Defining Healthy
How do you define healthy? Not every one views health or healthy in same way. Health is defined as: thegeneralconditionofthebodyormindwithreferencetosoundnessandvigor, soundnessofbodyormind;freedomfromdiseaseorailment. Is this you? Are you free of disease or ailments? Is an achy back or sore shoulder health? Not according to this definition. The more I think about this definition, the more I realize I don't know many people at all that are actually healthy.
Being healthy is not the same as living healthy. We are all so different in the way our body works with metabolism and immunity. One person seemingly can eat whatever "junk food" they want to and never gain a pound, while someone else gains with every bite. While there are many genetics that play a part in how we fight disease, it's important to realize our bodies need an adequate amount of certain vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy. Living a healthy lifestyle takes practice. It takes a strong desire and will to accomplish good habits daily to live out those goals. It's also important to lay out a plan for yourself. I love the Fitness Pal app that truly helps you stay on task. It monitors calories, nutrition, and exercise and will help you meet your goals.
So why work so hard to live healthy? There's no guarantee that we will be disease free. Why not just do what we want, enjoy what we want for as long as we can? Our western culture is very use to things done quickly...and why wait? We have fast food, diet pills, and ready made foods. If you have a problem, don't worry, there's a pill for that. Just keep doing what you want to do. Besides, everyone's going to die one day, right? Yes, that is right. One day we will die. So how do you want to live in the meantime? Not everyone will die quickly. As a matter of fact, most suffer prior to death. Many suffer as they try to hold on to life. Everyday choices bring everyday results. Over time, a healthy lifestyle can be achieved. So how do you define health? Is it giving up sodas? Maybe it's not eating fast food.
We allow our addictive brains to steer us wrong. It's so much easier to give into cravings instead of fighting them off, and the food industry is not on our side when it comes to living healthy. Packed full of ingredients no one can pronounce, full of fat, sugar and salt. Our bodies crave those foods that stimulate our brains making us feel good....at least for a little while. I encourage you to make a step. Step out of your comfort zone and go out beyond your boarders. Make a promise to yourself to stick to your goals to live a healthy lifestyle. You won't be sorry.
health-bite: choose a lifestyle worth living
Liquid Aminos
Once upon a time, my mom gave me something called liquid aminos. She told me it was better to use than soy sauce. I'm sure I tried it, but for some reason, I wasn't ready to really use it. It's strange now, thinking back about why I really wasn't interested. I just wasn't ready. Do you remember something you were told before, maybe ignored, and now wonder why you didn't act on the advice? There have been times when I told my children something and they gave me that look that says, "You don't know what you are talking about." You know that look, right? However, when someone else gives the same advice, for some reason it is received better. Maybe the first time hearing something plants the seed, then it just has to sprout and grow. So when I heard it again, I thought, "Oh, yeah, I know about that!" I'm guessing I just wasn't able to appreciate the advice (sorry mom).
Since I'm a relatively new vegetarian, I'm trying to eat smart and not just carb out, which is what I did in the beginning. I think it's funny that the first thing people ask when I tell them I'm a vegetarian is, "What about your protein?" or "You need protein!" Let me tell you, I usually exceed my daily protein. It's really easy to get enough in a day. Most Americans consume too many grams of protein, which can lead to health issues like obesity, heart and kidney disease, just to name a few. We, as Americans, are so fortunate to live in a country where food is plentiful, unlike other countries, where meat is scarce. As a result, we all tend to overindulge.
So let me introduce you to liquid aminos. This product is a better choice and wonderful replacement for traditional soy sauce. Let's compare and contrast:
Serving size: 1 TBSP
Both have 0g fat and cholesterol
Sodium
Liquid Aminos 320 mg per serving
Soy Sauce 920 mg per serving
Total Carb.
Liquid Aminos 300 mg per serving
Soy Sauce 1000 mg per serving
Protein
Liquid Aminos 930 mg per serving
Soy Sauce 1000 mg per serving
So why liquid aminos? According to the package, there are 16 essential and non-essential amino acids that naturally occur without fermentation. The soy sauce offers no health benefits on their label, but does list six ingredients: water, hydrolyzed soy protein, salt, corn syrup, carmel color, potassium sorbate. With two ingredients in their list: vegetable protein from soybeans and purified water, liquid aminos is the winner! Especially since there is no added sugars!!! This product can be purchased at a health food store or on-line.
Health-bite: liquid aminos the better choice over soy sauce