The Other "F" Word
Recently, I visited a museum of art. This was no ordinary museum. It was the Louvre in Paris, France. This museum is extraordinary. Large pieces of art, sculptures, with figurines as far as the eye can see. Millions of people visit this historic place each year. It truly is incredible! What was striking is that the women in each
Recently, I visited a museum of art. It was no ordinary museum; it was the Louvre in Paris, France. This museum is extraordinary. Large pieces of art, sculptures, with figurines as far as the eye can see. Millions of people visit this historic place each year. It truly is incredible! What was striking is that the women in each piece of art were.....well, voluptuous! Actually, they were what we would consider today as fat! Yet, in the eyes of these artists, they were beautiful! I began to wonder why that might be? What has changed in the way we view ourselves, especially as women? How did we get so obsessed with thinness?
It seems in the 1840s it was proposed that women, in particular, abstain from abundant eating for optimal health. First by suggesting spices in foods and heavy on bread. Then came the suggestion decades later to consume more meats; thus the diet revolution began. Fullness, that was once considered beauty, then became disgust and non-fashionable. Women used to have clothing custom made by a seamstress and no sizes to compare. Then the department stores come into play where dresses were sold in sizes S, M, L, or 8, 10, 12. That’s when woman began to compare themselves to one another.
Today, there is so much emphasis on being thin. Thin is in, or is it? People come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tall others are short and there is a huge range in between. Not everyone is designed to be skinny, just like not everyone is designed to be tall. There is cellular makeup that gives us a pre-disposition. That being said, I'm not advocating obesity. Body build and muscular make-up should be considered, however, being larger than you should is not healthy. What I am saying is not every woman should weigh 120 pounds. Accepting ourselves for who we are is important in a multitude of ways. First acknowledging one's self-worth, loving ourselves for who we are and where we are in life. Small changes add up to larger changes and so on. Health and wellness is about creating a balance, not just what our pant size is. A size of a person does not necessarily determine a healthy person. There are many thin people who are sick.
As people, we are too obsessed with weight. The better scale of measurement is to ask yourself some questions:
How do I feel?
How do I sleep?
Am I where I want to be in life?
Can I do the activities I want to do?
How are my relationships?
We look at ourselves with a distorted view. Others see us differently than we see ourselves, but we continue to hang on to the negative thoughts, and they become our truth. Our brain automatically goes to the negative. An infestation of ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) is destructive to the mind and body. Anytime you realize you have ANTs in your brain, get rid of them…immediately! Over time, you can change your brain creating better place to live in your own body. Enjoy your life....there is freedom!
Health Bite: Health is not necessarily weighed by scales.
Chronic Inflammation and Sugar
People are living longer, largely due to better medical care and early diagnosis. Yet, in spite of information to live healthy, pharmaceutical companies continue to grow and thrive. Why, with so many people taking statin drugs (cholesterol), is heart disease still the number one killer? Recently, I had a patient who informed me he is pre-diabetic. I inquired by asking him if he was doing anything differently with this new health concern. He confided that he is now monitoring what he is eating so he doesn’t have to take more pills. Apparently, his wife does not feel the same way. Her recommendation was to take the medications and eat he wants. Two very different ways in dealing with a health issue. What would you do? Our culture has moved far away from healthy living, and now many are paying the price for it. Prepared, processed foods loaded with sugars and harmful fats have expanded our waistlines and caused our health to decline. It’s so easy to unknowingly purchase foods that have added sugars. As a matter of fact, I recently purchased some chips that were certified organic, gluten free, etc. However, I neglected to read the ingredients prior to the purchase. Once at home, I was made aware that cane sugar was an added ingredient. Our tongues are so used to sweets; nothing else tastes quite as good.
The more I research sugars, the more I’m convinced it’s the leading cause of chronic health related concerns. When sugars are consumed, the pH in the mouth drops making an acidic environment conducive to cavities and dental disease. Studies have shown that consuming sugars and inflammation go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, chronic gingivitis (bleeding gums) could mean a future diagnosis of Type II diabetes. Medical literature continues to publish the connection between the oral-systemic link, making it crucial we monitor what we eat.
So why don’t we just give up sugar? Because it tastes so good. When I ask people why they chose to drink soda instead of water, the answer is always the same. Soda tastes good and water doesn’t. We have trained our brains to love and crave sugar, and as a result, we need more and more to feel satisfied. Our blood sugar rises rapidly then drops down making us feel lethargic. But, that’s okay…..just have more sugar! What a vicious cycle.
Challenge yourself this week to give up sugars; at least the added sugars in foods and drinks. See how you feel by day seven. Will you have more energy? Will you loose weight? Will you feel better?
Health-bite: you are what you eat
Whoops, I didn't mean to ask for help.
It was a Monday when she came in the office excited to tell me about her new grandson. Beaming from ear to ear, she told me all about this new addition to her family. In the conversation, she admitted to gaining quite a bit of weight, and if I would help her, well that would be great. "Maybe I can," was my rely. "How much sugar is in your diet?" I asked. "Oh, honey. I have to have sugar. It gets me through the day," was her answer. So I asked her why she chose sugary drinks instead of drinking water. Dehydration will slow down the body, so keeping hydrated with water will actually give you quite a bit of energy. She told me she doesn't like the taste of water, but she does drink the flavored, bottled water sometimes. Occasionally, in the morning she will also put some honey and lemon in her water before she goes to work. Wait, there's more.
I'm beginning to sense some defense, but I keep going. "Do you prepare your own meals or do you tend to eat out?" I ask. "I don't have time to cook with my busy schedule. I usually go to McDonalds. You know it's amazing what you can eat in a car driving down the road," she chuckles. "I order the chicken sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and cheese. That's well balanced, right?" Oh, boy.
Now it's clear to me why she had gained the extra weight. She is busy and stressed. Unable or unwlling (I'm thinking the later) to prepare herself for the battles ahead, she has fallen in the pit of a fast food cycle. Of course, it's easy and convenient, but it's not a healthy choice if weight loss is the goal. I was beginning to understand she wasn't ready to make a change. Even though she asked for help, she wasn't ready to take the necessary steps to reach her goals. Every question I asked was lined with excuses and defense. In retrospect, I should have asked her what measures she had laid out to reach her goal. Her answers would have help me better understand if she was ready and willing to make some changes.
Hopefully, our conversation will replay back to her the next time she thinks about her weight issue or her next McDonalds trip. Sometimes, even though we want to change, we just aren't ready to commit to the hard work.
health-bite: it takes hard work to make a change