The wonderful thing about finding Paleo as my “food” life style is it is Home for me. When I get off track OR just make the choice to “enjoy” my life and not worry about the gut discomfort and complete body dysmorphia that will follow and just let my hair down. I have a history of binge eating, I know those demons are always lurking and it can feel like a 24 hour job just keeping those little monsters at bay and then other times it can be smooth sailing in troubled waters. I’ve had a few blips in my personal screen lately and it is so crazy after how far I’ve come, food and drink are always going to be my dirty little secret. Finding Paleo (a diet of meat, vegetables, healthy fat options, nuts and some fruit) and now Ketogenic diet (high fat, low carb and moderate protein), have given me a place to completely circle back to AND get instant results, without taking myself through the turmoil of self destructive behavior. It’s like I have the secret formula to controlling the way I look and I couldn’t have been given a bigger gift.
At one point I feared always being on a diet, until I realized, I’m Always Going To Be On A Diet!…and I felt very relieved by that notion. I don’t want to feel tortured and disordered, but my reality is that the minute something isn’t working for me, mentally and physically, then I must change it up. Nutritionally, that comes in the form of Low Carbs, or Low Fat/High Fat, or More Protein or Intermittent Fasting, to eating every 2-3 hours or eating twice a day. What ever the method, it will always be there, the desire to look as good on the outside as I feel on the inside. I put so much value on the way I feel and the energy I feel, that when I meet someone who is barely crawling along with this issue or that, I just want to help them… but not to many take me up on my offer. What remains a constant is what I leave out of my diet. Dairy, Grains and Processed foods.
Physically, that comes in the form of changing the workout plan. Stop running/start running, lift heavy weights, do High intensity interval training, stretch more, push harder/push less. What ever it is, a shift needs to happen. And that’s how my life will always be.
Spirituality, my new favorite pastime. I feel for the first time in my life, I can really take care of myself. Spirituality is a key component to holistic health, true optimum health, to bring together the body and the mind. Nutrition, Psychology and Spirituality, they all cross over. To me Spirituality is an open dialog with myself, Why?, What to learn?. It is something I can tether myself to that is pure and good. It’s not a Christian god or a Buddhist god or any deity at all. It’s as simple as practicing Gratitude or Silent reflexion and mindfulness. When my head gets turned around, I read Buddhist teachings, I meditate, I listen to Podcasts, and I try to figure out what I can learn from what just occurred. I love this feeling of love that I have. I feel very secure. This shows up in the way that I look.
When all three of these are in check, you really can control your destiny. Wether your destiny is to be lean and chiseled, let spirituality give you the strength to see the strides that you’ve made. To make a career change or leave a bad relationship, let a change in nutrition clear your head and physical strength to propel you forward in the right direction.
OH!!! Sleep. I read about a controlled study where a group of subjects were given the same meals per body needs. Half the group got 5 hours of sleep the other 8 hours a night for so many months. The 8 hours group lost an average of 5lbs more than the 5 hour group…Just sayin’, it could be YOUR missing link.?? Night!
