Treat your body as you want to be treated

Our emotions are a powerful driver of what we eat. When we aren’t eating we are thinking of what we will eat for the next meal, or what we will cook. We even snack in between meals when we probably aren’t really hungry, but thirsty! We assume when we feel hungry the need is for food, but I’m sure 90% of the time our body is asking for water! We eat and eat and eat… it’s the western culture. We do not deprive ourselves – even if we eat healthy food.

If you really think about it for a minute, it’s our emotions that drive our eating. Stress, sadness, depression, feeling unseen or heard, the need for love, desire, and I could list 100 more…. Eating with emotions is slowly killing us, making us obese and unhealthy. I’ll write more on this topic later.

Back to overeating. Do you think our bodies need to eat so much? Think about it for a minute. Do you think our ancestors ate like we do? They hunted and gathered and probably didn’t eat for days until they hunted and collected again. Food was even more scarce in the winter – hunting was even harder so eating was few and far between. They had strong bodies and none of them were obese or had gut issues. I could be wrong since I wasn’t living back then, but have to think I have a point to some degree.

Have you tried fasting? Have you tried not to EAT ALL DAY LONG? Our bodies are used to eating so much that the liver and pancreas can not keep up with the demand of their time. They are overworked and tired. We don’t need to eat so much.

If you compare the overworked and tired feeling to your job, then you will begin to get some sort of understanding. I had a job once where I was working 70 hours a week, and in the beginning, I didn’t mind doing it for the “cause” of the organization, but then I slowly began to get sluggish, tired, have brain fog, and didn’t even want to get up in the morning to go to work. It took a heavy toll on every part of my being. I couldn’t keep it up but my boss demanded I do it.

This is the same for your body. It’s tired, overworked, and can’t keep up with the 24-hour pace of the job. But you are demanding your body do it by eating all the time. Yes, you are that boss! You may not want to be that boss, but your eating habits demand it.

I lived in Germany for 3 years and loved the way Europeans feel about work. I was the foreign money teller back when each country had its own currency. I loved the job. When I started, I was given 6 weeks of vacation to start, plus 2 bonuses per year – one in June (vacation bonus) and one in December (Christmas bonus) which was a full month’s salary. That would NEVER happen in the United States. Countries abroad believe in a happy employee. They believe people need a break from their job, promote vacations and in doing so, the employee comes back rested and happy. Happy employees become faithful employees. Happy employees want to show up for work.

Give your body a break. Let your stomach get empty – you won’t die! Don’t eat breakfast and slowly push back your first meal to 11 or 12pm. Eat a big healthy salad with protein. Chew your food 32 times before you swallow it. This breaks the food down so your stomach doesn’t have to work so hard. Take your time when you enjoy this meal. Savor the taste and time away from your job. TAKE A BREAK and give your body a break. Treat your body as you want to be treated. Love and respect.

Here’s to being Happy and Healthy.

Deanna

What YOU put in your mouth

What’s going in your mouth matters! This might be the most crucial realization you face.

Your health and well-being mainly comes down to what you decide to put in your mouth to eat. Every day all of us choose what we will eat. We typically are driven by cravings, how much time we have, how we are feeling, and if we want to cook or not. I’m sure there are many other factors I haven’t listed, but we might make the wrong choice based on several factors.

If I am stressed at work and simply want to go home to relax and release the stress, I usually make a bad choice on the drive home! The dreaded “FAST FOOD” swing in the drive-thru. But there are other weeks when I PLAN ahead, meal prep on Sunday nights so it’s all in containers for me to reheat when I get home during the week. My meal prep is veggies/salad and protein. It’s in those weeks when I’ve planned ahead, I eat better and FEEL better.

What we chose to eat also affects how we feel on the inside. When I have a day of sugar/sweets my body feels sluggish and I want to take a nap! Our bodies are incredible when we really think about it. It responds well when we feed it well. The flip side is the same. When we feed it poorly it responds poorly.

For me, I’m trying to be more mindful about food and what I put in my mouth. “Sugar” is addictive and extremely bad for our bodies. Eat fresh, out-of-the-ground food that you can chop with a knife or peel – not food typically on the inside isles of the grocery store with so many preservatives you have no idea what the words on the label mean.

I know it’s not always easy. My road is an up and down one with my weight and health. I think “it’s never to late to make a change”. Try to plan your meals to avoid last-minute choices. That’s where I get hung up – it’s in the last-minute choices when I make terrible choices!

You have heard all of this before – What I’m sharing is more food for thought.

Here’s to our health and well-being! Keep going….

Deanna

Eating all day long

In the seventies, we were told to eat three meals a day. Then we were told to eat small meals all day long. – grazing. Today most people eat three meals a day and snack all day. Now 2/3 of women are overweight and obese. Let’s think about this logically for a minute – Do you think our bodies were made to eat all day? Did our great ancestors eat all day long? Heck no! They had to hunt for food and had long periods of time when they didn’t eat. If we eat all day, we are over taxing our organs to try and keep up. They must be constantly working over time to do their job. That can’t be good. Right? I know when I work overtime for a long period of time, I wear out. Why wouldn’t our organs respond in the same way?!

I’ve heard so much about intermittent fasting I wanted to give it a try. I think marketing experts and ad campaigns led us to thinking breakfast was the most important meal of the day. But I’m guessing that was probably a bunch of b.s. When I started intermittent fasting, all I could think about was food. It consumed my thoughts. I felt time was moving slower than normal!! The first day, I lasted until 11am, but I wanted to wait until noon. Now I start to think about food at 11:30am – LOL. It really is a new way of thinking, but it’s worth it. I feel better by not eating so much, and keeping my eating window smaller. I try to only eat from noon – 6pm. Plus, chosing better food to eat.

It’s all baby steps to good health. Try it if you haven’t. See how you feel. 🙂

Here’s to good health!

Love and grace,

Deanna

Not all things are Equal

Science tells us for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I think we all can agree not all things are equal. I live in a career based on consistency and math so everything has to balance. This got me thinking about exercise… and falling off the wagon.

Toasting the Happy Couple

My handsome and smart son got married this past weekend. His new bride is beautiful, intelligent, and the best part is; she loves my son with all her heart. (A mom can tell) I am thrilled to watch them start their new life together. The wedding was outside beside the largest natural lake in Indiana so you can imagine the backdrop of the wedding was scenic. When the kids began to share their written vows, (kids being 30 years old, so technically not kids anymore) we all sat silently with anticipation of their heartfelt vows to one another. Being the mom of the groom, I had a front-row seat and got my phone out to record this moment in time. My son started his vows, well thought out and meticulously written down so he wouldn’t forget what he wanted to share with her. During this moment, I kid you not, a Jet-Ski whizzes by the wedding venue loud and proud drowning out his vows for a moment. Like any good husband-to-be, he didn’t wavier! They both shared loving vows to one another. However – A Lakeside Wedding Venue does not equal jet ski fun under the sun!

The dinner and celebration continued under a huge tent on the side of the resort/hotel. The guests started out with flutes of champagne and strawberries. My arm was graciously twisted to join in with several flutes as all the guests toasted the happy couple. The meal was superb and so was the desert. Now here’s where every action has an equal and opposite reaction…. Alcohol, heavy food, and sugar will have an opposite reaction to my healthier lifestyle change.

While I loved being in the moment celebrating with everyone, I also felt horrible the next day. All I wanted to do was be lethargic and sleep. I am sure part of that was also due to a very long day from sun up to late in the evening. It took me a few days to feel normal again. Falling off the wagon sets you back. What little weight I’d lost, now back on. I felt sluggish and weighed down. Now I feel I’m starting all over again and my progress was for nothing.

There’s a famous quote I love – “Our jobs don’t define who we are. What defines us, is how well we rise after falling.” ~ Maid in Manhattan, The movie.

Doesn’t that quote say it all?!? I get back up, dust myself off, and do a better job going forward! I do NOT give up! Giving up is not an option! I get back on the proverbial wagon and continue towards my goal.

Here’s to better health!

Love and Happiness-

Deanna

Looking in the Mirror

Looking in the mirror, a hard look, I need to get a handle on my health. I need to lose this extra weight or my health will be in jeopardy. I’m not fit now. I have been in the past. I believe I was fit in my thirties, but in my forties, I didn’t care for some reason.

Sure I could blame going through a divorce, or pull out other reasons, however; those excuses don’t change the truth! Excuses don’t mean jack. My body is carrying this extra weight, so I’m talking from experience. At my age, it will not be easy, but it is doable! It’s never to late to do anything.

This is the year that I care about me. Take care of myself each day. I believe that small things done consistently, over time will matter. If I’m eating healthier every day, making healthy food choice, then overtime I will see a difference in my body and how it feels. Right?

I’m cutting out fast food. That means that I need to plan out meals before hand. I started using the crock pot more now. Throw in the meat and a few things, and in 6 hours I have a home cooked meal, which we know is much better for me. Fast food is convenient, but it comes with an unhealthy price tag. I stopped drinking soda over a year ago!

My goal is to lose 50 lbs. this year. I will write how I feel and what’s working for me. I hope you can come along with my journey. I need support. Maybe you do too. If so, good.

“Small things done consistently over time will make a difference. BE consistent.”

Deanna