December 1, 2009 Diet Blog

Well, it sure was a busy day today. I was exhausted by the end of the day but had to grocery shop and run several errands. I came home, put the items away and then made dinner for my husband and myself. We watched The Presidential Address from West Point and I'll be heading to bed right after I touch base with you. I had oatmeal for breakfast, grilled chicken salad and grapes for lunch, grilled chicken salad and a banana for dinner. No snacks- no time.
As I mentioned I wrote the rough draft of the paper on nutrition. I was able to learn several things while doing that, which had escaped my vast knowledge up until that point. ( I joke about the vast knowledge...it's just that I feel as if I've tried every diet and every diet trick known to man...of course I haven't. It just feels that way sometimes.) Anyway I've been wanting to share this with you, one of the new things I discovered was regarding the food pyramid. Comparing the old one to the new one shows a significant decrease in the amount of food intake that is considered healthy.
I thought about that as I read. I wonder if its because we've become sedentary and therefore require less food to sustain us? We now watch the game on television rather than participating in one. We drive instead of walking short distances. We use machines to do much of our manual labor. Computers often do our shopping. Things like that have lessened our activity and it is spilling over into the next generation. We are an obese nation. The average size for females went from a size twelve to a fourteen. It's amazing when you think about it. I'm not excluding myself here either. I am as guilty as the next person in this type of thing.
I think that we are so fast paced that we don't see what's going on around us. When was the last time we stopped to see the sunset, marvel at the ocean or to smell a beautiful rose? All of these things are factors in the diet process as well as 'going green.' Serious thought should be given to changing what we can about our lives in the fast lane and in turn the 'green' of our earth will grow healthier too while our body weight decreases. It's like a ripple effect.
I'm not saying that my being on a diet will help stop global warming; that's not what I mean. What I am saying is walking instead of driving will help both issues; recycling trash even though it's more trips to the curb will too; things like that; every little bit helps. I'm one person, but if you join me that makes several. Change starts with one, just like dieting starts with the first pound. It starts at one. Believe me when I tell you that I wish it could start at 50 and move from there. It still starts at one.
I also read an article in the October issue of Woman's World about 'One Minute Confidence Boosters.' I think this is another part of breaking our negative, unhealthy eating patterns. There were six ways. 1- Pop a supplement and feel less fearful. They recommend 3 g. of the amino acid tryptophan. It helps the brain secrete serotonin, which boosts your mood. That's an individual choice. For me, I choose not to do anything that I'm not going to be able to do for a lifetime. 2- Talk to yourself to melt away worries. Since I've been doing that for years I guess I'd have to agree with that assessment. However, if I start hearing a voice in my head answering- I'm running to the doctor! 3-Make a list to melt away insecurities. Jot down your accomplishments or things that brought you joy or made you feel happy. Again- I'm a big fan of that. A journal comes in very handy for seeing why I veer off path because I often eat food for comfort. 4- Nod your head to erase all doubts. Supposedly it keeps you positive about your own opinions. 5- (and I love this one.) Wear shades to feel empowered. Also, high heels do that same thing for confidence and of course a trip to the salon! Yes! It's totally true! 6- (and my favorite.) Visit Face book to calm your nerves. (Don't you LOVE THAT?!) It reminds you that you matter to other people, and that you are not alone. I adore face book and my face book friends! They say that carrying a cell phone does the same thing. I'm also a big fan of that!
I'm going to sign off now by quoting another one of the articles called 'A Moment for you.' It's a beautiful sentiment that made me think of you today:
"You're not stuck. You're on the brink of success!
Sometimes it may feel like your dreams are stalled. But that just means it's time to rev your engine! You're on the right path: It's been mapped by the best GPS system around- your heart! You have the best fuel there is: Hope! So don't give up now! Your life's not on hold. It's about to unfold!"
Since I also feel that way about my pending authorship I really identified with the meaning behind the words. They fit me.... Woman's World is a good read! All of these quotes are from the October Issue.
Remember you look as good as you can for today. Tomorrow you will look that much better. Do not let your perception of your body stand in the way of you having a good time. Stay positive. One last quote from the magazine:
"It's very difficult to go back and make a brand new start, but you can always START FROM NOW AND MAKE A BRAND NEW ENDING."
See you next blog ;-)