your supplement – if it’s actually doing anything – is probably only doing damage control instead of effecting lasting change.
And then there are the weight loss diets. Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers…they can all produce really fantastic results. I’ve seen them. Diet programs can do wonderful things, even if it’s only to make us more aware and educated about our eating habits. The thing is that once you’re done with the program, if you don’t follow with a healthy lifestyle, you’re probably going to end up right where you were before. And any weight loss program that doesn’t provide for balanced nutrition will only produce the appearance of health – not the real thing. So try the weight loss program, but keep in mind that it’s only a jump start and probably not a long term solution.
We also have some pretty huge cultural misconceptions about exercise. There’s a common assumption that exercise is going to be really really hard, or that it will require a whole lot of time, or that you’ll have to buy a gym membership or expensive equipment, or hire a personal trainer, or pay for classes, or order P90-X or something.
I don’t go to a gym. I usually find exercise enjoyable. I don’t often break a sweat while I do it, and it doesn’t really hurt or leave me terribly out of breath. A lot of times, I exercise at home. Sometimes I do it while I watch TV. Sometimes I only do it for ten minutes a day, or not at all. I don’t own anything fancier than a yoga mat and a set of hand weights, and I don’t use those often anyway. I don’t follow an exercise regime. I just MOVE EVER, do it even if I don’t want to sometimes, and try new things, and I’m in pretty great shape.
I’m not trying to say that taking the class or buying the thing isn’t a really awesome thing to do, if you can. But you don’t have to. And you don’t even have to know that much about exercise.
I use what’s readily available and cheap. Check out the Health and Fitness page on Pinterest. The work-out videos you can find on YouTube and Netflix are just fine. The 10-Minute Solution pilates and yoga programs on Netflix, for example, are way cool and convenient, and the only equipment you need for those is a space on the floor, and maybe a couple of light weights, or cans of beans. I’ve even been known to do arms and shoulder routines with votary candles. I’m sure that Saint Michael and the Virgin Mary were glad to help.
But beware of the processed exercise program! They’re good to start with, but like a diet program, it’s only a jump start. Now that I’m more comfortable with different exercises and how they work, I don’t use the videos much anymore, unless it’s to try something new. I don’t have a static routine – my intuition tells me that a routine that doesn’t change with my body and adapt to my varied energy levels is a really good way to establish only partial fitness and also to really piss me off. I need change, novelty, and variety to create a balanced, whole body routine. The idea that every time I work out I do this many of this thing and that many of that seems counter-intuitive to me. When I’m working with a new skill or muscle group it’s important that I do it enough to get my body used to it, but once I become confident that I’m doing an exercise safely and correctly, I don’t count “reps.” Instead, I do it until it’s hard and then I do a few more. This fosters progress and takes into account the changes that occur in my body on a day-to-day basis.
And getting exercise doesn’t have to be done solely for the sake of getting exercise. Go for a walk. Clean your house. Rearrange your furniture. Play with a dog. Park far away from the entrance to the store. Mow the lawn. Ride a bike instead of driving. Go dancing. GO OUTSIDE. The important thing is to MOVE EVER.
I ran across an issue of “Prevention” magazine the other day at a client’s home. I’ve never read it, but judging by the articles advertised on the cover, I feel pretty comfortable assuming that the name of the publication refers to the prevention of health problems. I’ve just googled them and the first thing they claim to offer are “healthy living tips.” Well, on the cover of the issue in question, the headlining article was something to the effect of “Lose Three Pounds A Week Without Ever Exercising.”
What?
I mean, I’m sure it can be done, and easily at that, but for a publication that claims to offer healthy living tips and to give information about preventing negative health consequences, that’s pretty unhealthy. Sure, you might get skinnier, but health isn’t in it.
Articles like this are perfect examples of our culture’s distorted views about health. We are always looking for the quick fix, and that magazine will continue selling as long as it claims to offer them. The trouble is, there isn’t a quick fix. Whatever method you use, if it’s going to lead to lasting health, then it’s going to take time and effort.
Another thing that my intuition tells me is that dieting and exercising shouldn’t be about losing weight or getting skinny. We live in a society that feeds us a processed image of how we should be – which is mostly an image of how we should look. And while we’ve made admirable progress when it comes to dispelling the “skinny” ideal, we’ve still got a long way to go. I no longer exercise to change the way I look. I’m pleased with the way my body looks, but now I exercise and eat well because of the things those habits help my body to DO.
It is not sensible to say that anyone who appears skinny is necessarily unhealthy. The public concern about anorexia and bulimia and stuff like that has led to an unwarranted hostility toward skinny-ness in general. Some people are just thin and that’s fine. But my goal is not to be skinny. My goal is to be strong and healthy, whether I’m skinny or not. And my intuition tells me that, in most cases, eating well and exercising regularly will eventually lead to a healthy body, whether it’s a size 0 or a size 16.
Intuition naturally makes me skeptical of any “quick fix” method, because common sense tells me that there isn’t one. There is no gimmick or program or product that can replace plain old healthy living. A lot of them are just a bunch of processed crap. Save your money, guys. The money you spend on producing an artificial appearance of health will probably lead to trouble in the end.
Common sense also makes one more very important point: moderation is key. Sometimes I eat crappy food. Sometimes I just NEED some Whataburger. I drink too much beer. I can probably eat about a pound of M&Ms at once, if the feeling is right. Sometimes I’ll go a week or more without getting much exercise. One of the essential qualities of healthy living is learning not to expect perfection. Dogma is scary and fosters rigidity. Just find moderation, and remember that falling off the wagon doesn’t mean you can’t get right back on it.
The point that common sense is trying to make is simple. Eat real food. Exercise ever. Science and consumerism aren’t always on board with common sense. If it seems really complicated, it’s probably not healthy. Keep it simple, folks, and trust your intuition.
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