Food- The Journey (Part 3)

Ok, now here we are in 2015

Food is in oversupply in the western world, or is it?

Every day we go out and see numerous restaurants, grocery stores, markets, etc., but really how much good food is out there?

Many restaurants cook their food with store bought ingredients, so even if they cook healthy, the end product can still be bad for you.

So define bad for you then.

At this time, that definition is changing, so I would say anything processed from its natural state can be unhealthy, anything with added sugar can be unhealthy.  I try to avoid artificial sweeteners, replacing them with Stevia when possible.

What is healthy then?

Foods which reduce inflammation, promote good digestion, healing of organs, and which do not force the body to secrete excess insulin(lower glycemic index foods) are what I would primarily consider healthy.  

I currently am focusing on lower carb food products with healthy vegetables as the core of my eating.  In between I sometimes have a low carb protein shake (currently with sucralose as a sweetner, will be changing that to stevia shortly).  I also take supplements to ensure I am not missing something important as i do not breakdown the nutritional makeup of all the foods I eat.  Supplements are probably not needed but I currently take A Multi-Vitamin, Vitamin B Complex, C, D3, Resveratrol‎ , Fish Oil, and Asprin daily.  Do your research to see if your body needs this, definitely always consult your doctor to ensure they do not conflict with your body chemistry or any medications.  If you know a good nutritionist, that would be helpful as well, but truly, be your own advocate for health.

You may be thinking this will take hours each week, but really, spending 2-3 hours to decide on your goals, creating a plan and then monitor your progress weekly is all it takes. Remember, your health is a work in progress and you will need to adjust from time to time.

Ok, that's health, now my big thing over the past few months was getting to a healthy weight.  I started working on my changes back in late August 2014.  My goal was to lose weight and get to around 190 pounds.  I started at that time at a recent high of 244 pounds.  As of this blog entry I am at 197 pounds, so about 7 pounds to go.  I have been keeping a regular log of the foods I have eaten, and honestly have cheated a few times, but after the cheating, I got right back to my plan.  You may need to take a break from the plan now and then, but make it an exception to the plan, not a complete departure.  Something I keep reminding myself is that this is a journey, to eat properly the majority of the time and with that, my health will improve as well.  So far so good.

If you treat weight loss as a project and then maintenance, then any variances from the plan can be planned and you can make the necessary changes.

One last thing.  If you are willing to be honest with yourself about your willingness to change and do better, then try and determine why you are not ready, because if you aren't ready, it may not work and could be a waste of effort.  Be clear on your truth and it will be fine.  You will have moments when the plan isn't working for you, accept that and adjust.  If you need to eat something wrong, do that, but get back to plan as soon as possible.

That actually can apply to anything you are trying to improve on.  Make a plan, adjust it when needed, and understand that you may not meet every milestone, but that it is very important to get back to the plan as soon as you can.

Thanks for reading, have a good weekend.

Derrick

Hello 2015

It's just over a week into the new year.

What will make 2015 shine for you.

Every one of us have challenges in life and it's how you manage them that will decide how you feel this year.

It's been said before, but you can choose to be happy regardless of the difficulties you may encounter.

Many of us, including me, look at the negative much too often.

Plainly said, If we are still alive, we should be grateful.

For what?

These all may not apply, but choose one and focus on it.

• Good Health
• Special partner or friend
• Pet
• your favourite beverage (for me it's coffee - Starbucks Yukon currently)
• Family members who will be there for you
• A job you enjoy
• any job at all
• massage therapy
• God
• a stranger that brightens your day
• a found dollar
• losing weight, getting healthy
• a new home
• a new car
• whipped cream
• a mixed cd or dvd
• Netflix
• Vodka

Ok, I picked random things that give me moments of relaxation, or enjoyment, or fulfilment.

That's the idea, if you focus on those instead of dwelling on the difficulties, then you can choose to be happy about those things.

Think about the important things to you and embrace them.

We all have something, even something small.

Don't worry about people judging you, just live to your best and try not to waste the time we have, you can't ever get it back.

That's what I will be thinking this year.

God Bless, and talk soon.

Derrick