If you don't already know, I'm a big Oprah fan. Maybe not of her personally or her empire on the world, but I think nine times out of ten her show brings up some really good points that should be considered by the general population. Yesterday's show was mainly focused around getting your kids to eat healthy, and while I don't have kids it is still an issue that effects everybody. Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica was on the show to push her new cookbook which is focused around tricking your kids into eating their veggies. Basically she purees a bunch of vegetables at the beginning of the week and throughout the course of the week sneaks the purees into typical recipes like chicken, mac and cheese, and even brownies. I think it's definitely a great idea. I hated vegetables and I'm not going to say it was the cause of my being an overweight child, but it certainly didn't help the matter. Most Americans do not get the correct serving of vegetables daily and our bodies are left processing a lot of chemicals and artificial substitutes that do nothing for us. I still think a lot of people are in denial about the whole issue, but eventually things are going to really bite us in the ass.
Our society used to be based on manual labor, sweat and hard work. Now practically everything we do is sedentary. Maybe the creators of Wall-E aren't so far off. However they didn't show the real problems with such lifestyles being diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and numerous other factors that are onset by being overweight. Look at the increase in obesity and especially childhood obesity we are already facing. Dr. Oz (one of Oprah's regularly appearing physicians) brought up some really good points. Most kids are white kids, and while it sounds funny, he meant that they eat mostly white foods; sugar, flour, bread, rice. He said the reason is that those foods look safe to a child. Children also have a hard time liking veggies because kids have 10,000 tastebuds, while adults have 3,000, and biologically they prefer sweet to bitter tasting foods. Therefore, I'm all about sneaking vegetables into other foods. Besides that, your body processes liquids much faster than solids, meaning your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard. Also why you should thoroughly chew your food before you swallow it! I also picked up a book from the library not too long ago about the Martha's Vineyard Detox Diet, and that is entirely based around pureeing your food, and living on a liquid diet. The purpose is to flush your system of a great deal of impurities, shed pounds fast, and obviously you go to the bathroom a lot–which isn't a bad thing. The diet, while challenging to maintain (in fact your body can't sustain such a diet for more than 21 days according to the book that suggests only staying on it for 7 days unless you really need the full 21) can really do wonders for many people that are struggling with their weight and need a jumpstart. While certain symptoms in the early stages of the diet are flu-like, your system soon regulates and by cleansing your body it even clears your pores.
I don't think people realize that most of our health and body issues are caused by what we eat. Even though that sounds like an easy concept. Our skin would clear up without proactiv, our weight would be under control without so much back-breaking exercise, and as adults we wouldn't have as many health issues to combat. And while many people already feel that the battle is hopeless all it takes is little steps to take back control of your life and stop letting society feed you. Go grocery shopping more than you dine out. Read or watch tv while on a stationary bike. Park in spots that are farther from your destination so you walk more. Stop drinking soda and beverages whose number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Drink 8 glasses of water. Sometimes we think we're hungry when in reality we are just dehydrated. The brain doesn't know the difference. Eat smaller portions every 2 to 3 hours instead of big meals. Don't eat late at night. All easier said than done right? I can vouch for that, even though I know this paragraph is me preaching to the choir.
Which brings me to the image at the top. That's what I ate last night (along with 3 other friends); the Friendly's crowd pleaser, which consists of 12 scoops of ice cream and six toppings. I love sweets and I do feel it necessary to enjoy them now while my body is more young and active (IN MODERATION!). I don't even what to know the calorie count on that, but even so I'm sure it wasn't as much as a few long island ice teas.
Alcohol is also a great contributor to weight gain, especially among college students, but I'm not going to even start on that topic which may be titled empty calories and the full effects of bad decisions.
So let me depart with some wisdom for the wise: Today is all we have to focus on. Even if you were once fat like me, let it go. Be mindful of your past, but don't live in fear. If you are fat now, it's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it, but try setting some realistic goals that will allow you to have a happier, and healthier future. Small steps. And if your not fat at all, just remember you could be fat one day! ha-ha! Keep in mind that the decisions you make in food and in life are what lay the groundwork for your future successes or failures.
Was that too harsh?
Sorry. Just remember if you fall off the horse, don't take too long before you get back in the saddle. It's never too late, don't give up, and all that other happy horse shit!
Peace. Love. And Food,
Jenna
